Parents or guardians now have the opportunity to discuss important issues about parenting high school students. Students deserve to succeed, so why not get tips on how to make that happen? Parents just need to bring a lunch and an open mind, and be prepared to learn.
Dr. Ford, a guidance counselor here at North Point, hosts these meetings in the Staff Develpment room. It was her idea to start this program. “I felt that there was a need for more parents to be involved in their children’s schooling,” she said.
The point of the Lunch and Learn program is for parents to discuss important topics that will help their child succeed. Ford stated, “It really created an opportunity for parents to ask the questions they wanted to ask in a smaller setting.”
This year is the first year Lunch and Learn has been a part of the North Point Community. It happens once every month from 12:30 to 1:30 in the afternoon. The first meeting was back in September. Its topic was “Connecting with the School Counselor for a Successful School Year.” Each month there is a different topic to discuss. A survey was given to the parents to see what they would want to discuss during the meetings. October’s topic was “Are You a Helicopter Parent?” and November’s was “The Fork in the Road: Helping Your Child Plan for the Future.” Next month’s will be “Show Me the Money,” which will be about the money issues parents often run into when trying to afford college tuition. At the meeting, college finance will be addressed. Ford will help find things like grants, loans and scholarships to assist parents in meeting their financial needs.
Several parents have already attended the Lunch and Learn meetings. There are about thirty parents on average that show up. It is a first come, first serve basis since there are only 75 spaces available, and an RSVP is required in order to reserve a seat at the table.
Trying to prepare a child for the future can cause a lot of stress, but Dr. Ford’s program will help relieve some of that stress while helping the child begin their road to success. The dates for future meetings will be December 1, January 5, February 2, March 1, and April 12.
