Exciting New Lecture Series Coming to ORLA
In addition to the fun activities that have become part of our school's legacy, we are excited to launch a new series this year. Inspired by the events of the last decade, particularly how the COVID-19 pandemic has reshaped our social landscapes, ORLA PTA leaders and members have been working diligently to rebuild our sense of community here at ORLA. This has been a challenge as we strive to foster connection within our diverse population while ensuring that our students’ safety remains a top priority.
This school year, the ORLA student body is focusing on empathy and civility—an inspiring theme! As soon as we heard, we began imagining who we might invite to our school to promote healing and connection. What if we launched an interactive lecture series? This series would offer multiple perspectives and opportunities for families to engage with one another. We would invite all members of the ORLA community to develop new skills and invest time in positively interacting with other caregivers, teachers, and staff.
We are now thrilled to introduce ORLA PTA’s Empathy and Kindness Forum: a special lecture series focused on supporting our community through kindness and civility.
We’re kicking off the series on October 9th with a Caregiver Workshop on Building Executive Function in Our Kids, led by ADHD Coach and ORLA parent Colley Joubert. Join us to learn more about executive function, empathetic communication with our children about their challenges, and strategies to help them develop systems and routines that support their growth, including how to better target interventions. Click here for more information and to register for the workshop.
We’re also thrilled to announce a performance of Playback Theater from the Heartsparkle Players and the Thunders on October 17th at 6:30 PM. Join us for desserts and conversation from 6:00 to 6:30 PM before the show begins. If you haven’t experienced these amazing performers yet, this is a must-see event! Playback Theater is a unique show that transforms our stories into art through music, dialog, and movement. Click here for details.
In November a lecture titled Compassionate Conversations: Non-Violent Communication will be coming to ORLA. In 2025, NAMI will be presenting a mental health series for our community and Follow the Knowing will be guiding our ORLA community in an interactive conversation series. Watch our ORLA PTA events page for more details as they become available.
If you or someone you know would like to partner with the ORLA PTA to bring an event to the stage this year that centers around empathy and civility please contact us at contact@orlapta.org. We’d love to explore that opportunity!
Your PTA presidents,
Christine Clements and Natalie Martzolf
