HillTOPICS –
Many parents of students with learning differences feel isolated and frustrated by the lack of clear guidance they receive and the sheer volume of information available online. To minimize these challenges, Hillside School presents our speaker series, HillTOPICS, open to all who are interested in learning about, discussing, and sharing their experiences about learning differences.
Upcoming Events:
10 Tips to Help Support your Dyslexic Learner at School and at Home: Stop Stressing and Start Supporting 
| Series: HillTOPICS | ||
|---|---|---|
| 10/20/21 | 12:30pm | Location: Online |
| Join Online 10 Tips to Help Support your Dyslexic Learner at School and at Home: Stop Stressing and Start Supporting! Hear from Kathy Sherman, learning specialist and Co-Founder of Hillside School. Once behind in school, students experience that academic “bar” continually moving beyond their reach. We know it can be stressful to think about where your child falls in comparison to other kids their age, but let’s change the focus to how you can best support your child without the stress. Learn 10 tips that will guide you and your child to reading success. | ||
The Dyslexic Learner: What dyslexia is and how it impacts learning
| Series: HillTOPICS | ||
|---|---|---|
| 11/17/21 | 12:30pm | Location: Online |
| Join Online Join Kathy Sherman as she breaks down common questions about the dyslexic learner: * Plain talk about dyslexia * What dyslexia can impact beyond reading * Q&A Presenter: Kathy Sherman, MA, Hillside School Kathy’s lifelong passion for working with children who learn differently has led her to study and integrate the principles of neuroscience into her and the school’s work as a way to better understand all aspects of a child’s learning dynamic and well-being. | ||
IEP’s and 504 Plans
| Series: HillTOPICS | ||
|---|---|---|
| 02/09/22 | 12:30pm | Location: Online |
| Developing your Child’s IEP or 504: Eligibility and Beyond Come learn about the 504 and IEP eligibility processes. Julie will highlight the differences of each plan, discuss tips for developing strong documents, collaborating with school staff, and structuring successful outcomes for your student. There will be time for Q&A. Great for families interested in initiating the 504 or IEP process, or for those who would like to strengthen a plan already in place! Presenter: Julie Hagy-Hancock, M.S., is a Special Education Consultant/Child Advocate. Julie has spent the last 15 years specializing in advocacy, consulting, behavior intervention and eligibility for students with special needs. | ||
Re-imagining Learning Disabilities: From Multiple Disorders to One Developing Brain
| Series: HillTOPICS | ||
|---|---|---|
| 03/09/22 | 12:30pm | Location: Online |
| Shifting paradigms for understanding your child’s unique strengths, weaknesses, and commonly associated difficulties. Have you been told your child has multiple diagnoses? Many families feel overwhelmed to learn that their child has not just dyslexia, but also dysgraphia, dyscalculia, ADHD, anxiety, or all of the above. If this seems like too many diagnoses for one child, it may help to understand why these challenges often go together. Join us to discuss what are often referred to as “co-morbid” or co-occurring disorders. We’ll discuss how many diagnostic labels are often related to the same underlying neuro-developmental characteristics. By understanding how brain functions contribute to learning differences, you’ll feel better equipped to work with your child’s unique needs. Jill Gitten Aloia, Ph.D., APBB-CN and Kristin Powell, Ph.D., APBB-CN are board-certified neuropsychologists with New Peaks Neuropsychology. They have spent years working with children and adolescents to evaluate, diagnose, and treat a variety of neurodevelopmental disorders including learning disabilities and related challenges. They are excited to share their expertise, including their experience in guiding families to understand their child’s unique profile and resources that will help their child experience success in school, at home, and in relationships. | ||
Stressed and anxious: How to help our kids
| Series: HillTOPICS | ||
|---|---|---|
| 04/13/22 | 12:30pm | Location: Online |
| Executive Function skills are the foundation for school success. For some children, these skills need to be explicitly taught. Brandon Slade discovered this need as a student himself and has gone on to develop a program that teaches students ‘how to do school’ by developing skills with organization, time management, planning, and self-advocacy. Brandon will share many of these key strategies he has found to help students become both independent and successful in school. | ||
Transitions
| Series: HillTOPICS | ||
|---|---|---|
| 05/11/22 | 12:30pm | Location: Online |
Transitions to Middle and High SchoolNervous about all the changes that middle/high school will bring– multiple teachers, lockers, harder work, being organized, new friends, peer pressure, more independence, risks, and opportunities? Join the club! Students and parents can both have worries as they face the transition into middle school, into high school and after high school. And if you have a child with special needs, the worry is greater for everyone. Anna will discuss ways to prepare ourselves and our children for a successful and balanced transition. Presenter: Anna Stewart, BVSD Parent, School, Community Liaison | ||
Previous HillTopics
Parenting During Virtual Learning
With school now upon us, there are many challenges and opportunities to prepare for to help students and parents adjust to the present reality.
