Psychologist Paul Donahue to Speak on The Keys to Building Resilience in Middle School

Scarsdale Middle School's opening PTA meeting of 2013-2014 will feature clinical psychologist and Director of Child Development Associates in Scarsdale, Dr. Paul Donahue. After a brief business meeting, Dr. Donahue will present "Seven Keys to Resilience in Middle School: The Skills Children Need to Thrive in Today's Competitive World." Dr. Donahue will impart the current science on resilience and address specific ways that we can help our adolescents become better prepared to manage the multiple demands of middle school and beyond. Dr. Donahue will also highlight some of the innovative programs already in place at SMS that encourage resiliency in our students. The talk will be held in the Scarsdale Middle School Band Room on Tuesday October 29 from 7:30 to 9 pm.

As they enter early adolescence, kids face more significant academic and social challenges, often accompanied with increased stress. During this time, students need to develop an array of physical, intellectual, social and emotional skills to meet these challenges and to maintain a sense of well-being. Research shows that developing resilience – the ability to persevere in the face of problems and adversity– goes a long way toward helping adolescents successfully navigate the middle school years. What are the key elements of resilience? How can parents help their kids develop personal strengths, competencies and relationships that will help them succeed in school and in life? Dr. Donahue will address these questions in a stimulating one-hour presentation.

Paul J. Donahue, Ph.D. is a clinical psychologist and the Director of Child Development Associates in Scarsdale, NY. He is author of Parenting Without Fear: Letting Go of Worry and Focusing on What Really Matters. Dr. Donahue is also the co-author of Mental Health Consultation in Early Childhood, and a frequent lecturer to parents, teachers and community groups throughout the country. His work has been profiled in The New York Times and has appeared in Parents Magazine, Good Housekeeping, Family Circle, The Washington Post, and The Associated Press, as well as on The CBS Early Show and Fox News. Dr. Donahue has served as a consultant to the Georgetown University Child Development Center and the National Head Start Association.

For more information, please contact SMS PTA Programming Director, Jennifer Rossano at jenrossano@verizon.net.