Mind in the Making - Focus & Self-Control
Friday, October 2, 2015 10 am - 12:30 pm
Dunn Loring Center for Parent Services
2334 Gallows Road Entrance 1 - Room 100
Dunn Loring, VA 22027
At this workshop you will learn the research behind why focus & self-control is one of the Seven Essential Life Skills Every Child Needs. Learn strategies for improving this skill, the importance of it in children's lives and activities to promote the skill at home.
http://www.fcps.edu/dss/osp/prc/resources/events/index.shtml#MITMFocus
Dessert & Dialogue
Sunday, October 4, 2015, 7:00 to 9:00 p.m.,
Westminster Presbyterian Church, Cameron Mills Rd., Alexandria, VA
The guest speaker will be Dr. Thomas Insel, the director of the National Institute of Mental Health.
Dr. Insel’s presentation will focus on “The State of Knowledge about Mental Illness and NIMH’s Current Research.”
All Alexandria community members are welcome, and parents of school-age children are especially invited to attend.
Understanding the Special Education Process Protecting Your Child's Rights at School
October 5, 7:30-9pm
McLean Bible Church Community Room B (lower level) 8925 Leesburg Pike Vienna, VA 22182
Guest Speaker: Cheri Belkowitz, Attorney, Belkowitz Law, PLLC
This presentation is a "must see" for parents and guardians of children with special needs. Learn how to best advocate for your children in public school. Understand the protections provided under the law and how to navigate the special education process including eligibility, IEPs, due process, transition services and least restrictive environments.
The lecture is free and open to everyone.
The lectures are for adults only; please make other childcare arrangements if necessary.
To RSVP (appreciated, but not required): Erin.Roundtree@mcleanbible.org or 703-770-2938
Back to School: Practical Tips for Dealing with Caregiver Stress and Avoiding Burnout
Wed, October 7, 6:30pm – 8:00pm
| 4031 University Drive, Fairfax, VA 22030 |
Going back to school can be a stressor for children and their caregivers alike! Raising children and youth, especially if they have special needs, can be exhausting. Join other adoptive and foster parents, grandparents and other kin caring for children for an evening of information and support. Joy Koeppen, LCSW, a local mental health therapist, will share tips based on her own experience raising a child with special needs and working with other parents caring for children with special needs. This session is designed to help parents, grandparents, relatives and other caregivers recognize their own stress, and develop practical strategies for coping all school year long!
The session is free! But please let us know you are coming!
http://formedfamiliesforward.org/back-to-school-burnout/
ACPS Family Engagement Series: Speaker Ann Dolin, M.Ed.
Wed, October 7, 7pm – 8pm
| Minnie Howard School, 3801 West Braddock Road, Alexandria, VA, United States |
This workshop is a collaborative effort between the Alexandria and Arlington Parent Resource Centers. We are pleased to welcome Ann Dolin, M. Ed., President of Educational Connections, Inc. and author of Homework Made Simple: Tips, Tools and Solutions for Stress-Free Homework. Ms. Dolin will present Fidgety, Forgetful and Unfocused: How to Help Your Child Focus and Finish.
You may register online at http://tinyurl.com/FidgetyForgetfulPRC
New Hope for Depression with Dr. Sarah H. Lisanby
Sunday, October 11, 9:45 am
Westminster Presbyterian Church, Cameron Mills Rd., Alexandria, VA
Dr. Lisanby is Director of the NIMH Division of Translational Research
All Alexandria community members are welcome, and parents of school-age children are especially invited to attend.
SIBSHOPS
October 12, 2015, 10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.
The Arc of Greater Prince William, 13505 Hillendale Drive, Woodbridge, VA 22193.
For Siblings ages 8-11.
For more information contact the Prince William County Schools Parent Resource Center at (703) 791-8846 or maherba@pwcs.edu or howartmj@pwcs.edu.
College Fair
Tue, October 13, 5:30pm – 7:30pm
| T.C. Williams High School, King Street, Alexandria, VA |
Lab School Lecture Series: A Sense of Control: Why It’s Such a Big Deal for Kids with LD and ADHD
Wednesday, October 14
The Lab School
The Commons on the Reservoir Campus: 4759 Reservoir Road NW Washington, D.C. 20007
William Stixrud, PhD, Clinical Psychologist, Director, The Stixrud Group
A healthy sense of control is associated with virtually everything we want for our children, including good health, a positive mood, freedom from excessive anxiety, self-motivation, and both academic and career success. Children and teenagers with learning and/or attention-related difficulties face some particular challenges in developing a strong sense of control, in part because they need intervention and supports that often feel “forced” upon them. In this talk, Dr. Stixrud will discuss how parents and teachers can support the development of a healthy sense of control in students with LD and ADHD (e.g., by promoting autonomy) while maximizing kids’ willingness to work hard to develop themselves and to use the help that is offered to them.
