Avoid Challenging Behaviors (Session 1 only)

In this workshop, Certified Professional Coach and Parenting Mentor, Mel Peirce, explains what drives misbehavior, common mistakes to avoid so you can keep things from escalating, and simple and easy tools to address the behavior so you can parent your best when you need to most.

Presenter: Mel Peirce, Certified Professional Coach and Parenting Mentor (Keynote Speaker)

College Planning

This workshop will cover all aspects of the college search and application process.Topics will include: Basics of the college application process, Factors Colleges Consider Most, Financial Aid/Scholarships, Resources available to students, Question and answer period at the end of the presentation.

Presenter: Meg Delory, WMHS Guidance Counselor

Click here to view presentation slides

Early Childhood Milestones (Session 1 only)

The first years of life are so important for development. Parents/Caregivers spend a lot of time with their young children and are key to determining the experiences they will have. Parents/Caregivers are in a position to monitor the development of each of their children. This workshop will review age-specific developmental milestones in ages 2-7. These milestones will help you shape expectations and plan for your child on a daily basis. The workshop will also focus on ways that parents/caregivers can work with their children to develop these milestones.

Presenters: Shannon Blacker, Doyle Preschool Director; Cheryl Walsh, Doyle Preschool Teacher; Krista Popek, Doyle Speech and Language Pathologist 

"In Plain Sight": Tour a Teen Bedroom (Session 1 only; will also be available during Coffee Break)

Participants will tour a mock teenager’s bedroom highlighting factors that may indicate substance use, self-harm, and other risky behaviors hidden in plain sight. Parents will be able to see all of the newest products on the market (vapes, Zyns/nicotine pouches, and popular THC and marijuana paraphernalia) and what to look out for. Resources will be provided to talk with your child about these important topics. This workshop has been designed based on statistics from Wakefield’s Youth Risk Behavior survey and current trends observed by Wakefield’s Public School, Health and Police Department professionals.

Presenters: Suzanne Burns, WMHS Adjustment Counselor; Matt Malone, WMHS School Resource Officer; Amy Chiaravalloti, Prevention & Wellness Coordinator, Wakefield Health & Human Services

Navigating Social Media with Your Teens and Tweens (Perspective from WPS Students)

Snapchat, TikTok and Instagram, oh my! We know you have lots of questions about what your child is doing online and who better than responsible teenagers to explain it to you. Wakefield High School students will provide you with a description of the most widely used apps, the ways they are being used, and what to look out for. Galvin Adjustment Counselor Dorie Blieden will provide parents with practical tools for monitoring online activity and tips for opening up conversations with your student.

Presenters: Dorie Blieden, Galvin Adjustment Counselor and the Youth Action Team 

Parenting Skills for ADHD and Disruptive Behaviors

The most effective approaches to treating ADHD and disruptive behaviors have a large emphasis on parent involvement and skills training to effectively support kids. In this session, we’ll identify skills that you can use at home to help manage ADHD and disruptive behaviors. The skills covered will include using your positive attention to improve behavior, how to structure and maintain consistent expectations, and strategies to support kids with organization of their school materials and tasks.

Presenter: Leah Mais, Postgraduate Masters Fellow at the Center for Effective Therapy and the Program Coordinator of Camp Baker

Raising Money-Smart Kids (Session 1 only)

The Savings Bank provides you with age appropriate ways to teach financial literacy in the home. This seminar will provide you with tools and tips and how to best talk to your kids about their financial future and have an understanding of banking basics.

Presenter: Ally Houghton and Cheryl Cannon, The Savings Bank

Reading Together! (Session 2 only)

When it comes to reading, families and educators strive toward one shared goal: To instill a love of lifelong learning and create enthusiastic readers. In this session Youth Services librarians Holly and Molly, from Lucius Beebe Memorial Library, will discuss strategies you can use to select books suitable for young readers, tips on how you can create a culture of readers at home, and learn about resources the public library has to offer.

Presenters: Youth Services Librarians Holly and Molly, from Lucius Beebe Memorial Library 

Supporting Elementary Mathematicians (Session 2 only)

This session focuses on building an understanding of elementary math concepts and strategies for supporting elementary students with math. Participants will refine their understanding of math fluency, learn ways to help students build fluency, and learn strategies for supporting students with problem-solving-based curriculum tools like ST Math.

Presenter: Marguerite Augenbraun, K-4 STEM Coach

Transition to Middle School (Session 1 only)

One of the key components and goals of the Galvin Middle School administration is to help ensure a smooth transition to the 5th grade. We know that parents play an important role in their child's transition from their elementary school to middle school and families may have questions/concerns about what happens in middle school. This session will be informative and interactive for incoming 5th grade parents as the administration from the Galvin will describe to parents how the transition process works between the Galvin and the elementary schools, how does the 5th grade work, what does a typical day/week/year look like for 5th graders, and any other questions parents may have about their child's next educational experience within Wakefield Public Schools.

Presenter: Andrew Tetrault, Galvin Middle School Assistant Principal

Understanding Anxiety

If you're worried about your child's mental health, you're not alone. Rising rates of anxiety, depression, and suicidality in youth are impacting every community in Massachusetts, and across the country. As parents and caregivers, it can be difficult to know what to look out for in your child, and when it's time to worry. This training will provide a practical outline of the FACTS (feelings, actions, changes, threats, and situations) that may indicate a child is struggling, and suggestions on how to start a conversation with a young person in crisis.

Presenter: Donna Kausek, Eliot Community Services & The NAN Project

Understanding the IEP  (Session 2 only)

In the 2024-2025 school year, Wakefield Public Schools will be adopting a new IEP that the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) introduced this year. Join Director of Special Education Rosie Galvin as she presents a workshop on Understanding the IEP, focusing on the new one that will be in place next year.

This workshop will provide an understanding of the Individualized Education Program (IEP):

- why it is important,

- how it is developed,

- what information belongs in each section,

- what types of services are included,

- measurable goals,

- what to do when you receive a proposed IEP, and

- procedural due process rights for resolving disagreements.

Presenter: Rosie Galvin, Director of Special Education

Click here to view presentation slides 

WMHS Construction Project

We are about to embark on a very exciting time in the Wakefield Public Schools! A project that has been years in the making is set to start this spring as we begin construction of the new Wakefield Memorial High School. Superintendent Doug Lyons, WMHS Principal Amy McLeod, and Facilities Director Tim O'Brien will present an overview of the project, review the expected timeline and impacts while building, and highlight the strengths of the improved facility that will serve our WPS students in years to come. There will also be time for questions at the end. 

Presenters: Superintendent Doug Lyons; Facitilities Director Tim O'Brien; WMHS Principal Amy McLeod