A Night of Hope with Nathan Harmon

• Thursday, May 18 from 6:30-8 p.m.
• At McAnally Middle School, 14700 Old Weatherford Road, Aledo
• Presenter: Nathan Harmon from Your Life Speaks
• Babysitting and dinner will be available

ANGST: Raising Awareness Around Anxiety

• A screening of the film ANGST: Raising Awareness Around Anxiety
  
• 6:30-8 p.m. on Monday, May 1
• Aledo Learning Center, 1016 Bailey Ranch Road, Aledo
• Babysitting and dinner will be available!

Fentanyl Awareness for All Parents

Fentanyl is taking the lives of kids at alarming rates. This Parenting University session is a must-attend for every parent! This session will have two parts:

• First, a presentation by Tarrant County Sheriff Billy Waybourn, a leading advocate in the fight to keep fentanyl out of our communities
• Second will be a panel of Aledo ISD parents who will courageously share their stories about how fentanyl has impacted their lives

DETAILS:

• Thursday, April 13
• 6:30 – 8 pm
• Cafeteria at Daniel Ninth Grade Campus

Dinner and drinks will be provided by Aledo PTO and babysitting will also be available. This Parenting University is open to all parents and strongly encouraged for parents of elementary-aged kids to attend.

Digital Kids: Parenting in the Age of Smartphones

You're invited to the next FREE Aledo ISD Parenting University: Digital Kids: Parenting in the Age of Smartphones with Dr. Ryan Smith from 6:30-8 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 27, in the Walsh/Louden Rooms in the Aledo ISD Administration Building. Dinner and drinks will be provided by Aledo PTO, and babysitting will be available. This Parenting University is open to all parents, and we strongly encourage parents of kids ages 8-14 to attend!

More information on the session:

Think your kids spend too much time on their phones or in front of screens? Or worried about how you may manage that when they get older? This is the Parenting University you NEED to attend. Parenting is hard enough. Parenting in the age of smartphones can seem impossible. 

The presenter for this Parenting University session is Dr. Ryan Smith. Dr. Smith holds a Ph.D. in Counseling with an emphasis in Marriage and Family Therapy.

Prior to private practice, Ryan spent 12 years working at all levels of the public school system. He started off as a teacher and coach at the secondary level and then served as the Family Therapist for the Mesquite ISD. In that role he founded and directed a clinic that provided family therapy for the families of alternative placement elementary students.

His primary research focus is the impact of technology on personal functioning and relationships. He wrote a dissertation on the impact of social media on relationships and regularly speaks to schools, clinicians, and parent groups about the many ways in which technology affects family functioning and child and adolescent development. 

Dr. Smith’s presentation is light and funny, but full of effective tips and tricks for parents to make and stick to family tech plans that work!

Building a Culture of Connectedness, Part 3

You're invited to attend the next FREE Aledo ISD Parenting University: Building a Culture of Connectedness, Part 3 with Danny Ross, M.Ed., CSC, LPC-S, NCC. 

Aledo ISD is excited to welcome back Danny Ross for the third time as we continue to explore building a sense of belonging through dignity for all members of the school community.

• 6 p.m.
• Thursday, Dec. 1, 2022
• Aledo Learning Center Training Rooms
• Pizza provided by Aledo PTO
• AHS National Honor Society Students will provide childcare (and pizza)

The Fentanyl Epidemic: Conversations that Matter with Dr. Melissa McCarthy, PhD., LPC-S

• 6-7 PM
• Thursday, Oct. 27, 2022
• AHS Distance Learning Center (located immediately to the right inside the main doors at Aledo High School)
• Pizza provided by Aledo PTO
• AHS National Honor Society students will provide childcare for kids 11 and younger (pizza too!)

A Night of Hope with Nathan Harmon

• 6 PM pizza provided by Aledo PTO
• 6:30 PM program begins
• Wednesday, March 30
• Aledo High School Auditorium
• Free admission!

