The Summit Country Day SchoolEarly Childhood Symposium

Schedule of Events

8 a.m. Registration

The Summit Country Day Lower School

8:30 a.m. Welcome

Rich Wilson, Head of School, The Summit Country Day School

8:45 a.m. Keynote Address

What Do We Know About The Effects of Good Preschool Programs?

Dr. John Chattin-McNichols will share research on the effects of the preschool experience, including research on

Montessori schools. Using Montessori materials, Dr. Chattin-McNichols will demystify Montessori early childhood

education by explaining six ways that Montessori is distinctive from other programs to include the environment,

the materials, the teachers, how the teachers work with children, the three year age span, and how the children

spend their time.

John Chattin-McNichols, Ph.D.

In concert with the 50th anniversary of The Summit’s Montessori Program, this year’s speaker is internationally

known educator Dr. John Chattin-McNichols, Ph.D. Recipient of the 2014 American Montessori Society (AMS)

Living Legacy Award, Dr. Chattin-McNichols is Director of the E.M. Standing Center for Montessori Studies at

Seattle University and a faculty member of Seton Montessori Institute’s Elementary Teacher Education Program.

A Fulbright lecturer who has lent his expertise to Montessori programs around the world, he has been published

on the topics of computer literacy, educational reform and Montessori education. After studying with Mario

Montessori in Italy in 1971, he received his doctorate from Stanford University.

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9:45 a.m. Session Block I

“Over-scheduled kids: How much is too much?”

Helen Clark, Lower School Director, The Summit Country Day School

Kendra Thornton, Lower School Counselor, The Summit Country Day School

“Over-scheduled kids are by no means a new issue, but it is an ever growing one. Studies show sharp declines

in the number of conversations that children have with family members, the frequency of family dinners shared,

and the available free time for connecting. The time children spend involved in structured sports has more than

doubled over the past twenty years. Today’s children are under considerable pressure to achieve and our kids are

burning out. We will discuss trends, the importance of downtime, and how to manage a chaotic calendar. Let’s

figure out what is the right balance for your family.

Navigating Your Child’s Learning Style

Gretchen Carroll, Education Coordinator, Special Education Department, The Cincinnati Children’s Hospital

Medical Center

Does my child have a deficit or delay in language, learning, or attention? How do I differentiate between normal

development and a potential problem? This session will explore key elements in the identification of children with

learning and attention difficulties. Families will also be provided with practical tips on how to support learning and

attention, build relationships with teachers, and determine appropriate interventions for their child.

From Helicopter Parents to Free Range Kids, Getting Parent Involvement Just Right

Dr. Terrence Malone, Lower School Director, The Summit Country Day School

In this session Dr. Malone will navigate you on a journey through the research on parenting from John Dewey to

current scholars. The research is compelling: there is a good way and bad way to parent! Dr. Malone will share

with participants the preferred parenting methods. He will discuss the media buzz of over-parenting and free range

kids, and he will present his own study on parenting and what teachers in America’s best schools are seeking.

This session is designed as a workshop where participants will roll up their sleeves and discover themselves in the

continuum of parenting.

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The Power in Music

Elizabeth Sluzewski Harman, MMT, MT-BC, The Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center

From lullabies and nursery rhymes to marching band, music is offered in many forms as part of the educational

curriculum in school from pre-school to 12th grade. What does music provide for the education of children and

how can parents harness the power of music for their children at home? In this session you will learn how to

incorporate music into your daily lives to promote growth and development of you children from birth through

age 10.

10:45 a.m. Session Block II

Family Nutrition under Construction

Amy E. Reed, MS, RD, CSP, LD, The Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center

Healthy eating habits and family meals are not things that magically happen. Just like completing a construction

project, encouraging your child to make healthy choices takes planning and effort. There is much information

available about what is “good” and what is “bad” food for kids and much of it can be confusing. Not every child

is created the same and not every child will choose to eat the same way. Come and learn what the role of the

parent is in the feeding relationship and what the role of your child is.

Child Adult Relationship Enhancement (CARE)

Dr. Erica Messer, licensed Clinical Psychologist and Assistant Professor of Pediatrics with The Cincinnati Children’s

Hospital Medical Center

CARE utilizes skills to enhance the adult-child relationship. These behavioral skills were derived from the evidence-

based Parent Child Interaction Therapy. The “3 P skills”: Praise, Paraphrase and Point-out-Behavior are used to

connect with young children. CARE also uses selective ignoring techniques to redirect problematic behaviors and a

set of techniques for giving children effective positive commands.

