Woodinville, Wash. – November 25, 2002 – The PoliteChild today announced that recognized Child Psychologist Dr. Tona McGuire has agreed to join the Company’s Board of Advisors.

Dr. McGuire is a Child Clinical Psychologist and Clinical Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Washington’s School of Medicine. She obtained Bachelor's and Master's degrees in psychology from California State University at Los Angeles. She also has a Master's degree in Theology and a Doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology from the Graduate School of Psychology, Fuller Theological Seminary. Dr. McGuire has worked with children and families for more than 20 years, specializing in the issues surrounding childhood illness and trauma. She has published and spoken widely on these topics. In addition, she has worked with hundreds of families on typical childhood issues and behavior problems.

"One of the best things parents can do to boost their children's self-esteem is to make courtesy and manners as much a priority as academics and sports,” said Dr. McGuire. “Mastering appropriate social behaviors and learning to respect other's feelings are not only critical tools for a child's success but also help to build a better community.”
“The addition of Dr. McGuire to our Advisory Board is a huge benefit to our program,” said Corinne Gregory, PoliteChild Founder. “Since we are focusing on developing and changing patterns of social behavior in children, the advice and oversight of an expert in this area is critical to ensuring our program is sound, effective, and retains its excellence in quality.”

Dr. McGuire believes a program such as The PoliteChild can make a significant difference in the development of strong social skills in the child. “Although children love to hear a parent compliment them, there is an even greater impact when others comment to them about their positive behavior,” she says. The teaching methods and activities used in The PoliteChild courses have been specially designed to maximize the ways the child receives positive reinforcement about their developing skills and behaviors. To date, this has resulted in wonderful acclaim from students, parents, and educators alike.

About The PoliteChild. The PoliteChild is a unique program offering a series of classes that provide children of all ages – from toddlers to teens – with a solid foundation for learning and using Good Manners and proper basic etiquette. The PoliteChild focuses on the underlying principles and reasons behind the etiquette rules, not just the skills themselves, to give students the basis from which to make good, consistent independent decisions about their conduct. For more about The PoliteChild, visit the website at www.politechild.com. The PoliteChild is a subsidiary of The HartGregory Group family of companies.

About The HartGregory Group. The HartGregory Group, Inc. provides a unique package of business and information technology services designed to support the multi-faceted needs of today’s businesses. By leveraging years of practice-based knowledge, HartGregory offers a comprehensive and complementary suite of technical, business, and communications products and services including systems architecture planning, business development and infrastructure consulting, strategic marketing, communication, and public relations. For more information, contact the HartGregory Group at info@hartgregorygroup.com.

Copyright (C) 2002 HartGregory Group Inc. All rights reserved.

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