PRC Update: September 3, 2020

As our community embarks on a long weekend prior to the first day of school next Tuesday, September 8th, the team at the PRC wanted to acknowledge the incredible amount of work our administrators, colleagues, and the parent community have dedicated to ensuring a successful start to a most unusual school year. We hope the weekend provides opportunities for some rest and relaxation, and we look forward to continuing to support our community’s efforts throughout the school year.

As students encounter learning next week, we know that there are many topics families also wish to learn more about, so we are excited to kick off our parent learning sessions next week. We will continue throughout the year to share resources and information that we hope will prove useful, along with learning opportunities presented by the PRC, APS, our wonderful Arlington Special Education PTA (SEPTA), as well as community opportunities.

in addition to live events, we will also archive recorded webinars on our Events page, and please check out new recorded Getting Ready for Fall 2020 on the newly re-launched APS Parent Academy page.

VDOE Update: The Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) State Superintendent Announces Second Season of “VA TV Classroom”.
Read more.

Please let us know if there are topics of interest that you’d like to learn more about here.

Take good care, and we wish you and your families all the best in 2020-21!

Arlington Public Schools and Parent Resource Center Sessions and Meetings

Survive and Thrive with Virtual Learning: Practical Strategies to Make At-Home Learning Work for You
Wednesday, September 9, 2020: 7:00pm – 8:30pm
Presented by Ann Dolin, M.Ed., Educational Connections

Are you worried about managing your child’s virtual schooling this year? Do you hate becoming the “school police” when your child won’t focus? Do you have to balance your child’s schooling with your own remote workload? You’ll learn how to avoid parent-child conflict around academics with practical tips for:

• Establishing routines and expectations that really work
• Creating ideal spaces for virtual learning
• Keeping kids focused while learning online
• Minimizing distractions from video games and other screens
• Getting your own work done at the same time (Yes, it’s possible!)

Join us as we welcome Ann Dolin, M.Ed., President and Director of Educational Connections, Inc. Ann is an educational consultant and award-winning author, who will offer this session to help families feel more prepared and confident for the year ahead, with a toolbox full of practical strategies that actually work.
Register online here.
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

Arlington SEPTA Monthly Meeting: Supporting Executive Function Skills During Virtual School
Presented by: Heather McKinzey, McKinzey ADHD & EF Coaching​​​​​​​
Thursday, September 10, 2020: 7:30 – 9:00 p.m.
Zoom Webinar
RSVP: https://tinyurl.com/SEPTA-Sept2020
Join Arlington SEPTA for its first meeting of the school year. In addition to an introduction to and brief updates from SEPTA board members and committee chairs, executive function coach Heather McKinzey will address how to support students’ executive function skills during the upcoming school year. Heather will touch on:

•  a brief look at what Executive Functions are,
•  tools to help both you and your student navigate a day of virtual classes,
• ideas to help your student set up a home work space with less distraction and more organization,
• different ways to help motivate a student to stick with non-preferred tasks and a screen filled day; and
• language you can use now to work with your child at home.

All SEPTA meetings are open to everyone.  Membership is not needed to join the discussion. This presentation is open to parents, caregivers and staff of K-12 students, with or without an executive function related diagnosis. SEPTA plans to leave 15 minutes at the end of the evening to answer some questions from the chat.

Arlington County Events

September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month

• Thursday, September 10th at 6:00 pm: Suicide Prevention Community Engagement Series: Interactive Activity – Birth Map
• Thursday, September 24th at 6:00 pm: Suicide Prevention Community Engagement Series: Mental Health, Stigma and Suicide Prevention in the African American Community
• Tuesday, September 29th at 6:00 pm: Cracked Up: The Darrell Hammond Story Film Screening & Discussion Panel

Presented by Arlington County’s Child and Family Services Division

Community Webinar/Virtual Learning Opportunities/Meetings

Fathers In Touch
Tuesdays, September 8 – November 24, 2020: 7pm – 9pmVia Zoom
This free, 12-Week Program based on the 24/7 Dad Curriculum is designed to increase the quality of a father’s interaction with his children.Topics Include:
✓ Personal Development
✓ Child Development
✓ Life Skills
✓ Fathering Skills
✓ Relationships Skills
✓ Health & Wellness
This session is open to all fathers living in Arlington County, VA. Registration is FREE for all registrants, and gift cards will be awarded upon program completion. Questions? Contact Erick King at eking@cyep.org or 202-321-8704; or Everette Mitchell at emitchell@cyep.org or 240-676-7903
Register online at: www.cyep.org
Sponsored by Capital Youth Empowerment Program

Lunch and Learn: Creating meaningful relationships to promote learning
Thursday, September 10, 2020:  12:00 – 1:00 pm ET
Register to join the session via Zoom
Presented by Virginia Commonwealth University’s Autism Center for Excellence (VCU-ACE)