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Managing Screen Time, What You Need to Know

Brenda Greenert Judd, Early Childhood Specialist, Arlitt Child and Family Research and Education Center, The

University of Cincinnati.

Is screen media monopolizing your child’s time? Do you feel like you have to compete with technology? Screen

media is saturating our children’s lives. Television, i-pads, video games, i-phones all consume a great deal of

valuable childhood time. Informed parents want to know, is screen media safe? How has screen media changed

play? Is play different? Is constructive playtime important? If you have a son or daughter that loves to engage

in screen media or if you just want to be informed, this is the session for you. This presentation looks at early

childhood and the changes in play due to the saturation of screen media. The American Academy of Pediatrics

recommends screen media limits. The Fred Rogers Foundation outlines appropriate technology usage for young

children and early childhood theorists have specific early childhood developmental skills children need to learn

through constructive play. All of this will be outlined in this session. Don’t compete for your child’s time. Learn

how to engage in screen media with your child in an appropriate manner. Come and learn how to capitalize on

play for your child.

The Design of Montessori Environments

Dr. John Chattin-McNichols

The Montessori environment—the layout of the room and the materials on the shelves are a very important part of

what makes Montessori education work. Travel to other countries and back in time to see how these environments

meet the needs of children from a variety of backgrounds. We will look at Maslow’s Hierarchy of Human Needs in

relation to these environments, and look at what is essential and what varies by culture in these environments.

11:45 a.m. Lunch and General Session

“Kids in control: Developing self-control and its importance for school readiness”

Dr. Rachel White

How can we best prepare our preschoolers to succeed in kindergarten? Developing executive function – the set of

cognitive skills that help us to control our impulses, behaviors and emotions – is a key piece of the puzzle. Indeed,

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recent child development research shows that it is an even more important factor in early school success than

IQ! Dr. White will guide participants through cutting-edge research on the development of executive function,

why it is so important, and how to train it to help our kids be in control and ready for school.

Dr. Rachel White

Dr. Rachel White is a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Psychology at the University of Pennsylvania.

She received her doctorate in Child Psychology from the Institute of Child Development at the University of

Minnesota and her undergraduate degree in Psychology and Education Studies from Wellesley College. Dr.

White’s research focuses on the development of self-control and imagination in children. She is currently

investigating how imaginative strategies, such as taking another person’s perspective, can facilitate children’s

flexible decision making, perseverance, and emotion regulation. Dr. White has also studied the positive impact

of pretend play on self-control in the preschool years and her research review on the benefits of playful learning,

“The power of play,” was recently published by the Minnesota Children’s Museum.

12:45 p.m. Tours available of the Lower School

Please join us in the atrium registration area if you are interested in learning more about The Summit Lower

School and our passion for growing your child’s potential. Built in 2004, The Summit Lower School houses

Montessori classrooms for children from ages 2 through 6. In addition, the Lower School is home to grades 1

through 4. The Summit offers a strong academic program that features a 13 year seamless world language

program K-12; early exposure begins at age 2; 20 Advanced Placement courses; renowned Summit Writing

Program featuring published Upper School students in the prestigious Concord Review, Art Criticism state

champions in our Lower School to Middle School Power of The Pen State champions, finalists and published

authors. Our science program commitment begins with our youngest students and offers spacious science

laboratories led by a science specialist. Our Upper School science features the prestigious Science Research

Institute, a special program designed to increase scientific literacy and participation in authentic scientific

research beyond the classroom. A campus-wide character education program complements the academic

curriculum. Building strong minds and strong character, the program focuses on leadership, social responsibility

and ethics. We are well-known for educating leaders of character since 1890. Children at every age at The

Summit are encouraged to share their God given talents.

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Presenters

Gretchen Carroll

Gretchen Carroll is a Clinical Special Educator at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center. She has over

twenty years of experience evaluating and supporting children with developmental disabilities, specializing in the

areas of learning disabilities and Down Syndrome. She holds Master of Arts and Bachelor of Science degrees in the

field of Learning Disabilities from Northwestern University. Gretchen speaks locally and nationally at conferences

on the topics of learning, inclusive education, behavior, and curriculum modification.

Helen Clark

Helen Clark has experience in both public and private education. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree from

Marymount Manhattan College and her Master of Education degree from Xavier University. In 2007, Helen

was the recipient of an NEH grant to study Philosophy for Children. In June of 2009, she received The Summit’s

Schilderink Distinguished Teacher Award. This is her 27th year at The Summit. Helen taught both second and

third grades. She presently serves as the Director of The Summit’s Lower School and has been instrumental in

developing The Summit’s All-School Character Education Program as well as The Summit’s All-School Social Skills

Program. Helen has two adult children, both of whom are graduates of The Summit.

