A MEDIA RELEASE

Connecticut Parent Teacher Association

60 Connolly Parkway, Building #12
Hamden, Connecticut 06514

State and National Dignitaries Highlight State Parenting Conference

Attention all parents! Take the day off and do something special for yourself. With Mother’s Day and Father’s Day right around the corner, you deserve a break and some extra time off from your daily parenting responsibilities.

U.S Senator Christopher Dodd will be there and so will Dr. Betty J. Sternberg, the Connecticut Commissioner of Education. Other dignitaries will include Linda Hodge of Colchester, CT, the National Parent Teacher Association (PTA) President; State Senator Louis DeLuca, and Mark A.R. Cooper, First Selectman of Southbury.

Associate with us this spring. This is your last chance to sign up for “The Power of Association: Making Great Things Happen Together” on Friday, May 7 and Saturday, May 8 at the Southbury Hilton in Southbury. Come learn about the latest parenting topics from the #1 parent resource in the country.

Parents, educators, and students are invited to attend the most comprehensive, two-day conference of its kind in the state. Join the Connecticut PTA at their action-packed 104th Annual Conference. All sessions are open to PTA as well as non-PTA members.

The following major sponsors are generously supporting this year’s conference: Connecticut’s County Kids, our media sponsor, and Sally Foster Gift Wrap and Club Z! In-Home Tutoring and Educational Services, our corporate sponsors.

One of the highlights of the convention will be the Spirit of PTA Gala on Friday, May 7 from 6 to 11 p.m. Over 25 volunteers from around the state will be honored as outstanding PTA members and child/parent advocates. Honorees will receive a special certificate and gift in recognition of their volunteerism.

During the Spirit of PTA Gala, U.S. Senator Christopher Dodd also will be honored in a special ceremony. He will be presented with CT PTA’s most prestigious honor, Honorary Life Membership to CT PTA by Kevin Daly, the CT PTA President. He will be given this award in recognition of all the great accomplishments he has championed on behalf of the thousands of children in Connecticut.

According to Kevin Daly, the CT PTA President, “U.S. Senator Dodd truly exemplifies the Connecticut PTA’s belief in ‘every child...one voice.’ His efforts as an excellent statesman and advocate for children serve as a fine example in Connecticut and throughout the nation.” National PTA President Linda Hodge of Connecticut will also be in attendance at the Spirit of PTA Gala to offer her congratulatory remarks.

In addition to the gala, the conference features nine exciting workshops, including a keynote presentation by Kelly Brownell, Ph.D., Director of the Yale Center for Eating and Weight Disorders at Yale University in New Haven. This nationally recognized authority will focus on "Children and Obesity: It's Out of Proportion".

Discover the real story behind childhood obesity, causes of the obesity epidemic, the identifying factors, treatment vs. prevention, and the role of parents and schools. After his informative presentation, Dr. Brownell will conduct a question and answer session, followed by an autograph session of his latest book, "Food Fight", which will be on sale.

Dr. Brownell is Professor and Chair of Psychology at Yale University, where he also serves as Professor of Epidemiology and Public Health. He has been President of several national organizations and has received numerous awards and honors for his work. Dr. Brownell has published 14 books and more than 200 scientific articles and chapters.

Susan Fiore, MS, RD, will focus on a related topic, “Educating Our Children To Become Nutritionally Fit: Promoting a Healthy School Nutrition Environment”. This dynamic, well-credentialed speaker serves as the Nutrition Education Coordinator for the Connecticut State Department of Education.

A registered dietitian and Project Director for Connecticut’s Team Nutrition grants funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Susan Fiore will focus on giving students consistent, reliable health information and integrating the concepts of healthy eating and physical activity into the overall school day. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn about recent initiatives to promote healthy eating and physical activity in schools, and resources to help PTAs make positive changes at the local level.

Connecticut’s new Commissioner of Education, Dr. Betty J. Sternberg, will also lead a workshop. She will provide an overview of “The No Child Left Behind Act: What Does It Mean To You”. This 23-year veteran of the Connecticut State Department of Education will help you get educated about this complex new law.

The conference will also feature an entertaining speaker from the National PTA Board of Directors. Frank Kwan visits us from California and will cover three timely seminars, "Utilizing PTA Resources For Parents and Communities" “The No Child Left Behind Act: A National Perspective on Parental Involvement,” and “What Every PTA Leader Should Know” with co-presenter, Kevin Daly, President of the Connecticut PTA.

Frank Kwan possesses expertise in the areas of parental involvement, father involvement and communications/marketing. In addition to his PTA involvement, he is the Director of Communications for the Los Angeles County Office of Education and directs marketing for the nation's largest intermediate education agency.

Other timely workshops include: a forum about “The Teenage Scene Today – Hot Topics of the Day,” “Developing Self-Advocacy Skills” with John H. Ryan, Ph.D. of Southington, Director of Future Horizons; “The Voucher Debate” with Roberta Cooper, Ph.D., Deputy Director of the New York Regional Office of People for the American Way; and “Marketing for Members in the Millennium,” with Cara Mocarski of Cutting Edge Communications in Shelton, Janet Maurice of Web Plus Design Studio in Trumbull, and Malin Zergiebel of TSG Web Plus in Brookfield.

In between all these exciting, educational workshops, be sure to stop by the Exhibitor Hall. Dozens of exhibitors will display programs and services for PTAs and parents. The conference also features the Reflections Awards Ceremony for student winners throughout the state, and several general PTA sessions.

As part of the festivities, Chocolate Fountains of Connecticut, a division of Gift Baskets USA, will have a flowing fountain of delicious Belgium chocolate with fruit at the Spirit of PTA Gala and the Honorary Life Member/Nutmeg Statewide PTA Receptions.

This spring take time to educate yourself. Come associate with the Connecticut PTA Conference. We are the largest child advocacy organization in America with 56,000 members in Connecticut and over 6 million members in the United States. Our two-day conference represents an unparalleled networking opportunity that will attract hundreds of parents from all over the state.

For registration information, please contact The Connecticut PTA either by calling (203) 281-6617, contacting them by email at connecticut.pta@snet.net, or on the web at www.ctpta.org. Registrations received after April 27 will be assessed a late fee.

Sign up today because space is limited!

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