Collage Parent Training Series 2025

At Collage Day School, we understand the challenges that come with supporting children who have behavioral issues. To empower parents and caregivers, we offer specialized workshops and training designed to provide practical strategies, tools, and insights for managing and improving children’s behavior. Our expert-led sessions cover a variety of topics, from understanding behavioral triggers to creating effective routines and positive reinforcement techniques. With a focus on collaboration and support, these workshops aim to strengthen the connection between home and school, ensuring that every child has the opportunity to thrive in a nurturing and structured environment.

2025 SCHEDULE

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Location: V’s Pizza, 4:00-5:00pm

Childcare optional and for a charge

Presented by: Amber Smith, M.A., BCBA

Setting Boundaries with Strong-Willed Kids: Strategies for Effective Discipline

Description:
This workshop is designed for parents who are experiencing frequent arguments or power struggles with their strong-willed kids. You’ll learn how to set healthy boundaries, foster cooperation, and handle conflict in a way that respects your child’s growing independence while promoting respect and responsibility.

What You’ll Learn:

  • Why Kids Push Back: Understand the developmental reasons behind stubborn and argumentative behaviors, such as the desire for autonomy and control.
  • Setting Clear Boundaries: Learn how to establish boundaries that are clear, consistent, and fair, while also considering your child’s emotional needs and personality.
  • Strategies for Conflict Navigation: Discover tools to de-escalate arguments, avoid power struggles, and guide your child toward more cooperative behavior.
  • Empowering, Not Controlling: Explore how to empower your child to express their feelings and opinions while reinforcing accountability, respect, and compliance with family rules.

Why This Matters:
Navigating boundaries with strong-willed kids can be challenging, but with the right tools, these children can grow into confident, self-assured individuals. This class will provide you with strategies to turn conflict into opportunities for connection, growth, and mutual respect.

Interactive Features:

  • Role-playing scenarios to practice boundary-setting in everyday situations.
  • Communication techniques to de-escalate tense moments and encourage problem-solving.
  • Open Q&A to address your family’s specific struggles and provide personalized solutions

Register Here!

Learn More & Register

Location: V’s Pizza, 4:00-5:00pm

Childcare optional and for a charge

Presented by: Ali Sotolongo, M.S., BCBA

Emotional Balance: From Hurtful Actions to Words—Helping Your Child Manage Big Feelings

Description:
This workshop focuses on helping young children navigate big emotions like anger, frustration, and sadness, with practical strategies for communicating their frustrations and providing emotional support. It also includes guidance for handling younger children who may resort to physical behaviors, such as biting, pinching, or pushing, due to limited communication skills.

What You’ll Learn:

  • Understanding Big Emotions: Learn about the developmental reasons behind intense emotions and how your child’s brain processes feelings, helping you empathize and respond effectively.
  • Calm Down Tools and Techniques: Discover age-appropriate strategies to help your child recognize, express, and manage their emotions, including tools like deep breathing and sensory breaks.
  • Building Emotional Awareness: Explore activities that help children identify their feelings, label them, and communicate them more effectively to avoid frustration.
  • Handling Physical Behaviors: Learn how to address physical behaviors such as biting, pinching, or pushing, by promoting communication skills and offering alternatives to physical expression.
  • Creating a Supportive Environment: Gain insights on how to model emotional regulation and create an environment that fosters resilience, where your child feels safe to express their emotions.

Why This Matters:
Building emotional regulation skills is critical for social and academic success. This class will give you the tools to help your child manage meltdowns and mood swings, while also fostering a more peaceful, emotionally intelligent household.

Interactive Features:

  • Brainstorming and workshopping alternative behaviors instead of physical behaviors in our children, such as their biting, pinching, or shoving.
  • Demonstrations of calming activities, such as breathing exercises and sensory tools.
  • Guided practice with emotion charts and journals to help your child identify and communicate their emotions.
  • Take-home resources to help you implement the strategies immediately.

Register Here!

