Colorado Academy presents the 2022-2023 Series for Parent Education about Kids, the SPEAK lecture program. We invite the CA community and the general public to join us for these dynamic speakers. Designed in collaboration with the Parent Association to host national and local experts who speak on topics of interest, the lecture series is provided as a free service to the CA community, and presentation times are varied to accommodate parent schedules. Sign up on the CA website to attend this year’s lectures. Questions? Contact Marsha Martinez, CA Events Manager, at 303-914-2509 or by email at marsha.martinez@coloradoacademy.org.
Overcoming Adversity Using G.R.I.T.
Austin Hatch
Wednesday, September 14, 2022
5:30 p.m.
Leach Center for the Performing Arts
Adversity comes along in every life. Austin Hatch has certainly had his share. Hear his inspiring story of living his dream of playing basketball at the University of Michigan despite incredible tragedy. Learn about his approach to overcoming obstacles by applying what he calls the G.R.I.T. framework. See how G.R.I.T. can help individuals and organizations achieve their goals. Presented by
Return of The Road to Hope
The Harris Family: Lisa, Mara & D
Tuesday, September 27, 2022
5:30 p.m.
Choir Room, Schotters Music Center
As members of the Colorado Academy community, the Harris family has shared their mission to help those in earthquake-torn Haiti by joining a group of CA students and staff to travel with them on the Road to Hope. Earlier this year, after being delayed by the pandemic, the Harris family returned to Haiti. Join us for this special SPEAK session, when they will share their incredible journey back to Mara and D’s home, as they returned for the first time since being adopted after the 2010 earthquake. Their story is sure to inspire other families to see the incredible connections that develop through philanthropy, as they discuss the power of giving back.
Changing the World, One Child at a Time: It Begins NOW!
Dr. Rosemarie Allen
Tuesday, October 4, 2022
5:30 p.m.
Leach Center for the Performing Arts
It has been said that we can change the world in just one generation. This IS the generation that can change the world. Join us as Dr. Rosemarie Allen shares, by focusing on the development of social emotional skills and the relationship between the heart and brain in building inclusive environments, that this generation of children can create a world where everyone belongs. A national leader in early childhood education, Dr. Allen is an Associate Professor in the School of Education at Metropolitan State University of Denver and President and CEO of the Institute for Racial Equity & Excellence.
Reframing College Selection Goals
Rick Clark
Wednesday, October 19, 2022
5:30 p.m.
Dining Hall, Campus Center
The college admission process is undergoing change. Clark shares an insider’s view of the trends and shifts in the application process and offers suggestions on what families should really consider when discussing college goals. Clark is the Associate VP of Enrollment Management and Executive Director of Undergraduate Admission at Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech). In this role, he directs the Institute’s recruitment and enrollment efforts, manages the review and selection of all undergraduate applications, and leads the admission team. Under his leadership, the Institute has dramatically increased brand awareness, improved overall academic class profile, and exceeded strategic goals.
Clark has served on regional and national councils and boards. He is currently a member of NACAC’s
Committee on Leadership in College Admission, and Past Chair of both the national Government
Relations Committee and Georgia Tech’s Staff Council. Clark travels annually to U.S. embassies
through the Department of State to discuss the admission process and landscape of higher
education.
MIDDLE SCHOOL
Fostering Independence During Middle School: A “How To” Guide
Abby Johnson
Tuesday, October 25, 2022
9:45–11:00 a.m.
Choir Room, Schotters Music Center
Independence and responsibility must occur in harmony; providing your child with the independence they crave when in Middle School while instilling responsibility is a delicate and important balance. Join Abby Johnson, CA’s new Middle School Counselor, to learn hands-on strategies for encouraging (and managing) adolescent independence. The session will be preceded by brief Middle School Parent Association announcements and a question-and-answer session with Bill Wolf-Tinsman, Middle School Principal.
Helping Your Children Manage Stress
Alex Yannacone, MA
Thursday, November 10, 2022
8:30 a.m.
Sadler Room, Campus Center
Kids deal with some form of stress on most days. Alex Yannacone, as Director of Education and Community Programs at the Helen and Arthur E. Johnson Depression Center, will talk about the five stressors that children face and offer tips for you to help your children build skills to work through that stress. She previously has been a regular speaker at Colorado Academy on the subjects of promoting mental health and resilience and managing anxiety.
MIDDLE SCHOOL
Got Study Skills?!
Dr. Morgan Beidleman
Tuesday, November 17, 2022
9:45–11:00 a.m.
Sadler Room, Campus Center
An important part of a young person’s journey is to develop the tools, skills, and strategies that allow them to be organized and to find success as a student. Dr. Morgan Beidleman, Director of REACH and school consultant, will share her insights into how to support young people to develop the life skills that will help them in school and beyond. Dr. Beidleman will also share aspects of the work she is doing with the Middle School faculty and students. The meeting is preceded by brief Middle School Parent Association announcements and a question-and-answer session with Bill Wolf-Tinsman, Middle School Principal.
