More than 300 parents, students, and education professionals gathered on October 1 at Adams Middle School for the evening event led by Redondo Beach Unified School District (RBUSD) and Partners in Education. Destination Purpose: Find Your Purpose — the official theme of the event — allowed administrators to enlighten parents and guardians on best practices for parenting school-age children.
The night began at 5:30 p.m. with a sampling of foods donated by nine Blue Zones-approved local restaurants including Rock ‘N Brew, My Fit Foods, Sacks on the Beach, Fresh Brothers, and Sesame Moe’s. The winner of the annual Golden Chef Hat award, given to the maker of the best homemade dessert, went to a member of the Adams Middle School PTA. Silvia Duca made a whole wheat almond lemon tart and won in an overwhelming vote. Following the food hour was an hour-and-a-half of presentations by three school administrators — District Superintendent Dr. Steven Keller, Deputy Superintendent Dr. Annette Alpern, and Beach Cities Health District and Blue Zones Project purpose facilitator Kathleen Terry. All three presenters focused on finding purpose in life, one of the nine tenets of the Blue Zones Project to live longer, healthier, and happier.
Dr. Keller urged parents to cater to the “whole child” – their daughter or son’s social, emotional, physical, and academic needs — and the high standards the district holds for its employees and parents.
“If you don’t want to hustle, this may not be the place for you,” Keller said, nodding to the active participation expected of parents of children in Redondo schools.
“We have 50 expectations for employees in our school district,” he added, noting the equally rigorous framework set out for school employees. “50, that’s my age, so every year we get one more.” The audience laughed.
Dr. Alpern underscored the importance of positive reinforcement between parent and child and urged parents to advocate for their children by providing a supportive home setting. She provided insight into best ways to conversate with children, depending on their gender.
“With boys, you have to hold conversations indirectly,” Alpern said. “They’re not good with eye to eye. The best way is engage with them is to shoot hoops or talk to them when they are in the back seat [of a car]. Girls can do eye to eye.”
Terry encouraged parents to find their purpose, which would then inspire children to follow suit. For emphasis, she paraphrased Einstein: “The two most significant days in your life are the day you are born, and the day you figure out your purpose.”
Animated slides full of moving GIF images and dramatic transitions — designed by Ricardo Gallegos, executive assistant to the school board and superintendent — made for engaging presentations by all three presenters. Peter Boesen, a father of three RBUSD children, received the 2014 Education Advocate of the Year award. Every chair was filled and many attendees were standing in the back.
“We had a really nice turnout, which is especially good because it’s for parents,” said Vivian Ibarra, chairperson of Partners in Education, the group responsible for coordinating the night’s event. “It gets bigger every year and has become more of a community event.”
Boards filled with purposes as stated by RBUSD students and staff were posted all around Adams Middle School to encourage parents to explore the idea of purpose and to engage with their children about the topic.
“None of this could have been done without Dr. Keller’s leadership and the bold and collaborative board,” said Beach Cities Health District CEO Susan Burden.
A follow-up session to the State of Education will keep the self-realization momentum going. A “Power of Purpose” workshop will be held on Tuesday, November 4 from 6:30 to 8:30 pm at Parras Middle School to help people identify their purpose. All are welcome to attend.
