In partnership with the Hopewell Valley Regional School District and the Hopewell Valley Municipal Alliance, the Digital Wellness Initiative seeks to provide our community with resources and support for parenting in the digital age in order to raise kids whose use of technology is healthy, intentional, and safe.
We are pleased to announce that we have recently partnered with Common Sense Connected Schools to provide additional resources to our parent and school community.
We are pleased to announce that we have recently partnered with Common Sense Connected Schools to provide additional resources to our parent and school community.
CURRENT EVENTS
TONIGHT December 3 at 8PM
Anxious Generation "Spark Notes" Talk
Join the Toll Gate parent community tonight at 8:00pm via Zoom to discuss, The Anxious Generation written by NYU professor Jonathan Haidt on the great "rewiring" of childhood and rise in mental illness due to use of smart phones, social media and overprotective parenting. If you are interested in hearing more, but too busy to read the book, consider attending a "Spark Notes" session on The Anxious Generation presented by local pediatrician and fellow Toll Gate parent, Dr. Katherine Doyle. Dr. Doyle will highlight the main ideas within the book and offer a brief reflection on how our community in Pennington can embrace changes to create a healthier environment for our children.
Join us for a Zoom Session on Tuesday, December 3rd at 8:00pm.
Connected Schools Parent Webinar
The Fraught Future: Pressures and Stresses in Our Kids' Lives
Tuesday, December 10, 2024 at 12noon-1pm
Kids may seem to be staring at their phones all the time, but make no mistake, they're feeling the weight of
managing their own futures. Getting into college and choosing a career loom large, even as homework and
a busy social life occupy their waking hours. How much pressure is too much for parents to impose?
What if parents don't stress achievement enough? Knowing how much to encourage each child
is a high-wire act, and concerns about the mental health implications are always in the back of a parent's mind.
A new Common Sense research report presents a national survey about kids and how they feel about the
pressures of achievement culture. This livestream conversation will unpack how technology both amplifies and
relieves different pressures, and how friendship adds to the complex mix.
Featured speakers:
Emily Weinstein PhD., Co-founder and Executive Director, The Center for Digital Thriving,
Harvard Graduate School of Education
Jennifer Breheny Wallace, Author of Never Enough: When Achievement Culture Becomes Toxic
Register in advance to attend this free webinar.
Support Wait Until 8th Pledge! Once 10 families have pledged to not give their child a smart phone until the end of 8th grade, Wait Until 8th will email other parents who have signed from your child’s grade to connect with each other. Individuals will receive a list of families delaying from your child’s grade and parent emails to connect your group.
This helps you to support one another. There is strength in numbers!
Help spread the word by sharing this information and flyer.
RESOURCES
(click on the tiles below)
Screenagers 'Away For The Day' Blog: How Phone Bans Improve School Safety
Video: Kids and Tech: When to Get a Phone
Common Sense Media Parents' Ultimate Guides
Cellphones and Devices: A Guide for Parents and Caregivers
Make Screen Time Safe and Positive with Family Tech Planners
Common Sense Media articles: Parenting, Media, and Everything in Between
Connected Schools Parent Webinars Playlist
Healthy Young Minds Tips For Families
Unplugging Playbook
Check out the NPR: Body Electric Challenge
PAST EVENTS
Common Sense Media Parent Webinar Recording
Online Safety: Parenting Tips for Kids and Teens
Wednesday, October 16 from 7:00-7:30PM.In today's connected world, helping kids and teens protect their privacy and maintain a positive online identity is critical to their future and overall well-being. Join us for a 30-minute chat to get tips and tools on fostering a safer digital environment for your child, including actionable steps to empower them to make smart choices online.
Key topics we'll cover for you to support your child:
-The importance of protecting your privacy online
-Responsible online sharing practices and the power of your digital footprint
-Safe and healthy online behavior
Here is the recording of the webinar.
