In This Issue

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F E A T U R E D A R T I C L E

Save the Date! 2017 National At-Risk

Education Network (NAREN) Conference

April 5-7, 2017 TranZed Alliance

Conference Center Baltimore, MD 21234

Conference sessions will focus on 6 key areas:

1) Relationship Building 2) Motivation &

Engagement 3) Behavior Management

4) Life Skills Coaching 5) Crisis Management

6) Inspirational Strategies Keep checking the NAREN

website for the latest updates and

conference news:

narentranzed.org

Vol. 10, Issue 6 DECEMBER 2016

The Holidays come with many challenges. But while you are juggling the shopping, entertaining, traveling, baking and decorating, don't overlook the academic challenges happening at the end of the calendar year. From test-taking to term papers, academic focus during the Holidays is important! Here are seven strategies to help your student make the most of this critical academic period.

1. Commit to a Few Extra Minutes of Academic Planning. Teachers and parents can play a significant role in helping students plan and organize for academic success during the holidays by taking "a few extra minutes" each day to review with students the academic tasks happening between now and mid-January. Teachers should repeatedly remind students of the dates of exams, reports and class projects and provide students time during class to make sure these dates are in the student's planner. Parents should sit down with their student and, with planner front-and-center, discuss these academic tasks. Help students insert dates for school vacation, family events and travel. Then, with both the school demands and family plans on the calendar, plan with your student the specific days and times for test prep, research, writing and class project completion. Support your student with reminders, encouragement and motivation to do the work when planned and follow-through on these academic commitments. By taking just a few extra minutes for this helpful planning, teachers and parents can maximize student performance and lower student stress!

Featured Article

Adolescent Brain Hosted

Presenter's Corner

2017 “Hosted” Workshop Schedule

Calendar of Upcoming Events

2017 NAREN Conference: Save the Date

7 Strategies For Managing Holiday Academic Challenges! By Frank Kros , MSW, JD President of The Upside Down Organization

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7 Strategies for Managing Academic Challenges (continued)

2. Don't Sacrifice Sleep. Skimping on sleep to cram for tests or to complete projects

is seldom a good idea. Research on the learning process suggests that the phase known as consolidation ̶ the selection, organization and encoding of information into our memory ̶ is critical to learning deeply. Most of the consolidation phase happens while students sleep. Thus, students sacrificing sleep are actually sacrificing learning!

3. Space-Out on Learning. Speaking of planning and cramming, did you know that the

best way to retain information is to “space-out” review over several days or weeks? Help students to plan the cycle of learning, consolidating and then reviewing material several times in order to fix it firmly in her/his memory rather than cram the night before an exam. This well-researched "spacing effect" demonstrates that the brain forms stronger and longer-lasting memories of material when it is exposed to information over time.

4. Self-Quiz to Prepare in a Pinch. Students can get bored re-reading material over

and over again. So reviewing notes and skimming outlines can lose effectiveness pretty quickly. Instead, teach students to prepare quizzes on the material and to take frequent "mini-tests" as the real test approaches. Recalling information from memory is much more effective than just passively reading over it. That's because answering questions from memory just doesn't test what the student knows -- it reinforces what the student knows. Teachers, parents, family members and friends can help by making the self-quiz activity fun and social for students. Have the student put the quiz questions on index cards, in texts or Tweets. Then have family, friends or fellow students "ask" the quiz question. Celebrate correct answers and don't sweat the incorrect answers. Error correction is another really powerful way to learn! Each time the student summons the information from memory by quizzing, they strengthen the brain's hold on the material.

5. Soothe Test Anxiety. To reduce the anxiety that often occurs right before the test

is distributed, teach students to set-aside 10 minutes before testing begins. During this 10 minute period, have the student write down his/her fears about the exam. By downloading these anxieties onto paper, students free-up working memory — the mental energy needed for thinking and problem solving. This allows them to better focus on the task before them and direct mental energy to where it is most needed!

6. Connect Homework and High-Interest Material. For student tasks requiring

work over time, like research papers and class projects, help students find ways to connect the material in the assignment with something they are passionate about. Research shows students are most engaged in learning when her/his motivation is intrinsic. Intrinsic motiva-tion arises from enjoyment of the task itself rather than some unrelated external reward. By connecting seemingly mundane information to an issue, character or context the student cares about, student effort and performance can be greatly enhanced.

