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Welcome: Overview of Conference & Parent Resources Available
Welcome: Overview of Conference & Parent Resources Available
Monica C. Diaz
Education Specialist
ESC-Region 15
Date: Monday, July 18, 2022
Time: 9:00am - 10:00am
Bio: Monica Diaz has been an Education Specialist at the Education Service Center for nine years. She has joined the Title I team as the Parent & Family Engagement Specialist, is the Migrant Out-of-School Youth (OSY) Specialist/Recruiter, and helps with the marketing team at the ESC. Monica has spent the last 15 years serving migrant families and helping migrant students break down academic barriers. When she works with our migrant population, she goes out into the fields to find and recruit out-of-school youth and assist them in obtaining their HS diploma/GED and helps provide them with the appropriate services needed to be successful in school. In addition, she has done many workshops and trainings at districts and in the community bringing awareness and support to the migrant population and trainings on increasing parent and family engagement to the 45 districts in Region 15. In her free time, Monica enjoys being a mother to three children and is currently working toward her PhD in Educational Leadership Policy through Texas Tech University.
Description of Session: As parents we have so many questions and concerns on our children’s education. In this session, we are going to welcome parents to the conference, do an overview of the sessions being provided, and discuss all the parent resources available.
Understanding Disruptive Behavior & Using Preventative Strategies
Understanding Disruptive Behavior & Using Preventative Strategies
Alexis Favela
M.Ed., BCBA, LBA
Texas Tech University
Date: Monday, July 18, 2022
Time: 10:30am - 12:00pm
Bio: Alexis Favela, M.Ed., BCBA, LBA is a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) and a Licensed Behavior Analyst (LBA) at The Burkhart Center for Autism Education and Research and currently attends the Doctoral of Philosophy in Special Education Graduate Program at Texas Tech University. She received her BCBA certificate in November of 2020. Her focus of study is Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), and her area of research focuses primarily on children and young adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
Description of Session: This 1 hour and 30-minute workshop will cover a basic understanding on how the environment impacts a child’s behavior. Parents will then be introduced to several preventative strategies that correlate with specific environmental conditions to set the stage to increase the likelihood of certain communication and social skills and what to do when those desired skills occur. We will then provide opportunities to rehearse relevant preventative strategies with coaching from our staff with the hopes of easily transferring these strategies to the family’s day to day lives.
Supporting the Adult Learner
Supporting the Adult Learner
Larisa Elliott
ESL Coordinator, PD Coordinator, Quality Assurance
Howard College
Date: Monday, July 18, 2022
Time: 1:00pm-2:00pm
Bio: Larisa is the ESL Coordinator for Adult Education and Literacy (AEL) at Howard College. Teaching English to adults and supporting these adults as they integrate into society are among her passions. She also handles Professional Development and Quality Assurance for AEL. She holds a Master of Arts in Curriculum and Instruction from Angelo State University and has been with AEL since 2017. She has taught all levels of students and finds teaching adults to be very rewarding. She speaks Spanish fluently which comes in handy in her work.
Description of Session: The session will focus on ways that AEL supports adult learners in improving basic skills for learning and for earning. There will be a short presentation of information and plenty of Q & A time.
It's Perfectly Normal: Our Common Struggles with Mental Health
It's Perfectly Normal: Our Common Struggles with Mental Health
Greg Hickey, LPC
Mental Health Specialist
ESC-Region 15
Date: Tuesday, July 19, 2022
Time: 9:00am-10:00am
Bio: Greg obtained both his Bachelor of Science in Psychology (2008) and his Master of Science in Counseling Psychology (2011) degrees from Angelo State University. He is licensed through the State of Texas as a Licensed Professional Counselor. He has thirteen years’ experience in the coordination of local mental health services, primarily in the provision of crisis services, case management, suicide prevention/postvention and education, services for underserved and forensic populations, and continuity of care for individuals diagnosed with severe and persistent mental illness. He has extensive knowledge and training in evidence-based therapeutic interventions for depression, suicidal thinking, anxiety, trauma, and psychosis.
Currently, Greg serves as the Mental Health Specialist at Region 15 ESC, consulting and educating 45 school districts on matters of mental health in their schools.
Description of Session: This session will help better define both mental health and mental illness. What’s “normal?” Is there even such thing as “normal?” When might it be time to seek professional help for myself or my child? What are the warning signs I need to be on the lookout for? What can I do to help myself, help my child, or otherwise find the resources we need for better mental health and wellness? Answers to these questions and more from the ESC 15 mental health specialist!
