Redwood PTSA Past Events

Activities

Past Parent Education events

Programs in 2009 - 2010

•September 3, 2009 - Please join Superintendent Laurie Kimbrel and Principal Nancy Neu at the first PTSA meeting of the year! Also speaking will be Redwood's new Police Resource Officer Patty Monge, a recent Redwood High School graduate. Patty will introduce herself and explain her role at Redwood. She will be available to answer any questions parents may have.

•October 1, 2009 - Dr Martin Joffe, pediatrician and Dr Melissa Wilson, clinical audiologist, will present "Teens and Technology: the Hazards of Texting and Other Popular Technology." Local pediatrician, Dr Joffe, will review and discuss the results of a survey among Marin County high school students regarding the use and misuse of cell phones, the full spectrum of misuse, and the psychological and philosophical issues concerning how teens communicate with various forms of digital technology. Dr Wilson will discuss how today’s tech-savvy teen is increasingly at risk of damaging her/his hearing through frequent exposure to harmful sound levels. Any sound at a level of 85 decibels (dB) for an extended amount of time can cause permanent hearing damage – and personal MP3 players like the iPod are capable of emitting sound as loud as 100 dB! Melissa Wilson, a pediatric audiologist at the Hearing and Speech Center of Northern California, will give an overview of trends in noise-induced hearing loss and then share tips for safer listening habits.

•October 15, 2009 - Please join the Redwood PTSA, Hall Middle School and Marin Academy as we co-host an evening presentation in the New Gym at Redwood High with Dr. Mike Riera, Ph.D. Dr Riera is an author and one of the country's foremost authorities on understanding children and teens. Dr. Riera will present "The Hidden Logic of Teenagers" covering topics such as why teenagers do what they do and why they can't/won't explain it to you. The cornerstone of his philosophy for parents with teenagers is having parents shift from being managers in their teenagers' lives to becoming their consultants. Dr Riera will help us learn to enjoy this beautiful (and frustrating) phase of family life!

•November 5, 2009 - TUHSD Superintendent Laurie Kimbrel will discuss budget issues and the strategic planning process. TUHSD School Board Trustee Susan Schmidt will also speak at this meeting.

•January 7, 2010 - Maureen Sedonaen is both the executive director of the Youth Leadership Institute of Marin and a Redwood parent. She has some very interesting personal experiences as a mom of a teen in this current high school "party" atmosphere. Maureen is working on the "Teen binge drinking" issue with the help of a three year federal grant.

•February 4, 2010 - Looking for ways your teen could spend the summer? Come get some ideas from our panel of experts: Redwood Internship Coordinator Nancy Westreich on spring and summer internships, College of Marin Counselor Alexandra Magallanes on taking summer classes at College of Marin, Center for Volunteer and Nonprofit Leadership of Marin Representative Casey Falvey on local community service, Camp and Trip Advisor Judy Wiesen on camps and trips including community service abroad, Redwood College and Career Specialist Paula Vantrease on the Redwood Job Board and other summer programs.

•March 4, 2010 - Redwood Resource Officer Patty Monge along with an introduction to the "Every 15 Minutes" Program. Officer Patty Monge, Assistant Vice Principal Chad Stuart and Coordinator Margaret Catelli will be at the meeting to present and answer questions.

•March 18, 2010 - Author Po Bronson of the New York Times bestseller "NutureShock - New Thinking About Children"

•April 1, 2010 - "How to Raise Good Cyber Citizens" presented by Redwood Teacher Tara Taupier. How can we teach our children to be responsible and safe in the cyber world? There are many tools available to parents to help navigate the sometimes overwhelming advice about keeping children safe on the internet. We will briefly look at some organizations and the literature they provide as well as websites dedicated to raising good cyber citizens. The general message is we need to make our children aware that the internet and technology are just mediums of communication and therefore the same rules of communication should apply. When a child posts an inappropriate picture on the internet, they are communicating something about themselves to the world. When a child praises a friend on a social networking site, they are communicating something about themselves. We as educators and parents want to ensure that the messages young people send about themselves are appropriate and positive. When people use the internet responsibly and treat it as they would the real world they are safer and less likely to suffer from harassment in the cyber world. Here are two noteworthy links from the Redwood High "Bessie Chin" Library websites: Click here for the most recent Library Leaves post. Click here for the library's Twitter feed.