Moderated by:
Vicki Saylor, Senior Manager, Education and Community Partnerships, Common Sense Media
Featured Speakers:
Danielle Wilson-Saddler, Instructional Specialist, Community Schools, Montgomery County Public Schools
Jamie Nunez, Western Regional Manager, Common Sense Education
Connected Schools Parent Webinar Recording
Back to School: Managing Digital Devices for a Successful School Year
Wednesday, September 18 at 8PM. As the back-to-school season begins, it's time to bring back healthy habits with media and technology. During summer, many of us spend more time on screens, and reestablishing healthy tech habits can seem overwhelming. Join Common Sense Media to gain practical tips and tools, like our Family Tech Planners, to make it easier to have conversations about screen time and help foster a healthier relationship with technology. Setting rules and expectations early on can support your family's digital well-being, setting kids up for success in the school year and beyond. Here is the recording of the webinar.
Moderated by: Vicki Saylor, Senior Manager, Education and Community Partnerships Featured Speakers: Tali Horowitz, East Coast Education Director, Common Sense Education and Dery Rodriguez, Director of Family Engagement, NYC Department of Education
School's Out! Reset Your Family's Tech Habits this Summer
This webinar featured a lively discussion with Dr. Jacqueline Nesi and Dr. Emily Weinstein in conversation with Common Sense's Merve Lapus.
Emily and Jackie offered creative ways for parents and caregivers to guide their families to more productive, intentional time together—with and without technology. Doing a "values sort" and creating a fun bucket list will give kids more agency in how family time is spent and can reduce conflicts around screen time. And our panelists stressed focusing on the 5 S's—skills, service, sleep, socializing and self-care—which are evidence-based elements that can help kids build self-esteem and purpose, and support their mental health. Here is the recording the of the webinar.
Below are some resources referenced during the webinar, all intended to support your parenting
journey around this topic:
_____________
Operation Parent webinar: The Truths of Youth Screen Addiction Recording
Are you noticing your child's screen time creeping out of control? Join Operation Parent for an eye-opening webinar with Mike Eiden. He will break down the science behind youth screen addiction and help you spot the signs. Discover how excessive gaming, social media scrolling, pornography, and other screen habits affect development. Plus, get practical tips for intervention and prevention that you can implement at home. View or listen to the recording here. These handouts and resources have been provided by the presenter.
_____________
Tech Talks at Toll Gate: Spring Parent Series
The Digital Wellness Initiative invites all HVRSD Elementary Parents to come join us for Tech Talks at Toll Gate: Spring Parent Series. The series is hosted by Toll Gate, but open to all district parents. Come discuss healthy use of technology, and get tips from the Digital Wellness Initiative, Middle School Administrators, Students and Parents!
Session I: Wednesday, February 28, 2024 at 6:30pm at Toll Gate Grammar Parenting and Technology: What do I
need to Know? Presented by Dr. Suze Palinski, MD. Here's the link to the recording and resource provided.
Session 2: Tuesday, March 26, 2024 at 6:30pm at Toll Gate Grammar Getting Ready to Give a Device? Come and learn about device options and imperative conversations to have with your children before middle school.
Presented by Principal Melissa Lauri
Session 3: POSTPONED Wednesday, April 17, 2024 Popular Apps and Peer Pressure presented by Central High School student panel
Session 4: Tuesday, May 7, 2024 at 6:30pm at Toll Gate Grammar “Habits and Rules to Set For Young Children and Their Devices” and includes both a didactic session and an in-person hands on workshop with assistance from knowledgeable volunteers!
Bring your questions AND your child’s tablet, watch, phone, gaming console, or other device. We’ll take a look at available parental controls and share experiences on how best to use them. (Devices encouraged but not required!)
If you cannot attend in person, a webinar option is also available, but you’ll get the most help from the in person session, so please join us live if you can!
_____________
"The Hows and Whys of the Impact of Technology on our Children’s Healthy Development"
presented by Laura Berness, PhD
April 10 at 7pm
How do I know if my child’s development is being affected by technology?
Why do some kids seem to get more easily addicted to technology than others?
How is technology affecting our family?
Why don’t kids understand the responsibilities and consequences that come with technology?
