Portland Parents

March 26-30th. 2007, 8:30 AM to 4:30PM Daily

Sign up early for this fun and unique Spring Break training opportunity for kids aged 6-12. Learn martial principles through movement, games, song, art, activities, simple science experiments, cooking, guest experts,outings and more. Come away with basic knowledge of the muscles and bones of the body, work out and most of all, have fun over spring break!

For more details, download the printable flyer.

Academy of Kung Fu
3228 SE 21st
Portland, OR 97202
503-772-0600

Part of the Parenting For the 21st Century series, presented in partnership by the Lewis & Clark College Center for Continuing and Professional Studies and Portland Parks and Recreation.

The average American child is exposed to more than 2000 discreet media messages a day. While schools are teaching our children reading, writing and arithmetic, nobody is teaching them the essential skill of critical thinking about media. Parents and teachers are offered little support to become mentors in the increasingly complex media-saturated world surrounding our children. It is time to reverse these trends, become active, discerning consumers of media, and become advocates for change.

Join this lively, hands-on workshop targeting parents of preteens and teenagers. Participants will deconstruct media, discuss media ownership and content, examine media’s impact on our choices, and be offered positive solutions for change.

Presenter Vanessa Hughes, M.A.T. is a former writer, artist and documentary filmmaker, Vanessa is a founding Board Member of the Northwest Media Literacy Center. She currently teaches Language Arts at Cleveland High School in Portland. Presented in partnership with Portland Parks and Recreation.

Sellwood Community Center, 6-8PM May 7
Southwest Community Center, 6:30-8:30PM May 10

Sessions are $10; call (503) 768-6023 to register.

Part of the Parenting For the 21st Century series, presented in partnership by the Lewis & Clark College Center for Continuing and Professional Studies and Portland Parks and Recreation.

American students are the most tested in the world, but how do schools really use test scores to determine your child’s future? This session will help parents learn how to read test scores, develop skills to help your child, and other information about why tests matter—and when they don’t.

Peter Cookson Jr., Ph.D. is dean of Lewis & Clark’s graduate school of education and counseling, is a past president of the Doris Dillon Creative Center and Teachers College Innovations at Columbia University’s Teachers College. He holds degrees in American and European history, and the sociology of education, and is the co-author of A Parent’s Guide to Standardized Tests in School. Presented in partnership with Portland Parks and Recreation.

Sellwood Community Center, 6-8PM March 12

Sessions are $10; call (503) 768-6023 to register.

Part of the Parenting For the 21st Century series, presented in partnership by the Lewis & Clark College Center for Continuing and Professional Studies and Portland Parks and Recreation.

Young boys are full of enthusiasm, vigor, and sweetness. They are willing to feel and express emotions, show us their vulnerability, and connect with their parents. So what happens as adolescence sets in? Why do boys back away, put on an armor of toughness, and lose interest in much of what they used to love? In this presentation, parents will explore the influences of biology as well as culture in the way boys develop. The session will include time to discuss and practice ways of relating to boys which helps them connect.

Presenter Peter Mortola, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor of School and Counseling
Psychology at Lewis and Clark’s Graduate School of Education and Counseling, where he also coordinates the School Psychology Program. He is co-author of BAM! Boys Advocacy and Mentoring: A guidebook for leading preventative boys groups. The presenter’s book will be available for purchase at the session at a 10% discount. Presented in partnership with Portland Parks and Recreation.

Sellwood Community Center, 6-8PM March 5
Southwest Community Center, 6:30-8:30PM February 15

Sessions are $10; call (503) 768-6023 to register.

Meet Thomas. He’s in the top one percent, of the top one percent, of kids in New York schools. He’s a smart kid. And everyone tells him so. Ever since he could walk, he’s been complimented on how smart he is.

So how does he feel about failure? He’s afraid to try new things, things he may not be good at.

“Thomas didn’t want to try things he wouldn’t be successful at,” his father says. “Some things came very quickly to him, but when they didn’t, he gave up almost immediately, concluding, ‘I’m not good at this.’ ” With no more than a glance, Thomas was dividing the world into two—things he was naturally good at and things he wasn’t.

It’s the same argument as “praise the kid for something he can do, not something they are.” Don’t say “wow, you’re a great builder”, but instead things like “you’ve put a lot of effort into building that tower.” It emphasizes what the kid has done, and doesn’t pigeonhole the kid into what you think of them.

Praising the action also forces you to look more closely; “You’re great at math” versus “You worked really hard when that math was hard!” You’re focusing more specifically on something about the kid; specific praise works better than generic praise. Would you rather hear, from your sweetheart. “I love you?” or “I love the way you put the toilet paper back on the roll?” Yeah, I thought so too.

