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Joe Bruzzese 417 Pitzer Court Santa Barbara, CA 93117 email: joe at MiddleSchoolYears.com phone: 805.889.2142 Download a Media Kit (Joe's biography, testimonials, book press release, workshop and speaking event offerings) Biography |
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Planning With Kids Parenting – iPods, sibling fighting, responsibility and more! |
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Wake Family Day Conference “Helping your child transition” WAKE COUNTY, N.C.
Wake County Family Day will be held on May 1 (Sat) from 8-12 at Millbrook High School. Free childcare is available. Registration is free, open to all WCPSS parents, and is mandatory. Register by April 25 at www.wcpss.net/news/2010_march15_family_day The event offers parents practical tips on successfully guiding their children through the extra challenges posed by big transition points in their school career, such as starting kindergarten, moving from elementary school to middle school, and moving from middle school to high school. Sessions will also focus on how transitions involve the community and the relationships among and between children, families, and educators.The program opens with simultaneous keynotes delivered by nationally-recognized experts. Harriett Stonehill (pre-kindergarten through elementary school), and Joe Bruzzese (middle and high school) will teach parents how to effectively work with their students at home to make each school year a success. |
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Eufaula City Schools hosts Joe Bruzzese to speak on Cyberbullying and Thriving in Middle School Eufaula, Alabama The Title 1 Department in conjunction with Admiral Moorer Middle School hosted Joe Bruzzese to present two parent education events. In response to recent media interest in the topic of cyberbullying and social networking Joe spoke about strategies that are focused on raising awareness among parents and specific action that can be taken to keep kids safe online. In addition to the presentation on Cyberbullying Joe spoke on the topics of Confidence, Connection and Challenge as critical themes for thriving during the middle school years.
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Centerville area middle schools host transition night for incoming middle school students Centerville, Ohio Parents from each of the three Centerville middle schools were invited to an evening parent education event with guest, Joe Bruzzese. Joe shared strategies with soon-to-be middle schoolers and their parents for thriving in the years ahead. In support of their parents the school district purchased 400 copies of Joe's book A Parents' Guide to the Middle School Years, which they were able to offer parents at the event. |
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Las Vegas area middle schools host Joe Bruzzese at their Middle School Transition Nights April, 2010 Welcoming new families to middle school is a critical part of the transition process. In addition to presentations by school administrators Joe Bruzzese spoke to parents at Leavitt, Becker and Bob Miller Middle School about how to thrive during the middle school years. |
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Bullies on a Virtual Playground – Sticks and Stones No Longer Needed March 25, 2010 Hi Moms – have you been hearing more about cyberbullying – are you wondering just what it is and how you can protect your kids from it? Well GirlMogulMom.com has enlisted parenting expert Joe Bruzzese, M.A., author of the essential guide A Parent’s Guide to the Middle School Years to decode this troubling practice for us. |
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Book review: A Parents' Guide to the Middle School Years For starters, Bruzzese has worked for the last 15 years at helping kids with their relationships at school and at home. With a Master's degree in education and a national athletic coaching license, he co-founded Thinking-Forward, a company that provides both coaching services and parent presentations. Joe also holds a position of professorship in the Graduate School of Education at the University of California Santa Barbara. |
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5 Ways to Tame the Homework Beast March, 2010 Mom's Homeroom — Learn ways to help your child succeed in school |
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Joe Bruzzese to deliver keynote address at the Wake County Parent Day Conference March 15, 2010 For most kids, the move to middle or high school brings both excitement and fear. Now is the time to help your child begin thinking about a move to a different school. Check to see if your school or district is planning an event. In Wake County (NC), "Helping Your Child Transition" Family Day will be held on May 1. This event includes the following workshops: * Middle School: Throughout the past 20 years Joe Bruzzese has successfully guided children, parents and educators through the challenges of the childhood years. As a nationally recognized author and speaker, Joe will bring innovation, energy, recognition and high standards to his keynote and presentation on "Thriving during the Middle School Years". Joe brings years of educational theory and practical experience to his work with families. For more from Joe, watch the video at the end of this article. |
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Annie Fox Podcasting Episode March 8, 2010 We all want our kids to succeed and grow up up to be confident, resilient, thoughtful young adults who can competently manage their own lives. But sometimes what we say we want is at odds with our parenting choices. Boy is it ever! Especially when it comes to doing what’s really necessary to help our children develop independence. Like when we say: “Your homework is your responsibility” and then spend the entire afternoon and evening nagging: “Do you have a lot of homework?” “How much do you have?” “I thought you were working on your homework!” “Did you finish your homework?” “Let me check your homework.” Auugggh! Not only will all this micro-managing create loads of tension, it’s also doing nothing to encourage self-confidence in your child. In this episode of Family Confidential, The Gift of Confidence, I talk with Joe Bruzzese M.A., author of “A Parents’ Guide to the Middle School Years”. Joe’s book and his ongoing work as a parent coach offer practical advice for building confidence in your child. |