How can I nurture all of my child’s development in the age of technology?
In the rapidly evolving world of technology, these are just some of the many questions that today’s parents are facing. The purpose of this workshop is to provide parents with facts around the connection between technology and our children’s development. We will explore answers to these questions in the context of childhood development, with consideration of our children’s cognitive, emotional, social, and physical needs. We will put ourselves in our children’s brains to better understand how technology affects them in different ways and how we need to protect our children’s development through informed, thoughtful parenting. There will be time for active discussion to address parents’ questions and concerns.
Audience: While all are welcome to attend, the target audience is for parents of children in
elementary and middle school
_____________
Connected Schools Parent Webinar Recording
Toxic Online Culture: Unpacking the Influence of Social Media, Memes, Gaming (and more)
If you missed the webinar, or want to rewatch or share it, here's the link to the recording.
The online world in which our kids are immersed is a mixed bag. It's full of connections to friends and avenues for learning, as well as wonderful reminders of the beauty of the world. But there are also toxic elements that pop up in gaming chat rooms, through viral jokes and memes, and across social media. The ubiquity of these elements, and the fact that they occur in private spaces, means that they’re often undetectable by parents. We’ll delve into the troublesome side of being online, including racial slurs, body image issues, and misogyny that can affect all kids. Our panelists will help parents understand why these influences have power over kids, and offer strategies for opening up conversations that will help kids manage the feelings and pressures they face. This webinar, which will be recorded, is designed for parents and caregivers of tweens and teens, but all are welcome. Questions for the panelists can be submitted live or in advance. Promotional flyer can be seen here.
Panel Participants and Moderator:
Dr. Lisa Damour, psychologist, bestselling author, New York Times and CBS News Contributor
Christopher Pepper, award winning health educator
Merve Lapus (moderator), Vice President, Common Sense Educator
_______________
Global Day of Unplugging is March 1-2, 2024
Up your game with your tech habits! Whether it is 1 hour or 24 hours, at some point during the first weekend of March, join the thousands of people in multiple countries who will step away from their screens and intentionally shift into an offline activity, an in-person interaction, a real-life gathering or simply a meaningful conversation about their relationship with technology.
What to do on Global Day of Unplugging?
Attend the HVCHS Musical Production, “How to Succeed in Business Without Even Trying” on March 1 and 2
If you have a middle schooler, attend Timberlane Middle School’s Family Game Night on March 1
Many other ideas can be found here. Take this day to carve out precious time to unplug, relax, reflect, be active, visit the outdoors, and connect with loved ones. For more information visit Global Day of Unplugging.
_______________
Connected Schools Parent Webinar Recording
The Download on Device Adoption: The Skills Your Children Need Before Getting a Smartphone
The hour featured a lively discussion with Common Sense's Head of Research Amanda Lenhart, Common Sense's Director of Family Engagement & Partnerships Jasmine Hood Miller, and Devorah Heitner, PhD, author of Growing Up in Public: Coming of Age in a Digital World.
If you missed the webinar, or want to rewatch or share it, here's the link to the recording.
The conversation combined personal experience (each of the panelists is a parent!) with practical expert advice about the many considerations that go into decisions about devices in the home. Kids go online through gaming platforms and iPads long before they have cellphones, so our discussion focused on engaging them in ongoing conversations about the best ways to communicate online—a process that works best if it's started long before kids are handed their own fully connected device.
_______________
Parent University "Screens, Social Media and Mental Health"
April 20, 2023 at 6:00 pm
Parent University presented by Ms. Samantha Awadallah, MS, LPC, Rutgers School Based Clinician for HVRSD
View the recording here.
_______________
Digital Pause 3-Day Challenge
A community challenge! Take a break from the digital world! What would a day without phones look like?
Research shows that digital devices impact our mental health.
Click Digital Pause 3-Day Challenge to learn more.
