Old Rochester Regional School District and MA Superintendency Union #55, along with the Southeastern Massachusetts Educational Collaborative (SMEC,) are pleased to announce a joint partnership that will offer a series of free online family workshops for Tri-Town and SMEC families focusing on Social-Emotional Learning, 21st Century Learning Skills and Global Citizenship.
The Community Talks series will provide families in the Old Rochester Regional School District opportunities to participate in workshops that will assist parents/guardians/caregivers in building their tool kits to support their children in and outside of the school setting.
“We are thrilled to be partnering with the Southeastern Massachusetts Educational Collaborative for this very important series of workshops,” Old Rochester Regional School District Superintendent Michael S. Nelson said. “We encourage parents and guardians in our district to register today.”
The first workshop in the series, “Community Talks: Part 1,” will be held virtually on Wednesday, January 5 from 6-7:30 pm. The presenter for the workshop will be Sara Rodrigues, a clinician with the Balanced Learning Center.
Rodrigues, who has 20 years of experience working with children and families in a variety of clinical, school and community settings, specializes in working with individuals facing anxiety and depression as well as children presenting with developmental issues.
“We look forward to hearing about Sara’s experiences and the ways we can all better understand and deal with these difficult and complex issues,” SMEC Director of Communication Sherri Tetrault said. “The Balanced Learning Center’s goals and objectives are perfectly in line with those of both SMEC and the Old Rochester Regional School District, and an expert like Sara is the perfect choice to kick off this series.”
As part of the January 5 workshop, guests will learn about the nature of anxiety, how to recognize and identify triggers and how anxiety looks different in children. Practical strategies to manage stress and panic will be discussed so people are better able to connect with their children and family members.
To register for the January 5 workshop, contact Director Tetrault at 508-998-5599 ext. 130.
Future workshops in the series will focus on a variety of topics related to Social-Emotional Learning, 21st Century Learning Skills and Global Citizenship.
“We are seeing a greater need to have these types of conversations as we both learn more about the triggers of student stress and as we continue to navigate the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic,” said Old Rochester Regional School District Director of Student Services Craig Davidson. “That is why it is more important than ever to hold a series such as this one and engage with parents and guardians directly through an open and honest dialog.”
The Community Talks series will run through June 2023, and information on future workshops will be made available as individual dates are scheduled.
“I would like to thank the Old Rochester Regional School District for partnering with us on this effort, as well as the experts who will serve as our presenters throughout the course of the series,” SMEC Executive Director Catherine Cooper said. “Through this series, we hope parents and guardians will learn valuable information that will allow them to better understand and react to the stressors that their children face each and every day, both in the classroom and in their daily lives.”