Contact Us
Visit The Character Effect website
The
Character
Effect
Visit The PCX website
PCX
App Coming Soon!

Beech Acres

Go to the home page
Click for information about our recent cyber security incident.
Facebook Linkedin Instagram
Click for information about our recent cyber security incident.

Schools

Zoomed in photo of an adult and a child holding hands
Jim Mason, Parents, Schools

The Time To Act For Children Is Now

/

For generations, fire drills and tornado drills were a common activity for schoolchildren, a brief reprieve from the daily routine, and an opportunity to remind them what to do in case a natural or unexpected disaster hit their school. For a new generation of children, another type of drill – the active shooter drill – has become just as commonplace. Recent mass shootings in California, Texas and right here in Dayton have shocked those communities and the entire country. The impact of the violence on the affected families, friends, communities and the rest of us will linger far longer than the current news cycle. This is not OK. We know the mental and physical toll toxic stress has on the human brain. The trauma endured by children when they experience or see violence on a regular basis actually re-wires their brains in a way that affects their ability to succeed in school and develop healthy emotional relationships. At Beech Acres Parenting Center we are gravely concerned about the long term effects of this trauma as these children become adults. That’s why we stand #DaytonStrong with our neighbors in Dayton, Ohio as they grieve and heal from their recent tragedy. We also support Susan Dreyfus’ statement and the Alliance for Strong Families and Communities’ call to action to end gun violence in the United States of America. Common sense gun regulations are a start to reversing the negative course of our society and restoring a sense of safety and security to our children’s lives. Eliminating continued exposure to traumatic experiences can help reduce the incidents of stress-related diseases including mental illness, depression, high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes and suicide. The time to act for our children is now.  We encourage you to get involved by calling or emailing you senators to tell them to ask for a vote on H.R. 8, The Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2019 and H.R. 1112, The Enhanced Background Checks Act of 2019. Both require stronger background checks, a measure which most Americans support. You can also ask them to revisit the banning of assault weapons. Thank you for your continued support of our mission, Inspiring and equipping today’s parents, families and communities to raise capable, caring, contributing children.   

White Back to School Quick Tips BAPC graphic with a backpack on it
Back To School, Beech Acres, character strengths, Natural Strength Parenting™, Parenting Tips, Parents, Schools

Back To School Quick Tips!

/

Back to School Quick Tips Try a few of these tips at home to help your family successfully transition back to your school year routine. Let us know which ones worked for you! State An Intention Start by setting an intention with your child for the new school year. Ask, “what can you do to make this year your best yet?” Get curious with them and ask “What do you need from me to succeed?” Then make sure to build in accountability. “What steps will you take to succeed?” “How will you know if the intention you set is working? How will your experience at school be better?” Build On Thier Strengths Acknowledge your child’s fear and anxiety, and offer the idea that these feelings subside as you become familiar with what was once ‘new’. Every person has 24 character strengths inside them. You can discover your family’s strengths for free by taking the VIA Character Strengths Survey located on our website. Take A Mindful Moment Actively listen to their concerns and let them know you are listening. “I hear that you are worried about your first day of school, but you smiled when you talked about seeing your friends again.” Take Time For Yourself Set an intention for yourself to be prepared and ready to help your kids succeed! Lean into your own strengths of Love, Fairness, Judgment, Leadership, and Perseverance. Take a moment for yourself. Sit outside and take a moment to Appreciate the Beauty of these final summer days.