_______________
Digital Wellness Parent Talk: May 10, 2023 at 6 pm at Toll Gate Elementary Media Center
Research shows that digital devices impact our mental health - join us for a conversation with local parent Suze Palinski, a member of HVRSD's Digital Wellness Initiative, and special guest Dr. Kate Doyle. May is Mental Health Awareness Month: we'll discuss opportunities and challenges facing families when it comes to smartphones and digital wellness.
_______________
Digital Wellness Parent Talk: May 11, 2023 at 6pm at Hopewell Elementary Media Center
Hopewell Elementary PTO and the Digital Wellness Initiative invite you to join former HES parent and pediatrician Suze Palinski to discuss technology's effects on things like sleep, mental health, and social skill development. Are screen time or technology use leading to frustration in your family? Come hear what resources are available, what's worked for other families, what Timberlane Middle School faculty and administrators are concerned about, and what steps you can take to raise kids whose use of technology (gaming, devices, social media and the internet) is healthy, intentional and safe.
_______________
LIKE documentary and panel discussion March 22, 2023 at 6:30 pm
Join the community for a free screening of LIKE, a film about the effects of social media on our lives. This film explores the effects of technology and social media on the brain, our lives, and our civilization, and how to navigate them more safely together. A panel discussion will follow. LIKE begins at 6:30 PM at Hopewell Valley Central High School Performing Arts Center. To learn more about the film, visit TheLIKEmovie.com. This film is appropriate for ages 11 and up, if you would like for your child to accompany you to the showing. LIKE documentary
TIP SHEETS can be found here. The post-documentary panel discussion can be viewed here.
Discussion begins shortly after opening remarks
_______________
Max Stossel presents "Social Media and Your Kids" March 30, 2023 at 6:30 pm
An award winning poet, filmmaker and speaker, Max Stossel was named by Forbes as one of the best storytellers of the year. He will present “Social Media and Your Kids” in the Performing Arts Center at Hopewell Valley Central High School. Mr. Stossel, Chief Executive Officer of Social Awakening will also be speaking to students at Timberlane Middle School during the day about ways technology is designed to be addictive and distracting.
Click here for additional resources! Come back and visit often as we are always updating!
TONIGHT December 3 at 8PM
Anxious Generation "Spark Notes" Talk
Join the Toll Gate parent community tonight at 8:00pm via Zoom to discuss, The Anxious Generation written by NYU professor Jonathan Haidt on the great "rewiring" of childhood and rise in mental illness due to use of smart phones, social media and overprotective parenting. If you are interested in hearing more, but too busy to read the book, consider attending a "Spark Notes" session on The Anxious Generation presented by local pediatrician and fellow Toll Gate parent, Dr. Katherine Doyle. Dr. Doyle will highlight the main ideas within the book and offer a brief reflection on how our community in Pennington can embrace changes to create a healthier environment for our children.
Join us for a Zoom Session on Tuesday, December 3rd at 8:00pm.
Connected Schools Parent Webinar
The Fraught Future: Pressures and Stresses in Our Kids' Lives
Tuesday, December 10, 2024 at 12noon-1pm
Kids may seem to be staring at their phones all the time, but make no mistake, they're feeling the weight of
managing their own futures. Getting into college and choosing a career loom large, even as homework and
a busy social life occupy their waking hours. How much pressure is too much for parents to impose?
What if parents don't stress achievement enough? Knowing how much to encourage each child
is a high-wire act, and concerns about the mental health implications are always in the back of a parent's mind.
A new Common Sense research report presents a national survey about kids and how they feel about the
pressures of achievement culture. This livestream conversation will unpack how technology both amplifies and
relieves different pressures, and how friendship adds to the complex mix.
Featured speakers:
Emily Weinstein PhD., Co-founder and Executive Director, The Center for Digital Thriving,
Harvard Graduate School of Education
Jennifer Breheny Wallace, Author of Never Enough: When Achievement Culture Becomes Toxic
Register in advance to attend this free webinar.
Support Wait Until 8th Pledge! Once 10 families have pledged to not give their child a smart phone until the end of 8th grade, Wait Until 8th will email other parents who have signed from your child’s grade to connect with each other. Individuals will receive a list of families delaying from your child’s grade and parent emails to connect your group.
