Parenting in Community: a Hybrid Course
Parenting in Community Course Syllabus and Schedule
Facilitator
Becky Curtis
Marmot Room Teacher
Parent Education and Family Engagement Program Coordinator
Email: [email protected]
BCLC Phone: 360-676-0950 (for messages only)
Cell phone: 360-510-4382 (for urgent communication only, please)
Visit the Blog page of this website to join a public, online discussion.
This syllabus is posted on the Bellingham Parents Learning Center Program website: http://bclcparentsonline.weebly.com/
Course Description
Parenting in Community is a hybrid "course," combining monthly, face-to-face meetings with asynchronous online discussions on topics chosen by participants. Our first meeting in mid-September is designed to help you get to know each other and to choose topics for subsequent months. One Saturday in spring will be dedicated to a service project that will give us a way to connect with and benefit our larger community, and perhaps establish a relationship with another agency.
This course offers parents whose children are enrolled at BCLC an opportunity to learn from and teach each other, share the joys and concerns of parenting, exchange ideas and resources, and notify the group of local events of interest. Between meetings, I will offer topic-related articles, TED Talks, exercises or other resources to stimulate discussion or in response to your questions. In addition, you may pose questions or initiate discussion on a topic of interest at any time. Once enrolled, you'll receive an invitation to join our private, online discussion board.
Course Objectives
The primary objective of this course is that as you explore issues related to parenting, you will develop trusting relationships that support you in the challenging work of raising children. Through online and in-person learning activities and discussions, family-friendly events, and by working together on a service project, you'll get to know other parents who can offer advice and comfort, and who might benefit from your experience.
Course Requirements
I am relaxed about the level at which you participate; the course is designed to support parents without contributing to their stress. Hence there are no course requirements, per se, but I trust that when you sign up for this course, you are committing to attend monthly meetings and contribute to online discussions to the greatest extent possible, within the context of your life. In order to tap into our collective wisdom, we must each be willing to share our own experiences and knowledge so that others can learn from us and we from them. This is key to what we each get out of the course.
As our group coalesces into a community, we will come to rely on each other’s presence and participation. Your commitment to and involvement in the group are therefore very important!
When you pose a question or initiate a discussion online, plan to lightly co-facilitate the conversation with me. Discussions on pre-selected topics will take place over the two weeks preceding each meeting, to give everyone time to read, think and respond before the class. Class time will be spent delving more deeply into topics through conversation and activities in small groups, in the whole group, and in individual reflection.
In early winter, several interested parents will form a “steering committee,” along with me, for our family-friendly service project.
You must have access to the Internet to participate in online discussions. Please interact with each other respectfully at all times, in order to create the culture of trust necessary for comfortable sharing of personal information, feelings and ideas.
Schedule of Monthly Meetings, held every 2nd Thursday, September-June, with the exception of December.
When our meetings are held at BCLC, adults and children will eat together in the classroom in which care will be provided, to make for an easy transition for parents from dinner to the educational segment of the meeting. The exact format for our off-site meetings will depend on the season and the location, but generally, plan to share a meal and play together.
September 14, 2017, 6:00-8:00 p.m., at BCLC. Dinner for all and childcare for the educational segment are provided. Following dinner, we’ll begin to get to know each other by discovering commonalities and sharing objects that represent our identities. Bring one item that represents you, and one that symbolizes your identity as a parent. We will also generate ground rules for discussions and other interactions. Please come prepared to vote on/contribute to a list of topics of interest, which will become our “agenda” for discussions for the rest of the year; and to a list of family-friendly locations for our off-site gatherings for the rest of the year.
October 12, 2017: Concert 5:00-5:45 p.m., followed by a no-host dinner!
St. Paul’s Academy is hosting Caspar Babypants for a simple, fun, acoustic, sing along concert for children, ages 0-6, and their families. All proceeds from this event go back into community programming. Come sing along!
After the concert, join other BCLC families for a no-host dinner at a nearby family-
friendly location, to be announced closer to the date. Check here and at BCLC for updates! Please wear a BCLC tee shirt if you have one, so we can easily find each other!
EVENT DETAILS:
Time: 5 – 5:45 p.m., doors open at 4:30 p.m.
