Parent University

Speaker: Jacqueline A. Rhew, LCPC & Dr. Robin Choquette 

Jacqueline A. Rhew, LCPC and Dr. Robin Choquette have combined over 35 years working with professionals and parents clinically and have provided over 400 trainings both locally and nationally on a wide array of topics relating to parenting strategies and raising resilient children through goal directed parenting. Their approach of purposeful parenting has helped hundreds of parents develop plans unique to their families, and gain confidence in their parenting strategies to help raise healthy and successful young people.

​Learn about the various post-secondary training options that are available for students and what they can be doing now (while in high school) to prepare for their next “educational step.”​

When situations get out of hand, it can be difficult to control your own temper or disarm your child’s. This session will offer pointers on how to overcome the frustrations that can escalate to anger issues.​

As teen's develop their identity, life can be complicated and difficult. Challenges occur with first loves, bullies, friends, and increased responsibilities. This session will help you empower your teen to have the resilience necessary to overcome adversity.

A District 155 expert will provide guidance and information about the college process for junior and senior parents. This will include available resources to help parents and students at the school, on the Web, and in the community. ​

A panel of District 155 experts including a guidance counselor, school nurse, dean, and social worker will walk parents through important issues faced by students. The panel will cover topics like how to help your student research post-high school options, access health information, and rebound from bad grades along with how parents can work cooperatively with the school to help your child. The panel also will answer parent questions.​

Learn to identify and cope with the types of depression which may impact a teen’s life. The session will deal directly with these this condition and touch on suicide education and prevention.​

Does Google know more about my child than I do? Learn how students leave digital footprints when using school devices and consider ways to talk with teens about staying safe online and protecting our digital identities. Walk away with resources and ideas about next steps.​

Naviance is an important online tool offered to parents and students. The resource includes information about career paths, college courses of study, scholarships, and other helpful information about applying to schools. A District 155 expert will walk you through the system.​

An expert on organizational skills and studying will help empower parents to help their student succeed whether their child is moving from middle school to high school or transitioning to more advanced high school courses.​​

As college costs continue to rise, funding a college education becomes more of a challenge each year. This session will introduce you to the basics of financial aid to inform you of the options that exist for you and your child.

This question and answer session is geared toward current 8th grade, freshmen, or transfer parents. District 155 representatives will answer your questions about what to expect as your child transitions to high school. 

Jean Twenge’s research finds this generation is one of the safest generations yet, but, they are also reporting the highest levels of isolation, loneliness, depression, anxiety, and risk of suicide and an inability to feel empathy and believe in one’s own ability to succeed. The focus of this session will be on research and strategies to change these statistics.

This session will give you insight into what teens tell us about their lives, and will give you the real-time knowledge of what high schoolers encounter each day related to school work, drugs, alcohol, sex, bullying, and even their parents.

From unsafe new-driver tendencies to legal liability for parties hosted in the home, an expert will provide best-practice strategies and safety precautions to protect you and your student. The session will shed light on teen driving laws and other legal issues that may impact your family on the road and in the home. 

Forming romantic relationships in middle and high school is normal for teens and often scary for parents. This presentation focuses on what healthy relationships looks like for teens and how to tell if you're teen's relationship is healthy, unhealthy, or abusive. We will also cover some strategies to improve communication with your teen on sensitive topics.

Learn about unique issues and challenges facing people who are LGBTQ, and advocacy resources in our communities.

Parenting is hard work. Add in multiple children and it becomes even more complicated. Expert presenters will discuss ways to discourage unhealthy sibling rivalries and encourage fairness and consistency in your parenting. 

This presentation looks at the skills and framework parents need to balance the tension between keeping their kids safe and teaching them to handle technology independently.

In this session, we will discuss the importance of getting involved and picking classes for freshmen, sophomores, and juniors. Parents will also get to see 4-year plans and what their students will complete in their seminar class.

This session will explore the many pressures that teens face today. Learn how to identify signs and symptoms of anxiety and the existing treatment models. We also will look at how anxiety can manifest itself in a school setting.

Vapes, juul, phix, suorin, bars, dabs, lean, mods, rigs, addies, fentanyl... Learn current terminology associated with adolescent substance use, state and national trends, and risks associated with these drugs.​