...for City of Southlake news, business, and community happenings.
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- teens
Saturday, December 2, 2023
When talent meets passion, magical things can happen in the workplace…even when there are unique and sometimes great challenges. Managing programs involving teenagers trying to find their place in the world might be intimidating for most, but for Southlake’s Teen Court Coordinator Dana Kirkland, it’s what she was “meant to do.”
Dana’s love and respect for young people, coupled with meaningful work experience and a quest to get it right, is extraordinary. And the Teen Court program works beautifully as a result.
Dana was a teacher in New Mexico for 26 years before retiring. She taught 4th and 5th grade in general subjects and 6th and 7th grade in Math. In 2016, Dana relocated to the DFW area. She happened to see the job posting for Teen Court Coordinator and immediately pursued and got the job.
She has brought her classroom management, public speaking, and conflict mediation skills to her daily work. Dana is creative and determined and gets the job done, even when circumstances have required her to regroup.
“During the Covid-19 pandemic, Dana went above and beyond to find ways for teens to participate and fulfill their obligations while still learning from their experience. Where a lot of teen courts failed during that time and are no longer functioning, she was able to manage the program and make it successful,” said Kristin McGrail, Municipal Court Manager.
Writing essays was one option for teens to complete service hours. The topics were varied and always thought-provoking, all with the intention of getting the teens to reflect on their choices. Dana has read hundreds of papers in the past two years and has provided valuable feedback to the teens regarding their papers.
Dana does everything she can to make the teen court experience meaningful and enjoyable for everyone involved. Whether cultivating new community service work sites, coordinating training for teen attorneys, or organizing a professional conference, Dana uses her considerable skills to support adolescents as they prepare for adulthood.
For bringing a lifelong passion for education to the job and quietly working each day to make a difference with local teens, Dana Kirkland has been identified as one of the City of Southlake’s Unsung Heroes.
If you are a parent hoping to help your child get into top colleges, the City of Southlake Parks and Recreation is offering an educational program just for you.
For many, college applications can be a hassle and quite confusing. Add to that, more and more students are applying to the nation’s top colleges, it is becoming increasingly harder to get in. But we’re offering some guidance.
By taking the educational program, parents and teens will learn about what elite colleges look for and how to systematically develop a plan to help increase a student’s odds of admission, including recent trends and what role extracurricular activities of students plays in the process.
Participants will also receive a free copy of the instructor’s e-book on college planning and selection. This session is ideal for parents of 9th– 11th graders, but 12th grade parents are also welcome.
Click HERE to register for How to help your Student get into Elite Colleges!
For more information visit please visit SouthlakeParksandRec.com or call our office at (817) 748-8019
This is the time of year for holiday events and parties and the perfect time for teens to make a little extra babysitting money.
If your teen is looking to become a certified babysitter; look no further. The City of Southlake is offering an educational course for all children ages 10 – 16. The class offers lessons on responsibility and safely for the care of children and infants. The course will take place on Saturday, November 11, 2017 from 10:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. at the Southlake Activity Center located at 307 Parkwood Drive.
This one-day program teaches the fundamentals and safety of childcare. Learn how to treat basic first aid emergencies, choking prevention, how to handle fire and safety emergencies, how to plan age appropriate activities and so much more. At the conclusion of the class, teens will have the opportunity to earn a certificate by demonstrating their mastery of the content.
Click HERE to register for Babysitting Certification Class!
For more information visit please visit SouthlakeParksandRec.com or call our office at (817) 748-8019
James Brandon
Chief of Police
As you may know, April is distracted driver awareness month, and the police department is focused on keeping all of our drivers safe, but especially our teen drivers.
According to the Texas Department of Transportation, distracted driving causes more than 100,000 traffic accidents each year in Texas.
Teen drivers are even more at risk, so we encourage parents to talk with the teens in your home to ensure that they are as safe as possible on the road.
In addition, the police department will be focusing our attention on Southlake’s school zones.
We want to ensure that our Dragons are able to safely walk to school and that all drivers are obeying the law while in a school zone.
Help us by observing the school zone speed limit, stopping for pedestrians in crosswalks, and keeping your hands on the wheel and off your phones while driving through a school zone. Thank you and drive safely.
Talking to your tweens and teens about drugs can be awkward and difficult for many parents. How do you start a conversation with them? What do you say? Where can parents find experts with the right information to share with teens?
SPARK is just the answer you are looking for. “Students and Parents Against Risks to Our Kids”, or SPARK, is a group led by Southlake Mayor Laura Hill. The program is sponsored by the City of Southlake and its Police Department and the Carroll Independent School District.
SPARK was created to bring awareness about tween and teen drug use. The program gives parents valuable information and provides them with the right tools and messaging to start a conversation with their children.
The next SPARK meeting will be held from 7:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., Tuesday, November 17, 2015 at the DPS North Training facility at 100 East Dove Road. Guest speakers will include Riley Shaw from the District Attorney’s office, Calvin Bond, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), a narcotics detective with the Southlake Police Department, and School Resource Officers (SROs) from Carroll ISD’s middle and high schools.
The evening will be very informative and attendees will have an opportunity to ask questions. Please see the flyer for more information. We hope to see you there.
Even though the weather is cooling down, the holiday season has things heating up with events at the Library. With Holiday-themed events, November and December will feature a slew of fun activities and programs for children and teens of all ages brought to you by the Library at Southlake Town Square.
So whether you want to celebrate an authentic Native American thanksgiving, decorate Christmas cookies, or ring in the beginning of a new year, the Southlake Library has something for everyone. For more information on these and other events at the library, visit www.southlakelibrary.com.
A lot of people will tell you the holiday season starts with Thanksgiving but at the Southlake Library, the holiday season kicks off in October! Starting October 10, the Library will feature a variety of fun, holiday-themed activities and events for all ages.
For more information on these and other events at the library, visit www.southlakelibrary.com.
Coming this summer! Teens, learn to write with author Jenny Martin. Explore ways to develop your own unique, writing voice. Try new techniques. Share your work and get valuable input from Jenny and other teen writers. Each session is designed to inspire, encourage and welcome young writers from ages 13-19 years.
Workshop dates are June 11, 18 and 25 @ 2 PM, on the 3rd floor of Town Hall.
Jenny Martin is a librarian, a book monster, and a certified Beatle-maniac. She lives in Dallas with her husband and son. Her first book for teens, “Tracked” is available now.
For more information about the Teen Writing Workshops, please contact your Youth Librarian, Stacy Wells or call us at 817.748.8243.