All lectures are open to the public and offered free of charge, but registrations are appreciated.
http://www.labschool.org/Page/outreach/Lecture-Series
Children Together Presents: Make Room for Boys: Helping Boys Thrive
Thursday, October 15
3:30pm – 7:00 pm
First Baptist Church, 2923 King St., Alexandria, VA 22302
Registration: 3:30-4:00
Presentation: 4:00 - 7:00
Presentation by Sandy Slack & Gerin Martin
Workshop participants will be challenged to avoid stereotyped thinking that “boys always…” Or “girls always…” They will understand gender based differences in brain development and other physiological differences that will help them understand why gender does matter. Consciously creating a “goodness of fit” for all children will require them to understand five important needs of boys and the proven active learning strategies that benefit boys and yes even girls!!! This is an active workshop in which participants will experience for themselves what active learning means!
Fees:
$50 per person, by 10/1; $25 student rate, by 10/1;
$40 five or more from one school, organization, by 10/1
$60 per person day of event
Send registration to:
Karen Pearson
1018 Beverley Drive
Alexandria, VA
Bully Busters
Fri, October 16, 10am – 12pm
| Dunn Loring Center for Parent Services 2334 Gallows Road Entrance 1 - Room 100 Dunn Loring, VA 2202 |
Being bullied can be one of the most painful experiences of childhood. Know the warning signs. Learn how to help. Attend this important workshop to learn how to increase your own "bullying IQ", empower your child to effectively cope if bullying occurs and help lower your child's chances of being bullied and becoming a bully.
Register: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/BullyBuster
Transition Series 2015 Critical School-to-Community Transition Planning for Youth with Disabilities and their Families
Sat, October 17, 9:00am – 3:30pm
| Marymount University, Rowley Hall 2807 N. Glebe Road, Arlington, VA |
Concurrent Sessions for Parents and Caregivers with your Transitioning Youth
Topics Covered: * Employment * Social Security * Medicaid Waiver * Future Planning * Housing * Legal Authority * Transportation * Special Needs Trusts * Independent Living Skills * Meal Preparation* Recreational Activities * Social Skills, and more!
Dates:
September 19th, October 17th, November 14th
Cost: FREE...Participants must attend all 3 sessions
Space is limited and registration is required. Register by August 10th.
Register: http://www.thearcofnova.org/programs/transition/series/
Light breakfast and lunch will be served
For questions contact: Diane Monnig, Phone: 703-208-1119 x118
Sponsored by Marymount University and in collaboration with The Students & Faculty at Marymount University, The Student Virginia Education Association, and The Council on Exceptional Children
A Dialogue on Anxiety with Dr. Daniel Pine
Sunday, October 18, 9:45 am
Westminster Presbyterian Church, Cameron Mills Rd., Alexandria, VA
Dr. Pine is a specialist in pediatric mental disorders
All Alexandria community members are welcome, and parents of school-age children are especially invited to attend.
Strategies to Support Secondary Students with Dyslexia
Tue, October 20, 7:00pm – 8:30pm
| Dunn Loring Center for Parent Services 2334 Gallows Road Entrance 1 - Room 100 Dunn Loring, VA 22027 |
Specialists from the FCPS Office of Special Education Instruction will present this workshop for parents of middle and high school students with dyslexia. Workshop topics will include strategies to support reading, writing and math at home; ways to promote effective study skills; strategies to promote self-advocacy skills; and more!
Register:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/Dyslexia-Secondary
Fidgety, Forgetful & Unfocused!
Fri, October 23, 12:00pm – 1:30pm
| Dunn Loring Center for Parent Services 2334 Gallows Road Entrance 1 - Room 100 Dunn Loring, VA 22027 |
Do you have a child who is fidgety, forgetful and unfocused? Would you like to learn new ways to help your child focus and finish? Start the new school year off right by attending this workshop to learn:
The importance of executive functioning skills,
New approaches for distractable kids,
How to set up an effective homework space, and
How you can promote peaceful behavior during homework time!
