Parents and guardians of students at Clark-Pleasant Community Schools will have the opportunity to learn about topics ranging from financial aid to suicide prevention during the district’s first-ever Parent University.
Parents will check off three classes they are interested in by Wednesday, and Clark-Pleasant administrators will decide which classes Parent University will offer based on parent interest. The event itself will take place on Nov. 16 at Clark-Pleasant Middle School. During the free, three-hour event, parents will be able to attend sessions on three different topics, spokesperson John Venter said.
This will be the first time Clark-Pleasant schools has held a district-wide informational event for parents, he said.
“I think when you have it this way, you can offer more programs for a wider range of needs and interests all in one place,” Venter said. “We’ll get (parents’) interest first instead of having a rigid schedule. If we see there’s interest in financial aid and it’s hugely popular, we’ll offer more sessions.”
Previous Clark-Pleasant events have been focused on hand-picked topics for parents of students in individual grades, such as workshops for parents of high school juniors on what their children need to do to graduate on time, he said.
Administrators have been planning for Parent University since the school year started in late July. Mental Health Coordinator Connie Poston met with Clark-Pleasant guidance counselors to begin organizing the event, he said.
Guidance counselors will lead most of the sessions, but other staff members and representatives from outside agencies like Tobacco Free Johnson County will lead sessions as well, Venter said.
Whether the school district holds the event again in the future will depend on how many parents attend, he said.
“If we feel there’s high engagement in the number of people (who) come and the usefulness they got out of it, then we’d love to do it more,” Venter said.
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WHAT: Parent University
WHERE: Clark-Pleasant Middle School, 1354 East Worthsville Road, Greenwood
WHEN: 9 a.m. to noon Nov. 16
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Parents can find a link to sign up for Parent University under the announcement tab of the Clark-Pleasant Community Schools home page: cpcsc.k12.in.us. Deadline to register is Wednesday.
Possible classes include:
- Graduation Pathways-Requirements to graduate high school (for middle and high school students)
- Financial aid (11th and 12th grade)
- 21st century scholars (middle and high school)
- Financial planning for college (sixth through 10th grade)
- Dangers of vaping (middle and high school)
- Dual Credit/AP-How to graduate with a General Education Core Certificate (middle or high school)
- SAT/ACT information (high school)
- Substance abuse prevention (middle or high school)
- ASSIST-Trauma therapy (all grades)
- Grandparents raising grandchildren (all grades)
- Technology usage: Google Classroom, ParentVUE, etc. (all grades)
- Dealing with anxiety (all grades)
- Bullying/responsible social media usage/safety updates (all grades)
- Suicide prevention (all grades)
- Supporting your elementary age learner (elementary)
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