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Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board

Northumberlandview.ca
Date Published: Wednesday, September 26, 2012
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The Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board’s 12th annual Parent Conference promises a wealth of practical tips and take-home resources on supporting children’s and teens’ mental health.

The free conference will take place:

Saturday, October 20 8:30 a.m. - 1 p.m. Port Hope High School 130 Highland Drive at Victoria Street, Port Hope

“The Parent Conference is a highlight of our year,” notes Diane Lloyd, Chairperson of the KPR Board. “Where else can parents and guardians benefit from an expert keynote speaker, practical workshops, take-home tips on child and youth mental - and even child minding - all in one place, at no charge?

“The conference’s focus on mental health is particularly timely when considering that, according to the Canadian Mental Health Association, one in five Canadians will experience a mental illness at some point,” she adds. “As a Board, we are committed to working with parents and other community partners to address the mental health needs of our students, since mental health directly affects learning.”

“This year’s conference theme of Mental Health in the School, Home and Community is an important one,” agrees Rusty Hick, Director of Education. “Schools across KPR, and indeed across Ontario, are renewing their focus on this important societal issue.

“As a Board, we have been concentrating on mental health literacy for staff and students,” he notes. “Our efforts have included Mental Health First Aid Training for key staff across the Board, special programs for elementary and secondary students, parent workshops, and much more. When schools work with families, mental health experts and community organizations, we all can help our children and teenagers meet with success at school, at home and in life.”

The conference will open with registration at 8:30 a.m., followed by keynote speaker, Dr. Ian Manion, at 9 a.m.Manion, Executive Director of the Ontario Centre of Excellence for Child and Youth Mental Health in Ottawa, will discuss Child and Youth Mental Health: A Parent’s Toolkit.

His presentation will be followed by a variety of workshops for which parents can register ahead of time.The workshops will focus on topics including anxiety and depression in children and youth, parenting the “difficult” child or teen, addictions and mental health, the mentally healthy parent, one family’s story, and helping children and teens with loss and grief.

While the conference is free, registration is required to ensure there are enough resources for all attending.Child minding for children ages two and older also will be available, at no charge.Everyone is welcome to register on-line on the home page of [ http://www.kprschools.ca ]www.kprschools.ca , by Friday, October 12. Those without Internet access can call Judy Malfara at 705-742-9773 or toll-free at 877-741-4577, ext. 2001, or contact their local school.

A light breakfast and snacks also will be provided for conference participants. The event is open to all interested parents, guardians, school council and community members, and KPR staff.