When we buy a new coffee-maker, it comes neatly packaged
with an easy-to-follow instruction manual. Unfortunately, there is no such help when the most precious items in our
home, our children, arrive. As a parent, I have often wished for a step-by-step
guide that would be easy to follow and resolve all family challenges before
they ever arose. Of course, we all know that’s just pie in the sky, and so at
USM, working closely with the Parents’ Association, we provide many
opportunities for parent education that we hope will ease the path.
From time to time, we have the occasion to feature some
well-known speakers, and I am delighted that Katie Koestner, a national expert
on student safety and wellness, will be here on Tuesday, February 26, to share
her knowledge with parents of students at all grade levels.
From 8:15-9:15 a.m. in the Theatre, Koestner will speak on
“How healthy relationships are important for the ongoing emotional and social
well-being of students and families.” In addition to speaking to parents in the
morning, she will present to students from third grade and higher during her
visit. Her topics will include bullying and cyber-bullying, as well as respect:
what students should look for in-peer relationships to ensure they are healthy.
I hope you will plan to attend Koestner’s presentation and
discover for yourself her powerful messages that have brought her appearances on
the “Oprah Winfrey Show,” CNN, and NBC Nightly News, to name just a few. She
presents regularly at schools throughout the country, ranging from Phillips
Andover Academy to Brown University.
