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.”