Are you a College Ready Parent
Are you a College Ready Parent
Carol Stevens
Counselor Support Specialist
ESC-Region 15
Date: Tuesday, July 19, 2022
Time: 10:00am-11:00am
Bio: Carol Stevens is an Education Specialist at the Education Service Center Region 15 and assists districts with Counseling, College, Career & Military Readiness, the McKinney-Vento Act, and Foster Care and Student Success initiatives.. She obtained her Bachelor of Science and Master of Education in Guidance and Counseling from Angelo State University and holds certifications in Generic Special Education, Elementary Self-Contained, Early Childhood Education and School Guidance and Counseling.
Ms. Stevens has been an educator for 24 years and started her career as a teacher at the high school level for students with special needs before moving to several positions as a Counselor at this same level. Additionally, she is an Adjunct Instructor for counselor courses in the Curriculum and Instruction Department at Angelo State University.
Description of Session: College is accessible to every student if they choose to go! Learn how to assist your child in reaching this goal. Practical, easy tools and resources are an important part of planning for college. This session will provide you with these tools/resources and offer time to address questions you have about this process.
video1657973124.mp4STAY Together Program
STAY Together Program
Virginia Lucero
Community Liaison/Training Coordinator
STAY Together Program
Date: Tuesday, July 19, 2022
Time: 1:00pm-2:00pm
Bio: Virginia Lucero joined the STAY Together Program of High Sky Children’s Ranch in 2004 and has served as a Family Support Specialist for the past 18 years. In 2018 she became the Community Liaison/Training Coordinator. She continues to serve as a Family Support Specialist in addition to conducting outreach and providing community workshops/classes to a variety of agencies on parenting & family topics. Ms. Lucero also trains all incoming Family Support Specialists to effectively apply & utilize the current curriculum with the families served by the STAY Together Program. Before joining the STAY Together Program, Ms. Lucero was a bilingual educator with SAISD at San Jacinto Elementary where she thoroughly enjoyed teaching the bilingual population. Ms. Lucero is a graduate of Angelo State University with a Bachelor of Arts degree with a focus on Education.
Description of Session: Explanation of services provided by the STAY Together Program and an example activity from our Strengthening Families Curriculum Introduction Lesson - The Happy Family-Healthy Brain Connection. This lesson focuses on improving family communication & bonding skills. An activity will be included, where participants will be shown how to make a Family Conversation Jar which encourages pleasant & candid family conversation anytime the family is together.
Migrant Education Program: Parent Resources
Migrant Education Program: Parent Resources
Elizabeth Rangel
Migrant Specialist
ESC-Region 15
Date: Wednesday, July 20, 2022
Time: 9:00am-10:00am
Description of Session: The TMEP (Texas Migrant Education Program) Portal is a free resource portal that provides easy access to a wide variety of materials to Parents and Families as well as Local Education Agencies and Education Service Centers. The Parent and Families section of the TMEP Portal provides access to recourse and websites to support migratory students of all ages and their families. This session will provide information on how to locate these resources fast and easy. Get ready learn about new websites in English and Spanish to help you and your child.
The Importance of Parent Engagement
The Importance of Parent Engagement
Rufina Ruby) Adams
Federal & State Programs Director
San Felipe Del Rio CISD
Date: Wednesday, July 20, 2022
Time: 11:00am-12:00pm
Bio: Ms. Ruby Adams was born and raised in Uvalde, Texas and taught school in Carrizo Springs before making Del Rio, Texas her home. She earned a Bachelor’s Degree from Texas State University in Communication and a Master’s Degree from Sul Ross State University in School Administration. She has served as a middle school and high school teacher, Assistant Principal and Principal at elementary and secondary schools where she has been recognized as both Teacher and Principal of the Year.
Ms. Adams is currently the SFDRCISD Director of Federal and State Programs and leads all ESSA Title programs including McKinney-Vento and Foster, Family and Community Engagement, Adult Education and the Migrant Education Program. Ms. Adams has devoted 30 years in education serving students and families and a huge advocate for sharing tips and trainings on how to improve family communication, helping our children and parents succeed in school and beyond.
Description of Session: I want my child to have a better life than I had growing up.” A statement every parent thinks at least a dozen times per day. This session, offered in both English and Spanish, will focus on the importance of parental engagement beginning in the home and how cultivating a nourishing and loving home environment help children develop positive character traits that lead to student academic success and productive members of society. Parents must be our children’s biggest cheerleaders because “nuestros hijos son los mas grandes tesoros.
Sticks and Stones May Break My Bones, but Posts Can Also Hurt Me: An Overview of Cyberbullying & Mental Health
Sticks and Stones May Break My Bones, but Posts Can Also Hurt Me: An Overview of Cyberbullying & Mental Health
Alex Robles, M.S., LPC
Regional Health Education Liaison, NPMHP
MHMR Concho Valley
Date: Wednesday, July 20, 2022
Time: 2:00pm-3:00pm
Bio: Alex Robles, M.S., LPC is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) at MHMR Concho Valley and currently works at the Education Service Center Region 15 as the Non-Physician Mental Health Professional. She received her LPC in 2021. Her experience includes working individually with parents and adolescents in an outpatient setting, providing trauma-informed training and resources to Region 15 educators, as well as being a parent herself.
