by Tammy
5. January 2011 12:19
Heart and Hope
The 5th Annual Heart and Hope Statewide Family Conference will be held at Southwest Middle School in Orlando, Florida on Saturday, February 12, 2011, from 9:00am until 4:00pm. Heart and Hope is a FREE full day event that is designed to help bring individuals who are at risk, families who have children with disabilities and the professionals who serve them awareness of their options and rights that are available to them within the school system and beyond. Specific presentations have not yet been determined, but topics to be covered will include Transition, Guardianship, Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS), Response to Intervention (RtI) and Early Childhood. Workshops will be presented in English, Spanish, and Creole. An IEP Clinic will be available for individual assistance with your child's IEP. There will be vendor displays and information. KidCamp will be provided (pre-registration is required for KidCamp as space is limited). This year's Keynote Speaker will be Dr. Angela Martin-Walker, creator of the popular "Families Building Better Readers" and "Mysteries in the Middle" programs in Florida. She will be presenting her "Readers of the Caribbean" literacy workshop for families. Children will be invited to "pirate tryouts" and put through a battery of funny "tests" in their quest to become BOOK-A-NEERS. Parents and children practice reading activities led by the trainer, children participate in a live reader's theater, and each participating family takes home a literacy adventure gameboard that helps them apply what they learned during the workshop. This event is sponsored by the Harper Family Charitable Foundation and presented in partnership with Orange County Public Schools Exceptional Student Education and Bright Feats.
Please visit www.fndfl.org/categories/99/ for more information and to register.
Parental Involvement Matters
Ten Ways Parents Can Support Their Child's Learning
- Make sure your child is well rested and fed before he/she starts the school day.
- Talk with your child daily about his/her school day and homework assignments.
- Learn ways to assist your child with his/her homework assignments.
- Provide an appropriate place for your child to do homework.
- Help your child break down homework into small steps.
- Encourage and praise your child's efforts.
- Help your child develop a consistent daily routine and study time for doing homework.
- Encourage your child's curiosity and creativity.
- Provide a variety of reading materials for your child and model daily reading.
- Encourage your child to become involved with student leadership activities.
The Soul Knows No Bounds Advocate Search
Buddy Cruise, Inc. has joined forces with Driven, Inc. to find "The Soul Knows No Bounds" 2011 Self Advocate! The winner will become a spokesperson for the 2011 Buddy Cruise and will win a cruise for themselves and a companion for the 2011 Buddy Cruise. They will tell their story onboard and inspire others on this seven night voyage to the Caribbean. They are looking for an individual with Down syndrome who effectively communicates his or her own interests, needs, wants and rights. This person has found a way to make a difference in their life by looking beyond their limits and finding their strengths. They have found a way through their own uniqueness to inspire others. "The Soul Knows No Bounds" Advocate will become a spokesperson for the 2011 Buddy Cruise, receive hotel, cruise, and transfers for themselves and a companion for the 2011 Buddy Cruise, and present a minimum of two times while onboard. If you are someone who has...
- not allowed yourself to be held back by your disability but found ways to capitalize on your abilities,
- found a way through your own uniqueness to inspire others,
- found a way to make a difference in this life by looking beyond your limits and finding your strengths,
You may be the next "Soul Knows No Bounds" Advocate. Please submit an application and you may be inspiring hundreds on the 2011 Buddy Cruise.
Visit www.buddycruise.org for details, the official rules, eligibility, and application.