Parent Teacher
Resource Center
Newsletter - Fall 2018
Plan, plan, plan… Planning is a part of life and helps us feel in control, stay organized and prepare for our days.
Some planning falls into place easily and becomes a regimented part of our weekly or even yearly
schedule. We plan around school and work times to include extracurricular activities and
appointments. We may shop for groceries on the same day or have an evening when we like to
head out for dinner. Special occasions may include yearly trips or traditions that are expected so
the planning part is easy and takes little effort. It can be fun to prepare for a new event or special
celebration and become a good teaching moment for our children.
In the world of disabilities our plans often include new experiences or approaches to help
accommodate the different stresses or challenges that are occurring in the moment. We may be at a
point where the moment to moment is all we can manage and by the time we sit down at night our
minds are a blank. Procrastination can take the place of the big picture planning as it becomes
easier to keep pushing those thoughts to the back of the line. We are a unique group because we
have to plan for more and often expect less. We have to look further down the road and project a
timeline that is based on our son or daughter, not an age or date on the calendar.
We are allowed a little leeway in our planning. There are some things that can wait and still fit
into the supportive role in which they are designed, but eventually we have to face them. We need
honesty and pragmatic thinking to ensure we have done enough to prepare for that big picture.
With the start of a new school year and the planning you have done and continue doing look to our
Center as a place to help you fill in the pieces to your picture. Our biennial event, Pathways to the
Future, will take place on November 10th at Massaponax High School. Out of the 25+ outbreaks
you may want to dip your fingers into a topic that will be a part of your future. It is never too early
to start gathering information about guardianship, special needs trusts, social security or the
ABLE Act. Come to visit the vendors that will be there to give you information about community
services and programs and to meet other families who are in front of or behind your timeline. You
may find a connection you were looking for or be a mentor to another.
Keep planning and know that the Parent Teacher Resource Center is here to help. Look for our
workshops that will be presented throughout the year and check out our resources or make an
appointment to visit. We would love to sit down to help you plan, for the week, the school year, or
the future. We have both been there and continue to plan, plan, plan.
Upcoming Events
disAbility Resource Center
409 Progress Street
Fredericksburg
Health and Wellness Exercise
Program
Tuesdays 10:30AM
Adults with Aspergers
Friday, November 2nd 7:00PM
Hearing Loss Association of
America
Thursday, November 15th
11:00AM
SOLE Meeting
Mondays, November 12th &
26th
December 3rd & 17th.
6:30PM
Wednesday Afternoon Live
Wednesdays
2:00PM
Experience FALL through the senses….
Feel and pick up the colored leaves from the trees…try to catch them as
they fall from the branches.
See how many different fall colors you can find right outside your front
door.
Listen to the crunch of leaves under your feet and hear the last few
songs from the crickets and cicadas.
Smell the warm pumpkin bread baking in the oven and inhale the cool,
crisp air.
Taste the chewy caramel apple, sweet candy corn or sip some hot apple
cider.
"Disability is not a brave struggle or
'courage in the face of adversity.'
Disability is an art. It's an ingenious way
to live." - Neil Marcus
Youth with disabilities, parents/guardians and
professionals who support them!
Attend a FREE Transition Conference and Resource Fair
PATHWAYS TO THE FUTURE
2018
“My Future Belongs To Me!” Choose from over 20 information sessions and explore
the extensive vendor fair to gather resources to assist
you in preparing for the move from school to adult life
in the community - TRANSITION!
Keynote Speaker: Rohan Murphy, American
Paralympian Power Lifter & Former Penn State
Wrestler
Saturday, November 10, 2018
Massaponax High School
8201 Jefferson Davis Highway
Fredericksburg, VA 22407
8:00 - 8:45 AM Check-in and visit vendors
Breakfast available
9:00 AM - 4:15 PM Sessions/vendor fair
A light breakfast and box lunch provided
Door prizes awarded at the end of the day!
For additional information:
disAbility Resource Center
540-373-2559
Caroline PRC
804-633-7083 EXT.1702
Spotsylvania PRC
540-582-7060
Stafford PTRC
540-899-6000
Register online by
November 2, 2018
https://pathways2018parti
cipant. eventbrite.com
Transition is a journey.
Begin the planning
early and build
community connections
for a smoother ride.
Join us on November
10th!
EFMP (Exceptional Family Member
Program)
Now located in Little Hall in Suite
104.
Lunch & Learn
Tuesday, November 27th
12PM-1PM
Stay updated by checking out
their Facebook Page!
ADHD
(Attention Deficit
Hyperactivity Disorder)
What is it?
A brain disorder marked by an
ongoing pattern of inattention
and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity
that interferes with functioning
or development.
Famous People who live
with…
Picasso, Van Gogh, Michael
Phelps, Michael Jordan, Babe
Ruth, Bill Gates, Walt Disney,
Sylvester Stallone, Justin
Timberlake, Cher
Someone you should know… George Hummer
George Hummer is the Student Services Supervisor for
Preschool & Elementary Services.
Where were you born and where did you grow up? I was born in Toms River, New Jersey and lived there for 15 years. I moved to the Fredericksburg area when I was in high school and have lived here ever since. Where did you go to school? I went to Chancellor High School and then attended Virginia Wesleyan and Radford University. I then went on to the University of Mary Washington where I earned my two master degrees. I am currently in the last year of my doctorate program through VCU (Virginia Commonwealth University). What schools and positions have you worked in in Stafford County? I taught middle school special education Math and Science in Spotsylvania for eight years. I than became an assistant principal at Rodney Thompson Middle School for three years. After that, I spent three years as the Supervisor of Student Services for middle school programs and am currently the Supervisor for Elementary School programs, which includes Child Find, Early Childhood, Learning Support/MD Programming and the Parent Teacher Resource Center. What accomplishment are you most proud of?