Learn More & Register

Location: V’s Pizza, 4:00-5:00pm

Childcare optional and for a charge

Presented by: Jenny Fisher, BCBA

Supporting Children with ADHD and Anxiety

Description:
Does your child struggle with ADHD, anxiety, or related behaviors? This class will provide parents with practical strategies tailored to neurotypical children dealing with ADHD and anxiety. Parents will learn how to manage common symptoms of ADHD and anxiety while supporting their child’s emotional and social growth.

What You’ll Learn:

  • Understanding ADHD and Anxiety: Learn the developmental impact of ADHD and anxiety on your child’s behavior, emotions, and daily functioning.
  • Behavioral Strategies for ADHD: Explore practical techniques to manage impulsivity, inattentiveness, and hyperactivity. Learn how to create structure, maintain routines, and use positive reinforcement to encourage desired behaviors.
  • Managing Anxiety: Discover evidence-based strategies for managing anxiety in children, including relaxation techniques, cognitive strategies to reframe anxious thoughts, and tools to reduce stress in various environments (school, home, social settings).
  • Building Emotional Regulation Skills: Teach your child how to recognize and manage big emotions like frustration, fear, and stress, empowering them to handle challenges effectively.
  • Enhancing Social Skills and Self-Esteem: Support your child in developing stronger social skills and emotional resilience, with tools to improve peer interactions and self-confidence.
  • Practical Tools for Parents: Learn how to use visual aids, reward systems, and communication strategies to encourage positive behavior and manage emotional outbursts.

Why This Matters:

Children with ADHD and anxiety often face challenges in regulating emotions, staying focused, and coping with stress. This class provides parents with tools to help children manage these challenges and build lifelong emotional and social resilience.

Who Should Attend:

Parents of children ages 4–12 with ADHD and/or anxiety who want:

  • Effective strategies to manage symptoms of ADHD and anxiety.
  • Tools to improve emotional regulation and social skills.
  • Practical resources for fostering emotional resilience and confidence.

Interactive Features:

  • Role-playing scenarios to practice ADHD and anxiety management strategies.
  • Communication techniques to reduce conflict and promote cooperation.
  • Take-home resources, including behavior charts, relaxation tools, and self-regulation activities.

Register Here!

Learn More & Register

Location: V’s Pizza, 4:00-5:00pm

Childcare optional and for a charge

Presented by: Brittany Long, M.Ed., BCBA

Routines for Summer Success: How to Keep Your Child on Track

Description:
As the school year ends and summer begins, it can be challenging to maintain routines that promote success for your child and sanity for you as a parent. In this class, Brittany will provide practical strategies for keeping your child’s schedule structured during the summer months, fostering independence, and creating a sense of stability while allowing for the freedom that summer offers.

What You’ll Learn:

  • The Importance of Summer Routines: Understand why routines are essential for children’s success, even during the less structured summer months.
  • Building Flexibility into Summer Schedules: Learn how to create a daily routine that balances family time, personal responsibilities, and fun summer activities.
  • Managing Screen Time and Responsibilities: Develop strategies for setting healthy limits on screen time while encouraging your child to complete daily tasks and contribute to family routines.
  • Creating a Structured Environment: Tips for maintaining a structured environment that nurtures your child’s independence, helps them stay on track with chores, and reinforces good habits.
  • Supporting Summer Learning and Growth: Learn how to incorporate educational activities that promote social, emotional, and academic growth while keeping the summer fun.

Why This Matters:

As the school year ends, many children experience a disruption in their routine, leading to a lack of structure and increased stress. This class will help you keep your child engaged and successful throughout the summer, while also maintaining your own sense of balance and control.

Who Should Attend:

Parents of neurotypical children ages 5–12 who:

  • Want to maintain a balanced and structured routine throughout the summer months.
  • Need practical strategies to manage summer screen time, chores, and other responsibilities.
  • Are looking for ways to foster their child’s independence and keep them engaged in learning during the summer.

Interactive Features:

  • Sample summer schedules and routines for different age groups.
  • Strategies for blending structure with fun summer activities.
  • Take-home resources to implement routines at home immediately.

Register Here!

HOURS

2022 – 2023 School Year:
Monday – Friday
7:00 am – 6:00 pm