7. Help Students Believe They Can Get Smarter! How do we get smarter?

Through strategy acquisition, strategy selection, hard work and perseverance. The great news about these four strategies is that students can do something about each of them —and get smarter in the process. Researchers at Columbia and Stanford have demonstrated that students who believe they can do things to make them smarter produce higher achieve-ment than those who believe his/her learning ability is fixed and unchangeable. UDO was so excited about this finding that it created a whole workshop “Change Your Language, Change Their Lives” to teach parents and educators about these powerful strategies for improving the academic and behavioral mindsets of our children. This practical, strategies-you-can-use-tomorrow learning experience is truly life changing!

Save the Date!

2017 National At-Risk

Education Network (NAREN)

Conference

April 5-7, 2017

TranZed Alliance Conference

Center Baltimore, MD

21234

Keep checking the NAREN

website for the latest updates

and conference news. Call for

Presenters open through August 31, 2016; apply

through the NAREN website.

UDO offers “Giving a Fish a Bath” Hosted in January

Page 3

Every think the Adolescent Brain was impossible to understand? Think again!

Giving a Fish a Bath: The Untold Story of the Adolescent Mind presented by Frank Kros, MSW, JD

Recent discoveries in neuroscience offer exciting insights into how the brains of our teens really work and the special “brain-based” challenges facing adolescents as they mature. This workshop reveals why teens are especially vulnerable to drug use, high-risk peer influences and depression as well as the proactive measures adults can take to minimize a teen's exposure to these dangers. This seminar also addresses the often mystifying role of hormones on adolescent development and focuses on the key roles that stress and sleep have on the adoles-cent learning process. If you've ever thought that the adolescent mind could not be understood, this workshop will arm you with the latest insights and information on knowing and empowering the adolescent brain.

J A N U A R Y 31, 2017

9-4 | 6 Category I Social Work CEUs

Individual: $149.00 Group Rate (3 or more): $129.00

Get The Upside Down Organization’s Best Inside Information and Deliver Phenomenal Presentations:

Creating Connections: A Transformational Approach to Brain-Based Presenting

JANUARY 14-16, 2017 | 9am-4pm (Note: This workshop is Module I of the Certification Program)

Do you aspire to be a truly brilliant presenter, speaker, teacher or staff development professional?

Are you hungry for a learning experience that will dramatically improve your presenting skills by showing you how to deliver your content consistent with how the brain learns?

Would you like to have all of UDO's “inside information” on presenting — techniques and tools resulting in UDO’s ability to book speaking engagements in 44 states and even internationally? Or are you responsible for a training department and want to vastly improve the effectiveness of your training team? If so, consider joining UDO at The TranZed Alliance Conference Center in Baltimore, MD for “Creating Connections,” a 3-day workshop that guarantees to transform and dramatically improve your presentation skills.

CREATING CONNECTIONS WINTER SESSION

COST $499 - Individual | $999 - Organization

To register by telephone or if you have questions, please call the UDO office at 410-444-5415.

LOCATION TranZed Alliance Conference Center 6802 McClean Blvd., Baltimore, MD

21234

Page 4

2017 NAREN Conference

April 5-7, 2017 Stocking the Helper's Toolbox: A Skill-Building Extravaganza $365.00 - Early Bird Rate* *through 2/15/17

3 Days! Energizing Keynotes! Memorable Breakout Sessions! 30-Minute BLASTS! Featured Speakers! Authentic Youth Performances! Pre-Conference 2-Day Immersion Session! One-of-A-Kind Conference Center! The Brain Path! Breakfast and Lunch Each Day! AND MUCH, MUCH MORE!

Friday, 4/7

My Life Almost Killed Me

Carl M. Price Speaker, Author, Coach, Mentor

Thursday, 4/6

I Take My Fun Seriously...Play, Connect, Reflect and Learn!

Scott I. Goldsmith, M.S., LPC Owner, Outside the Box Experiential School Psychologist & Licensed Professional Counselor

Wednesday, 4/5

Listening to the Brain: Why Neuroscience Can Transform At-Risk Education

Frank J. Kros, MSW, JD Director, NAREN President, The Upside Down Organization COO, The Children's Guild

NAREN Conference

Page 5

PRE-CONFERENCE SESSION: 4/3-4/4

Catalysts of Culture School climate and culture is frequently talked about, universally desired and often mandated by school boards, districts and authorizing agencies.

