Parent Engage 360

Episode 31: Body image and eating disorders, disordered eating

There are many factors that may impact the way we feel about ourselves and the way we show up each day, and one of these factors that impact many, including students is body image. 
Adults and teens alike are presented with body image media on a daily basis through various forms of traditional and social media which can have a mental and physical impact on an individual. In this episode of the Parent Engage 360 Podcast, Liz Burgard, Anoka-Hennepin's parent involvement coordinator, hopes to connect parents and guardians with resources if they suspect their child may be experiencing body dysmorphia or even eating disorders. 
The most common types parents might hear or think about are anorexia or bulimia. But there is so much more that can affect a person's life when it comes to eating disorders, and that can often be referred to as disordered eating, which may include restrictive eating, compulsive eating, or irregular or inflexible eating patterns.
Burgard was joined by Dr. Heather Gallivan, clinical director at Melrose Center and Anoka-Hennepin licensed school nurse Jessica Patterson, to learn more about how parents can support their children if they are experiencing body dysmorphia and/or eating disorders and how schools can help connect families with support.
Melrose Center provides care for all types of eating disorders and has helped guide thousands of people toward recovery using evidence-based treatment. As a resource for anyone experiencing eating disorders or those that might be caring for an individual experiencing eating disorders, Melrose Center hosts a podcast titled Melrose Heals a resource. Listen to the Melrose Heals podcast.
The Parent Engage 360 Podcast aims to provide parents and guardians with knowledge from experts in chemical health, mental health, internet safety and more, as well as the tools needed to support their children. Anoka-Hennepin hopes that providing timely and helpful information through the Parent Engage 360 podcast series will strengthen the bond between school and home with resources parents and guardians can use and share with others.

Episode 30: Transportation safety and winter weather

Did you know that around 34,000 Anoka-Hennepin students ride a bus to and from school each day? The district transportation services department works closely with partners to safely transport students using approximately 380 vehicles traveling more than six million miles annually. 
The district services more than 8,000 bus stops traveling to and from more than 60 school sites daily. 
In the latest Parent Engage 360 Podcast episode, host Liz Burgard is joined by transportation director B.J. Ison and transportation safety coordinator Jeff Mueller to learn more about what goes into safely planning a school bus route, where bus stops are located and much more. In this episode you will also learn about the annual school bus safety poster contest and how students learn about bus safety throughout the school year.
The Parent Engage 360 Podcast aims to provide parents and guardians with knowledge from experts in chemical health, mental health, internet safety and more, as well as the tools needed to support their children. Anoka-Hennepin hopes that providing timely and helpful information through the Parent Engage 360 podcast series will strengthen the bond between school and home with resources parents and guardians can use and share with others.

Episode 29: Stay Above the Line - promoting sportsmanship and positive fan behavior

Sportsmanship is everybody’s business, and Anoka-Hennepin Schools and the Northwest Suburban Conference (NWSC) are committed to providing a safe and welcoming environment for all at athletics and activities events. 
Earlier this year, around 100 students from all five district high schools and NWSC member schools participated in a sportsmanship seminar titled “Stay Above the Line,” an initiative to promote positive spectator behavior and expectations. 
In the latest Parent Engage 360 Podcast episode, host Liz Burgard is joined by two high school seniors to learn more about the “Stay Above the Line” initiative. Coon Rapids High School senior Eleanor Defoe and Blaine High School senior Kendall Stadden both represent their schools as Bleacher Captains. 
Bleacher Captains will be visible at all NWSC-sponsored activities to help promote a positive environment and respectful behavior and cheers for all players, fans, opponents and game personnel.
In this episode, both Defoe and Stadden share insights into what it is like at a high school sporting event both from the spectator and student-athlete perspectives. 
The Parent Engage 360 Podcast aims to provide parents and guardians with knowledge from experts in chemical health, mental health, internet safety and more, as well as the tools needed to support their children. Anoka-Hennepin hopes that providing timely and helpful information through the Parent Engage 360 podcast series will strengthen the bond between school and home with resources parents and guardians can use and share with others.