This helps you to support one another. There is strength in numbers!
Help spread the word by sharing this information and flyer.
RESOURCES
(click on the tiles below)
Screenagers 'Away For The Day' Blog: How Phone Bans Improve School Safety
Video: Kids and Tech: When to Get a Phone
Common Sense Media Parents' Ultimate Guides
Cellphones and Devices: A Guide for Parents and Caregivers
Make Screen Time Safe and Positive with Family Tech Planners
Common Sense Media articles: Parenting, Media, and Everything in Between
Connected Schools Parent Webinars Playlist
Healthy Young Minds Tips For Families
Unplugging Playbook
Check out the NPR: Body Electric Challenge
PAST EVENTS
Common Sense Media Parent Webinar Recording
Online Safety: Parenting Tips for Kids and Teens
Wednesday, October 16 from 7:00-7:30PM.In today's connected world, helping kids and teens protect their privacy and maintain a positive online identity is critical to their future and overall well-being. Join us for a 30-minute chat to get tips and tools on fostering a safer digital environment for your child, including actionable steps to empower them to make smart choices online.
Key topics we'll cover for you to support your child:
-The importance of protecting your privacy online
-Responsible online sharing practices and the power of your digital footprint
-Safe and healthy online behavior
Here is the recording of the webinar.
Moderated by:
Vicki Saylor, Senior Manager, Education and Community Partnerships, Common Sense Media
Featured Speakers:
Danielle Wilson-Saddler, Instructional Specialist, Community Schools, Montgomery County Public Schools
Jamie Nunez, Western Regional Manager, Common Sense Education
Connected Schools Parent Webinar Recording
Back to School: Managing Digital Devices for a Successful School Year
Wednesday, September 18 at 8PM. As the back-to-school season begins, it's time to bring back healthy habits with media and technology. During summer, many of us spend more time on screens, and reestablishing healthy tech habits can seem overwhelming. Join Common Sense Media to gain practical tips and tools, like our Family Tech Planners, to make it easier to have conversations about screen time and help foster a healthier relationship with technology. Setting rules and expectations early on can support your family's digital well-being, setting kids up for success in the school year and beyond. Here is the recording of the webinar.
Moderated by: Vicki Saylor, Senior Manager, Education and Community Partnerships Featured Speakers: Tali Horowitz, East Coast Education Director, Common Sense Education and Dery Rodriguez, Director of Family Engagement, NYC Department of Education
School's Out! Reset Your Family's Tech Habits this Summer
This webinar featured a lively discussion with Dr. Jacqueline Nesi and Dr. Emily Weinstein in conversation with Common Sense's Merve Lapus.
Emily and Jackie offered creative ways for parents and caregivers to guide their families to more productive, intentional time together—with and without technology. Doing a "values sort" and creating a fun bucket list will give kids more agency in how family time is spent and can reduce conflicts around screen time. And our panelists stressed focusing on the 5 S's—skills, service, sleep, socializing and self-care—which are evidence-based elements that can help kids build self-esteem and purpose, and support their mental health. Here is the recording the of the webinar.
Below are some resources referenced during the webinar, all intended to support your parenting
journey around this topic:
- To access the "values sort" family activity, click here for a downloadable paper worksheet, here for the related app.
- Free Family Tech Planners can help you codify your rules and expectations around device use together (includes conversation starters)
- Use Common Sense's age-appropriate ratings and review to find great summer reads and selections for your next movie night
- To learn more about Emily Weinstein's Center for Digital Thriving at Harvard, go here.
- Read Jackie's blog, Techno Sapiens, and see her article referenced during the webinar about Jonathan Haidt's book, The Anxious Generation
_____________
Operation Parent webinar: The Truths of Youth Screen Addiction Recording
Are you noticing your child's screen time creeping out of control? Join Operation Parent for an eye-opening webinar with Mike Eiden. He will break down the science behind youth screen addiction and help you spot the signs. Discover how excessive gaming, social media scrolling, pornography, and other screen habits affect development. Plus, get practical tips for intervention and prevention that you can implement at home. View or listen to the recording here. These handouts and resources have been provided by the presenter.