But seldom does anyone provide the specific “how to” guidance that educators and leaders can use to design and implement a genuinely transformational culture.

This unique immersion experience provides 2 full days of active learning and engaging with leaders and students of this amazing school.

LOCATION: Monarch Academy Public Charter School, 6730 Baymeadow Drive, Glen Burnie, MD

TIME: 7:30-4 PM

COSTS*: CONFERENCE ATTENDEES (PRE-CONFERENCE & NAREN CONFERENCE): Early Bird (up to 2/15) - $549 | Regular (after 2/15) - $599 OPEN to the PUBLIC (PRE-CONFERENCE ONLY): Early Bird (though 2/15) - $249 | Regular (after 2/15) - $299

*Costs include training, materials, and lunch each day; transportation and lodging not included. Discounted hotel rates available. Visit the NAREN website for more information:

www.narentranzed.org

NAREN Conference (continued)

NEED LODGING? Discounted Rate of $119.00 (plus tax & charges) available at the Sheraton Baltimore North for conference attendees. Visit the NAREN website for the latest news and updates, to register, and/or to make lodging reservations: www.narentranzed.org

CERTIFICATION PROGRAM PRESENTER'S CORNER: Spreading the Word on Behalf of UDO!

Certified Presenters Stay Busy in October and November!

CERTIFICATION PROGRAM PRESENTER'S CORNER: Spreading the Word on Behalf of UDO!

Cortney DiSalvo & Katie Gifford teamed up in October and co-presented a 2-hour "Child Abuse and the Brain" workshop in Rockville, MD for staff and parents on behalf of Montgomery County Child Welfare.

Terri McCloskey conducted a 2-hour "Beyond Poverty" session for the Center for Schools and Communities at their annual conference in Malvern, PA. In November, Terri presented a full day "Beyond Poverty" workshop on behalf of the Susquehanna County Coalition for Child Safety at their annual conference in Montrose, PA.

In October, Emily Moody presented a half day "Giving a Fish a Bath" workshop at the Caroline County Public Library in Denton, MD to library staff of Caroline County.

In October, Shauna King traveled to Lancaster, PA to present two "Beyond Poverty" breakout sessions to Student Assistance Program (SAP) teams for a conference offered through Compass Mark. In November Shauna presented a 2-hour "Change Your Language, Change Their Lives" evening session to staff and parents of Calvert County Public Schools in St. Leonard, MD. Later that month, she presented two sessions, "Change Your Language, Change Their Lives" and "Beyond Poverty," to student support staff of Harford County Public Schools in Bel Air, MD.

Rob Basler presented "Becoming a Mental Health Sleuth" for CASA of Luzerne County in Wilkes-Barre, PA.

Ellen Abramson delivered an opening "Right From the Start" keynote presentation at the Maryland State Family Child Care Association (MSFCCA) Conference in Ocean City, MD in mid-October. In addition to the keynote, she also provided a 2-hour "New IQ" breakout session. In November, Ellen presented "Rethinking ADHD" in Largo, MD on behalf of Prince George's County Public Schools Judy Hoyer Early Childhood Center.

Gloria Sherman conducted two 3-hour workshops to Head Start staff at the Floyd County Head Start program in New Albany, IN in early October. Presented workshops included "Child Abuse and the Brain" and "Beyond Poverty." Gloria hit the conference circuit in November with two appearances: she presented "Change Your Language, Change Their Lives" at the Child Connect for Family Success conference in Howell, MI and "Rethinking ADHD" at the Parenting Awareness Michigan (PAM) Conference in East Lansing, MI.

NOW is the Time to Book your 2017 Training Dates!

Looking for a presenter to visit your school, program or organization? Visit our website and click on the “Request a Quote” button for a free, no-obligation quote.

Ready to submit a request now?

Visit the UDO Website for more details!!

CERTIFICATION PROGRAM PRESENTER'S CORNER: Spreading the Word on Behalf of UDO!

Page 6

UDO Offers “Hosted” Workshop Schedule This School Year at TranZed Conference Center in Baltimore, MD

Open to the Public | Only $149 per person* LOCATION: TranZed Conference Center, 6802 McClean Blvd., Baltimore, MD 21234

Back by popular demand, some of our best workshops will be offered next school year from September, 2016 through May, 2017. These workshops are presented by UDO president and world-wide speaker, Frank Kros and promise

to fill quickly. Grab your seats early.