Location: St. Paul’s Academy 1509 E. Victor Street, Markell Hall
Price: $5/ family for St. Paul’s student; $10/ family general admission
Tickets available online only: Purchase your ticket at www.stpaulsacademyconcert.eventbrite.com
Hope to see you there!
November 9, 2017, 6:00-7:30 p.m., at BCLC. Dinner (spaghetti!) for all and childcare for the educational segment are provided. We’ll begin with a check-in to catch up a bit and help us transition into the mental, emotional and physical space of the course. Our topic this month is Positive Discipline. Links to readings and other materials will be sent to you via email and posted in our online discussion board about two weeks before our meeting; please peruse them to be prepared for discussion and activities at the meeting.
NO MEETING IN DECEMBER
January 11, 2017, 6:00-7:30 p.m., at BCLC. Dinner (yet to be determined) and childcare for the educational segment are provided. We’ll begin with a quick check-in before digging into our discussion and activities.
This month we have two topics to cover, since when we voted, so many topics tied in popularity that we need to double up in some months:
- Spirited Children
- Nurture Yourself: Put on Your Own Airbag First!
Links to readings and other materials will be sent to you via email and posted in our online discussion board about two weeks before our meeting; please peruse them to be prepared for discussion and activities at the meeting. Also, this month we will start to generate ideas for our spring service project in our online conversation.
The Spring Service-Project Steering Committee will begin its work this month. This project will be for all ages and will support another local, non-profit organization. Please consider being part of a project “steering committee” made up of several parents and me. Parents on the service project steering committee will meet once in January, once in February, once in March, once in April, and once in May.
February, 2018, time and date to be determined. This meeting provides an opportunity for all BCLC families to relax and play together. Activities and family-friendly location to be determined. Links to readings and other materials will be sent to you via email and posted in our online discussion board in late January, on the topics of Teaching Empathy and Empowering Your Child.
This month I'll also ask you to complete an online mid-year course evaluation that will shape the course for the rest of the year. I want to know how to tweak it to best meet your needs.
Parents on the service project steering committee will meet once in February.
March 8, 2018, 6:00-7:30 p.m. Dinner and childcare for the educational segment are provided. We’ll begin with a quick check-in before digging into our discussion and activities.
This month our topic is The Birds and the Bees: Developmentally Appropriate Ways to Talk to Your Child. Links to readings and other materials will be sent to you via email and posted in our online discussion board about two weeks before our meeting; please peruse them to be prepared for discussion and activities at the meeting.
Parents on the service project steering committee will meet once in March, and will provide updates online, as plans develop.
April, 2018, time and date to be determined. This meeting provides an opportunity for all BCLC families to relax and play together. Activities and family-friendly location to be determined.
Links to readings and other materials will be sent to you via email and posted in our online discussion board in late March, on the topics of Potty Training and Siblings.
Parents on the service project steering committee will meet once in April, and will provide updates online, as plans develop.
May 10, 2018, 6:00-7:30 p.m., at BCLC. Dinner for all and childcare for the educational segment are provided. We’ll begin with a check-in before beginning our discussion and activities. This month our topics are Sensory Integration: Remove the Bubble Wrap (the cost of over-protection) and Screen Time. Links to readings and other materials will be sent to you via email and posted in our online discussion board about two weeks before our meeting; please peruse them to be prepared for discussion and activities at the meeting.
The service project steering committee will meet once in May, and will provide updates online, as plans develop.
Also, please check online this month for a course evaluation; plan to complete it before our June meeting. I would like to know if the course was meaningful to you, if it led to greater awareness of your own skills and wisdom, and if you formed relationships that you expect to support you in the long-term. Your feedback will influence next year’s course and is much appreciated!
Spring service project sometime in late May or early June; date to be determined.
June 14, 2018, 5:30-7:30 p.m. Final gathering of the year! We’ll barbecue in the backyard playground. BCLC will provide items to barbecue; families bring a side dish to share. Please think ahead of time about what was most valuable about your participation in Parenting in Community. Paper and writing utensils will be available for you to share your thoughts. We’ll end up with a poster to display in the BCLC entry.