•April 6, 2010 - CollegeAthletic Recruiting: Everyone wants to give advice and everyone believes they know all the answers! Finally, a program that does just that! It gives the answers in a straightforward, no nonsense, entertaining 60-minute presentation. "The Realities of College Athletic Recruiting" presented by Jack Renkens

•April 22, 2010 - "Meet Your Kids: An Interactive Dialogue on Risk, Risk Management and Coping With Marin County High School Students." Meet Your Kids is a 90 minute interactive dialogue panel designed specifically for Marin County parents of high school students. In this program local high school students discuss the hot issues related to risk, risk management, and coping that parents need to understand, with a direct, candid, "tell it like it is" approach. In this fast-paced program parents will learn how high school students deal with *Drugs *Sex *Depression *Suicide *Family conflict and communication *Educational pressure *Peer pressure and more! Presented by the Marin County Teen Mental Health Board.

•May 6, 2010 - Please join us at the final PTSA meeting of the year. Our presentation includes an "Every 15 Minutes" video and speaker panel who will offer a Q&A surrounding your questions about the junior/senior prom. Celebrate and honor our "graduating" senior parents who have their last child at Redwood this year.

• May 12, 2010 - Summer time is almost here which means vacation time, down time and COUNTLESS hours of computer time for our kids! What can parents do?? Learn how to encourage safe and appropriate internet usage and how to spot signs of internet addiction. Join Michael Y. Simon, MFT, as he discusses "Understanding the Challenges of the Online World ".

Programs in 2008 - 2009

•October 2, 2008 - Gary Najarian, Prevention Coordinator in the Alcohol, Drug and Tobacco Programs for the County of Marin: Health and Human Services will speak regarding, "Teen Drinking is Not Inevitable."

•October 23, 2008 - Co-sponsored with other local schools. Peg Tyre, Senior Writer for Newsweek and author of "The Trouble With Boys: A Surprising Report Card on Our Sons, Their Schools and Their Lives." To learn more about Peg Tyre visit http://www.pegtyre.com/. A video of this presentation, "The Trouble With Boys", is available courtesy of the Hall Middle School PTA. Click here to view the presentation in its entirety.

•November 13, 2008 - There will be a presentation by Jason Barber in the gym to parents and students. Immediately following there will be a parent discussion with Jason Barber in the Kreps Conference Center. Jason Barber will be speaking to "The Consequences of Drunk Driving." To learn more visit http://www.itsnotanaccident.com/

•January 8, 2009 - Summer Opportunities-Nancy Westreich, School to Career Liaison and Judy Wiesen, Camp Placement Specialist will speak. Also presenting will be Steve Hettleman regarding the International Baccalaureate program.

•February 12, 2009 - Psychiatrist, Tim Cermak, will speak on "The Developing Adolescent Brain"

•March 12, 2009 - Psychologist Joanie Gillespie will present on Cyber bullying.

•March 26, 2009 - Denise Pope, Professor at Stanford, will be speaking on Stressed Out Students. To learn more, please visit http://www.challengesuccess.org/

•April 2, 2009 - Twin Cities Police

Programs in 2007 - 2008

•April 24, 2008 - Recent surveys have determined there is a big problem of teen drinking in Marin. What can we do about it? Gary Narajian is the Prevention Coordinator for the Division of Alcohol, Drug and Tobacco Programs for the County of Marin. Nancy Neu is Redwood's dedicated Principal. This will be an engaging discussion of what we as parents can do to change the situation. Light refreshments will be served.

