Free Evening at Museum of Life And Science for New DPS Kindergartners on August 1st

Join DPS for a Countdown to Kindergarten

Friday, August 1st

Museum of Life and Science, 433 W. Murray Ave. 5:45pm - 8:00pm A FREE event for Durham Public Schools’ rising kindergarten children and their parents to promote a smooth start for the 2014-2015 school year.

http://www.dpsnc.net/pages/Durham_Public_Schools/Calendar/Countdown_to_Kindergarten

Ready Eddy! Kindergarten Transition Website for Durham Families

Entering Kindergarten is one of the most important educational steps in a child’s life. If your child is entering kindergarten this year, there is a new resource for you. Durham’s Transition to Kindergarten (TTK) Initiative has launched a new website.  The Initiative is a collaborative project of Durham’s Partnership for Children (The Partnership), and the Durham Public Schools (DPS). 

This site includes information for parents and guardians (as well as for teachers and schools), including preparing your child at home, school selection and registration and resources for childcare and Kindergarten teachers to develop creative transition activities.  It is never too late to start getting your child ready for kindergarten.  Start TODAY!

Check out the Kindergarten website here:

http://durhamgoestokindergarten.com/

New Community Free Days at the NC Museum of Life and Science for Durham County Residents

Durham’s Museum of Life and Science announces a new program to serve all families in our community! Durham Community Days will begin on Thursday, July 31.  Community Days include 25 full days of no-fee FREE admission for Durham County residents each year. Previously, the Museum offered “Free Wednesdays,” which is no longer available. but this new program will provide more variety and serve more people by offering free admission days throughout the week and some weekends.

For details see:

http://dpfc.net/Blog/post/2014/07/24/Durham-Community-Days-at-the-Museum-of-Life-and-Science.aspx

And for the list of days:

http://lifeandscience.org/files/Durham%20Community%20Days-single.pdf

RESHEDULED for July 21st: Free Webinar on Adolescent Brain Development

The Webinar on Adolescent Brain Development was canceled today (7/17) when it was scheduled due to technical difficulties.  

The webinar has been rescheduled for Monday, July 21 from 2:00-3:00 p.m. Eastern.  You must use this updated link on Monday to participate.  

 https://sas.elluminate.com/m.jnlp?sid=2013048&password=M.CDFC4A8F50C96D8D09A176ECA1FB68

Workshop for parents and educators Sat. July 19 on Mindfulness in Education with Duke Integrative Medicine

Andrea Underwood with the Durham Association of Educators alerted us to this free workshop in mindfulness in education this Saturday July 19, 2014 at Golden Belt in Durham 9am to 1pm. 

The [CTRL + ALT + DEL] Series in Education is meant to literally and figuratively be a mind body wellness "reset" for educators, learning specialists, administrators, and parents. 

Dr. Jeff Brantley, Founder of the Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction Program at Duke Integrative Medicine, will give the keynote address on the importance of loving kindness meditations for teachers, parents, and children. Dr. Brantley will be available to sign copies of his newest book Calming Your Angry Mind. 

Administrators, teachers, and parents are welcome to attend. The event is catered by the Refectory. Seating is limited to 100 participants. 

To register, go to:

http://workitacademy.com/mindfulness-in-education-workshops/

Scroll down to the workshop, it shows a $ cost and description.  You can enter the code during registration and it will be free.

Enter the following code during registration: **FOWIA**

Understand your Teen Better--Free Webinar July 17th on Adolescent Brain Development

The Ins and Outs of Adolescent Brain Development

Thursday, July 17 from 2:00-3:00 p.m. Eastern

Why do teenagers act the way they do? Some of the reasons for common adolescent behaviors, such as risk-taking and making less-than-wise decisions sometimes, relate back to their brain development. The prefrontal cortex, which controls higher-order thinking abilities, is not fully developed until very late in adolescence. Understanding adolescent brain development and finding ways to help teens develop good decision-making skills are important ways that adults support healthy adolescent brain development. In this introduction to adolescent brain development, we will focus on the development (and under-development) of various parts of the brain, the ways this brain development affects behavior, and ways to support adolescents as they finish the crucial period of brain development.

In this session, you will learn about:

·  The prefrontal cortex and its role in decision-making

·  The timeline of typical adolescent brain development

·  Behaviors that indicate immature brain development in adolescents

·  Strategies adults can use to help adolescents make better decisions

Presenter:
The presenter is Dr. Diane Bales, Associate Professor and Extension Human Development Specialist in the Department of Human Development and Family Science at the University of Georgia, and co-leader and content expert for Better Brains for Babies.  The webinar is sponsored by Better Brains for Babies at UGA.

Audience:
This 60-minute webinar is intended for parents, grandparents, foster parents, professionals, and paraprofessionals who work with or care for adolescents, as well as professionals who support families with adolescents.

How to Attend the Web Conference:

·  The webinar will take place on the Blackboard Collaborate system. To join the session, go to 

https://sas.elluminate.com/m.jnlp?sid=2013048&miuid=C38EB61AC1DDA72EC03BA5BC836AD210

·  Please note that Java is required for Collaborate to run, so make sure you have the latest version installed by running the Java check. 

·  Before the session begins, please run the system check on the computer you will be using to join the session.

·  If you have not participated in a Collaborate session before, and would like to know more about the system, you can view a participant orientation presentation.

·  A certificate of attendance will be emailed to interested participants who attend the entire webinar live and complete a request for a certificate within 24 hours of completing the webinar. Instructions for requesting certificates will be provided at the end of the webinar for those who have attended the entire session.. 

·  A recording of the web conference and additional resources will be available a few days after the session. 

·  If you have questions about the webinar, please send them to info@bbbgeorgia.org. To learn more about Better Brains for Babies (BBB), please visit the BBB website. 

Weblink with Webinar information:
http://www.gahsc.org/ms/2014/du20140627_Adolescent_Brain_Development.html