Easton Community University

EASTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS
WINTER 2016
Easton
Community
University
EPS Community Education Offerings
For ALL REGISTRATIONS and/or questions,
please contact Julie Shine at:
[email protected]
or 508-230-3200 ext. 207

A minimum of 10 people will be required in most classes in order for the
session(s) to run. (So please register EARLY if you are interested!)

Most offerings have an enrollment cap. Registration is on a first-come, firstserved basis. If you must cancel, please do so ASAP by contacting Lynn Souza
in Central Office.

Participants will be notified via email should an offering be cancelled due to
low enrollment at least one week prior when possible.

All workshops are provided to EPS parents and community FREE of charge
unless otherwise noted. Payment information is included when there is a
nominal charge., and participants must pay fees prior to first class.

Any materials needed will be provided UNLESS otherwise indicated.

Transportation and child care are NOT provided for participants (UNLESS
otherwise noted).

Sessions will NOT be held on dates when EPS has cancelled school due to
inclement weather.
EASTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Assistant Superintendent’s Office
50 Oliver Street, Easton, MA 02356
What’s inside:
Substance Abuse Prevention
Student Concussions
Common Core and Testing Info
Money Milestones
Indoor Walking Club
Online Gaming info
Parent/Child Communication
Conversational English
and more…..
Assistant Superintendent, Dr. Lisha Cabral
[email protected]
Administrative Assistant, Julie Shine
[email protected]
508-230-3200 ext. 207
Page 15
Page 2
WELCOME to
“The University”!
Here in the Easton Public Schools, we believe that educating parents
about their child’s experience(s) in school as well as helping the community to understand what is happening in the district are important components in working collaboratively for the good of all students. We have
provided hundreds of opportunities for staff to be continuous and lifelong learners and stay current in educational issues and trends. Easton
Community University will now do the same for the Easton community.
Starting with this winter issue, seminars, workshops, and classes will be
offered to assist families and residents of Easton to better understand the
EPS mission as well as provide guidance and skills helpful in navigating
through education and childhood. We will also include sessions that
create collaborative experiences between teachers and parents and/or
provide a service to residents.
In addition to this issue’s offerings, future sessions will include:
 Substance Abuse: Signs and Advice
 Navigating X2 for student information
 Understanding and reducing student anxiety
 Assisting your child in healthy ways
 Cyberbullying
 CPR certification
As we all know, education is moving, evolving, and morphing each and
every day. We are all working hard to navigate all of the changes and
expectations! We know that you, as parents, are encountering the same
changes. Helping you to understand where we are headed and why will
only assist us all in communicating more effectively and clearly.
If there are topics that would be of interest or assistance to you, please
contact us with your suggestions. If you have an interest in offering a
workshop, please send us your proposal as well! Help us to support you
and our community as we work together to provide the very best for all
of Easton’s children.
WINTER 2016
Unscramble the alphabet soup
of CCSS, NGSS, MCAS, PARCC
Description: Education today is evolving at a rate that is unprecedented.
Federal and state officials have been involved in ways that are much different than in the past. Reports about how some of the mandates and guidelines are being implemented across the country and across the state can be
confusing. What does this mean for Easton? What is
being done/not being done in this town? What are the
Common Core State Standards, the Next Generation
Science Standards, and the Massachusetts Curriculum
Frameworks, how are they alike/different, and how
will they affect my child’s education? Will my child be
taking the PARCC or the MCAS assessment? Why? All
of these questions and more will be explored in this
session. Bring questions of your own, as well.
Instructor: Dr. Lisha Cabral, Assistant Superintendent, Easton Public
Schools
Date and Time: Tuesday, February 2nd, 6:00-7:30pm Must register by
January 25th
Location: Easton Middle School Library
Conversational English
Description: Is English your second language? Would you like to practice
your conversational English skills? Come and practice speaking, writing, and
understanding English with us! We will cover topics such as going to the
doctor, talking to teachers, helping your son or daughter with their homework, and more.
Instructors: Lou Ann Falls
and Janice Narsasian
Date(s) and Time(s): Sundays, January 10th to February 21st, 3:00pm Must
register by January 6th
Location: Stonehill
College’s Center for
Non-profit Management
