parent university speakers

Redwood Day School Parents' and Gaudrdians' Association Presents

Keynote Speaker, 2010 conference

Po Bronson, co-author of NurtureShock: New Thinking About Children will be this year’s Parent University keynote speaker. In NurtureShock, released in September 2009, the central premise is that many of modern society’s strategies for nurturing children, from toddlers to teens, are in fact backfiring – because key twists in the science have been overlooked. NurtureShock has been featured on Good Morning America, Nightline, All Things Considered, Fresh Air, and in Newsweek.

Po Bronson has built a career as a successful novelist and as a prominent writer of narrative nonfiction. He has published five books, and he has written for television, magazines, and newspapers including Time, The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal, and for National Public Radio's Morning Edition. Currently he is writing regularly for New York magazine in the United States and for The Guardian newspaper in the United Kingdom.

Po Bronson's book of social documentary, What Should I Do With My Life?, was a #1 New York Times bestseller and remained in the Top 10 for nine months. He has been on Oprah, on every national morning show, and on the cover of five magazines, including Wired and Fast Company. His first novel, Bombardiers, was a #1 bestseller in the United Kingdom. His books have been translated into 18 languages. Po speaks regularly at colleges and community "town hall" events. He is a founder of The San Francisco Writer's Grotto, a cooperative workspace for about 40 writers and filmmakers. From 1992 to 2006 he was on the Board of Directors of Consortium Book Sales & Distribution. He lives in San Francisco with his family.

Session Leaders, 2010 conference

Jodi Freedman has been teaching middle school for 20 years. This is her third year teaching humanities at Redwood Day School. As a child, Jodi avoided movement-oriented activities at any cost. Then she discovered the Feldenkrais body work: slow gentle movements, done with awareness in a non-competitive environment. In addition to teaching, Jodi is a certified Feldenkrais practitioner. She sees a strong link between physical movement and learning in the classroom.
 
Vicky Green is a 2nd grade teacher at Redwood Day School.

Kent Grelling, PhD, is a licensed clinical psychologist specializing in the treatment of children, adolescents, and young adults. He offers individual and family therapy, comprehensive psychological evaluations, and parent consultation. He is an expert in addressing the unique emotional needs of the intellectually gifted. He also specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of children and adolescents with ADHD, learning disabilities, autistic spectrum disorders, and anxiety disorders. His background integrates expertise in developmental theory, neuropsychology, and child/adolescent psychotherapy into a treatment approach that is supportive, evidence-based, and leavened with humor.
Dr. Grelling has held a number of positions in addition to his private practice in psychology. At present, he works part time for the Bentley School in Oakland, CA as the middle school Director of Counseling and Student Support. Dr Grelling also teaches classes at Kaiser Permanente for the parents of children with autism spectrum disorders.
 
Dr. Grelling has lectured widely to community and parent organizations. He has trained numerous professional groups on topics including diagnostic overlap and alternative diagnostic approaches, diagnostic complications in autism, developmental disorders in the gifted, and the effects of prematurity on parent-child attachment. Dr. Grelling’s work and views have been featured in a number of media outlets including the Miami Herald, the Sun-Sentinel, WSVN News, and the Rick Sanchez Show.

Heather Hougey is Assistant Business Manager, Redwood Day School, and mother of five.

Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist Ronald Mah’s experiences include community mental health, severe emotional disturbance (SED) school programs, vocational programs for at-risk youth, welfare-to-work programs, and Head Start. He has supervised a high school mental health clinic, worked with diverse populations, and had a private practice in San Leandro. He is a credentialed teacher, Masters of Psychology instructor, and author of the Asian Pacific Islander Parent Education Support curriculum for the City and County of San Francisco, Department of Human Services.
 
Rona Renner, RN, is founder and host of the Childhood Matters radio show. Rona is an accomplished parent educator and talk show facilitator. In addition to her role as host of Childhood Matters, she has been a guest expert on radio and has appeared on national tv segments on CNN and 20/20 and is a monthly guest on ABC 7's The View from the Bay. Rona is the parent of four children ages 20 to 38, grandparent of two, and has been a registered nurse for over 40 years with a wide range of experience in health care, administration, and patient education in New York, California, Zaire, and India.  For the past 20 years, Rona's focus has been on parent education and community outreach. She was trained by Kaiser Permanente as a Temperament Specialist, helping parents adjust their approach to parenting in light of their children’s individual temperaments. She’s been a speaker at national conferences on Children’s Temperament and ADHD and presents trainings for school faculties and community-based organizations on a wide variety of topics. She regularly offers assistance to parents regarding their children's rights in school issues and health care access. Rona developed a monthly parenting series at the Berkeley YMCA, taught parenting classes at Kaiser Permanente Richmond Medical Center, and founded the Childhood Matters nonprofit radio show, all aimed at providing free comprehensive compassionate parent education.
 