Episode 28: Anti-bullying and discipline

Bullying is a topic that often arises, and is not always easy to discuss as a parent or guardian. Parents may be wondering how to support their child, what questions to ask, or who to talk to at school to help. 
In the latest episode of the Parent Engage 360 Podcast, host Liz Burgard, Anoka-Hennepin parent involvement coordinator, is joined by Britt Olean, district school social worker, and Mary Kling, assistant principal of the Compass program overseeing elementary student conduct and discipline, to share information on how Anoka-Hennepin defines bullying and how parents can help support their children if they suspect bullying is happening. 
Also in this episode, Olean shares the role of school social workers in the district and how they support students in a variety of ways.
The Parent Engage 360 Podcast aims to provide parents and guardians with knowledge from experts in chemical health, mental health, internet safety and more, as well as the tools needed to support their children. Anoka-Hennepin hopes that providing timely and helpful information through the Parent Engage 360 podcast series will strengthen the bond between school and home with resources parents and guardians can use and share with others.

Episode 27: How to prepare for parent/teacher conferences

Parents and guardians may have recently been invited to sign up for the first round of parent/teacher conferences for this school year, and they may be wondering what to expect or how to prepare for conferences with your child’s teacher or teachers. 
In the latest episode of the Parent Engage 360 Podcast, host Liz Burgard, Anoka-Hennepin parent involvement coordinator; Nikole Wodash, Sunrise Elementary School assistant principal; and Jill Alton, Coon Rapids High School assistant principal, hope to answer what parents can expect from conferences, how to prepare, and ways that parents/guardians can work with their child’s teacher(s) in partnership to support success in the classroom. 
The Parent Engage 360 Podcast aims to provide parents and guardians with knowledge from experts in chemical health, mental health, internet safety and more, as well as the tools needed to support their children. Anoka-Hennepin hopes that providing timely and helpful information through the Parent Engage 360 podcast series will strengthen the bond between school and home with resources parents and guardians can use and share with others. Learn more about Parent Engage 360 events and resources at ahschools.us/parentengage360.

Episode 26: Back to School with Dr. Kate Maguire

It is officially back-to-school season! In the latest episode of the Parent Engage 360 Podcast, Interim Superintendent Dr. Kate Maguire joined host Liz Burgard, Anoka-Hennepin parent involvement coordinator, to discuss all things back to school.
Maguire began serving as interim superintendent in July and shares in this podcast what she has learned in just two short months at Anoka-Hennepin. With nearly 40 years of experience in education, Maguire provides tips and recommendations for parents and guardians to help their children have a successful start to the school year while also sharing about the district’s theme this school year, Live Well, Lead Well, Learn Well. 
The Parent Engage 360 Podcast aims to provide parents and guardians with knowledge from experts in chemical health, mental health, internet safety and more, as well as the tools needed to support their children. Anoka-Hennepin hopes that providing timely and helpful information through the Parent Engage 360 podcast series will strengthen the bond between school and home with resources parents and guardians can use and share with others.

Episode 25: Welcome to kindergarten!

As the 2022-23 school year approaches, some parents/guardians may be gearing up for their first school year as caregivers or sending their youngest to kindergarten. Whether sending your child to school for the first time or for the first time in a few years, you may have some questions about how it all works or what to expect. 
We’ve got you covered! Tune in to the latest Parent Engage 360 Podcast episode titled “Welcome to kindergarten” to hear from two district kindergarten teachers on what you can expect, from orientation to the first day of school and beyond, as well as some tips and ideas to consider as you prepare to send your child to kindergarten. 
Andover Elementary School kindergarten teacher Nicole Huttner and Johnsville Elementary School teacher Abby Hawes bring over 20 years of combined experience to the conversation. Learn what a typical day looks like in kindergarten, how you can help your student prepare for the upcoming school year, how to communicate with your teacher and more.
The Parent Engage 360 Podcast aims to provide parents and guardians with knowledge from experts in chemical health, mental health, internet safety and more, as well as the tools needed to support their children. Anoka-Hennepin hopes that providing timely and helpful information through the Parent Engage 360 podcast series will strengthen the bond between school and home with resources parents and guardians can use and share with others.