Description of Session: : This 1 hour workshop will help parents to identify cyberbullying, understand the intersection between cyberbullying and trauma, while sharing resources to make the internet a safer place for parents and their children.
Changing the Things We Can: What We Can Do to Combat Stress and Bring Ourselves Peace
Changing the Things We Can: What We Can Do to Combat Stress and Bring Ourselves Peace
Greg Hickey, LPC
Mental Health Specialist
ESC-Region 15
Date: Thursday, July 21, 2022
Time: 10:00am-11:00am
Bio: Greg obtained both his Bachelor of Science in Psychology (2008) and his Master of Science in Counseling Psychology (2011) degrees from Angelo State University. He is licensed through the State of Texas as a Licensed Professional Counselor. He has thirteen years’ experience in the coordination of local mental health services, primarily in the provision of crisis services, case management, suicide prevention/postvention and education, services for underserved and forensic populations, and continuity of care for individuals diagnosed with severe and persistent mental illness. He has extensive knowledge and training in evidence-based therapeutic interventions for depression, suicidal thinking, anxiety, trauma, and psychosis.
Currently, Greg serves as the Mental Health Specialist at Region 15 ESC, consulting and educating 45 school districts on matters of mental health in their schools.
Description of Session: Self-care is more than just a hot cup of tea and a bubble bath! This session will help everyone better understand their stress and evidence-based, cognitive-behavioral strategies for improving your mindset, exercising your power and control when you can, and using mindfulness to remain centered and balanced. This is just the beginning of a larger conversation about our mental health and wellness, but it’s a start!
*Recording of this session is not available.*
How to Start or Join a PTO
How to Start or Join a PTO
Dani Dillard
Sonora PTO
Sonora ISD
Date: Thursday, July 21, 2022
Time: 11:00am-12:00pm
Bio:
Description of Session:
*Recording of this session is not available.*
Social Skills: Careers, College, and Citizenship
Social Skills: Careers, College, and Citizenship
Martha Saucedo
Education Specialist- ESSA & Title 1
ESC-Region 15
Date: Thursday, July 21, 2022
Time: 1:00pm-2:00pm
Bio: Ms. Martha Saucedo graduated from Angelo State University in 2004 with a double major in Psychology and Communications and in 2017 with her Master’s in Applied Psychology. In 2006, she accepted her first teaching position as a Special Education teacher for Junction High School and later in 2008 as a Family Consumer Science Teacher at Brady High School; where she taught for nine years. In 2016, she was named the Secondary Texas Teacher of the Year and was awarded the HEB Excellence in Leadership. Five years ago, she accepted a position at Region 15 Education Service Center where she currently works as an Education Specialist in Federal Programs.Description of Session: In the new global economy, where routine jobs can be automated or sent “off-shore” what skills does your child need to keep a job? What skills do they need to learn in high school for college or to help them become good citizens? In this session, we will dive deep into the key social skills every child needs to learn.
Responding to Bullying
Responding to Bullying
Alex Robles, M.S., LPC
Regional Health Education Liaison, NPMHP
MHMR Concho Valley
Date: Thursday, July 21, 2022
Time: 2:00pm-3:00pm
Bio: Alex Robles, M.S., LPC is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) at MHMR Concho Valley and currently works at the Education Service Center Region 15 as the Non-Physician Mental Health Professional. She received her LPC in 2021. Her experience includes working individually with parents and adolescents in an outpatient setting, providing trauma-informed training and resources to Region 15 educators, as well as being a parent herself.
Description of Session: If you discover your child is being bullied, it’s normal to feel a range of emotions from sadness to anger, and at times you may even feel helpless. This 1 hour webinar will provide some basic tips to help become a more effective advocate for your child in situations of bullying.
A Whole New World
A Whole New World
Debbie Martin
Education Specialist - Speech Path & Assistive Tech
ESC-Region 15
Date: Friday, July 22, 2022
Time: 9:00am-10:00am
Bio: Debbie Martin has 27 years of experience as a school-based speech pathologist with the majority of those years serving ECSE-5th grade students. For the past 2 years, she has served as an Education Specialist for Speech Pathology, Assistive Technology, and is the parent contact for the schools served by the Education Service Center Region 15 in San Angelo. She is passionate about helping SLPs, teachers and staff that serve our students with special needs and likes to help parents advocate for their students.
Description of Session: Has your child been referred for special ed? Do you have your first ARD meeting coming up? What is an ARD? IEP? Join me for a crash course of all thing Special Ed. You will learn the lingo, discover resources to help you navigate a whole new world, and learn how to be an advocate for your child.
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