“It’s not a program, it’s a movement.”
                                    – Clay Roberts, the Search Institute

Parenting Class - Wednesday March 11, 2009
Learn tips on how to better communicate with your child and how to help guide them to grow up to be successful adults.
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Rio Summit II: A Difference - Shape a Heart
The Rio School District will host the Rio Summit II with key school officials, parents and community leaders as part of its communitywide campaign to increase support for children and improve relationships among students, parents, teachers and El Rio community.  The movement’s goal is to involve the community, inspiring them to “Make a Difference ~ Shape a Heart” of a Rio child so that all our children will succeed in school and in life. At the Summit II, participants will develop simple strategies and action plans to support children academically and developmentally.

Facilitated by noted expert Clay Roberts, the Rio Summit II workshop will be held 8:30 - 11:30 a.m., Mar. 12 at the Rio School District, 2500 E. Vineyard Ave., Oxnard. An afternoon training session will follow for “Make a Difference ~ Shape a Heart” speaker volunteers.

Leaders from law enforcement, social services, clergy, education and business are being invited to participate. An afternoon session will be held to teach speaker volunteers to carry the “Make a Difference ~ Shape a Heart” message into the community. The Summit II will maintain the momentum of the district’s action plan strategies to strengthen developmental assets – positive experiences and qualities that help influence children’s choices and guide them in becoming caring, responsible adults.

The district has already begun implementing the action plans created in June 2008 at the first Rio Summit. A sampling of these strategies includes the Inspirational Student Recognition Luncheon, a student-community leader lunch-and-learn event; and the Every Employee is an Educator program, where every district department was required to submit at least four strategies to enhance the relationships between students and adults. For example, the Maintenance, Operations and Transportation Department created the Golden Lug Nut Award for students who are the best behaved and keep their bus the cleanest. Rio del Valle identified 30 students to
serve as peer mediators to other students of the school.

A recognized leader in the field of developmental assets, Roberts is a noted trainer and educational consultant. He is the author of numerous educational publications, including “Great Places to Learn, How Asset-Building Schools Help Students Succeed,” authored with Neal Starkman and Peter Scales, Search Institute (1999). He developed the “Take a Second. Make a Difference” posters, which are used in communities to encourage adult-youth connections.  

If you’re interested in learning more about the Rio Summit II, please contact Sonia Cervantez at 485-3111.

To access the Search Institute’s list of 40 Developmental Assets, click here.