Northeast Tarrant County Schools Team Up for FREE Transition Seminar

The transition of students into middle and high school can be a rather scary and uncertain adventure for parents and kids, alike. Friendships change, academics change, clothing styles change, bodies change. . .everything seems to be different. For this reason, parents from across Northeast Tarrant County are invited to a free seminar on student transitions from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, August 8.

The seminar is being held in the 24:7 Youth and Conference Center at Richland Hills Church of Christ, 6300 NE Loop 820 in North Richland Hills. This is not a faith-based event, but rather a collaborative community-wide effort of the 24:7 staff, along with counselors from Birdville Independent School District, Keller Independent School District, Carroll Independent School District, Northwest Independent School District, Fort Worth Christian School and Teen Lifeline, Inc. A similar program was offered by BISD and KISD last year, but three additional schools and/or districts are participating in the event's second year.

The conference will feature keynote presentations on today's adolescent and teen culture by author, speaker and counselor Dr. David Fraze of the 24:7 staff. Serving as Director of Student Ministries at 24:7, Fraze has been a leader in youth and teen programs for over 17 years. He serves as the curriculum director for university summer camps and has been the host of a TV segment, The Teenage Tightrope, which provided parents with thoughtful insight into the world of teenagers. Fraze has contributed articles for youthspecialties.com and ENGAGE, the quarterly journal of The Center for Parent/Youth Understanding. He is married to Lisa and they have two children. He presents both ParenTeen and HURT seminars in addition to his work with teenagers and their parents.

During the one-day free transition seminar, parents can also choose from individual breakout sessions taught by trained school counselors from the various districts. Topics covered include: academic planning, cyber-bullying, conflict resolution, suicide prevention, substance abuse prevention, internet safety and much more. Lunch and childcare will be provided for participants.

Parents are encouraged to pre-register to ensure space and food availability.

"We believe it does take a village to raise a child, so we are bringing the village together to do just that," Fraze said, quoting from the informational postcard mailed to Tarrant County parents in the participating school districts. "Together we can help take the fear out of parenting a teenager."

The seminar is open to any parent, but is specifically geared for those who have adolescents who will transition from elementary/intermediate grades into middle school and from middle school into high school for the 2009-2010 school year.

Please click here for the Registration Form.

For questions or more information, please contact the KISD Counseling Department at 817-744-1051.