Address: 16 Belmont Street,
Easton (White house next to
Honey Dew Donuts)
EASTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Page 14
Page 3
Under Construction: What Every
Parent Needs to Know About
Your Teen/Tween’s
Brain Development
Description: Dr. Ruth Potee will discuss teen brain development, its impact
on risk-taking behavior, including the use of drugs and alcohol, and what this
means for parents of teens. Come learn
more about what parents and the community can do to keep our teens safer,
healthier, and substance-free through the
middle and high school years. Dr. Potee
practices family medicine in Greenfield
and was honored by the Franklin Medical
Society as the 2015 Community Clinician
of the Year. She is the Chair of the
Healthcare Solutions Opioid Task Force
of Franklin County and has addressed
professional and community audiences
on related topics throughout the state.
Instructor: Dr. Ruth Potee,
Physician and Addiction Specialist
Date and Time: Thursday, January
14th, 7:00-8:30pm Please note that it is
not recommended that children under
age 13 attend this session.
Location: Oliver Ames High School auditorium
http://www.massmed.org/
Ongoing Family Fun at the Easton YMCA
Gymnastics Family Flip Saturday at the NEW gymnastics center
1st Saturday of each month, 2:00-4:00pm
Kids’ Night In (Adults’ Night Out!)
2nd Friday of each month, 6:00-8:30pm (MUST reserve spot(s) by the Wed. before)
Aquatic Family Fridays
3rd Friday of each month, 6:00-8:00pm
Parent Café:
Kicking the Winter Blues!
Description: Tired of winter? Are cabin fever and those
winter blues getting to you? If the answer is yes, then come
check out our new event—Parent Café! Enjoy a night out at
the Y with other parents and caregivers, just like you! Our parent café series is
a staff-facilitated discussion group around common topics facing all of us, each
day. Everyone is welcome. The theme for this event is “Kicking Winter Blues.”
This can be a tough time of year with the snowstorms, the cold, illness, cabin
fever, and depression. Many families struggle through those winter blues until
our long New England winter gives way to spring. Help to combat this by enjoying support and ideas from others in the community and a free meal for you
and your children—and free childcare is provided! We will ensure that all are
heard and leave with some strategies and next steps (and possibly new friends).
Hope to see you there!
Date and Time: Friday, February 12, 6:30-8:00pm
Location: Old Colony YMCA Easton Branch, 25 Elm Street Easton, MA
Must register by February 5th. Please email Chelsea
Zawadzki, [email protected] if you would like to attend.
Please include the number of adults and number of children that will be
attending.
PLEASE SEE IMPORTANT
REGISTRATION INFORMATION FOR
ALL SESSIONS ON COVER PAGE
Unless otherwise indicated, all registration is to be
done by calling Julie Shine in the Central
Administrative Offices of Easton Public Schools.
She can be reached by phone at 508-230-3200 ext.
207, or by email at [email protected]
Family Game Night
4th Friday of each month, 6:00-8:00pm
classroomclipart.com
WINTER 2016
EASTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Page 13
Page 4
Help with New Year’s Resolutions!
Tips and Tricks to fit Healthy Eating
into your busy lifestyle
http://healthylifeharbinger.com/
Experience Cardio SportTM
Description: Preview a new class type, increasing in popularity across
YMCAs, schools, and Fitness Centers across the Nation. Whether you are
just beginning your fitness journey or have been a lifetime “fitness fanatic,” Cardio SportTM delivers a FUN fitness experience that will get you
active and provide a motivational atmosphere! Cardio Sport is a group class
combining sports drills and interval training techniques that is designed to
meet EVERYONE where they’re at.
Date(s) & Time(s): Tuesday February 23rd from 3:00pm-4:00pm AND
Thursday March 10th at 4:00pm-5:00pm
Must register by February 9th, 2016
Location: Oliver Ames High School, Dance Studio (across from auditorium)
WINTER 2016
www.webmd.com
Description: Ever wonder how busy people make healthy eating part of
their lifestyle? Join us to learn a few tips and tricks and for conversation on
how to customize a plan just for you! This Forum will be attended by a
YMCA personal trainer and will be facilitated by a wellness coach. We look
forward to helping you think through how to make your New Year’s resolutions a part of your daily practice!
Date & Time: Wednesday, January 13th 4:00pm-5:00pm
Must register by January 5th, 2016
Location: Old Colony YMCA’s Easton branch: 25 Elm St., North Easton,
MA
Strengthening Parent-Child
Communication
with Tweens and Teens
Description: When our kids were little it sometimes seemed like they
never stopped talking. Now we are lucky to get a “Good” or a “’K” from
our tweens and teens. We worry about what is really going on in their complicated teenage lives. This workshop, for parents of children ages 10-18, can
help:
 Develop communication skills including teen-based listening and asking
different kinds of questions

