At Reed Elementary School

What is it?
During the 2013-14 school year we will be working in partnership with Dr. Christine Carter, PhD, author of Raising Happiness: 10 Simple Steps for More Joyful Kids and Happier Parents and Parent Coach Tamazin Heher, MSW. Using research-based classes, our education team will be learning about the concepts of growth mindset, grit, emotional literacy and motivation and will be implementing tools to foster these skills with their students.

Why is it important?
We have an excellent academic program here at Reed Elementary and we want to ensure that our students are receiving not only the academic skills that they will need to succeed, but also the social and emotional life skills such as a passion for learning, emotional intelligence, and resilience which are critical to academic success.

How Can Parents Learn More?

Each month parents will be receiving a Reed School Raising Happiness Newsletter outlining themes that teachers are learning and how you can support this work at home with your kids. Interested in gaining a deeper understanding of these important life-skills? Join a local Raising Happiness discussion group. Sessions on Foster Academic Success begin September 23rd. Check out Reed School Resources for more information. Feel free to contact Tamazin or Reed School Parent Liaison Carrie Beard carrie_b_beard@yahoo.com for more information. A sociologist and happiness expert at UC Berkeleys Greater Good Science Center, Christine Carter, PhD, is the author of RAISING HAPPINESS: 10 Simple Steps for More Joyful Kids and Happier Parents. Dr. Carter draws on psychology, sociology, and neuroscience, and uses her own real-world adventures to demonstrate happiness dos and donts in action. www.christinecarter.com

Tamazin Heher, MSW has worked directly with children and families in a variety of clinical contexts and has provided individual, family, and group therapy to hundreds of clients. While she is no longer working as a therapist, her skills and experience inform her work as a Parent Coach. Tamazin is the mother of three children who are 10, 8 and 4 and attend RUSD schools. www.zinheher.com