HSA Speaker Series
11/7/2024 6:00 pm
HSA Meeting and Parent Panel Discussion "Bringing the Calm: Supporting your Child with Big Worries and Stress" featuring Beth Clauss, Tawanna Jones, and Kathryn Snyder
Thursday, November 7, 6:00-7:30 PM
Location: Cafeteria, enter from the Blacktop
Schedule: 6:00-6:15 PM: arrival and dinner
6:15-6:30 PM: dinner and HSA meeting
6:30-7:30 PM: panel discussion
All are welcome to attend a panel discussion about coping with anxiety sponsored by the HSA. Topics will include:
- General information about big worries and stress in academic and social settings
- How big worries and stress might present in children
- When to reach out for support and resources for parents
- Coping skills to encourage your child to use to manage anxiety
- Techniques you can use to help calm your child (and yourself!)
Dinner and childcare will be provided.
Beth Clauss is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with more than 25 years of experience working with children and families. She earned her Master’s in Social Work from Columbia University and her undergraduate degree in Human Service Studies from Cornell University.
For over a decade, Beth has been the Program Coordinator for the school-based social work program at Penn Alexander School. In this role, she provides clinical supervision and instruction for MSW interns from the School of Social Policy & Practice at Penn. Beth is also a lecturer in the MSW program at Penn.
Most of her career Beth has worked supporting children and families in school settings. She also has experience as an inpatient social worker in children’s hospitals. She is trained in parenting coaching and has taught Positive Parenting Classes as part of the City of Philadelphia Parenting Collaborative.
Tawanna Jones is Associate Director of the Urban Teaching Apprentice Program (UTAP) at Penn's Graduate School of Education. Prior to joining Penn GSE, Tawanna spent over 20 years serving children and families in the Philadelphia public school system. She has worked as a special education teacher and school psychologist. As a Lead Professional Development Facilitator, Tawanna has worked locally and nationally as a trainer for the American Federation of Teachers developing courses focused on instructional strategies and sharing expertise in social-emotional learning and restorative practice to address the affective and learning needs of children in the school, home, and the broader community.
Tawanna is a scholar-activist whose doctoral research focused on Black girls’ perceptions of public education’s role in their pursuit of the American Dream. In December 2016 she founded we REIGN Inc., a Philadelphia based non-profit organization whose mission is to ensure that Black girls have the skills and knowledge needed to become advocates, activists, and organizers around issues that impact their lives. Her article "Who Are My Sisters' Keepers?" and national conference presentations have focused on the impact of trauma on teaching and learning, social justice, racial equity, diversity and inclusion, and the lived experiences of Black girls in schools and communities.
Kathryn Snyder is a Philadelphia-based, board-certified art therapist and licensed professional counselor with over 25 years of clinical experience working with children, adolescents and adults with a wide variety of social and emotional needs and concerns. Her private practice, Parent to Child focuses on art and play therapy for youth with a contextual family and systems framework. Parent to Child has been a lauded practice in Philadelphia since 2007. Spark, the non-profit outreach arm provides valuable therapy services, using art therapy to support underserved communities within the Philadelphia Public school system. To date, Spark has reached over 400 children with a wide impact on school and family communities.
Kathryn recently completed her PhD at Drexel University with research that looked at the distinct benefits and developmental constructs of art therapy with preschool children. She has an additional research focus on Museum Studies and Art Therapy and other therapeutic practices. She was a research fellow under Dr. Girija Kaimal and has supported research on art therapy in virtual reality, art therapy for PTSD and TBIs with veterans, participatory and visual research tools in public health, and art therapy in pediatric cancer care throughout the country.
Kathryn has taught art therapy courses, behavior and development, personality theory and observing children at Drexel University, University of the Arts, Temple University and at Moore College of Art and Design. In addition to clinical work, Kathryn is a speaker, educator, and active community member, serving on many boards.