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A Parents' Guide to the Middle School Years recommended by Youth Worker organization February, 2010 Have you been searching for a resource that prepares parents for the middle school years? Look no further! A Parents' Guide is a goldmine of practical advice for parents who hope to guide their children through the challenges and opportunities of middle school. The author's proactive approach empowers parents to avoid common pitfalls while also offering strategies to deal with friendships, depression, finding balance and overcoming the breakdown of communication. |
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6 Signs Your Middle School Tween Is A Victim of Bullying February, 2010 Do you think you’d be able to tell if your son or daughter were being bullied in middle school? Would you even know what to look for? Bullying is a sad reality these days and it’s happening way more than most parents would like to imagine. That’s why it’s important you know what to look for. Here are 6 signs that your tween is being bullied in middle school: 1. Rather than choosing to go out with friends your child prefers to stay at home |
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Radio show with Susan Swanson, Director of the Stepfamily Center February 9, 2010 Joe talks about parenting middle schoolers in stepfamilies. Making the transition to a new family can be challenging for parents and kids. Listen to Joe's top strategies for effectively navigating the middle school years with your stepchild. What can you expect from your stepchild during the middle school years? How much should your stepchild be responsible for when moving between households? |
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The Proffitt Report February, 2010 A Parents' Guide to the Middle School Years |
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Planning With Kids February, 2010 This video comes from a post on Joe Bruzzese’s blog - thinking forward, Middle School Tools . This blog is an excellent resource for parents who have children in the upper years of primary school. This video discusses how as a parent we can support our children taking responsibility for their homework. Joe gives advice on how to cope with the phone call “mum I’ve left my homework at home” and how you can set up systems with your child to prevent this from happening. |
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You Magazine You may be asking yourself, "So, what makes Mr. Bruzzese an expert on the middle school years?" For starters, Bruzzese has worked for the last 15 years at helping kids with their relationships at school and at home. With a Master's degree in education and a national athletic coaching license, he co-founded Thinking-Forward, a company that provides both coaching services and parent presentations. Joe also holds a position of professorship in the Graduate School of Education at the University of California Santa Barbara. For many reasons, Bruzzese says that the middle school years pose the biggest challenge for both kids and parents. Acting as a bridge between childhood and adulthood, everything in their world seems to change during middle school. Adding to this challenge is that the world itself has changed tremendously since most of us were teenagers. From the Internet to cell phones, technology has added a whole new wrinkle to the process. |
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Book Review: A Parents' Guide to the Middle School Years This book ranks as one of the best I’ve seen on helping your child transition out of the elementary years into a future of academic success. For many kids, middle school is the beginning of a radically different learning environment. For the first time, they travel from classroom to classroom to learn from a variety of teachers who each cover a specific subject. They also confront social issues at an age that would have been unthinkable even a decade ago. This book includes ideas galore–mind-mapping and goal-setting projects, coaching tips on ways to stay involved in your kids’ lives without making them crazy, and study and organizational ideas. (I’ve put the “milk crate filing system” into practice successfully.) The 6th-8th grade years have proven to be critical time in the student’s academic career, both rewarding and challenging, when kids gain independence and parents assume the role of supportive coach. I highly recommend this book for everyone who has or will have a middle schooler. |
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Woodward Academy - Atlanta, Georgia
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Parents and Teachers use A Parents' Guide to the Middle School Years for a six-week book study. January 23, 2010 Corkran Middle School's Parent Teacher Book Club will meet at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday in Room 212 at the school at 7600 Quarterfield Road. Participants should use the rear entrance to the building. A light supper and soda will be served at 5:30 p.m., followed by a discussion from 6 to 7 p.m. This month, participants will discuss the final chapter "Thriving as a Family During Middle School" of the book "A Parent's Guide to the Middle School Years." Parents are welcome even if they haven't read the book. A new book will be selected for the second half of the school year. Books are selected that provide advice and information about middle school aged children and are provided by the Parent-Teacher-Student Organization. For details, e-mail mzipay@aacps.org. |
