The session, entitled “Positive Parenting for Safe Kids and Strong Families,” and led by Dr. Guillermo Ybarra, LPC, focused on understanding temperament, attachment, and children's emotional needs to foster healthy development which leads to resilient students who achieve in academics and well-being.
FFSC Bahrain has partnered with the DoDEA Bahrain schools to support a collective effort to identify and support the school community with resources supporting the healthy development of resilient students who achieve in academics and garner skills to sustain their well-being. During the first semester, FFSC led “SEW Bites” sessions focusing on social emotional wellness for families. The school-home community partnership, driven by data collected from stakeholders, will continue to build on this foundation entering the second semester.
“This is such a positive partnership between the school, the base and the parents,” said Allison Peltz, an instructional leader at Bahrain Elementary School. “It provides parents with tools and resources needed for home. Those strategies and tools help foster dialogue and partnership with the teachers. In the end, it all supports the child. Everyone benefits and strong families get stronger.”
Ybarra, a Mental Health Therapist with over a decade of experience, emphasized the importance of secure attachment in childhood and how parents can benefit from having a better understanding of their children's temperament, and emotional needs. Drawing from his background in trauma services and his work with military service members and their families, he discussed how early emotional regulation can prevent emotional dysregulation and strengthen family bonds.
"Understanding these topics is essential because it helps parents foster healthy relationships with their children, support their child's ability to regulate emotions, and build a strong support network,” said Ybarra. “Parenting can be challenging, but knowing you are not alone can make a significant difference.”
This partnership is a continuation of a school-home community partnership initiative led by Ms. Marla Echols, DoDEA Europe South’s 2024 District Teacher of the Year. Echols explained the initiative, which began in Rota Community Schools in Spain, provides a framework that focuses on outcomes leading to partnerships that create opportunities to “be the village we need for our school communities to thrive.”
Echols’ goal with this initiative is to build sustainable partnerships within the community that provide proactive resources and outlets to support learners, families, educators, and the community. The collaborative effort between Bahrain Schools, FFSC and parents, aims to equip families with practical tools to support their children's academic, social and emotional well-being, enabling student success in learning environments.
“This event was very valuable to our parents,” said Ms. Shana Seawright, an instructional leader at Bahrain Middle High School. “We look forward to our continued partnership with FFSC Bahrain as we plan additional opportunities to support our school community.”
Future sessions will continue to foster DoDEA’s resilience-building initiatives that equip parents with the necessary positive parenting strategies. Equipping parents supports learners’ application of critical skills like perseverance, self-regulation, understanding emotions and nurturing a mindset of resiliency. This school-home community partnership supports the continuous efforts to engage and empower the whole child and school community to succeed in this dynamic world. One of the successes of this initiative has been to conduct sessions based on stakeholder feedback and needs, and the goal of the next session is to unpack scenarios submitted by those stakeholders.
The school-home community partnership has successfully held sessions in the first and second quarters. The third and fourth quarter sessions are tentatively scheduled to be held in Gill Hill on April 15 and May 13, respectively, from 1315-1415.