•April 3, 2008 - There will be a short presentation by Diane Deshler, the Director of Food Services for the Tamalpais Union High School District. She will be informing parents on the significant changes in the food being served to the students at Redwood. The focus is on fresh, nutrituious, local and sustainable food. Diane worked in the private sector of the food industry for the past 17 years, including Chez Panisse and Skywalker Ranch.

•March 6, 2008 - Panel discussion on "Teens and the Law". Speakers will be officers from the Twin Cities Police Department, Marin County Special Task Force on Drugs, and San Rafael Police Chief Matt Odetto who will speak on Social Host Ordinance.

•February 14, 2008 - Summer Programs and Opportunities for Teens. A panel of three guests bring many great ideas for wonderful ways for our kids to spend time this summer. Nancy Westreich, of the Tam District School to Career program, will speak of summer internship opportunities. Judy Wiesen, a local camp placement specialist, will speak of a variety of camp/school opportunities. David Talamo, a local MFT counselor, and wilderness guide, will speak of outdoor opportunities, as well as why it is important for teens to spend time in the outdoors.

•January 10, 2008 - Brenda Bercun, clinical nurse specialist in child and family heath, speaks on "Understanding Teenage Girls: Their Capabilities and World View." Brenda will educate us to better understand where our teenage girls are coming from, so that we can enjoy effective communication.

•October 25, 2007 - Regan McMahon, a SF Chronicle journalist and author of "Revolution in the Bleachers: How Parents Can Take Back Family Life in the World Gone Crazy Over Youth Sports" will explain how youth sports has gone from a healthy pastime to an obsessive craze. Learn simple tips on how to keep sports positive and fun while maintaining a healthy, balanced life for families and kids.

Programs in 2006-2007

• May 12, 2007 - Kreps Conference Center (Tam District Office), RHS Campus. This is the third in a series of four presentations provided by Bay Area Community Resources, and will be consist of two presentations:
    How to Get Your Teenager to be More Responsible with Max Yusim. Max will present common problem scenarios that parents and teens face every day and will demonstrate the kind of parenting responses that are effective (and ones that are NOT). Please come, even if you’ve already seen one of Max’s presentations. You’ll have many more opportunities to practice!
    Peer Resource Students Present with the Peer Resource teams. Each team will offer a brief sample of presentations they give to the student body at their school.
  » get the flyer (pdf)

• April 25, 2007 - Marin County Office of Education
Guiding our Tweens and Teens Through Stressful Times - a Parenting Workshop is sponsored by The Marin County School/Law Enforcement Partnership, 16th District PTA and the Marin County Office of Education. This workshop for parents of middle and high school students will explore the role stress plays in our children’s life and how it impacts their ability to think clearly and make healthy choices. Annie Fox, writer, educator and online advisor, will provide information and strategies to assist parents in becoming an integral part of their child’s support network.
» get the flyer (pdf)

• April 19, 2007 -
The Price of Privilege, with Madeline Levine. Be sure to mark your calendars for this complimentary event, especially if you missed any of her recent ‘sold out’ presentations. She’ll discuss why kids who have so much can feel empty and how affluence and too much parental involvement might be contributing to the unhappiness and fragility of her privileged clients. Presented jointly by Hall Middle School and Redwood High School.
more information

• March 24, 2007
Parent Awareness Series (3rd of 4), at Tam High School, presented by Bay Area Community Resources (BACR). Included two sessions: How to Get Your Teenager to be More Responsible, with Max Yusim, LCSW, and Teen Issues: Drugs, Alcohol & Depression with Peer Resource Students; Carol Eber, Tam District Director of Student Support Services; and Thia Haselton, MFT, BACR therapist at Drake.

The Effect of Divorce on Teens, presented by Dorie Rosenberg, marriage & family therapist and long-time teacher in the Tamalpais Union High School District.
To learn more about this subject, see Dorie Rosenberg's article.