Register:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/FFandUnF
2nd Annual UnConference
Saturday, October 24, 10am-3pm
The Howard Gardner School,
4913 Franconia Road, Alexandria, VA 22310
The UnConference is a day-long event for educators of all stripes and backgrounds to come together and share insights, swap tips and tricks, and help one another develop as superlative practitioners.
So often, a professional development conference follows the same format: coffee and juice, keynote speaker, breakout session, mediocre lunch, breakout session, leave. While there are often dynamic speakers, there are almost always OUTSTANDING attendees, and unfortunately, those folks aren't the one's doing the talking. The UnConference flips this model on its head, inviting all its attendees to be active participants in discussions and conversations. Each room is centered around a topic (some specific and concrete, some purposefully general). Everyone is invited to choose topics and rooms to their liking, and to break-off and form new rooms and topics if the opportunity strikes.
Great conversations shouldn't get cut off because the next session needs to set up ... that's why we keep several rooms empty for splinter discussions or even just a topic that isn't on the initial list.
And the lunch is anything but mediocre.
There is no fee for this event, and we encourage you to invite your colleagues and friends. The UnConference has seen teachers and administrators, counselors and consultants, trustees, tutors, bus drivers, heck, even the odd city council member. Bring your perspective and expertise, and be prepared to learn a whole lot from those folks you might otherwise never get a chance to hear from.
Thank you for your RSVP so that we can ensure we have the right number of rooms and the right amount and type of food.
Please RSVP to:
Lizzy@TheHowardGardnerSchool.org
www.thehowardgardnerschool.org
Suicide Prevention with Dr. Jane Pearson
Sunday, October 25, 9:45 am
Westminster Presbyterian Church, Cameron Mills Rd., Alexandria, VA
Dr. Pearson is the chair of the NIMH Suicide Research Consortium
All Alexandria community members are welcome, and parents of school-age children are especially invited to attend.
Moving On To Life In The Community
Tue, October 27, 6:30pm – 9:00pm
| Lake Braddock Secondary School, 9200 Burke Lake Road, Burke, VA, United States |
A FREE Resource Fair
Don't miss this FREE Resource Fair for students with disabilities and their parents! This Resource Fair is for all individuals requiring ongoing employment and community support services after graduation. Learn about vocational, residential, leisure, recreational, independent living and advocacy options.
register:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/MovingOnCommunity
Trauma Awareness Training for Families and Professional Partners
Tue, October 27, 6:30pm – 8:00pm
| Formed Families Forward, 4031 University Dr., Fairfax, VA 22030 |
This evening training is designed for foster, adoptive and other parents and kinship caregivers who are raising children and youth with special needs, AND teachers and other professionals who work with their children. Presented by the Trauma Informed Care Team of the Partnership for A Healthier Fairfax. The training will cover:
How trauma effects families and educators
Understanding your role in working with children, youth and families impacted by trauma
Effective communication and collaboration practices for educators and families working together to provide trauma-informed practices
This training is FREE! As an extra incentive for families/professionals to attend and learn together, participants who attend in family member/professional pairs, will each be given a $10 gift card!
register:
http://formedfamiliesforward.org/trauma-awareness-training/
College Night Virginia
Tue, October 27, 7:00pm – 8:30pm
| T.C. Williams High School, King Street, Alexandria, VA |
SAVE THE DATE:
9th Annual Exceptional Schools Fair
Sunday, November 8, 11am-2pm,
Katzen Arts Center American University @ Ward Circle Massachusetts & Nebraska Ave. NW
Showcasing the many wonderful school choices available to families of children with learning differences. Find out about individualized programs that will help your child thrive both academically and socially.
FREE and open to the public.
http://www.exceptionalschoolsfair.com/home.html
Future Quest 2015
Sat. Nov. 14, 8:00 am – 3:00 pm George Mason Univ. in the Johnson Center (Fairfax campus)
Future Quest is a free college and career forum for students with disabilities, parents and professionals held every two years.
Participants can select from a variety of workshops about options after high school, employment, assistive technology, and college and career planning, as well as learning about community supports and services.
Pre-registration for the event will begin in the fall.
For more information, go to http://futurequest.gmu.edu
Maryland Coalition for Inclusive Education: Facilitating Person Centered Planning.
November 19-20, 2015, 8:30 a.m.
The Meeting House/Oakland Mills, 5885 Robert Oliver Place, Columbia, MD 21045.
