Assistant Superintendent Dr. Staci Johnson told the Gasconade County R-2 Board of Education on Jan. 20 that the district plans to hold family engagement learning opportunities to help with local needs.

“This was a topic we’ve been talking about a lot since our retreat,” Johnson said. “What are the things that we’re already doing as a district in terms of educating our students and our staff and mental health issues? An area of weakness for us is having engaging opportunities for our families to come together and to learn a little bit more about issues.”

Johnson said she has enough ideas to see the district through next year. They have already scheduled two events this spring in terms of a family engagement series.

Focusing on how to identify threats, the first event is from 5 to 7 p.m. on March 17 in the Owensville Middle School Cafeteria.

“Jamie Myers, who is the executive director of Prevention Consultants in Rolla, he and his team will be leading a session on drug and alcohol abuse awareness and prevention tips for helping your teen navigate that really important time in their lives where they’re making some big decisions,” Johnson began.

According to the advertisement, Myers helps parents protect kids from drugs, learn proven methods for parents, schools and communities to help all kids make healthy, drug-free decisions.

“We’re going to serve dinner, and hope to bring in as many families as we can,” Johnson said. “I’m working right now to try to get some high school students for child care so that we can offer that as an incentive as well, for them to come eat, hear about that and learn together.”

The second meeting is a Digital Detox presentation that will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. on April 15 in the Owensville Middle School Cafeteria.

“We’re bringing in Josh Varner,” Johnson said. “He’s a nationally recognized speaker at this point. He is a Missouri guy, but he is a trauma-informed expert. I’m very excited that he has several presentations.”

Varner is also scheduled to train Gasconade County R-2 staff next fall.

“This spring, he’s coming to do a session called Digital Detox,” Johnson said. “It’s about how smartphones and social media impact mental health and how to reclaim well-being. For any parent getting ready to go through life with a teenager or young child with a cell phone. It’s going to be a very powerful session.”

That event will also provide dinner.

“You’ll see those flyers come out,” Johnson said. “We’ll put something in the newspaper, a little place for them to RSVP.”

The event is open to everyone and is not limited to the district. Contact the district to RSVP or watch The Republican for updates.