Building Meaningful Connections with Our Children

When is the event?

Saturday, February 24, 2024

*child care no longer available- spots have filled- if you require child care and want to join the waitlist, please click here.

9:00 am-1: 00pm

A detailed agenda for the day will be made available closer to time.

*Early bird sales extended. 1/2 price tickets through February 7th.

If ticket cost is a barrier, please contact us for subsidies available.

Where is the event?

Burnaby Mountain Secondary

The PLE 2024 events and activities will be moderated and facilitated by and under the guidance of:

Sue Montabello, Adjunct Faculty in SFU

  • Sue Montabello is well known as a passionate teacher, administrator and university instructor who’s work honours and nurtures the diversity of community, enabling others to come together to learn and thrive. Sue worked in the Burnaby school district as principal for twenty-five years, spending most of her career working as principal of community schools.

    Sue is currently adjunct professor in the Faculty of Education where she has worked as a faculty associate and coordinator of Professional Programs and continues her work with Graduate Diploma and Masters programs for practicing K to 12 teachers. At the heart of Sue’s work in all these environments is a commitment to the promise and possibilities of community.

In this technology driven and fast paced world, do you find it harder to make those moments of genuine connection with your child?

Embark on a journey with us at the Parent Learning Event 2024, as we navigate the challenges of parenting in a world that never stops evolving.

Our children and youth are growing up in an ever-changing Digital Ecosystem and a post-pandemic world, leaving many parents feeling adrift and overwhelmed as they strive to keep pace with the rapid changes around them. At the core of this experience, we understand the subtle challenges, the moments of confusion, and the power struggles that might stand in the way of the vital connection between parents and children.

The Parent Learning Event 2024 is here to provide you with helpful strategies centered in empathy and compassion that contribute to the art of building meaningful parent-child connections in our ever-evolving digital & cultural landscape and a post pandemic world.

Agenda:

What can you expect at the PLE 2024:

Insights and perspectives from Burnaby’s youth, children, and parents on what constitutes a meaningful parent-child connection.

Helpful strategies based on the voices of our children, parent perspectives and current academic research findings for fostering and strengthening connections with children, tailored to the challenges and opportunities presented by the evolving digital and fast paced world.

Helpful relevant resources

Safe spaces for meaningful dialogue that will enable parents to define and visualize what meaningful connection entails in the context of their child's unique needs and interests.

Join us on February 24, 2024, to explore and immerse yourself in real-world approaches to building meaningful connections with your children in an ever-evolving, fast-paced world.

Let's navigate this journey together!

Our work is made possible through the support of our Advisory Committee members:

Anita Olson, Community Early Childhood Consultant Family Services of Greater Vancouver

  • Anita Olson works for Family Services of Greater Vancouver as Burnaby’s Early Childhood Community Consultant (ECCC). She has been working with families and young children for close to two decades and as a parent herself recognizes the challenges, complexity and delight parenting brings. Understanding the foundational importance of infant and early childhood development, Anita shares information, strategies and practical tools with parents as they begin and continue their parental journey. Focusing on the parent/caregiver and child relationship, Anita’s work with families aims to create and preserve loving connection and curiosity. Anita holds a current ECE license, BA and MEd from Simon Fraser University.

Chelsea Hitchen, Community Health Specialist – Positive and Adverse Childhood Experiences Fraser Health

  • Chelsea Hitchen (she/they) is a 3rd generation white settler, who is driven by a deep belief in the power of community voice. Their work is grounded in the understanding that a healthy and thriving community is built upon the collective strength of its members. Chelsea uses the principles of community engagement and health promotion to integrate evidence-based practices and community insights to support and build collective resilience. Chelsea is one of the co-chairs of the Burnaby Early Childhood Development Table and collaborates with other Burnaby community tables supporting children, youth, and families. Together we work using holistic and community approaches to foster positive childhoods and thriving families in Burnaby. For more information about Fraser Health Authority’s approach to preventing adverse childhood experiences click here.

Gayle Beavil, Community School Coordinator Burnaby School District

  • Gayle Beavil, MA, Bed, CAPP, has been a Burnaby educator for over 3 decades, teaching in Burnaby classrooms, at Simon Fraser University, and is currently a Community School Coordinator, and the host of the “Love Sweet Love” podcast.

    Gayle has a strengths-based approach to all she does, and is passionate about building caring relationships among community, creating connections and partnerships to enhance opportunities for all; and supporting families to thrive.

Noam Samet, Safe School Specialist, Burnaby School District.

  • (BA, Criminology) has been on the Burnaby School District’s Safe and Caring School’s Team as a Safe School’s Specialist since 2010. Prior to this he has worked in the Social Services field since 1997 in a variety of custodial, educational, and community settings. As a front-line Youth Worker in various Lower Mainland municipalities, Noam worked creatively with vulnerable and high-risk youth with the goal of meeting their needs within the community and balancing them with the goals of their families and various community stakeholders.

    As a manager of an integrated youth services team for five years in Maple Ridge /Pitt Meadows, Noam's front line experience served well in training and supervising workers in the field and established effective and efficient working relationships with MCFD (Ministry For Children and Family Development), School District 42, and various other community agencies.

Sangeeta Bhonsale, Manager Family Support Services and Moving Ahead, Burnaby Family Life

  • Sangeeta Bhonsale is the Manager of Family Support Services, and the Moving Ahead Program at Burnaby Family Life. She has dedicated the past twelve years to comprehending the challenges and best practices for supporting vulnerable families. Sangeeta recognizes the profound impact community programs can have on individuals, parents, caregivers, and children.

    In 2020, she took the lead in developing and initiating the concept of the Parent Learning Event (PLE) as part of Burnaby Family Life's commitment to comprehensively understanding the needs of families and children in Burnaby. This initiative aims to expand the provision of high-quality programs that effectively address these needs. Moreover, it aims to facilitate opportunities for sharing up-to-date and relevant academic research on the healthy development of children and families in ways that resonate with parents and caregivers.

Tanya Broesch, Professor, Developmental Psychology Simon Fraser University

  • Coming soon.