Photo of large quantities of food in a refrigerator and in boxes
Schools

Sayler Park Food Pantry

/

Stacey* is a busy mom with three busy children. Every Wednesday she and her children catch a Metro to the nearest grocery store five miles away. They shop and then wait for the bus to head back home. They then carry their six bags of groceries about half a mile to their house. This is the reality for many families in the quaint, tight-knit neighborhood of Sayler Park. Cincinnati’s western- most neighborhood, Sayler Park is a virtual food desert. The one-mile long neighborhood runs parallel to the Ohio River and is laid out in beautiful, walkable blocks about two miles wide. Its location places Sayler Park away from most of the more populous Cincinnati neighborhoods, cut off from the rest of the city by miles of river-based industry running through neighboring Riverside and Sedamsville. Be Moore, a Beech Acres Parenting Center Family Peer Support Provider, envisioned a different reality for the families of Sayler Park. In 2017, Be championed the Blessing Box, a tiny cabinet in the library that housed non-perishable food and hygiene items. While the Blessing Box was indeed a blessing for some of the families, donations were sporadic, stock levels were low, and ultimately it was an inadequate solution for the families at the school.   “I wanted to do more for the families at Sayler Park Elementary School,” Be said. The expansion of the Blessing Box began with a partnership with LaSoupe. LaSoupe is a local non-profit that bridges the gap between food waste and community hunger by reclaiming otherwise wasted food to make delicious, nutritious soup for those in need. They began providing soup and other snacks to Sayler Park. “As much as this helped, it still did not meet the needs of many families,” Be commented.    Next, Be reached out to the Freestore Foodbank. After several meetings, Sayler Park was approved to host a food pantry. “The Freestore Foodbank provided two shelving units, a deep freezer, and a monthly allocation of $750 per month,” Be said. This proved to be a game changer for the community. Since opening two months ago, the food pantry has served 39 families, many of whom are repeat customers. An added benefit from the food pantry is the trust that is built with the families. Be and the rest of the team at Sayler Park Elementary School have become a respected asset to the community. “The food pantry allows me to connect with families I would not otherwise come into contact with and address other resource needs they may be experiencing such as clothing, school supplies, rent/utility assistance, and of course mental health support,” Be observed. By connecting closely with families and providing a valuable and much-needed resource like the food pantry, Beech Acres staff members are able to focus on important behavioral and mental health needs of the students without worrying about a client’s hunger or nutrition. “Regardless of their individual circumstances, parents no longer have to struggle to feed their children, and those children are coming to school well-fed and ready to learn. Support the awesome work being done in schools with a monthly gift to Beech Acres Parenting Center. 

Photo of a male teacher speaking with the parents of a little boy
Back To School, Bullying, Schools

Partner With Your Child’s Teacher To Address Bullying

/

Partner With Your Child’s Teacher To Address Bullying. Partnering with your child’s teacher can offer critical insight into cases of bullying. Here are some questions you can ask your child’s teacher: How does my child get along with other students? With whom does he or she spend their free time at school? Have you ever suspected my child is being bullied by other students? Work with the teacher and with the school administration to create a plan for your child. Schedule a call or virtual meeting with your child’s teacher to address your concerns. Make sure you know the school’s policy on bullying, bring it to the administration’s (principal and school counselor) attention, and ask what their intention is regarding your child. Most schools should list their bullying policy on their website or in the student handbook. Let them know you have a plan in place with your child’s teacher and that you want the Administration involved in the solution. Ensure that any plan includes protecting your child from the situation worsening as a result of them bringing it to the school’s attention. Finally, you should meet with the school throughout the process, not just once, until there is a resolution.

Graphic of parent building blocks with a man and woman stocking colorful blocks that have letters, shapes, and numbers
Parents, Schools, Teachers

How To Develop Parents Into Allies In Achieving Children’s Educational Success

/

Reblogged from Alliance For Strong Families and Communities July 19, 2018 By Emily Scharfenberger, director of strategic partnerships, Beech Acres Parenting Center  Beech Acres Parenting Center believes that parents and caregivers are the biggest champions and strongest advocates for their children. As the first and most important teachers in children’s lives, parents are responsible for helping them achieve their full potential. It is important to equip parents with the necessary skills to help their children be more successful. Therefore, Beech Acres Parenting Center places parents at the center of its education strategy and everything the organization does. Each parent has his or her own unique strengths, and helping parents to uncover and cultivate their strengths enables them to intentionally engage with their children. In doing so, they can equip their children to be the best they can in life. It is important to meet parents where they are and build genuine relationships with them because it enables us to understand their needs. Then we can make the connection with the necessary resources and community partners. This also applies to the school setting—making sure there is a connection made between the school, parent or caregiver, and the community. The relationship between parents and school staff is critical, and connecting and igniting this relationship can drive better success in school. The ability to coordinate and be a liaison between school, parent or caregiver and community partner helps bridge some of the gaps and provide support for all areas. This hopefully will help deepen the relationship and increase the communication happening between the parent/caregiver and the school before meetings need to be scheduled. Beginning the flow of communication between school staff and parent/caregiver as early as possible is important to build the relationship. This will help with the child’s overall school success when everyone can be on the same page working toward the same goal. Providing training for the school staff around trauma, parent engagement, and behavior modification is a key component.

Scroll to Top