I’m most proud of the development of the Learning Support (LS) and Multiple
Disabilities (MD) committee, which is collaborating to move our programs in a
positive direction with supports. This platform gives all of the stakeholders a
voice in making our programs better for our students.
What’s one thing you couldn’t live without?
The support I receive from friends and family.
Paragon Autism Services
Special Needs Lego/Train Club
11/3 10:00AM
KD’z Kidz World Special Needs
Night
11/21 5:00PM
RAAC Lunch & Learn (Rappahannock Area Autism Council)
11/22 12:00PM
Sky Zone
Sensory Friendly $10 walk-ins
(Last Tuesday of the Month)
4-8PM
Check on-line for adapted
program opportunities at the
YMCA and your local Recreation
Centers
What is your favorite thing to do?
Sports. I love watching sports, collecting sports memorabilia, playing sports and
talking all about sports.
What sports teams do you follow?
I follow them all. In football, the New York Giants; baseball, the Red Sox; basketball,
the Celtics; hockey, the Capitals, and I follow the North Carolina Tar Heels.
Would you rather pick up a tarantula or a snake?
A tarantula.
Beach or Mountains?
Both, I wouldn’t pick one over the other. I enjoy hiking, but also like time on the
beach.
What are your favorite types of movies?
Action and Halloween time horror movies.
Do you have pets?
Not by choice. I inherited a cat that is a pain. I prefer no pets.
What is your favorite season? Are you a morning or evening person? Fall. Evening. What is your favorite food and drink?
Salad and water.
What would you do (for a career) if you weren’t doing this?
Work with adults with disabilities.
What is the best book you’ve ever read?
The science fiction book, Ready Player One, by Ernest Cline.
Where would you like to retire?
Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
What is a goal you have for this year?
To know each of the programs in K-5, Child Find and Pre-School and assess where
everyone is to make sure we are meeting the needs of all students. Making goals is
not about what people are doing well, but about having new eyes on the process.
You have to address things as they come along.
Tell us something that might surprise us about you.
I run three half-marathons a year.
Someone else you should know… Kirsten Dye
Stafford Park & Recreation
Therapeutic, Adaptive, Inclusive &
Special Needs Programs
National Hike Day (All ages and abilities)
Government Island Walk
11/17 9:30AM
Holiday Themed Sensory Play Day
(Ages 1-5)
Rowser Building
12/10 10:30-11:30AM
Stafford County Sports
Department welcomes all ability
levels!
Winter Sports:
Open Gym
Fridays 11/2 - 3/1
6:00-9:00PM
&
Sundays 11/4 – 3/3
1:00-4:00PM
Visit www.StaffordParks.com or
call 540-658-5116
Kirsten Dye is the Medicaid Specialist for Student Services and
an Assistant for the ECSE Program.
Where were you born and where did you grow up?
I was born in Washington DC. We moved to Fredericksburg when I was 4 ½.
What schools and positions have you worked in in Stafford County?
I started working in Stafford County at Garrisonville Elementary School in an
early childhood special education class as a paraprofessional. The program
moved to Winding Creek Elementary and I worked in an ECSE autism class for
a couple of years. When Margaret Brent Elementary opened up, I worked as
an LD Paraprofessional for several years. I was then hired by Student Services
as a file room/clerk. After working for more than 20 years, I retired and
moved to Missouri. We returned two years later to the area where I started
working hour for the ECSE/Child Find and Parent Resource Center. This
summer I returned to a full time position as the Medicaid Specialist with SCPS
and continue to support Renee Falcone in the ESCS program.
Where did you go to school?
I graduated from James Monroe High School and attended Longwood College
for a bit.
What accomplishment are you most proud of? My children. What sports teams do you follow? None. Would you rather pick up a tarantula or a snake? Neither one!
Beach or Mountains?
Beach…I love the soothing sound of the water, but am drawn to the mountains as
well.
Coffee or tea?
Tea.
Favorite types of movies?
I like a little bit of spy intrigue and an occasional sappy movie.
Pets?
Cows, we have 26 cows and 12 babies. We are bottle-feeding one named Dolly
right now.
Favorite season?
Fall.
Morning or evening person?
I’m a morning person.
What’s one thing you couldn’t live without?
My husband.
What is the one thing you cannot resist?
A piece of dark chocolate…I try to limit it to one piece a day.
What is your favorite thing to do?
I love to read.
What is the best book you have ever read? The Pecan Man and The Little Paris Bookshop. Where would you like to retire? To the farm, wherever that may be.
What is a goal you have for this year? To get a trip planned for Europe soon.
Tell us something that might surprise us about you. I lived in Japan for three years and was able to experience a new culture, food, and people and travel the country.
SEAC (Special Education Advisory Committee)
The next two meetings will take
place on:
November 5th 6:00-7:30PM
Presentation with VDOE & Local
SEACs
December 3rd 6:00-7:30PM
In the PDC
(Professional Development Building)
Teacher: “This essay on your dog
is, word for word, the same as
your brother’s.”
Student: Yes, sir, it is the same
dog.”