MBUSD holds “Parent Education: Lunch and Learn” Series

WORKING TOWARDS CHANGE: MBUSD’s “Parent Education: Lunch and Learn” series featured guest speakers such as Mo Gelbart, who gave a presentation on the benefits of COVID-19. The series aimed to raise awareness about teen mental health. Photo courtesy of Sofia Williams

By Sofia Williams
News Editor

Manhattan Beach Unified School District (MBUSD) launched a “Parent Education: Lunch and Learn” series starting Nov. 15 with the intent of offering parents advice and information regarding their children.

The series’ main goals this fall are to disseminate information about the return to in-person school, give tips on how to maintain student mental health and help parents to more effectively communicate with their students.

“If parents are gaining access to tools to communicate with their children, students may then be able to have another trusted adult in their life,” said Elisa Santarosa, MBUSD district counselor. “For teens, it can be especially difficult to open up to their parents, so we’re trying to give resources to parents so they’re more able to deal with their kid’s issues.”

The Zoom sessions are held from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. on select Thursdays. Themes for these Zooms include “Transitioning to a New Normal,” “Communicating with Your Teen,” and “Silver Linings of COVID-19,” which emphasized the importance of living in the moment and remaining positive through difficult situations.

“When we stop catastrophizing, stay in the present, and get out of the ‘what ifs,’ we become empowered and gain control over things that we would previously be overthinking,” said speaker Mo Gelbart, clinical director of the Thelma McMillan Recovery Center.

Each of the three Zoom sessions this fall featured a guest speaker, whose profession aligns with the intended topic for that session. Karissa Provost, clinical director of Insight Treatment Facility, and Gracie Walker, program director of Clear Recovery Center, are examples of these speakers. The speakers touched on subjects such as mental health, the importance of gratitude, and how to cultivate meaningful relationships.

“Those who practice gratitude are less stressed, less anxious, and happier,” said Gelbart. “When we have negative feelings, we have negative thoughts, which can lead to depression, despair, and anxiety. We must reflect on what we have, on the here and now.”

Each Zoom presentation was recorded to include parents who are unable to attend in-person. The recordings were made available on the MBUSD website on Dec. 3. According to Santarosa, the “Question and Answer” portion of the meetings is not recorded in order to respect the participants’ privacy.

“My hope is that through the videos, this information will be disseminated to other parents, which will boost attendance at the meetings,” said Santarosa. “We’re hopeful that word gets out, and that parents who do come get word out to their friends. These programs can help them and the people around them. Even if it doesn’t involve their own family, it can be helpful to know about it.”