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A Parents' Guide to the Middle School Years, now available in Japan. January 22, 2010 Released in April of 2009, Joe Bruzzese's book found its way to booksellers across the United States. The beginning of the New Year brought with it an expanded community of readers in Japan. The Parents' Guide to the Middle School Years online at the Japanese version of Amazon.com |
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Ellwood Elementary PTA invites Joe Bruzzese to speak with 5th and 6th grade parents about the transition to junior high January 21, 2010 Returning to Ellwood Elementary for the fourth straight year, Joe Bruzzese spoke to parents about the changes and challenges of transitioning to junior high. Peer pressure, drugs and alcohol and organization were among the parent concerns shared during the 90 minute presentation. |
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Isla Vista Elementary PTA Sponsors an evening book talk with Joe Bruzzese January 12, 2010 Joe shared his book, A Parents' Guide to the Middle School Years, with parents of graduating 6th grade students who will be headed to Junior High this coming Fall. Peer pressure, academic achievement and making the connection between choices and consequences were among the topics Joe discussed with parents during the 90-minute presentation. |
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Islander Middle School, Mercer Island Washington December 8-9, 2009 As part of a trip to the Pacific Northwest Joe Bruzzese spoke to a group of eighty parents at Rosemont Ridge about the challenges of social media in his presentation, "Facebook Facts and MySpace Myths". The following evening at Islander Middle School, Joe shared his presentation entitled, "Confident, Connected and Challenged - The 3Cs to Thriving During the Middle School Years". |
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Good Morning Maryland @ 9 November 13, 2009 For many kids, middle school represents the beginning of a transition from childhood to young adulthood. For the first time, kids are learning from more than one classroom over the course of a school day. They also begin to confront new social issues. During this time, many kids can feel lost. They are experiencing new issues that are sometimes uncomfortable to discuss with their parents and can leave them feeling alone. The middle school phase can leave the parents feeling uncomfortable as well. |
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Anne Arundel County Parenting Conference - Annapolis, Maryland
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Chesapeake Academy - Arnold, Maryland November 13, 2009
Joe Bruzzese presents, "Helicopters to Hummingbirds - Building skills for independence" for parents of children ages 5 - 11 at the Chesapeake Academy. |
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Sudbrook Magnet Middle School - Towson, Maryland November 11, 2009 The PTSA of Sudbrook Magnet Middle School welcome Joe Bruzzese for an evening parent presentation. Parents express concern over peer pressure, academic achievement and organization. |
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Becker Middle School sponsors an afternoon book talk with Joe Bruzzese November 5, 2009
Joe discussed top strategies from his book, A Parent's Guide to the Middle School Years with parents at the school's monthly Parent Advisory Committee meeting. Teaching children to assume increasing responsibility for their academic achievement, overcoming peer pressure and staying connected at home were among the topics Joe shared at the meeting. |
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Getting through the middle school years, a time of change and opportunity November, 2009 "One of the big frustrations of pre-teens and young adolescents is the feeling of being misunderstood. So a good starting point for any discussion of the middle-school years is to think about what kids this age wish their parents knew and really understood about them. |
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Back-to-school Advice While somewhere, somehow, there are families happily waltzing back into their school-year routine, most face these first few weeks with a healthy dose of anxiety. “The start of school means the return to a more rigid schedule … the return of homework. In essence, it’s about change, and change is something that is hard for most people,” says Joe Bruzzese, author of A Parent’s Guide to the Middle School Years. |
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Family Confidential is a current guest format podcast that run for approximately an hour. The episodes are aimed at parents who have older children entering and in their teens. Recent guests have been Joe Bruzzese, author of A Parents Guide to the Middle School Years and Mike Robbins, author of Be Yourself, Everyone Else is Already Taken. |
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Ease those first-day blues "Finding and maintaining friendships tops the list of worries among kids today, particularly when moving |
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Online Exclusive: Why Family Meetings Don’t Work: How to September, 2009 School, sports and a variety of other extracurricular interests challenge a family’s ability to stay connected during the school year. Try the weekly check-in instead of a long and drawnout family meeting. |
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Online Exclusive: Quick Book Reviews for Busy Parents September, 2009 Today’s kids seem to grow up faster than ever, and middle school is quickly becoming the new high school. Homework, social issues, sexuality and technology are just some of the major themes that our children deal with on a daily basis, and parents might not yet feel equipped to deal with the issues with kids this young. A handy reference for parents to turn to when life with teens and tweens seems overwhelming. |