When our kids grow up, we want them to be self-assured, confident, responsible and resourceful. We don’t want them to just give up when something looks hard. In other words, we want them to keep trying. Let’s praise the efforts they put forth as well as their smarts

Part of the Parenting For the 21st Century series, presented in partnership by the Lewis & Clark College Center for Continuing and Professional Studies and Portland Parks and Recreation.

The average American child watches about 28 hours of television a week — even infants and young toddlers are being exposed to TV at the urging of a new industry aimed at this vulnerable age group. Excessive “screen time” has contributed to an epidemic of childhood obesity, behavior problems, aggression, poor school performance, sleep disorders and social isolation. But, “just saying NO” to media can be counterproductive and is difficult in our media-centric world.

Focusing on parents of zero to six year olds, this hands-on, discussion-based workshop will cover the core concepts of media literacy, look at the media’s role in the health of your children’s development, and offer positive solutions for becoming a media literate family.

Instructor Rick Seifert, MSJ, is a journalist and college instructor, and a founding Board Member of the Northwest Media Literacy Center. He teaches journalism and visual communication part-time at Portland Community College and is involved in numerous community activities. Presented in partnership with Portland Parks and Recreation.

Sellwood Community Center, 6-8PM April 30
Southwest Community Center, 6:30-8:30PM May 3

Sessions are $10; call (503) 768-6023 to register.

Part of the Parenting For the 21st Century series, presented in partnership by the Lewis & Clark College Center for Continuing and Professional Studies and Portland Parks and Recreation.

Navigating the ups and downs of parenting adolescents can be challenging. This session will focus on how parents can strengthen their own parenting skills and harness the power of community to help teenagers thrive. Join this interactive dialogue about the important role parents play not only in the lives of their own children but in the lives of adolescents in the whole community.

Presenter Lisa Race, LCSW, is a family therapist and diversity consultant,
specializing in building stronger partnerships between families, service
providers and communities. Presented in partnership with Portland Parks and Recreation.

Sellwood Community Center, 6-8PM February 5
Southwest Community Center, 6:30-8:30PM February 8

Sessions are $10; call (503) 768-6023 to register.

Part of the Parenting For the 21st Century series, presented in partnership by the Lewis & Clark College Center for Continuing and Professional Studies and Portland Parks and Recreation.

When a child experiences the death of a beloved pet he/she may experience emotional reactions that can be painful and frightening. This is often a child’s first significant experience with loss. This loss lays the groundwork for future losses, therefore it is very important to help a child have a healthy grieving process. The main tasks to make their loss a healthy experience are:1) understanding, 2) grieving, and 3) memorializing. Enid’s presentation will include ways to help your child achieve these tasks. There will also be time provided for questions and answers.

Presenter Enid Traisman, M.S.W. is a certified grief counselor and founder of the DoveLewis Pet Loss Support Program which she has been facilitating since 1986. DoveLewis is a non-profit 24-hour emergency and critical care animal hospital which offers free pet loss support groups. Presented in partnership with Portland Parks and Recreation.

Sellwood Community Center, 6-8PM February 12
Southwest Community Center, 6:30-8:30PM March 1

Sessions are $10; call (503) 768-6023 to register.

Part of the Parenting For the 21st Century series, presented in partnership by the Lewis & Clark College Center for Continuing and Professional Studies and Portland Parks and Recreation.

US Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne recently remarked, “We need to inspire a nation to escape their Blackberries for the satisfaction of actually picking a wild blackberry.” His comment encapsulates the alarming disconnect between children and nature, especially in today’s urban society. This session will present the most up to date research on how contact with green spaces can be used to reduce ADHD symptoms and improve the well being of children and teens, as well as explore some controversies and myths regarding wilderness therapy.

Presenter Thomas Joseph Doherty, Psy.D., works with adults and teens in his psychology practice and has a special focus on the urban dwellers’ sense of place and relationship with the natural world. His background includes experience in wilderness therapy, river guiding, and environmental work. He is active in the Oregon Psychologists for a Sustainable Future and is the chairperson of the Public Education Committee for the Oregon Psychological Association. Presented in partnership with Portland Parks and Recreation.

Sellwood Community Center, 6-8PM April 16
Southwest Community Center, 6:30-8:30PM January 25

Sessions are $10; call (503) 768-6023 to register.

The 31st Annual Peter Rabbit Breakfast benefits the West Linn Community Preschool. There will be a Pancake and Sausage Breakfast from 8:00-11:00am, Photos with Peter Rabbit, Raffle, Silent Auction and Carnival 8:00-12:00pm with fun and games for all ages! To purchase your tickets in advance please call 503-657-5050

Date/time: Saturday April 07, 2007 8:00am to 12:00pm
Location: West Linn High School 5464 west A street West Linn OR 97068
Cost: Adult $5.00 in advance or $6.00 at the door Child $3.00