Episode 24: Summer safety for youth

Summer is a fun-filled time for many, that includes a variety of outdoor activities including swimming and biking, to name a few. While summer is a time to enjoy as many of those activities as possible, it is also important to think about how to enjoy all of those activities safely. 
In Episode 24 of the Parent Engage 360 Podcast, host Liz Burgard, Anoka-Hennepin parent involvement coordinator, was joined by Robin Chambers, Anoka-Hennepin Community Schools Specialist, and Danielle Forsman, a patrol officer with the Coon Rapids Police Department, to learn more about summer safety for youth. 
Forsman is also the chair of Safe Kids Anoka County, which provides dedicated and caring staff, operation support and other resources to assist in achieving their common goal: keeping kids safe. Safe Kids provides support based on the needs of the community and can include programs such as car-seat checkups, safety workshops and sports clinics that help parents and caregivers prevent childhood injuries. 
The Parent Engage 360 Podcast aims to provide parents and guardians with knowledge from experts in chemical health, mental health, internet safety and more, as well as the tools needed to support their children. Anoka-Hennepin hopes that providing timely and helpful information through the Parent Engage 360 podcast series will strengthen the bond between school and home with resources parents and guardians can use and share with others.

Episode 23: Specialty and magnet programming in Anoka-Hennepin

Anoka-Hennepin offers 12 schools that provide in-demand educational options such as the arts; science, technology, math, engineering and biomedical sciences (STEM/STEAM), as well as International Baccalaureate (IB).
Specialty and magnet schools are public schools available to all students at no additional cost. These schools, which are at the elementary, middle and high school levels, are designed to provide family choice. 
In Episode 23 of the Parent Engage 360 Podcast, host Liz Burgard, Anoka-Hennepin parent involvement coordinator, visited with three curriculum integrators from across the district to learn more about the specialty and magnet programming offered in the district. 
Kate Watson, University Avenue Elementary School - Aerospace, Children’s Engineering and Science (ACES), Jolanda Dranchak, Anoka Middle School for the Arts (AMSA) and Lana Rice, Coon Rapids High School - Center for Biomedical Sciences and Engineering (CRHS) joined Burgard to discuss programming at their schools and in Anoka-Hennepin.
The Parent Engage 360 Podcast aims to provide parents and guardians with knowledge from experts in chemical health, mental health, internet safety and more, as well as the tools needed to support their children. Anoka-Hennepin hopes that providing timely and helpful information through the Parent Engage 360 podcast series will strengthen the bond between school and home with resources parents and guardians can use and share with others.

Episode 22: How students can learn about money management in Anoka-Hennepin

Money management is an important topic for teens to think and learn about as they start searching for their first job, starting a savings account for college or getting a head start on personal finances. Join Liz Burgard, Anoka-Hennepin parent involvement coordinator, as she discusses how money management is taught and what is offered to students in the district with Blaine High School (BHS) business teacher and Business Professionals of America (BPA) advisor Holly Boisjolie and BHS senior Elijah Johnson. 
In this episode, Boisjolie explains what types of courses and extracurricular activities are available to students in Anoka-Hennepin to learn more about the topic and explore future options. Johnson, who is the National President of BPA and will attend Harvard University next year, discusses how he approached learning about personal money management and explored it even further to gain many great experiences and opportunities as a member of the BPA team at BHS.
The Parent Engage 360 Podcast aims to provide parents and guardians with knowledge from experts in chemical health, mental health, internet safety and more, as well as the tools needed to support their children. Anoka-Hennepin hopes that providing timely and helpful information through the Parent Engage 360 podcast series will strengthen the bond between school and home with resources parents and guardians can use and share with others.