Looking back on their years in school, four Smithson Valley High School seniors offered some pretty good advice to parents and students who attended the Second Annual Parents Unite Parent Summit on Tuesday, March 19. Lucas Emmons, Sidney Rostedt, Barrett Kerr and Rebecca Covington collectively had these kernels of wisdom to share.
“Trust yourself; don’t overwork yourself; make an effort to get to know your teachers; learn time management earlier rather than later; focus on the ‘now’ and try to not worry about the future because change is inevitable; and lastly, have fun.”
Parents heard from these seniors along with Spring Branch Middle School seventh graders Sarah Kirk and Makenna Hanscom and Pieper Ranch Middle School sixth graders James Swain and Logan Walker about what it was like to leave elementary and enter middle school and then what it was like to leave middle school and enter high school. Questions ranged from cell phones and technology to homework and lunch.
School counselors and administrators were also on hand for this Smithson Valley feeder pattern Parent Summit along with keynote speaker psychiatrist Melissa Deuter, M.D. and licensed psychologist John Beach, Ph.D.
Dr. Deuter’s speech, “Middle School and High School today vs. the 1980s – Teens are the same but the world has changed,” spoke directly to how many parents feel when it comes to the challenges teens face today compared to when they were in school.
Hosted by the Comal ISD Council of PTAs, the Parent Summit is designed to give parents the opportunity to ask questions about how they can help their students navigate the transitional years from elementary to middle school and middle to high school. This can be a scary and exciting time, and for most parents, it is a time of letting students learn how to become more independent. Therefore, having the opportunity to ask questions about school expectations, social norms and more, hopefully eases some of the anxiety and stress.
Three Parent Summits have been scheduled for this year. Besides the one at SVHS, one occurred at Canyon Lake High School before spring break, and the final one is scheduled from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Monday, March 25, at Canyon High. School-aged childcare will be provided along with light snacks, and Dr. Deuter will be giving the keynote speech.
All parents are invited to attend regardless of whether you have a child going into sixth or ninth grades. The information provided and questions asked are important for everyone who is parenting a teenager. Students, counselors and administrators will once more be on hand to answer questions as well.
Photo: Smithson Valley High School Seniors from left Lucas Emmons, Sidney Rostedt, Barrett Kerr and Rebecca Covington were part of the student panel during the Parents Unite Parent Summit March 19 at SVHS.