• January 11, 2007
Gap Year Opportunities for Students Not Ready to Attend College Immediately After High School, presented by Carolie Sly, Director of Dyhnamy, a non-profit group providing internships, community service, and other programs for high school grads.

• November 29, 2006: THE EFFECTS OF DRUGS & ALCOHOL ON THE TEEN BRAIN with Wilkie Wilson, Ph.D. Dr. Wilson is a Professor of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology at Duke University Medical Center and a Senior Research Scientist for the Department of Veterans Affairs. He is a neuropharmacologist who studies the ways in which alcohol and other drugs interact with the central nervous system, with a particular interest in how the brain acquires and stores information. An author of numerous scientific publications, book chapters and books, he has trained more than twenty young scientists and physicians. He is a senior editor of Jasper’s Basic Mechanisms of the Epilepsies, and an author of three books for the general public. Buzzed: The Straight Facts About The Most Used and Abused Drugs From Alcohol to Ecstasy, Pumped: Straight fact for athletes about drugs, supplements and training, and Just Say Know: Talking with kids about drugs and alcohol. In addition to continuing his laboratory research, he now lectures, consults, and makes media appearances to advocate for effective education about the responsible use of alcohol and other drugs.
view Dr. Wilson’s Powerpoint presentation (if you do not have Powerpoint, you may download a free reader from Microsoft for MACs or for Windows.)

• November 4, 2006: DRUGS, ALCOHOL & TEENS: CURRENT TRENDS AND WHAT PARENTS CAN DO with Richard Platt, MFT, Thia Haselton, MFT and Peer Resources students. This was the first in a series of four presentations. Subsequent presentations are January 10th at Redwood, March 24th at Tam and May 5th at the District Office. At Student Center, Drake High School. Provided by Bay Area Community Resources.
more information (flyer)

• November 2, 2006: A PRACTICAL GUIDE TO PARENTING TEENS with Kathy McShane, PhD. For anyone who missed this lively program please see the article by Pat Ravasio, a Redwood HS parent. Presented by Redwood PTSA.
more information (flyer)
Ravasio article

• October 26, 2006: UNDERSTANDING THE TEEN GIRL BRAIN with Louann Brizendine, M.D. Dr. Brizendine, best-selling author of “The Female Brain” and a parent at The Marin School, was available to sign books following the talk; books were available for purchase. Presented by the Marin School, Sausalito.

• October 12, 2006: GETTING A JUMP START ON COLLEGE with Mauricio Torres-Benavides, COM Outreach Coordinator. Mauricio provided information on how students can get to their top four year schools via College of Marin and informed us which schools COM has articulation agreements with.
more information (brochure)

Programs in 2005-2006

• May 31, 2006: A SPACE TO STAY CONNECTED WITH OUR CHILDREN AS THEY TRANSITION INTO HIGH SCHOOL. This forum-style discussion included such issues as teen driving, sex, old and new friendships, peer pressure, and drugs and alcohol. The program was geared towards parents of incoming 9th graders. Presented by the Marin County Office of Education, Marin County School/Law Enforcement Partnership & the 16th Dist. PTSA

• February 8, 2006: COLLEGE NIGHT for Sophomores and Potluck Dinner. Presented by the Redwood Counseling Office and the PTSA; PTSA organized the potluck dinner.

• February 6, 2006: THE REAL RISKS OF TEEN MARIJUANA USE, a parent forum, held in the Redwood Theatre. Presented by the Tam Union High School District.
more information

• January 2006: TEEN ALCOHOL, DRUG & VIOLENCE PREVENTION, at Marin County Office of Education, and at a teleconference site at Redwood High School, Kreps Conference Center. Presented by Marin County and the District PTA.

REDWOOD PTSA • email: info@redwoodptsa.org
Academic year 2010-2011

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