MIDDLE SCHOOL
Tech “360” Panel Discussion
Tech Experts, Counselors, and Students
Thursday, January 19, 2023
9:45–11:00 a.m.
Sadler Room, Campus Center
Learn from a panel of CA experts, both adult and student, how to better navigate the sometimes
bewildering and changing world of technology and social media. Comprising members of our
CA Tech Team, our Middle School Counselor, and Middle/Upper School students, the panel will both make a presentation and hold a Q & A session. The session will be preceded by brief Middle School Parent Association announcements and a question-and-answer session with Bill Wolf-Tinsman, Middle School Principal.
Building a More Sustainable Future
Kat Cadungog
Tuesday, January 24, 2023
5:30 p.m.
Leach Center for the Performing Arts
Want to better understand sustainability and what environmental stewardship is all about? Tonight’s SPEAK aims to help. Join Kat Cadungog, Executive Director of the Foundation for Environmental Stewardship. Cadungog is passionate about empowering youth to take impactful action on sustainable development. In this presentation, she takes a close look at the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals, which are both an urgent call for action by all countries and a shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet.
Difference Matters: Communicating Social Identity
Brenda Allen, PhD
Wednesday, February 8, 2023
5:30 p.m.
Sadler Room, Campus Center
Communicating with others about social identity is important, but it can be tough. Author Brenda Allen, PhD, offers a simple and warm approach that will motivate you to think about valuing difference as a positive, enriching feature of society. Allen retired in April 2019 as the Vice Chancellor for Diversity and Inclusion and Professor of Communication at the University of Colorado Denver and the Anschutz Medical Campus. During almost 30 years in the University of Colorado system, Professor Allen developed a track record for scholarship, teaching, service, mentorship, organizational communication training, social identity, and leadership.
MIDDLE SCHOOL
ThinkingLAB Workshop – From Thought to Paper: Encouraging Young Writers
Eric Augustin and Olivia Wall
Thursday, February 23, 2023
9:00–10:15 a.m.
Sadler Room, Campus Center
Each year the Middle School offers a window into its efforts to help students learn to think critically and problem solve. This year’s focus is Eighth Grade English and helping students become insightful and purposeful writers. This is a hands-on workshop for up to twenty persons, so please come prepared to have some fun with Eric Augustin and Olivia Wall, our Eighth Grade English team.
Cyberbullying: What Parents Need to Know about Today’s Digital World
Sameer Hinduja, PhD
Thursday, March 2, 2023
5:30 p.m.
Leach Center for the Performing Arts
Bring your questions, as Dr. Hinduja welcomes any and all that pertain to cyberbullying. Co-Director of the Cyberbullying Research Center and Professor at the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice at Florida Atlantic University, and Faculty Associate at the Berkman Klein Center at Harvard University, Hinduja is recognized internationally for his groundbreaking work on the subjects of cyberbullying, sexting, and social media and gaming abuse. Join us as he takes us into the digital world our children are traveling in.
State of the School
Dr. Mike Davis, Head of School
Thursday, March 16, 2023
8:30 a.m.
Leach Center for the Performing Arts
Join Head of School Dr. Mike Davis as he reflects on the current school year. This SPEAK session is preceded by a brief Parent Association presentation which includes voting on the Parent Association Officers slate for the 2023-2024 school year.
MIDDLE SCHOOL
Vaping, Toking & Other Things Kids Shouldn’t Do
Drs. Charles and Hy Gia Park
Tuesday, April 11, 2023
9:45–11:00 a.m.
Sadler Room, Campus Center
Join Dr. Charles Park, board-certified in both general and addiction psychiatry, and Dr. Hy Gia Park, a psychiatrist specializing in child and adolescent psychiatry, for a presentation on marijuana, alcohol, and vaping. Learn about marijuana trends, vaping, alcohol, how to recognize the signs of addiction, and ways to support your child to stay on the straight and narrow. The meeting is preceded by brief Middle School Parent Association announcements and a question-and-answer session with Bill Wolf-Tinsman, Middle School Principal.
Maintaining Family Unity Despite Differences of Opinion
Ramesh Ponnuru
Wednesday, April 19, 2023
6:00 p.m.
Leach Center for the Performing Arts
Your children are bringing home many new thoughts as they learn about society, politics, and culture. Tonight is all about gaining important perspectives on how to discuss potential differences of opinion without creating division in the family. Ramesh Ponnuru is a respected journalist, American political commentator, and conservative thinker. He is a nonresident senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, where he studies politics and public policy with a particular focus on the future of conservatism. Concurrently, he is the editor of National Review, where he has covered national politics and public policy for 25 years; a columnist for Bloomberg Opinion; and a contributor to CNN.