Dear Common Ground Community,
As the school year comes to a close and we navigate these uncertain times together, we want to thank you for your tireless support. We are so grateful for your unwavering enthusiasm for our Speaker Series and for the many volunteers who work tirelessly behind the scenes. As we look ahead, it warms our hearts to know that you are with us in spirit and hopefully again in person as soon as it is safe.
Our 2019-2020 season was almost complete when the “shelter in place” orders were given.
Dr. Michael Reichert
, our last speaker in March, gave his presentation two days before our community ground to a halt. As a special treat, here is a link to his talk for those who didn’t have the opportunity to see him:
How to Raise a Boy: Nurturing the Emotional Lives of Our Sons
.
We had one speaker remaining in the season –
Celeste Headlee
. She immediately agreed to postpone her engagement to next fall and as such, we are delighted that the Common Ground community will still have the opportunity to see her, either in person or virtually from the comfort of our homes.
Despite the challenges we face, we are forging ahead with plans for our 2020-2021 season. We are currently working to develop a cohesive speaker strategy that is aligned with the academic hybrid model being considered at our schools. Our speaker committee worked hard this year to identify national thought leaders in parent education and we have a robust list of fantastic options to draw from. We will be excited to share the new slate with you as soon as we can.
In the interim, we are delighted to bring you
two post-season offerings in collaboration with the Children’s Health Council and The Parents Coalition of Bay Area Schools. Details of both events are included below.
We will be adding an event with all-time-favorite Dr. Laura Kastner and a few other possible surprises to help sustain us through the summer months.
Our current circumstances remind us of the importance of parent education – to enhance the health and well-being of ourselves and our families, to strengthen the bonds that bring us together as a community, and to provide us with valuable parenting tools and resources. We are stronger together, as the last few months have exemplified.
We are sending you all a virtual hug – stay healthy and safe!
The Common Ground Leadership Team