Mike Riera, PhD, is Head of School, Redwood Day School. Mike has worked in schools since 1980 as a counselor, teacher, and administrator. He is a the bestselling author or co-author of five books, an award-winning columnist, and a national speaker on issues of children, adolescents, families, and parenting. Mike is also the Family and Adolescent Counselor for the CBS Saturday Early Show and a frequent guest on Oprah and NPR Radio. Previously he was the Dean of Students at Marin Academy, and before that the counselor at University High School.
 
Warren Sepkowitz is Middle School Director, Redwood Day School. Prior to joining Redwood Day School Warren served at Woodlawn School in south Iredell County, North Carolina. He joined Woodlawn in 2005 as the first Head of School and was responsible for the school's day-to-day operations. Warren served for 11 years as a history teacher and as an administrator at Providence Day School in Charlotte. His administrative roles there included Acting Director of Upper School, Director of Studies, and Director of Professional Development. Prior to joining Providence Day School, Warren taught at independent schools in Oklahoma City and at Head-Royce in Oakland. He also served as Middle School Director at the Aylett Country Day School in Virginia. Warren holds a BA from the University of California at Santa Barbara, and an MA in liberal studies from Duke University. He and his wife, Mary Lynn, have three children, Isabel, Emma, and Amos.
 
Michael Y. Simon, MA, MS, MFT, is a psychotherapist and the founder of Practical Help for Parents. Michael’s understanding and deep appreciation of adolescents is fueled by his work as Director of Counseling and Student Support for Bentley School in Lafayette. Michael holds a BS in clinical psychology, and master’s degrees in both clinical psychology and religious studies (with a concentration in religion, psychology, and philosophy). After teaching at the university level, he worked as Executive Director or Program Director for several nonprofit organizations, including the San Francisco Psychotherapy Research Group, the Marina Counseling Center, and the Harm Reduction Therapy Center. In addition to a career in nonprofit management and consulting, he has worked as a Marriage, Family, and Child psychotherapist for the past decade and continues to design and teach many workshops and groups on parenting, often providing training to Bay Area agencies on working with children, youth, and families. Michael was most recently the Coordinator of Parent Education for Parents Place in Marin, where he designed and implemented a full-service family resource program for youth and families.
 
Woody and Judy Square are Co-directors of Positive Change Resource. Woody Square has served as a children, youth, and family minister since 1992. He and his wife, Judy, have a daughter, Cambria, and a son, Norwood III. Woody holds a BA in Bible from Harding University, an MS in ministry from Pepperdine University, and an MA from Azusa Pacific University (social science with a human resource development emphasis). Judy is Woody’s companion and oftentimes co-worker in ministry to children and families. She has a double master’s degree in Education and Social Science.

Shari Unitan, MFT, is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. She has been practicing in the mental health field nearly 20 years. She works with children ages 0-18 and their families. She has been employed for the Department of Social Services in Alameda County since 1990, and currently supervises a team of child welfare workers. She opened a private psychotherapy practice in 1997, working with a myriad of clients dealing with issues including parenting challenges, mental health concerns for young children (0-5), child abuse and neglect, child custody, co-parenting after divorce, blended families, substance abuse, parent-teen conflict, and many others. Additionally,  Shari serves as the Education Co-Chair for Prism, the diversity committee at Redwood Day School, and is the parent of a third grader at RDS.
 
Ray Wilson is Upper School Director, Redwood Day School. Ray began working in independent schools in 1992 and has served in a range of roles: Upper School Head, Director of College Counseling, Athletic Director, Dormitory Head, humanities teacher, Assistant Dean of Students and varsity basketball coach. He has a BA in sociology from the University of California, Santa Cruz, an MEd in organizational leadership from Holy Names University, and is a graduate of the NAIS/E.E. Ford Fellowship for Aspiring Heads. Ray also has previously served as an active board member of Bay Area People of Color in Independent Schools (POCIS).