_____________
Tech Talks at Toll Gate: Spring Parent Series
The Digital Wellness Initiative invites all HVRSD Elementary Parents to come join us for Tech Talks at Toll Gate: Spring Parent Series. The series is hosted by Toll Gate, but open to all district parents. Come discuss healthy use of technology, and get tips from the Digital Wellness Initiative, Middle School Administrators, Students and Parents!
Session I: Wednesday, February 28, 2024 at 6:30pm at Toll Gate Grammar Parenting and Technology: What do I
need to Know? Presented by Dr. Suze Palinski, MD. Here's the link to the recording and resource provided.
Session 2: Tuesday, March 26, 2024 at 6:30pm at Toll Gate Grammar Getting Ready to Give a Device? Come and learn about device options and imperative conversations to have with your children before middle school.
Presented by Principal Melissa Lauri
Session 3: POSTPONED Wednesday, April 17, 2024 Popular Apps and Peer Pressure presented by Central High School student panel
Session 4: Tuesday, May 7, 2024 at 6:30pm at Toll Gate Grammar “Habits and Rules to Set For Young Children and Their Devices” and includes both a didactic session and an in-person hands on workshop with assistance from knowledgeable volunteers!
Bring your questions AND your child’s tablet, watch, phone, gaming console, or other device. We’ll take a look at available parental controls and share experiences on how best to use them. (Devices encouraged but not required!)
If you cannot attend in person, a webinar option is also available, but you’ll get the most help from the in person session, so please join us live if you can!
_____________
"The Hows and Whys of the Impact of Technology on our Children’s Healthy Development"
presented by Laura Berness, PhD
April 10 at 7pm
How do I know if my child’s development is being affected by technology?
Why do some kids seem to get more easily addicted to technology than others?
How is technology affecting our family?
Why don’t kids understand the responsibilities and consequences that come with technology?
How can I nurture all of my child’s development in the age of technology?
In the rapidly evolving world of technology, these are just some of the many questions that today’s parents are facing. The purpose of this workshop is to provide parents with facts around the connection between technology and our children’s development. We will explore answers to these questions in the context of childhood development, with consideration of our children’s cognitive, emotional, social, and physical needs. We will put ourselves in our children’s brains to better understand how technology affects them in different ways and how we need to protect our children’s development through informed, thoughtful parenting. There will be time for active discussion to address parents’ questions and concerns.
Audience: While all are welcome to attend, the target audience is for parents of children in
elementary and middle school
_____________
Connected Schools Parent Webinar Recording
Toxic Online Culture: Unpacking the Influence of Social Media, Memes, Gaming (and more)
If you missed the webinar, or want to rewatch or share it, here's the link to the recording.
The online world in which our kids are immersed is a mixed bag. It's full of connections to friends and avenues for learning, as well as wonderful reminders of the beauty of the world. But there are also toxic elements that pop up in gaming chat rooms, through viral jokes and memes, and across social media. The ubiquity of these elements, and the fact that they occur in private spaces, means that they’re often undetectable by parents. We’ll delve into the troublesome side of being online, including racial slurs, body image issues, and misogyny that can affect all kids. Our panelists will help parents understand why these influences have power over kids, and offer strategies for opening up conversations that will help kids manage the feelings and pressures they face. This webinar, which will be recorded, is designed for parents and caregivers of tweens and teens, but all are welcome. Questions for the panelists can be submitted live or in advance. Promotional flyer can be seen here.
Panel Participants and Moderator:
Dr. Lisa Damour, psychologist, bestselling author, New York Times and CBS News Contributor
Christopher Pepper, award winning health educator
Merve Lapus (moderator), Vice President, Common Sense Educator
_______________
Global Day of Unplugging is March 1-2, 2024
Up your game with your tech habits! Whether it is 1 hour or 24 hours, at some point during the first weekend of March, join the thousands of people in multiple countries who will step away from their screens and intentionally shift into an offline activity, an in-person interaction, a real-life gathering or simply a meaningful conversation about their relationship with technology.
