JOIN THE VILLAGE
Want to meet other parents and find out what really goes on at school? Jordan's parent networks bring together moms and dads to share our joys and challenges — everything from finding camps to setting boundaries about music, movies or dating. Have questions? See the frequently asked question below.

What is Parent Networking and Why do I want to do this?
Parent Network Groups are forums for parents and guardians of children within the same grade to share parenting ideas related to the social, emotional, and physical development. We encourage the development of a community where parents and guardians know one another, communicate readily, and work together for a healthy environment for all our young people.

What Parent Networking is not:
The parent networks are not political, advocacy, or formal parent education groups; they are not channels for airing individual grievances about school policy or personnel. We do not take positions on issues as an organization or seek consensus on appropriate parenting styles, nor are gatherings appropriate for discussion of school-specific issues such as school policies or child-teacher or parent-teacher conflicts.

What are they called?
Each grade level network is identified by the year its students will graduate from high school. Project 2013 will be comprised of 6th grade parents and guardians, Project 2012 for 7th grade, and Project 2011 is the 8th grade group.

Who runs it?
You do. Organized by a small committee of parents (the steering committee) who select topics for meetings, parents from each grade level are in charge of their own Parent Network group.

Who is involved?
All parents and guardians who would enjoy supportive peer group discussions regarding their children's social and emotional environment are welcome.

Who can I contact for more information?
Email or call the PTA Parent Network coordinator:
     Tracy Neistadt 323-6455 tracyneistadt@msn.com

Or Email or call your class chairpersons:
Project 2013 (6th grade): Tekla Nee 325-5540 tekla@well.com
            and Catherine Magill 424-8607 magill_catherine@yahoo.com
Project 2012 (7th grade): Wendy Crowder 323-6637 wcrowder@hotmail.com
            and Sawako Tajima 565-8183 sawako@tajima.us
Project 2011 (8th grade): Mary Dimit 321-6226 marydimit@mindspring.com
            and Linda Frommer 325-8582 lindafrommer@sbcglobal.net

When will we meet?
This is up to your group. This year, all groups are planning monthly morning coffee meetings, some evening meetings in the school library, as well as social occasions. By offering varied meeting times, most parents find they can make several of these throughout the year without too much impact on either work or family time.

Monthly coffees, 8:30-10:00am:

Project 2013 - 6th grade parents -- Third Friday of the month, starting September 15
      at Cafe Sophia in Midtown
Project 2012 - 7th grade parents -- Second Friday of the month, starting September 8
      at Prolific Oven on Waverly
Project 2011 - 8th grade parent -- Third Thursday of the month, starting September 21
      at Peninsula Creamery at Stanford Shopping Center

What will we talk about?
Here are a few examples: Where do you draw the boundaries in your family regarding music, movies and dating? Parenting our kids together: As your child moves toward greater independence, how do you join other parents and friends to guide your child along the way? How do you balance parental guidance, peer pressure, individual choices, and sense of belonging?

Do the parent networks have email groups?
Yes, each parent network has its own email group.
To join:
Project 2013 - 6th grade parents, send an email to
    JordanProject2013-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
Project 2012 - 7th grade parents, send an email to
    JordanProject2012-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
Project 2011 - 8th grade parents, send an email to
    JordanProject2011-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

edited 8/24/06