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Welcome to our San Juan Ridge parenting group. We meet monthly at the Family Resource Center on the endearing Oak Tree School campus. This project is a collaboration between Twin Ridges Elementary School District and Partners Family Resources.
The intentions of this ongoing group are to encourage togetherness and harmony within a family, and to provide opportunities for belonging through education, peer support and family engagement. Our topics are chosen with input from parents, caregivers and educators. Within the container of the group we practice vulnerability and attending to our own wellbeing as much as to that of our family's.
Each session is structured the same: after welcoming our participants and getting dinner, there is a presentation with a guest expert, an on topic activity and sharing circle. Kids are supervised next door in the amazing lodge building; having dinner, playing and doing activities.
Family Forums sessions are always free with childcare and meals provided. Multiple caregivers from the same household are welcome to attend. We take suggestions for future topics. Please contact Renee at the FRC or Kristin with TRESD Community Schools to ask questions, give input and to RSVP for a session.
Next Session
Having a Realistic Relationship with Technology
With Special guest Sarah Morgan
Two Sessions: Tuesday, January 20th & 27th, 5:30 - 7:30pm
At the Oak Tree Family Resource Center, 18847 Oak Tree Road on the San Juan Ridge
Follow the link to our Family Forums Padlet. Here you will find handouts, articles, links, slideshow presentations, book recommendations, resources, etc., all from topics we have covered. It is an ever expanding resource open to everyone.
Class Descriptions, Presenter Bios & Contact Info
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Including our Kids in Family Nutrition & Meals, December 2025
Class description: Finding ways to embrace and celebrate our children's needs and curiosity in the kitchen; from choosing ingredients, preparation & presentation, and eating through cleaning up.
Presenter Bio:
Sarah Morgan is Nevada County's Community Schools Coordinator and PARNTERS Family Resources team leader. She spent 20 years as a public-school teacher-librarian and instructed students, staff and parents in technology integration, legal use of digital media and safe social media practices. Parents in Nevada County are well aware of how technology can both help and hinder their children's lives. Join Sarah and the Oak Tree FRC staff as they facilitate a conversation about how to best integrate technology tools into daily life.
Presenter Bio:
Wendy Van Wagner is a nutrition educator with a background in public health, community wellness, and program development. She holds a Master’s degree in Health Education and has taught food and nutrition courses for schools, community organizations, and families throughout Northern California. Her work emphasizes whole foods, seasonal eating, and sustainable habits that support long-term personal and community health.
More than anything, Wendy has loved her role as a mother. Raising her two children—a 10 year-old daughter and a 16-year-old son—and creating a peaceful, nourishing home has been her deepest creative and spiritual work. She writes about this ongoing journey on her Substack, Spiritual Homemaking, where she reflects on the artistry, presence, and meaning found in everyday family life.
Wendy is also deeply engaged in community life. She serves on the Board of the Bear Yuba Land Trust where she leads community walks on local trails, and helps organize the Nevada County African Dance Collective. She loves volunteering at Yuba River Charter School where her daughter attends. She co-owns an estate liquidation business with her husband, where they bring history, storytelling, and care to the process of rehoming meaningful objects.
Wendy’s approach to nutrition is grounded, relational, and practical—supporting people in building confidence in the kitchen, trust in their own bodies, and meaningful connection to food, home, and place.
Connect with Wendy at these sites Substack or Extrapro.org
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Raising a Financially Literate Family, November 2025
Class Description: Learning how to balance the relationship of income/debt/investment in order to create a personalized plan around our finances, and creating methods to motivate our kids to also have a rewarding relationship with money.
Presenter Bio:
Veronica Webb is an acupuncturist and herbalist that, with the guidance of her mathematician son, became an expert at building and sustaining a heathy relationship with money, wealth and how one can enjoys life through financial stability.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Understanding Inclusivity in the Classroom, October 2025
Class Description: Learning how schools/school districts/counties/states provide equitable access to education for all children, how they are held accountable and what is the process and available supports for IEPs and 504 plans.
Presenter Bio:
Eli Gallup is Associate Superintendent, head of the Special Education department and SELPA with the Nevada County Superintendents of Schools Office.
530-478-6400
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Playful Parenting: Balancing Play and Routine, September 2025
Class Description: Creating household harmony using communication, playfulness and routine.
Presenter Bio:
Alicia Lauder is a passionate early childhood educator and advocate for play-based learning. With a Bachelor's degree in Childhood Development, an A.A. in Social and Behavioral Science, and over 10 years of experience nurturing young learners in diverse settings, Alicia's focus is on creating engaging and inclusive environments where children thrive and develop foundational skills and resilience for future success. She is committed to helping families understand developmental milestones and foster a love of learning from the earliest years.
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