The OCDSB Speaker Series offers free information sessions to the parent community and seeks to provide parents and educators with access to leading ideas in education that will allow us to work collaboratively to better support student learning and well-being.
Next Speaker Series Event
Previous Speaker Series Events (2024-2025 School Year):
September 12th, 2024
Nearly 500 participants joined us for an insightful session with educator, author, and speaker Hannah Beach, exploring the vital role of play in emotional health and learning.
Our current culture has replaced play with entertainment, and we are now seeing the emotional side effects of this loss of play in the lives of children. Children may feel anxious, isolated, or disconnected, they may show signs of aggression, and they may be distracted or glued to their devices. Hannah shared practical strategies to help parents and caregivers:
- Understand the vital role of play in the lives of our children
- Learn how play can reduce aggression, lower anxiety, and build resilience
- Explore relationship-based strategies to help children flourish
November 13th, 2024
Screen time is one of the top tech-related concerns among parents and caregivers. Kids are worried about their screen time as well – almost half say they spend too much time on their phones. Technology is ever-present in our daily lives, so how can families find healthier ways to use it? Matthew Johnson, the director of education for MediaSmarts, led a virtual session to help parents and caregivers create better habits around tech that empower youth to be in control, rather than their apps and devices.
November 19th, 2024
Bullying is an age-old problem with a new face in today's increasingly digital world. Cyber-bullying is now replacing playground bullying at an alarming rate, and the need to protect our kids is great. Counsellor, author, and speaker Dr. Deborah MacNamara led a session to help parents/caregivers and educators feel more empowered to address bullying and protect children. The session explored what drives bullying behaviour, how to prevent attacks, and how to guide children through situations where bullies are involved.
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Parent Involvement Committee (PIC)