Welcome to “On the Horizon”
Issue 12: So You Are Going to a New School
On the Horizon is a weekly ezine for parents of children with developmental disabilities who want simple, effective strategies to reduce stress, support their child’s development, and improve quality of life for the whole family.
Welcome to our new subscribers!
 A Note from Nicole: Planting, New School Buildings, and New Subscribers
Idea of the Week: Baseless Baseball
Feature Article: So You Are Going to a New School
Featured Resource: Feeding Calendar and Journal
Featured Program: Summer Camps 2008
Upcoming Events: HANDLE® Conference and Parent Chat
To keep receiving On the Horizon, please add the email address “nicolebeurkens@horizonsdrc.com” to your safe address list.
Hi Everyone!
Wow – it’s the middle of May already! Where does the time go? The kids in our instructional program have started planting things in the garden and we are already seeing some green shoots coming up. Good thing the family of bunnies living in the garden has moved on, or our veggie plants would be done for! (If you want to see a photo of the bunnies in their nest, you can see it on our blog here.) With summer approaching, the end of the school year is right around the corner. Some of you have children who will be transitioning to new school buildings in the fall. Courtney’s article this week will help you think about scaffolding that process to ensure success for everyone involved.
I want to extend a big welcome to the almost 150 new subscribers over the past couple of weeks! We’re thrilled that you have joined the Horizons community, and look forward to connecting with you each week through the newsletter. Enjoy your week!
Looking to the horizon,
Baseless Baseball!
Items needed: rubber ball or tennis ball; variety of targets (e.g., rocks, boxes, toy cars, piles of leaves, old clothing, etc.)
Try this new non-running version of baseball with your family. This game can be easily played indoors or outdoors. To begin, discuss with your family where the throwing line should be placed and what targets are going to be used. Assign each member to be responsible for getting two targets for the game. Next, it is time to discuss a scoring system. The items closest to the throwing line are worth one hit. Items furthest away are worth three hits, and the items in the middle are worth two hits. Divide the family up into two teams (if there are odd numbers one person can either play for both teams or keep score). Each player takes a turn throwing at the targets. If the target is hit, the player’s team gets the assigned number of hits for that target. If the target is missed, that player’s team is given one out. When a team has three outs, the other team comes to bat. Play as many innings as you like.
So You Are Going to a New School
By: Courtney Wiersum, M.Ed.
The sun is continuing to shine, and the warmer air is upon us here in Michigan. For many families, the school year is quickly coming to a close; which means that summer will arrive before we know it. Transitioning to a summer routine can be challenging for many students; but for those children faced with going to a new school in the fall, the summer time can be even more stressful.
Children with disabilities tend to struggle when changes to their routines occur. Anxiety levels can be high as children move from elementary to secondary schools, change special education programs, or move to a new area. Here are a few simple strategies to use when assisting a child with a school building change:
Explorations in Eating Calendar and Journal
$19.95 (Per Calendar) or $39.95 (Per Calendar and Journal) Each day has ideas to expand your child’s diet and food preferences. Calendars are assembled by clients in our EmployAbilities program. $1.00 from every calendar will be donated to FARR.
Click on the image below to visit our store!
Summer Camps 2008!
Your child is going to LOVE the exciting adventures we have planned for this summer! Each week we will explore a different theme together, complete with lots of opportunities for movement, music, problem solving, working together, and indoor and outdoor fun. Our camps are design to offer a fun, safe, and therapeutic environment for children with developmental disabilities to engage with peers, try new things, and retain skills over the summer months. A low staff to child ratio ensures that everyone is supported. Principles of the Relationship Development Intervention (CORE Approach) Program are integrated throughout all activities, which provides oportunities for campers to improve communication, increase competence, enhance regulation, and build relationships.
For a brochure, click here
For a registration form, click here
To sign up online, click here
Please join us!
See our Event Calendar for more details…
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