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12 + WATERLOO CHRONICLE + Wednesday, May 7, 2008 en Deborah Reyner‘s 16â€" yearâ€"old son filled out a career survey, he was given a long list of jobs to consider. Choices ane to five advised him to look at various business entrepreneurâ€" ial roles, such as becoming the CEO of a small company. "But the only jobs he remembered were the ones that were negative to him, not positive," Reyner recalled. For instance, number 17 on the list said he should be a potter â€" someâ€" thing he doesn‘t have an interest in. So Reyner sat him down and pointâ€" ed out the similarities between a potter and an entrepreneur â€" both start with nothing, and develop it into someâ€" thing. s > Getting kids on the right track "That‘s where the gap is," she said. "They get these things, and they‘re fanâ€" tastic resources, but they don‘t know how to interpret them in Grade 10." That‘s why she‘s designed Parent Prep, a threeâ€"session program that gives parents the tools they need to help their children develop a plan for achieving a rewarding career. Reyner, who provides careerâ€"coachâ€" ing sessions, has many years of experiâ€" ence in this field. Currently, she works as a partâ€"time professor at Wilfrid Lauâ€" rier University and a fullâ€"time instrucâ€" tor at Conestoga College, where she teaches a careerâ€"planning course. The seminars, called Coaching Your Child in Career Decisions, begin at Conestoga College‘s Doon campus this weekend. "I think they‘re going to be good for parents," she said. _ Session one, which runs on May 10 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., takes parents from being unaware to participative by teaching them how to interpret the results of career surveys that highâ€" school students often fill out. They‘re also given the opportunity to network with one another to find answers for their children. The next step is to go from being a participative parent to a career coach. In session two, on May 24 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., parents use research on their child to determine a suitable disciâ€" pline. _ Participants will learn careerâ€"coachâ€" ing strategies and how to communiâ€" cate with their children. "The most important part of that session is tapping into your intuition," said Reyner. "We get so busy as parents By Jennirer ORMSTON Chronicle Staff _ _ Love your floor. Get the whole house floored at End Of The Roll prices! Deb Reyner, the director of Parent Prep, is getting set to begin the first official run of the program for parents. For more information, go to www.parentprep.ca. that sometimes things that we see and feel we don‘t (put in oomext)." o Children jéin their "career coaches" in session three, which runs on June 4 or June 17 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. â€" In four hours, each parentâ€"andâ€" child team will develop a vision and mission statement for the stuâ€" u « dent, as well as a brand T thin name and logo design, going t and look at suitable educational programs. f or P Parent Prep is primaâ€" rily targeted towards parents of children in grades 7â€"12. Informal Parent Prep classes have already run, and two parâ€" ents of collegeâ€"aged students took part. Reyner also recommends the program to people at this stage because research shows 40 per cent of Canadian univerâ€" sity students complete a fourâ€"year degree in six years. And in college, 35 per cent take four years to finish a threeâ€"year diploma, she said. These statistics reflect a number of Kitchener‘s largest inventory of laminate, vinyl, carpet, hardwood, tile, area rugs + more! LIFESTYLE "I think they‘re going to be good for parents." â€"Deborah Reyner Director of Parent Prep issues, including the fact some stuâ€" dents change their majors, Reyner said. "Two extra years or one extra year is costly." _ â€" This program, meanwhile, is effecâ€" tive because studies show parents are the number 1 influence behind their child‘s career choices, Reyner they‘re _ added. * "So, by knowing as much as you can, you can give them the appropriate advice and really help them." It‘s recommended participants sign up for all three sessions. The cost is $125 per class, or $325 for three. Advanced registration is required. Enrol online at www.conestogac.on.ca/ce/catlg/cours elist.jsp?CatalogCode=C17_H9084 or call 519â€"503â€"9819. "And parents don‘t want to lose their crediâ€" bility or trust with their child by not knowing what they need to know," she said. JENNIFER ORMSTON PHOTO Pledges raised are used to fund research and also help to provide education, information and support to the estimated 55,000 Canadians currently living with a brain tumour. K'l(chener~Wa(erloo's Spring Sprint for the Brain Tumour Foundation of Canada is on Saturday. The national fundraising walkathon features a fiveâ€"kilometre walk or run. & The event is on May 10. Checkâ€"in is at 11 a.m. and the walk beings at noon at Waterloo Park‘s picâ€" nic shelter. _ For more information, please contact Stephanie Dorion at 519â€"744â€"7593 or dorions4@hotmail.com. Saturday is International Astronomy Day and to celebrate it members of the Kâ€"W Centre of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada will be teamâ€" ing up with KW Telescope and other sponsors to provide prizes, workshops and public observing. Individuals of all ages are welcome. All of the workshops and observing events are familyâ€"oriented and free of charge. Two major prizes valued at $400 each plus other smaller prizes will be given away. On Saturday between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m., KW Telescope in Kitchener is having an open house feaâ€" turing a series of introductory workshops and supervised public solar viewing. Saturday evening there is a public star party at Waterloo Park starting around 8 p.m. There will be numerous telescopes set up to view Saturn, the moon and a selection of deepâ€"space objects that are only visible at this time of year. B The Luther Village on the Park, at 139 Father David Bauer Dr., is holding a charity garage sale on Saturday. _ _ â€" â€" The event will run from 9 a.m. to noon. May 17 is the rain date. _ The proceeds this year will be going to the Betty Thompson Youth Centre, which will benefit the youth in our own community. Honeyfest 2008 is on Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., at Hergott Cider Mill. Honeyfest is a free day for families, and includes activities and crafts. An interpreter will tell you what is happening at the observation hives. _ Fundraisers for the MS Society, food bank and others will be held at Honeyfest. _____ _ â€" Why not bring your family and make it a reunion or picnic with the activities and fundraising lunch? _ The cider mill is at 928 Erb St. W., across from Gate 1 of the regional landfill. Garage sale on Saturday Starâ€"studded day Spring sprint Honeyfest 2008 SPECIAL FINANCING AVAILABLE oac Kitchener 50 Victoria St N 519.570.2722 endoftheroll.com