Elizabeth Sluzewski Harman, MMT, MT-BC

Elizabeth Harman is a music therapist at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center. She is a board-certified

music therapist with over 5 years of experience using music to achieve non-musical goals with children of all ages

and developmental levels. She received her undergraduate degree at The College of Wooster and her master’s

degree at Temple University. Elizabeth has made several presentations in the community as well as on a national

level. She is currently working on her first two publications, a research study and a case study for a new music

therapy textbook.

Brenda Judd

Brenda Greenert Judd is an Early Childhood Specialist at the Arlitt Child and Family Research and Education Center

on the Campus of the University of Cincinnati. Brenda has devoted her life to teaching. She holds a Master of

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Education in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Cincinnati, a Bachelor of Science, in Early Childhood

Education from the University of Cincinnati and a Special Education License Endorsement. She is a mentor to

student teachers and a preschool specialist for the University of Cincinnati. In November, Brenda will travel to

Reggio Emila Italy, as part as a 5 state team to visit the world renowned schools. She has two sons, William, a

senior at the University of Cincinnati and a graduate of The Summit and David, a senior at The Summit.

Dr. Terrence Malone

A glimpse of his background includes a variety of university coursework in Art, Elementary and Secondary

Education and School Leadership. Dr. Malone received formal training in literacy practices from several institutions

including the University of Pennsylvania, LaSalle University, Holy Family University and Columbia University. He

received his Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership from Northern Kentucky University. He has taught in

a variety of settings including urban and suburban public and private schools. He comes to Cincinnati from the

Philadelphia area where he was leading an award-winning public suburban elementary school. He served as The

Summit’s Lower School Director from July, 2008, through January, 2012, and is currently The Summit’s Upper

School Director.

Dr. Erica Messer

Dr. Messer is a licensed clinical psychologist and Assistant Professor of Pediatrics with Cincinnati Children’s Hospital

Medical Center. She received her Doctor of Psychology from Xavier University. She treats children and adolescents

who have experienced child abuse and neglect and conducts local, national and international workshops. Her

research focuses on the dissemination of evidence-based treatments for families exposed to trauma and violence,

children in foster care, and families coping with deployment. Erica is the president of the Cincinnati Society

of Child Psychologists, a board member of the Regional Trauma Institute Advisory Network, an Editorial Board

Member of the Journal of Family Violence, and a Task Force member of the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Foster

Care Clinic.

Amy E. Reed, MS, RD, CSP, LD

Amy Reed has been a dietitian at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center for over 14 years. She has

practiced in multiple areas including oncology, critical care, developmental disabilities, and weight management.

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She received her bachelor’s degree in dietetics from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio and her master’s in nutrition

from the University of Cincinnati. She completed a dietetic internship at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and

a pediatric nutrition fellowship through Indiana University at Riley Children’s Hospital. She is also board certified

specialist in pediatrics through the commission on dietetic registration. She is also the mother of 2 boys ages 6

and 4.

Kendra Thornton, PCC-S

Kendra Thornton has a Master of Arts in Community Counseling from Xavier University. She is a Professional

Clinical Counselor independently licensed by the Ohio Counselor, Social Worker, Marriage and Family Therapist

Board. Kendra is currently employed as the K-4 Guidance Counselor at The Summit Country Day School.

She is also a member of the Cincinnati Red Cross Disaster Mental Health Services Team. Kendra volunteers as a

Reconnection Workshop facilitator assisting service members as they re-integrate with their families

following military deployment. She has provided therapeutic support to children at local public and private

schools since 2005.

Special thanks to

Dr. John Chattin-McNichols, Keynote SpeakerDr. Rachel White, Lunch and General Session Speaker

Our Distinguished Summit FacultyThe Summit Technology Department

The Summit Communications DepartmentThe Summit Administration

The Summit Board of TrusteesThe Summit Maintenance Department

The Summit Parent AmbassadorsThe Summit Office of Admission

Tom Peters, Drama Director, The Summit Country Day School

McAlisters Deli, Cincinnati Magazine, Queen City Printing, Banacom Signs, Arnold Printing

Special thank you to your event committee: Annie Bergeron, Nancy Berlier, Beth Bissmeyer, Jean Geier, Kathryn Harsh, Lisa Nicholson, Elaine Pearl, Kathy Penote, Jane Schmerge, Kelley Schiess and Phyllis Schueler