What to do on Global Day of Unplugging?
Attend the HVCHS Musical Production, “How to Succeed in Business Without Even Trying” on March 1 and 2
If you have a middle schooler, attend Timberlane Middle School’s Family Game Night on March 1
Many other ideas can be found here. Take this day to carve out precious time to unplug, relax, reflect, be active, visit the outdoors, and connect with loved ones. For more information visit Global Day of Unplugging.
_______________
Connected Schools Parent Webinar Recording
The Download on Device Adoption: The Skills Your Children Need Before Getting a Smartphone
The hour featured a lively discussion with Common Sense's Head of Research Amanda Lenhart, Common Sense's Director of Family Engagement & Partnerships Jasmine Hood Miller, and Devorah Heitner, PhD, author of Growing Up in Public: Coming of Age in a Digital World.
If you missed the webinar, or want to rewatch or share it, here's the link to the recording.
The conversation combined personal experience (each of the panelists is a parent!) with practical expert advice about the many considerations that go into decisions about devices in the home. Kids go online through gaming platforms and iPads long before they have cellphones, so our discussion focused on engaging them in ongoing conversations about the best ways to communicate online—a process that works best if it's started long before kids are handed their own fully connected device.
_______________
Parent University "Screens, Social Media and Mental Health"
April 20, 2023 at 6:00 pm
Parent University presented by Ms. Samantha Awadallah, MS, LPC, Rutgers School Based Clinician for HVRSD
View the recording here.
_______________
Digital Pause 3-Day Challenge
A community challenge! Take a break from the digital world! What would a day without phones look like?
Research shows that digital devices impact our mental health.
Click Digital Pause 3-Day Challenge to learn more.
_______________
Digital Wellness Parent Talk: May 10, 2023 at 6 pm at Toll Gate Elementary Media Center
Research shows that digital devices impact our mental health - join us for a conversation with local parent Suze Palinski, a member of HVRSD's Digital Wellness Initiative, and special guest Dr. Kate Doyle. May is Mental Health Awareness Month: we'll discuss opportunities and challenges facing families when it comes to smartphones and digital wellness.
_______________
Digital Wellness Parent Talk: May 11, 2023 at 6pm at Hopewell Elementary Media Center
Hopewell Elementary PTO and the Digital Wellness Initiative invite you to join former HES parent and pediatrician Suze Palinski to discuss technology's effects on things like sleep, mental health, and social skill development. Are screen time or technology use leading to frustration in your family? Come hear what resources are available, what's worked for other families, what Timberlane Middle School faculty and administrators are concerned about, and what steps you can take to raise kids whose use of technology (gaming, devices, social media and the internet) is healthy, intentional and safe.
_______________
LIKE documentary and panel discussion March 22, 2023 at 6:30 pm
Join the community for a free screening of LIKE, a film about the effects of social media on our lives. This film explores the effects of technology and social media on the brain, our lives, and our civilization, and how to navigate them more safely together. A panel discussion will follow. LIKE begins at 6:30 PM at Hopewell Valley Central High School Performing Arts Center. To learn more about the film, visit TheLIKEmovie.com. This film is appropriate for ages 11 and up, if you would like for your child to accompany you to the showing. LIKE documentary
TIP SHEETS can be found here. The post-documentary panel discussion can be viewed here.
Discussion begins shortly after opening remarks
_______________
Max Stossel presents "Social Media and Your Kids" March 30, 2023 at 6:30 pm
An award winning poet, filmmaker and speaker, Max Stossel was named by Forbes as one of the best storytellers of the year. He will present “Social Media and Your Kids” in the Performing Arts Center at Hopewell Valley Central High School. Mr. Stossel, Chief Executive Officer of Social Awakening will also be speaking to students at Timberlane Middle School during the day about ways technology is designed to be addictive and distracting.
Click here for additional resources! Come back and visit often as we are always updating!