Explore techniques that encourage children’s communication development

Explore ways that parents can create meaningful conversations at home
regarding school and social issues.

Brainstorm with teen development experts and fellow parents on how
to have those difficult conversations.
Instructor: Tabitha May-Tolub, Co-Founder and CEO of Roots and Wings
Date and Time: Tuesday, January 26th, 7:00-9:00pm (Snow date is February 2nd). Must register by January 15th
Location: Easton Middle School Library
EASTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Page 12
Page 5
Get Up and Get Moving!
Winter Walking Club
What Every Parent & Teacher Needs to
Know: Proper Response & Management
of Concussions
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/
http://machias.edu/
WINTER 2016
Description: Come learn what everyone needs to know to help keep student
athletes safe while engaged in school sports. Many involved in the school community still do not understand the seriousness of concussions, how they affect
our athletes on the field, and that they may present an even bigger challenge in
the academic setting. Concussions are the “invisible injury” which presents many
challenges to student
athletes and school
staff. Parents and
school staff do play a
vital role in how
concussions are handled for the student
athlete. They set the
tone for how seriously the issue of
concussions is taken
by the student.
School staff and parents monitor the
student during recovery and communicate
with medical providers. In this session,
Linda Brown, MBA, the Mass. Department of Public Health Program Coordinator of Sports Concussion Activities, will provide an overview of the regulations
and DPH’s clinical and policy guidance to schools when a student has been injured from a sports-related head injury. Kathleen P. Thornton, MS, LAT, CSCS, a
Team Leader and Athletic Trainer with Southcoast Hospitals, will discuss the
crucial role that proper concussion education plays in the recognition and management of concussions and why it can prevent further more serious injury such
as Second Impact syndrome. She will also discuss the treatment of concussion
and the gradual return to sport for the concussed student. Participants will
leave with a better understanding of what concussions are, how to comply with
the DPH regulations and how to help their students navigate their way back
from the injury safely.
Saferyouthsports.org
Description: Tie up those laces and take the exercising indoors! Walking
outside is wonderful exercise. However, in the winter months it can be
downright dangerous. Skidding cars, icy roads, and blustery weather can
cause us to give up on exercise in the winter. Don’t
let your routine end! Come
to the Easton Middle
School and socialize while
you exercise where it is
safe, warm, flat, and well-lit.
Start with one lap and
work up to five laps (which
equals one mile). Or start
with the mile and see how
much further you can go in
one hour.
Date(s) and Time(s):
Tuesdays and Thursdays
(January 26th-March
22nd— EXCLUDING Feb. 16 and 18), 5:00-6:00pm Must register by January 15th, 2016
Location: Easton Middle School first floor (directional signs will be
posted within the building)
Instructors: Linda Brown, MA Department of Public Health and Kathleen
Thornton, Licensed Athletic Trainer
Date & Time: Tuesday, March 15th, 6:00-7:30pm (Snow date March 16th, if
necessary) Must register by March 4th, 2016
Location: Professional Development Center—Richardson Olmsted School
EASTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Page 6
Page 11
Online Gaming Basics:
Description: Ever wish money came with instructions? Well, now it does.
Join us as we walk through life’s financial roadmap.