January 31, 2017 9-4 | $149 per person* | 6 Category I Social Work CEUs Giving a Fish a Bath: The Untold Story of the Adolescent Mind

February 28, 2016 9-4 | $149 per person* | 6 Category I Social Work CEUs 1) Brain Matters: The Essential Guide to Brain-Based Learning 2) Change Your Language, Change Their Lives: What Adults Can Say Differently Today to Change the Tomorrows of Our Youths

March 24, 2016 9-4 | $149 per person* | 6 Category I Social Work CEUs Rethinking ADHD: What Works, What Doesn't, and Why

April 28, 2016 9-4 | $149 per person | 6 Category I Social Work CEUs Jack's Brain, Jill's Brain: Gender Differences and Why They Matter

May 18, 2017 9-4 | $149 per person* | 6 Category I Social Work CEUs 1) Change Your Language, Change Their Lives: What Adults Can Say Differently Today to Change the Tomorrows of Our Youths 2) Conquering Boredom, Apathy and Indifference in the Classroom: Strategies to Engage, Excite and Motivate Your Students *Group rate of $129 per person offered for groups of 3 or more.

Registration is now open! Use the links above or visit the UDO website

at www.upsidedownorganization.org ("Open Workshops" Tab)

Monthly “Hosted” Workshop Schedule

And the positive comments keep coming from last month’s “Becoming a Mental Health Sleuth” workshop: “As a school counselor my focus on the skills learned

today will enhance my responses to both students, teachers

and parents.”

“The Brain Path walk was so eye-opening!”

“Good, solid workshop.

I really believe that I will use what I have learned

today.”

Page 7

JANUARY January 18 & 19 Brain Matters: The Essential Guide to Brain-Based Learning Child Abuse and the Brain: The Developmental Impact of Trauma in Childhood Beyond Poverty: Brain-Inspired Ways to Understand and Respond to Poverty Frank Kros | Villa of Hope | Rochester, NY January 27 Change Your Language, Change Their Lives: What Adults Can Say Differently Today to Transform the Tomorrows of Our Youth Shauna King | Milton M. Somers Middle School | La Plata, MD January 31 HOSTED - Giving a Fish a Bath: The Untold Story of the Adolescent Mind Frank Kros | The Upside Down Organization | Baltimore, MD

FEBRUARY February 20 Managing Your Mind: Using Neuroscience to Boost Your Leadership Impact Frank Kros | Alliance 2017 Senior Leadership Conference | Clearwater Beach, FL February 23 Beyond Poverty: Brain-Inspired Ways to Understand and Respond to Our Students Coming From Economic Disadvantage Frank Kros | University of Pennsylvania | Long Island, NY February 24 Beyond Poverty: Brain-Inspired Ways to Understand and Respond to Our Students Coming From Economic Disadvantage Frank Kros | University of Pennsylvania | Long Island, NY February 25 Beyond Poverty: Brain-Inspired Ways to Understand and Respond to Our Students Coming From Economic Disadvantage Frank Kros | University of Pennsylvania | TBD, NJ February 28 HOSTED - Brain Matters: The Essential Guide to Brain-Based Learning Change Your Language, Change Their Lives: What Adults Can Say Differently Today to Change the Tomorrows of Our Youth Frank Kros | The Upside Down Organization | Baltimore, MD

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

Guide to upcoming events and The Upside Down Organization workshops:

The Upside

Down

Organization

(UDO) is a non-profit organization

dedicated to the

education and

advocacy of

Transformation

Education, an

organizational

philosophy and

operating system

for child-serving organizations.

UDO offers

professional

development

experiences,

mentoring

services, learning

tools and

organizational branding that help

improve the skills

of people who

educate, parent,

guide and care for

young people.

Visit UDO online,

contact 410-444-

5415 or e-mail

info@upsidedown organization.org.

T H A N K Y O U

As we close out one year and enter into another, we personally and professionally give thanks for the many blessings in our lives and send our warm gratitude to all of you who have supported our mission. We celebrate our 10th year of service in 2017 and are grateful to all of you who have contributed to our success. We truly could not have done so much without you. Wishing you a joyous, healthy and

successful 2017. Happy holidays to you and your loved ones! — The Upside Down Organization

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