Koala Talk: December 2010 - Cowlishaw Elementary School

More documents

Recommendations

Info

NEWS FROM THE PTA 2 Special Needs PTA NEWS Peace on Earth Such a seemingly simple ideal… why then is it so hard to achieve peace in our house during December? Over the past few years, I have learned which traditions and social occasions are truly joyful for my entire family, and those are the ONLY ones we plan to participate in this year. The peace of mind I have regarding this decision is a result of first being honest with myself, and then being just as honest with my relatives. It certainly was not easy to explain why we won’t be at certain events. The sense of Family Tradition and a need for sameness runs deep in some people. However, the reality is that my family is not the same as everyone’s. We need more quiet and less chaos. We need comfortable clothing without tags. We need to keep our gluten free/ casein free food separate from everything else. We need less judgment and pity from those around us, because frankly, we are quite joyful, and we truly DO love the holidays, albeit on our own terms. I sincerely wish each Cowlishaw family a very happy Holiday Season. I hope that each of you is able to enjoy special time with Family, however that is defined. May we all have some great memories of the holiday Season to look back on next year! ~Karyn Borden Preparing For a Holiday Gathering With a Special Needs Child in The Family by Samantha Brody, Associate Editor of Scholastic Parent & Child Communicate with family before the party. This is especially important if you only see these relatives once a year. ―Some relatives may be well-meaning but do or say things that are inappropriate,‖ says Linda Enders, Ph.D., associate professor of marriage and family therapy at the University of Alabama. ―Let them know what to expect from your child. Invite them to ask questions and bring up any concerns.‖ Connect with your child. During the holidays, when there may be lots of people over, be sure you’re connecting with your child to see what she needs. ―You’re your child’s number one ally, so do all that you can in a positive way to get her needs met,‖ suggests Mollie Marti, Ph.D., a psychologist and adjunct professor in the department of psychology at the University of Iowa. Let him lead. Special needs kids may require a little extra time to transition to a busy environment — like Grandma’s crowded kitchen. ―Trying to strictly control their behavior may trigger a tantrum,‖ adds Marti. ―Instead, allow them to take the lead and find an activity they want to do or a place where they want to sit. It will help them feel like they’re in control.‖ Selecting a toy for a child who has a disability? Here are the questions the play experts at the National Lekotek Center ask when choosing developmentally appropriate toys for kids with special needs. MULTI-SENSORY APPEAL Does the toy respond with lights, sounds or movement to engage the child? Are there contrasting colors? Does it have a scent? Is there texture? METHOD OF ACTIVATION Will the toy provide a challenge without frustration? What is the force required to activate? What are the number and complexity of steps required to activate? PLACES THE TOY WILL BE USED Will the toy be easy to store? Is there space in the home? Can the toy be used in a variety of positions such as side-lying or on a wheelchair tray? OPPORTUNITIES FOR SUCCESS Can play be open-ended with no definite right or wrong way? Is it adaptable to the child's individual style, ability and pace? CURRENT POPULARITY Is it a toy that will help the child with special needs feel like "any other kid?" Does it tie in with other activities, like books and art sets, that promote other forms of play? SELF-EXPRESSION Does the toy allow for creativity, uniqueness and making choices? Will it give the child experience with a variety of media? ADJUSTABILITY Does it have adjustable height, sound volume, speed and level of difficulty? CHILD'S INDIVIDUAL ABILITIES Does the toy provide activities that reflect both developmental and chronological ages? Does it reflect the child's interests and age? SAFETY AND DURABILITY Does the toy fit with the child's size and strength? Does it have moisture resistance? Are the toy and its parts sized appropriately? Can it be washed and cleaned? POTENTIAL FOR INTERACTION Will the child be an active participant during use? Will the toy encourage social engagement with others? Source: Toysrus.com
NEWS FROM THE PTA 3 GINGERBREAD JUNCTION CRAFT FAIR SATURDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2010 (9AM-3PM) Hill Middle School 1836 Brookdale Road, Naperville (off Rt59, just south of Diehl Road) Over 55 vendors! ...holiday gifts, home decor, glass, wood, jewelry & more! $2/adult: $1/student (3-14years old): Free-under 3 years old (Strollers restricted.) *All proceeds benefit Hill Middle School students. Thank You! A BIG thank you to Kim and Don Schwenneker, Subha Sriram, Jackie Cuculich and Lynn Dobbs for donating a dessert for our Fall Conference Teacher Dinner. It was a big success! Also, I could not have done it without the help of Karen Ahern, Mary Dworzycki and Gina Mantia. Thank you for donating your time for our wonderful teachers here at Cowlishaw! ~Jen Mantia Thank You to Jeanne Kern for all her hard working on putting our PTA directory together! Thanks Jeanne! ~Carol Borowski Dinner out at Culvers December 9th! Please help support the PTA by joining us at dinner at Culver’s of Aurora (Rt. 59 & 75 th St.) on Thursday, Dec. 9th, 2010, from 10:30 am – 10 pm. The PTA will receive 20% of all the orders we bring to the restaurant (drive-thru, carryout and lobby) all day on Dec. 9 th . A flyer will be sent home with students. Bring in the flyer, or if you forget, just tell the register person that you are there for Cowlishaw and they will credit your order to our account. Bring family and friends for lunch, dinner, or a snack and help us reach our goal!!! There will be a class competition that day to see which class has the most participants come out! The winning class will receive a free custard party from Culvers!!!! Have a nice winter break. School resumes on January 5th, 2011
Page 1: KOALA TALK NEWS FROM THE PTA Cowlis
Page 5 and 6: NEWS FROM THE PTA 5 H o l I d a y S
Page 7 and 8: NEWS FROM THE PTA 7 PTA NEWS Back R
Page 9 and 10: NEWS FROM THE PTA 9 Get Pie! 5 th g
Page 11: NEWS FROM THE PTA 11 Teacher Holida

Koala Talk: December 2010 - Cowlishaw Elementary School

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?