Book Club: “Never Enough: When Achievement Culture Becomes Toxic—And What We Can Do About It”  

September 30, 5:30 p.m. 

Doerschlag Den 

Join Wellington division heads for an interactive discussion on Jennifer Breheny Wallace’s book, including the toxic achievement culture that can surround kids today and how adults can be a supportive part of the solution. Complimentary childcare will be available for this event. 

Fostering Healthy Friendships (and Navigating Tough Ones) 

December 5, 5:30 p.m. 

Doerschlag Den 

Join Licensed Professional Clinical Counselors Matt Dunatchik and Libby Steele from Gestalt Columbus for an interactive discussion on the importance of healthy friendships for kids and teens. Complimentary childcare will be available for this event. 

Let's Talk About It: Developmentally Appropriate Approaches to Drug Safety 

January 30, 5:30 p.m. 

Doerschlag Den 

Join Wellington's school counselors and Upper Arlington Resource Officer EJ Windham for an important and informative discussion around drug safety, youth substance use, misuse, and abuse, and how to educate and support children in developmentally appropriate ways. Complimentary childcare will be available for this event. 

All Things Wellington  

February 20, 6:30 p.m. 

Blanchard Performing Arts Center 

Join Head of School Eliza McLaren for an informative state of the school presentation alongside videos and live performances that celebrate the Wellington experience. Complimentary childcare will be available for this event. 

Book Club: “Growing Up in Public—Coming of Age in a Digital World” 

Monday, April 7, 5:30 p.m. 

Doerschlag Den 

In partnership with WPA Digital Citizenship Task Force, join Wellington division heads for an interactive discussion Devorah Heitner’s book, including how we can help tweens and teens navigate boundaries, identity, privacy, and reputation in their digital world. Complimentary childcare will be available for this event. 

Wednesday, September 25, 7:30 p.m. 

Back-To-School Momentum: Prepping Children of All Ages for the Challenges (& Successes) of a New School Year  
Lynn Lyons, LICSW, psychotherapist, author, and speaker 

We all benefit from knowing effective, active, and creative strategies to confront worry and anxiety. Families need clear direction on HOW to respond when anxiety or worry flares up. Parents are an instrumental part of the process and benefit greatly by collaborating directly with the school. Based on current research and years of clinical experience, learn a strategic approach based on skill-building, with emphasis on prevention that benefits students, their families, and educators. There is great opportunity to learn what works and what doesn’t. What are the mistakes we continue to make? How can we take advantage of a new school year’s positivity? What are the myths we need to bust, the paradigms we need to shift, and the skills we must build? This webinar is for parents and caregivers of grades 1–12. 

Tuesday, November 19, 7:30 p.m.

Never Enough: When Achievement Pressure Becomes Toxic—And What We Can Do About It  
Jennifer Wallace, award-winning journalist and author of the New York Times bestselling book “Never Enough: When Achievement Pressure Becomes Toxic – and What We Can Do About It” 

Join award-winning journalist and New York Times bestselling author Jennifer Wallace as she explores the roots of toxic achievement pressure and gives a practical framework for how parents, educators, and communities can fight back. This session is for caregivers and parents of school-aged children—primarily adolescents and teens—educators, school counselors, and school administrators. 

Wednesday, January 15, 7:30 p.m.

How to Raise Socially Skilled Tweens & Teens  Who Can Navigate Friendship Challenges  
Phyllis L. Fagell, licensed mental health therapist and certified school counselor 

Tweens and teens need to feel a sense of belonging in order to take social and academic risks, manage social setbacks, cope with intense emotions, and make smart choices online and offline. Fagell will share practical ways to boost your child’s social skills, scaffold risk-taking at an age when they fear embarrassment, and help them find their place in the pack. While the strategies apply to all kids, she will concentrate most on kids in grades 3–10. 

Wednesday, February 12, 7:30 p.m.

Squish the Peas: Life Lessons from Toddlers on  How to Live a Happier, Healthier Life  
Hasan Merali, MD, pediatric emergency medicine physician and associate pediatrics professor  

Toddlers hold the secrets to having more fun and living a fulfilling life. These are secrets we once knew and ones that a Harvard-trained physician can help us rediscover. Terrible twos, temper tantrums, and grocery store meltdowns are usually the first things that come to mind when people think of toddlers. But Merali has long thought toddlers are among the best people in our society and adults could do well to learn from them. Toddlers excel when it comes to kindness, laughter, play, teamwork, risk-taking, and so many other habits that could objectively improve our lives as adults if we were to act a bit more like them. Join us as we go through the important life lessons we can learn from our youngest teachers and leave with simple, actionable steps to improve the well-being of the entire family. This webinar is for those who parent students of all ages as well as all non-parents. 

Tuesday, March 11, 7:30 p.m.

Raise Your Children & Adolescents to be Authentically Successful, Emotionally Healthy & Prepared to Thrive  
Ken Ginsburg, MD, pediatrician and professor of pediatrics 

Parents are critically important in the lives of adolescents. The security of your love allows young people to launch successfully into an uncertain future. Your high expectations hold 
them accountable, keep them safe, and shape them to become their best selves. The best way to protect your child is to prepare them to manage life’s complexities while establishing clear boundaries. Open communication about emotional wellness and distress positions you to support them to be emotionally intelligent and navigate life’s curveballs. Modeling self-care and healthy stress management strategies teaches them to get through tough times. Listen to remind yourself how much you matter. If you have younger children, now is the time to invest in building wise, strong children who will thrive through adolescence and beyond. 

Wednesday, April 9, 7:30 p.m.  

Planning for Summers of Growth & Joy  
Michael Thompson, PhD, clinical psychologist, author, and school consultant 

For most parents, planning a summer for their children is a complex mix of their own work demands, requests to visit extended family, the ages, temperaments and interests of their children, pressure on children from sports coaches, and the goals parents have for summer family time. For children, summer is a time to grow and develop in new ways. Thompson will address the conflicting pressures on summer planning, while suggesting that goals for summer should include relief from the stress and anxiety of school, opportunities to make new friends in a different context, and chances to take (supervised) risks and master new skills.