The Batavia Parent Academy is committed to providing parents with the information they need to raise their children in a safe, proactive and nurturing environment. Through educational series and lectures on compelling issues influencing our youth, we seek to highlight ways parents can: build their child's positive developmental assets; reduce their incidence of risk-taking behaviors; and encourage the development of strong character and sound decision-making.

October 22, 2008
The Bully, the Bullied and the Bystander: Breaking the Cycle of Violence
Barbara Colorosso
7:00 p.m., Rotolo Middle School
Breaking the cycle of violence in our homes, schools and communities involve more than merely identifying and stopping the bully. It requires that we examine the why and the how a child becomes a bully or the target of a bully (and sometimes both) as well as the role the bystanders play in perpetuating the cycle. Coloroso will give parents information on how to give their children the tools they need to be able to stand up for their own rights while respecting the rights and legitimate needs of others; to handle conflicts nonviolently; and to act with integrity when confronted with difficult situations such as peer pressure to cause harm; and to develop a personal code (inner moral code) that gives them the wherewithal to do what is right in spite of external consequences and not just because of them.

Barbara Coloroso is an internationally recognized speaker and author of several books on parenting, teaching, school discipline and non-violent conflict resolution: one of those books is the same title as this lecture. Coloroso is also an international educational consultant for school districts and educational associations, the medical and business community and the criminal justice system.

January 24, 2009
Parent University
9 A.M. - 12 p.m.
Rotolo Middle School
Come join us for a morrning of wonderful speakers on the subjects that affect our family’s lives. Attend the Keynote and choose one of the three Breakout Sessions. Refreshments and child care will be provided.

Keynote Session
Discipline for a Lifetime: You are a Better Parent Than What You Think!
Ray Guerendi
Child psychologist, radio host and nationally recognized parenting expert and author, Ray Guerendi has made discipline his specialty. He has addressed the subject on Oprah, CBS This Morning, on his weekly radio show and as author of several parenting books. As a father of 10, Guerendi will give parents of children of all ages the confidence they need to discipline more effectively.

Breakout Session One
More on Birth Order: How it Affects Your Child's Personality, and How You Parent
Michael P. Maniacci, Psy.D.
In an encore presentation by one of our most popular speakers, clinical psychologist Dr. Michael Maniacci will give parents even more detailed information on how the presence (or absence) of siblings impacts your child's personality. Find out more about the roles of "oldest", "only", "second", "middle" and "youngest", and how you can adapt your own parenting style to best suit your individual child---no matter what place they fall in the family.

Breakout Session Two
Computer Concerns: What it Really Takes To Keep Your Child Safe Online
Rick Wistocki, Naperville Police Dept.
As a member of Naperville's Computer Crimes Unit, Wistocki is familiar with MySpace, Facebook, and other Internet sites popular with area adolescents. He will share with parents what they need to know about these sites so they can set educated guidelines about their child's Internet use, and keep them safe from dangers they might not even anticipate.

Breakout Session Three
The Pitfalls of Growing Up Privileged
Vicki Colletta
No matter what your individual family's financial situation, children growing up in the Fox Valley area are surrounded by an environment of affluence. How does this impact their expectations, and in turn how we parent them? Vicki Coletta will address these issues, having worked for nearly 20 years in the accounting field as a CPA and consultant and as a parent educator with the NCO Youth and Family Services since 1999. The NCO is a Chicago-area organization that encourages programs that promote positive social change.

March 19, 2009
We Are All on
the Same Team
Positive Coaching Alliance
7:00 p.m., Rotolo Middle School
This presentation will indicate ways that parents and coaches can come together as a team with the student-athlete's best interests as the focus. Presenting will be a staff representative from Positive Coaching Alliance (PCA). The PCA is a national non-profit organization that provides training workshops to coaches, parents, and administrators of schools and youth sports organizations throughout the United States. Their mission is to transform youth sports so sports can transform youth, rather than approach youth sports with a "win-at-all-costs" mentality.