Bloom 206 Finds Success in Virtual Parent University

Superintendent Lenell Navarre didn’t let the current pandemic stop the district from proceeding with its annual Parent University. 

Saturday, October 3, Bloom Township High School District 206 hosted its first-ever Virtual Parent University. 

The district opted to focus on topics that were most relevant to families during these unprecedented times. Topics included Parenting During COVID-19 by Gretchen Lichtenstein, who is an international speaker and psychotherapist; Researching Scholarships in a Pandemic by Brenda High, who is the President of Career Fitness, LLC; A Financial Refresher by Jacqueline Sanders who is a financial expert and columnist; and a bilingual session on Data & Student Development by Ernesto Saldivar, Jr. Director of Language Acquisition for Bloom Township District 206.  

“It was deeply important to not only continue providing the experience of Parent University to our community of parents, guardians and families, but also to develop content that felt appropriate for the current challenges we are all facing,” said Navarre. “I truly appreciate the effort our educators have made to push this event forward and continue supporting our families, and I’m also grateful for the passionate support network our students have, who took time on a Saturday to engage with us in this way.”

Attendees were given an anonymous feedback survey to complete following the event and feedback was highly positive. “This was great!” One participant shared. “There was something for the entire family!” 

Another comment was: “These sessions were very needed at this time. It helped me to get some self-care time as mentioned in the Parenting During COVID-19 session. The presenters were very knowledgeable and gave me great tips to use for me and my students.” 

Both Bloom High School and Bloom Trail High School will hold virtual Parent Connection meetings throughout the school year, while the district will host another Parent University in the spring. 

The recording from the event can be found on the district’s website.