Bethlehem Central School District will be offering a free Parents as Partners webinar series during the 2026-27 school year. The series provides families and caregivers with 10 live Zoom sessions focused on practical strategies for supporting children, learning and family wellness.
Led by Dr. Jennifer L. Bashant, founder of Building Better Futures, LLC, the sessions cover topics including organization, school attendance, ADHD, work-life balance, power struggles, cyberbullying, difficult conversations and transitions. Bethlehem is one of several area school districts to offer the online series.
The 2026-27 dates and topics can be found below. Registration links will be sent to parents and guardians via ParentSquare. Sessions will be recorded and will be available to those who register in advance.
October 6, 2026 – Let’s Get Organized for a Successful School Year
Presented by Dr. Jennifer Bashant
Does your child or teen… Struggle to meet deadlines and be on time? Constantly leave a trail of food every time they have a snack? Drop clothing on the floor as soon as they take it off? Leave papers strewn everywhere with no systems for keeping track of them? When these organizational skills are not developed to an age-appropriate level, being successful in school becomes a real challenge. Research indicates that these executive skills are the most important skills to have to succeed in school. During this webinar, you will learn specific strategies to help your child get organized and stay organized in a way that works for them. You will leave with tools you can use at home with your child to help you teach and practice these organizational skills.Webinar 1
October 22, 2026 – Help! My Child is Avoiding or Refusing to go to School
Presented by Dr. Jennifer Bashant
Approximately one in five children in this country have a diagnosable anxiety disorder. Anxiety can show up in so many different ways, from anger or behavioral challenges, to avoidance, to perfectionism. When a child is experiencing a high level of anxiety, they may complain of various physical symptoms to avoid school, or even outright refuse to go to school. This is extremely stressful to the entire family, often leading to chaotic and tearful mornings. During this webinar, you will learn how to engage with your child and with the school to reduce the anxiety your child feels about attending school.
November 10, 2026 – Help Your Child with ADHD Build Executive Function Skills
Presented by Dr. Jennifer Bashant
Executive function and self-regulation skills provide critical supports for learning and development. These skills allow us to retain and work with information in our brains, focus our attention, filter distractions, and switch mental gears. For various reasons, some children and teens need explicit instruction and many opportunities to practice these skills. During this webinar, participants will learn strategies to help their children develop and use these critical skills.
November 23, 2026 – Centered: Finding Work-Life Balance
Presented by Kim Perone, Center for Clarity, Compassion and Contentment
What does it really mean to have work-life balance? Wellbeing and Performance Coach Kim Perone will share strategies to help us master a mindset for stress reduction, find present moment awareness, reflect on self management, and create a personal plan to chart the right balance in your life. Learn how to create the work-life balance that suits you to find new levels of peace and success.
December 10, 2026 – Strategies to Help Avoid Power Struggles, Angry Outbursts, and Other Challenging Behavior
Presented by Dr. Jennifer Bashant
Collaboration can be a powerful tool to overcome defiance and reduce the fighting and behavioral challenges in your household. In this webinar, participants will learn how to identify and address the root cause of challenging behavior, while allowing your positive relationship with your child to serve as the foundation for change; teach your child how to recognize the physical warning signs and knowing how to regulate the body and manage strong emotions such as anger, guilt, sadness and even elation; and use mindfulness, art, soothing music and physical activity to help your child develop a toolbox of strategies that help them feel calm.
January 7, 2027 – Help Your Child Navigate Cyberbullying on Social Media
Presented by Dr. Jennifer Bashant
Our children are being raised as digital natives, and with that comes exposure to social media platforms. Cyberbullying happens, and parents may not know if it is happening to their child. This webinar will discuss ways to talk about it with your child and equip them with the skills they will need if they encounter cyberbullying.
January 19, 2027 – Connection Over Perfection: Calm Communication for Every Parent
Presented by Dr. Beth DeAngelis
Communicating with your child or teen, especially when you are frustrated, can be a real challenge. Join Dr. Beth DeAngelis – Emotional Intelligence specialist, mother, and author – for an honest hour on staying grounded in the hard moments and communicating in ways that build connection instead of diminishing it. She will share real tools for real life.
February 4, 2027 – Raising Resilient Kids with Lighthouse Parenting
Presented by Dr. Jennifer Bashant
When a child never faces and overcomes obstacles, they learn that they can’t trust themselves to figure things out. As a parent or caregiver, it can be difficult to let your child struggle, knowing that they may not be successful. This webinar will introduce the concept of a growth mindset, lighthouse parenting, and steps you can take to build resilience in your child.
February 25, 2027 – Difficult Conversations with Your Pre-Teen
Presented by Renee Beaulieu, MS
Have you ever wondered how to start a difficult conversation or how to elicit more than a one-word answer from your pre and/or young teen? Join us for a discussion on current and age-old topics that are important for our young teens. We will discuss how to create opportunities to start those discussions and ways to help make it easier for your pre/young teens to share their thoughts. Participants will have an opportunity to share their concerns and/or successes.
March 9, 2027 – Change is Inevitable, But Never Easy: Tips for Preparing Your Child for a Transition
Presented byb Bob Mackey, MA
Very few people really enjoy change and know how to handle it gracefully. This webinar will introduce strategies you can use with your child to help prepare them for a transition, such as changing schools, getting a new teacher, from school to summer recess, or even college.
About Dr. Jennifer Bashant
Jennifer L. Bashant, Ph.D., LMSW, MA, founder of Building Better Futures, LLC, is an educational consultant, motivational speaker and author with the mission to provide educators with evidence- based strategies to reduce challenging behavior in the classroom and create a positive impact on learning. Jennifer also works for SUNY System Administration and serves as University Director of ASAP|ACE, a student success program currently being implemented on 44 SUNY campuses.
Jennifer is passionate about her work, which is evident in her engaging, high-energy trainings and in her ability to connect with educators in a compassionate and authentic way. Her approach is trauma-sensitive and strengths-based, and she seeks to foster collaborative relationships between educators and students as they work together as partners in learning. Jennifer incorporates collaborative problem solving, restorative practices, and mindfulness to engage educators and students in social and emotional learning and developing cognitive skills.
Jennifer is a certified trainer in DiSC Work and Communication Styles, EQ-I 2.0 Emotional Intelligence, the Mindful Schools curriculum and Restorative Practices. As a doctorate-level licensed social worker with 25 years of experience, she shares her knowledge and expertise in a way that is heart-centered, practical, and relevant.
Jennifer is the author of “Building a Trauma-Informed Compassionate Classroom,” published by PESI, and “A Positive Mindset Journal” which is self-published.