We are excited to be hosting our next Parenting University, Creating a Culture of Connectedness: Belonging from 6-8 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 6, at the Aledo Learning Center located across the street from the Aledo ISD Administration Building (1016 Bailey Ranch Road, Aledo). As a follow-up to our Parenting University session in May of 2021, Aledo ISD is excited to welcome back Danny Ross. With interactive activities and conversations, this presentation will explore building a sense of belonging through dignity for all members of the school community. This Parenting University is meant for adults/Aledo ISD parents of students of all ages. We hope you will plan to join us!

The Aledo ISD hosted a virtual Parenting University "Parenting Through Challenging Times" in partnership with the Aledo ISD PTO on Saturday, Feb. 6, 2021. Keynote speaker was Dr. Scott Poland with his address "Parenting Through Challenging Times." Poland is a professor at the College of Psychology and Director of the Suicide and Violence Prevention Office at Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. A dynamic and nationally recognized speaker, Dr. Poland was formerly the Director of Psychological Services for Cypress-Fairbanks ISD in Texas and has testified about the mental health needs of children before the United States Congress on four occasions.

Parenting Through the Haze: The Reality of Vaping and E-Cigarette Use with Kierra Woods

Woods is the Program Director of Stay on Track -  a community coalition based in Northeast Tarrant County that works to increase awareness around the risks of underage substance use and engage the community in equipping youth with the knowledge, skills, confidence and environmental support to live a healthy, substance-free life. Kierra received her Bachelors of Social Work degree from The University of North Carolina at Greensboro, and her Masters in Social Work from The University of Texas at Arlington.

Urgent and Emerging Issues in Substance Use and Abuse: Fentanyl and Overdose Prevention with John Haenes and Lisa Sullivan

John Haenes holds a master’s of science in social work and is an internationally certified prevention specialist with experience in the fields of addiction, juvenile delinquency, trauma, and child welfare. Mr. Haenes has been a trainer for the Office of National Drug Control Policy, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration, Texas Center for the Judiciary, Texas Juvenile Probation Commission, law enforcement agencies, and independent school districts around the country. Mr. Haenes is the Chief Operations Officer of Challenge of Tarrant County, a non-profit agency whose mission is to confront addiction issues by identifying needs, educating the community, mobilizing resources, promoting collaboration and advocating for sound public policy.

Lisa Sullivan is the Diversion Program Manager for the Dallas Division of the Drug Enforcement Agency(DEA). In this role, she establishes priorities for the Diversion Groups in Dallas, Fort Worth, Tyler, Oklahoma City, and Tulsa. She has previously worked in the San Antonio and Washington, D.C. Diversion Control Offices, where she was responsible for the dismantling and successful prosecution of internet pharmaceutical cases and with the newly established electronic prescriptions initiative (EPCS).

Parenting in the Age of the Smartphone with Dr. Ryan Smith

Dr. Ryan Smith is a therapist in private practice with offices in McKinney and Rockwall. He holds a Ph.D. in Counseling with an emphasis in Marriage and Family Therapy and is the Past-President of the Texas Association of Marriage and Family Counselors. His primary research focus is the impact of technology on personal functioning and relationships. Dr. Smith wrote a dissertation on the impact of social media on romantic relationships and regularly speaks to schools, clinicians, and parent groups about the many ways in which technology affects marriage, family functioning, and child and adolescent development.

Promoting Mental Health and Knowing the Signs of Suicide for Parents with Scott Kessel

Scott Kessel is the Executive Director of Student Services for the Aledo Independent School District. He is now in his 28th year working in the public education system in Texas. For 10 years Scott also served as adjunct faculty at Texas Christian University in the College of Education. He has presented at dozens of conferences and workshops at the local, state, and national level including at the American Association of Suicidology National Conference in 2008.

Parenting Through Challenging Times with Dr. Scott Poland