We’ll start off providing tips for those of you in your 20s-30s:
Debt reduction, young family concerns, having appropriate financial buckets
for the future, etc.

Next ,40s-50s:
Position your family to get the most financial aid for college, 403(b)s, investments, etc.

Lastly, we’ll spend time covering 50s-60s:
Find out if you should be doing something different while gearing up for retirement, identify if you have enough to retire, government benefits, etc.
Get ready to take notes and walk away with actionable tips.
Instructor: Nora Yousif
Date & Time: February 3rd, 2016, 3:30pm-4:30pm – Must Register by January 27th, 2016
Location: Simmons Lecture Hall, Oliver Ames High School
http://hancockcollege.edu/
College Savvy Parents
Peer into the eyes of a current college
admissions officer. Join us as we look
under the hood of what colleges
want in your child. Also, learn valuable
insights parents need to know in
order to get the most financial
aid out of college.
Instructor: Nora Yousif
Date & Time: Thursday, February 25, 2016 at 6:00pm
Must register directly with Nora at [email protected]
Location: Oakes Ames Memorial Hall, 3 Barrows Street, North Easton
WINTER 2016
http://www.safenetwork.org.uk/
Money Milestones:
What You Should Know
An introduction
to online gaming
for parents of a
child gamer
Description: This workshop is for parents of current or potential online
gamers to understand fully what online gaming means and how it can impact
their child (positively and negatively). It will empower parents with knowledge
to decide if online gaming is right for their family. If parents choose to allow
online gaming, this session will also explain how to monitor their child’s online
gaming and will make them feel comfortable enough to allow their child to
actively participate in the online gaming scene. Topics to be covered include:





