Counseling Department Launches Coffee and Conversation Program

St. Bernard’s counseling department has launched a new program this year for parents called Coffee and Conversation.  This series was established to encourage more direct communication between parents and guidance counselors.  Ramon Rodriguez and Zachary Kahn have selected developmental, age-specific topics to present to small groups of parents in morning sessions, followed by a discussion. 

The first conversation was led by cyber safety expert, Liz Repking, who had taught a weeklong course to St. B’s seventh graders.  Seventh-grade parents learned about the topics Ms. Repking had discussed with their sons, such as cyberbullying, appropriate online behavior, and Internet safety.  They asked Ms. Repking questions and were well-equipped to continue conversations at home with their sons.
 
Fourth and fifth grade parents were invited to the second discussion, which focused on issues of relationships and building autonomy, important progressions and challenges for children in this age group.  Mr. Rodriguez and Dr. Kahn found it helpful to reach out to homeroom teachers for insights to complement their research and knowledge of this subject.  Citing both the children’s classic Runaway Bunny and a recent third grade performance of Peter Pan, they focused on the need for children to master things on their own while also feeling loved and supported at home. 
 
Mr. Rodriguez and Dr. Kahn hope that these conversations will provide a way for parents to have a richer sense of the developmental and psychological challenges relevant to their boys’ age group, and to have an open line of communication with the counseling department.  They also hope the discussions will help parents realize that there is a community of fellow-parents that may be experiencing similar issues.  Mr. Rodriguez and Dr. Kahn are looking forward to continuing this series in the future, and have two more sessions tentatively planned for April and May. 
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