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Have a Vision, Create a Game Plan September, 2009 Connect. During the first few weeks of school take two minutes to communicate with each person on your roster. Send a written note, e-mail message or share a quick conversation in person. The message to convey is short yet sincere, “Hi, I just wanted you to know how excited I am to have you in my child’s life this year.” This quick introduction sends a powerful message to everyone on your team about the importance of their role on your child’s life. |
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A+ Study Habits Posted online August 15, 2009 (from the September 1, 2009 print edition) Create a Mobile Desktop |
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Back to School: Parenting books, books and more books August 13, 2009 A Parent’s Guide to Middle School Years by Joe Bruzzese was so “on” I passed the book to my sister who will have a middle schooler. Joe covers everything from school supplies to bullying to your child’s locker! Yes, this book is full of valuable information for parents with kids entering or in middle school. |
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Parents Express names, A Parent's Guide to the Middle School Years in their Back to School sampler August 5, 2009 |
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Independent School Magazine: Five Steps to Building Your Support Team August 4, 2009 |
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Envisioning the School Year: how a team approach can make the difference August 3, 2009 |
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The Middle School Years: what parents need to know August 2, 2009 Question: What should parents know about middle school students? |
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Reviews Read Section August 1, 2009 A Parents' Guide to the Middle School Years - Because today's children seem to grow up so fast, middle school has become the new high school. Concerns about homework, social issues, technology, and emotional health confront parents earlier than they would like or expect.
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Book Reviews August 1, 2009 In A Parents' Guide to the Middle School Years, educator and parent Joe Bruzzese offers parents and their children empowering support to face the critical years from sixth to eighth grade with confidence. |
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Editor's Picks August 1, 2009 Back to school is the perfect time for learning more about this critical time in your child's life. Author Joe Bruzzese offers parents and the children support to face this time with confidence. |
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ABC Morning Show Sacramento & Co. July 20, 2009 Co-hosts Melissa Crowley and Guy Farris host Joe for spot on making a successful back to school transition. Creating a vision, maintaining a connection and building confidence were among the top ideas shared. The five minute show recording is featured below.
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Joe Bruzzese of UC Santa Barbara’s Gevirtz School July 14, 2009 |
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The Parent Report with Doug Cope June 17, 2009 |
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A Support Team for Your Student July 1, 2009 According to the United States Census Bureau, today's generation of school-age children spend the majority of their waking hours in the care of someone other than their parents. Given the influence that teachers, coaches and mentors and extended family members have on a child's development, the necessity for building a positive and dynamic relationship with this group of people has never been greater. |
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Press Release - A Parents' Guide to the Middle School Years published July, 2009 Ten Speed Press (now Random House Press) publishes A Parents' Guide to the Middle School Years by Joe Bruzzese, MA |
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Bullying: 4 Ways to Detect It, 5 Parent Actions June, 2009 In a recent national survey of students in grades 6-10, 30 percentreported being the target of bullies. Nearly 60 percent of the victims said they were bullied with threatening or embarrassing words through e-mail, instant messages, websites, chat rooms or text messages. |
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Being Prepared |
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Channel 69 - The CW - The Daily Buzz morning show hosts Joe Bruzzese May 20, 2009 Morning Show host, Andy Campbell asks Joe about the difficult challenges facing kids and parents as they enter the middle school years. View the TV spot below.
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We want our kids become self-reliant, but sometimes our parenting choices undermine our goals. Annie Fox talks about skill-building, independence, and letting go with parenting coach Joe Bruzzese, author of “A Parents Guide to the Middle School Years” (Ten Speed Press, 2009) |
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Giving hearts, Confident Kids— Youth Volunteers November, 2008 As your children become more independent, give them opportunities to try volunteering on their own. “Often the school and staff have a wonderful list of opportunities that either occur on campus or in the community. This can be a wonderful way for kids to enter into a successful volunteering experience, paving the way to a full-fledged opportunity to plan and implement their own experiences later,” says Joe Bruzzese, M.A., parent coach for middle school families. |
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Back to School September, 2008 A vision defines a direction toward a goal. Realizing a vision requires support from a motivated group of individuals; a team of people, who ban together through adversity, inspire motivation and acknowledge achievement. |
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