The various types of online gaming
The difference between online gaming and social media
The positive and negative impacts of online gaming
An outline & review of best practices, rules & regulations, and guidelines
A demonstration of the basic set up for one or more consoles
Instructor: Cindy Boyce
Date and Time: Monday, March 7th, 6:00-8:00pm Must register by March
1st, 2016
Location: Richardson Olmsted cafeteria
Don’t forget!
The Ames Free Public Library offers free
and reduced price tickets to OVER 30
museums, parks, aquariums, and zoos!
For more information or to reserve tickets, go to:
http://amesfreelibrary.org/museum-passes
EASTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Page 10
Page 7
An Introduction to Social Thinking:
A Workshop for Parents
Parenting is one tough job.
We get it.
“Created by the Children's Trust, onetoughjob.org connects parents in Massachusetts and beyond with the latest and greatest parenting information, ideas, and on-the-ground resources.” Focusing on
children from birth to age 6, they “provide a bridge to help you find
other moms and dads who have asked the same questions and faced
similar challenges.” Visit this website for tips and tricks to help you
address the needs of your child as they grow. Also available in Español..
Instructor: Ruth Bluestone, Speech Language Pathologist, Easton Public
Schools
Date and Time: Saturday, February 27th, 9:00-11:00am OR Wednesday,
March 2nd, 6:30-8:30pm Must register by February 12th
Location: Easton Middle School Library
Winter Expo at the Sheep Pasture
http://www.onetoughjob.org/ages/
Description: Social Thinking is one form of intelligence that creates our
overall “smarts.” Social Thinking is what we do when we share space with
others in the classroom, cafeteria, in line and when reading a work of fiction. It is an incredibly complex process that most of us take for granted.
Students with social learning challenges face challenges in day-to-day situations at school, at home, and in the community. These students do no intuitively learn social information the way other children do. Instead, they have
to be cognitively taught how to think socially and understand the use of
related social skills. Students have difficulty using their language skills in
socially meaningful ways with peers and in the classroom, and this impacts
their relationships with peers and adults as well as their academic success.
Michelle Garcia Winner and her colleagues have developed a comprehensive and effective methodology to both understand and teach Social Thinking to students of all ages (kindergarten to high school). This workshop will
provide parents with a framework for understanding Social Thinking and
how problems in perspective-taking and social attention impact students at
home, school, and in the community. The workshop will also provide parents with practical resources and strategies to help their child navigate
these challenges. TWO separate sessions are being offered for your convenience.
It is only necessary to attend ONE of the options below.
Saturday, January 23, 2016
10 am - 2pm
http://ctrfamilyguidance.com/
The NRT Winter Expo is a family-friendly event that celebrates all of the great
things we can do in the winter! From trying out snowshoes to sledding and
sipping hot chocolate by a camp fire, Winter Expo is fun for all ages! In addition
to the outdoor activities, the Winter Expo offers visitors the opportunity to
meet local crafters and vendors for unique foods, crafts, gifts, and more.
WINTER 2016
Admission to the Winter Expo is free. Donations to support the Winter Expo
and NRT will be gratefully accepted at the event. Food items will be available
for a small fee during the Expo.
EASTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Page 8
Page 9
Building a Safer Community:
Prevention is the Answer!
Childprotectionpolicy.jpg
Description: The statistics are shocking and demand action: 1 in 10 children will be sexually abused by the age of 18. Ninety percent of children
who are sexually abused are violated by someone they know and trust. This
includes youth leaders of all types: teachers, coaches, ministers, mentors,
counselors and parents.
The Old Colony YMCA is pleased to announce an important prevention
program in the Southeastern Massachusetts area: Darkness to Light’s Stewards of Children sexual abuse prevention program. This program takes a
direct and comprehensive approach to the problem of sexual abuse within
youth-serving organizations. A compelling video, the core of the curriculum,
includes the stories of
several courageous individuals who were victims
of sexual abuse as children
and who have contributed
a great deal of time and
effort as adults towards
ending the cycle of abuse.
The end goal is to increase awareness of child
sexual abuse and bring
prevention to scale. Together, our two organizations (EPS and the Y) can
engage the Easton community in collaborative child protection.
This program is ideal for the training of staff and volunteers in youthserving organizations. The Old Colony Y will provide an experienced facilitator who will lead the training session including a discussion of the information presented in the video. Each participant also receives a workbook
and Darkness to Light’s 5 Steps to Protecting our Children Certificate. Our facilitators are also able to guide organizations through the development of
sexual abuse prevention policies and procedures.
Stand with us in our commitment to prevent sexual abuse. Take the training
yourself, then actively encourage others to do the same. Each of us can
truly be Stewards of Children.
**Please note that this topic is sensitive and serious and will be handled by a
trained facilitator carefully and with professionalism.
Instructor: Megan Murphy, Old Colony YMCA
Date and Time: Thursday, March 17th, 4:00-6:00pm Must register by
March 1st, 2016
Location: Easton Middle School Library
WINTER 2016
Understanding StandardsBased Reporting
Description: The reporting period will be closing for grades 1-5 on March
4th. If you are struggling with the format of the standards-based report card in
these grades, please come to this workshop. We will discuss the structure of
the report card, how it reflects the standards, and how teachers complete
them. We will also discuss the best way to read the report card and how to
use the information to assist your child(ren). The report card is only one
means of communicating student progress to parents, but it is a powerful and
useful one. You will leave with concrete tips on how to use the information to
enhance your child(ren)’s skills in their areas of strength as well as support
them with their challenges.
Instructor: Dr. Lisha Cabral, Assistant Superintendent of Schools, Easton
Public Schools
Date and Time: Tuesday, March 8th, 6:00-7:30pm Must register by March
1st
Location: Easton Middle School Library
EASTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS