Massapequa Holds ‘Parent University’ Seminar To Educate District Parents

MASSAPEQUA, NY. — Parents in the Massapequa School District got to go back to school this week, as the district held its third annual "Parent University" seminar Wednesday night.

The seminar featured panel speakers and workshops, which district officials said were designed to strengthen the connection between parents and the school that teaches their kids. Superintendent Dr. William Brennan highlighted the district’s vision, core concepts and mission at the seminar, noting that the district hopes to be, “Creating leaders… one child at a time.”

On a keynote panel, Brennan was joined by Dean of Students Kenneth Wing and Massapequa seniors Tatum Brennan and Jayden Schaefer. In his part of the panel speech, Wing said the parents ought to identify and support their kids’ strengths, saying that the school district would provide them ample opportunity to find success — whatever success might look like for them, individually.

“When you combine school plus parents, your children win,” Wing said. “It’s a simple equation.”

For Brennan and Schaefer, the panel speech was an opportunity to reflect on their time in Massapequa schools, from elementary school all the way through high school. For Schaefer, that experience included working in hands-on classes as part of the school’s HVAC program, which he enrolled in after talking to his guidance counselor. For Brennan, Massapequa High School was a place where she was part of student government, college-level classes and sports.

District officials said this was the first time students had been included on the panel, a decision made to help show parents how the district’s offerings help students through their journeys.

“We really wanted to make sure we were able to showcase as many students as possible to share their experience in Massapequa schools,” Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction Dr. Brian Trapani said.

After the panel, a pair of workshops for seven “classes” with Massapequa administrators, instructors, students and teachers leading them. Those classes included topics like artificial intelligence, digital safety, kindergarten instruction, mindfulness, parent support and social and emotional learning.