Please join ADHD/Executive Function Coach Cindy Goldrich to address some of your concerns and questions regarding how to best set your children up for success. We will discuss tools and strategies to best organize our students time and materials, as well as explore the concerns you have for the coming year.
Cindy Goldrich, Ed. M., ADHD-CCSP is a Parenting Specialist and a certified ADHD/Executive Function Coach. She gives parents a unique understanding of ADHD, Executive Functioning, Learning Challenges, and their impact on children’s behavior and performance. Cindy provides tools, strategies, and resources to build on children’s innate strengths and potential while reducing the chaos, stress and challenging behaviors that often exist. She is the author of 8 Keys to Parenting Children with ADHD.
Digital Organization for the 2020-2021 School Year
Are you unsure about the start of a new school year that is structured as a remote learning experience? Do you feel overwhelmed with the online content you and your child have to manage? You are not alone! The goal of this presentation is to help you feel better prepared for the upcoming school year. This presentation will guide you in ways to help organize your child’s digital learning experience. We will discuss:
- Bookmarking frequently used websites
- Managing usernames and passwords
- Managing links for online class meetings (Zoom, Google Meet, etc.)
- Remote learning specific questions to ask at Back To School Night
- Organizing your child’s Google Drive
- Questions & Answers
Presenter: Debbie Campbell
Debbie has worked in elementary classrooms and as an adjunct professor at both Denver University’s Teacher Education Program and University of Northern Colorado’s Center for Urban Teacher Education. She now owns and operates Effective Technology for Learning, LLC and serves as a technology consultant and trainer.
Access Passcode: 8U3kao8?
The Dyslexic Learner: What dyslexia is and how it impacts learning
Join Kathy Sherman as she breaks down common questions about the dyslexic learner:
* Plain talk about dyslexia
* What dyslexia can impact beyond reading
* The difference between I can’t and I won’t
* The ten most important things every parent should know about dyslexia
* Q&A
Presenter: Kathy Sherman, MA, Hillside School
Kathy’s lifelong passion for working with children who learn differently has led her to study and integrate the principles of neuroscience into her and the school’s work as a way to better understand all aspects of a child’s learning dynamic and well-being.
Resources:
- Overcoming Dyslexia – Sally Shaywitz (also on Yale website)
- The Dyslexic Advantage – B./F. Eide
- The Dyslexia Empowerment Plan – Ben Foss
- Learning Scientists website https://www.learningscientists.org/
- Spelling and Dyslexia: Making Sense of It All –Kelli-Sandman-Hurley
- The Relaxation Revolution – Herbert Benson, MD
- Opening Minds: Using Language to Change Lives – Peter Johnston
- Dyslexia Declarations from Yale Center for Dyslexia & Creativity
- Success & Inspirational Stories from Dyslexiahelp
- BVKID parent support group on Facebook
- Learning with Dyslexia resources for educators & parents
- International Dyslexia Association
- Understood.org
- LD Online
- https://www.livesinthebalance.org/walking-tour-parents
_________________________________________________________________________________________
Successful Learning During the Pandemic
Is your student struggling with digital learning during this unusual school year? Has your student been provided with assistive technology tools but no one has shown them how to use them? Join Debbie Campbell as she reviews how to use features in Google Docs, Read Write for Google (beyond text-to-speech), Grammarly, Capti Voice, and more. Debbie will also share ideas for how parents can address issues around students who visit websites or use apps during learning time, distracting them from their work.
Presenter: Debbie Campbell
Debbie has worked in elementary classrooms and as an adjunct professor at both Denver University’s Teacher Education Program and University of Northern Colorado’s Center for Urban Teacher Education. She now owns and operates Effective Technology for Learning, LLC and serves as a technology consultant and trainer.