The workshop is geared towards those who support secondary Transition. Questions? Contact Betsy Tornquist at etornquist@mcie.org.
Recurring Events:
Support Group for Kinship Caregivers
Bryant Alternative High School
2709 Popkins Lane
Rooms 40 and 41 (Adult Ed. entrance)
Alexandria, VA 22306
6:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
September 3 and 17, October 1 and 22, November 5 and 19, December 10
Grandparents, aunts, uncles and other relatives who are raising children are invited to the county's support group. Find out about community resources you may not have know exists. Talk with others who understand how difficult and joyful this responsibility can be.
This support group is for residents of Fairfax County or the cities of Fairfax and Falls Church.
For additional information, contact Mary Shepherd (FCPS) 703-204-4340 or Kim Karlinchak (DFS) 703-324-5447, TTY 711.
Youth and Young Adults: Stronger Together
Alternate Thursdays at 6:30 - 8:00 pm, Fairfax, VA
4031 University Dr., Suite 100, Fairfax, VA 22030
Oct 6, 20; Nov 3, 17; Dec 1, 15; Jan 5, 19; Feb 2, 16; Mar 1, 15; Apr 5, 19; May 3, 17.
Formed Families Forward hosts Stronger Together peer-to-peer support groups.
We believe that youth and young adults really are stronger when they share their experiences and work together to improve their own lives and the systems that are supposed to help youth and families.
The group is designed for teens and young adults, ages 14-22, who havelived experiences in one or more service systems such as:
Light dinner of pizza and salad will be served.
Register: http://formedfamiliesforward.org/youth-together-peer-group/ or call (703) 539-2904
Youth Voice Alexandria Meeting
Meet every other Tuesday throughout the school year. 3:30 pm – 5:00 pm
Room A104, T.C. Williams High School, King St., Alexandria, VA
Youth Voice Alexandria is the City’s leadership and advocacy group for youth/young adults ages 14-24 who wish to improve the mental health, child welfare, juvenile justice and education systems. Our main focus is to offer an outlet for these youth/young adults to express their concerns of being system involved and begin advocating and creating awareness on how us, as service providers, can ensure the system is doing everything it can to foster personal and professional success.
Jeremy Long
Youth Voice Coordinator
City of Alexandria, Virginia
Department of Community & Human Services
Center for Children and Families
Office: 703.746.3142
Cell: 703.470.0506
Find us on Facebook: www.Facebook.com/YouthVoiceAlexandria
Find us on Twitter: www.Twitter.com/YouthVoiceAlex
Lunch Bunch
The Autism Society Northern Virginia, Down Syndrome Association Northern Virginia and The Arc of Northern Virginia now offer our popular informative Lunch Bunch Meetings on Saturday. Every second Saturday of the month, from noon to 2pm at ASNV. Bring a bag lunch and talk to experts about your questions and concerns in navigating the maze of services for individuals with disabilities and on the spectrum.
The number of families is limited to provide personalized information, so RSVP to ASNV at 703-495-8444 and ask to RSVP for LUNCH BUNCH. Topics include what is on the top of your list, but also can include: Getting a diagnosis, Medicaid Waivers, IEP's and other school issues, Guardianship, Special Needs Trusts, Recreation, Transportation, and Housing.
ASNV 10467 White Granite Dr. 3rd Floor Oakton, VA 22124
CHADD: Children and Adults with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
West Fairfax CHADD Parent Support Group
Meets each 2nd & 4th Thurs. at 7:30 pm
Room 201 at Fairfax Church of Christ, 3901 Rugby Road, Fairfax, VA 22033
Contact Sharon 703 716-4646 or clintob@aol.com.
Support Group for Middle School Students with ADHD
Meets the first Sunday of each month 2:00 - 3:00 pm
4031 Univ. Dr Fairfax, VA (enter on South St.)
No parents!
Support Group for High School Students with ADHD
Meets the first Sunday of each month 3:30 - 5:00 pm
4031 Univ. Dr., Fairfax, VA (enter on South St.) No parents!
Call 703-403-3335 to enter the building.
Contact: coach@BrainRelief.org (703) 641-8940
Support Group for Parents of Teens and Young Adults with ADHD
For more information: phone/text 703-489-4626 or ocgreulich@aol.com
NAMI: National Alliance on Mental Illness
Works to build better lives for those affected by mental illness.
Oakton Family Support Group meets on the 1st Thurs. of each month, 7:30-9:00 pm
The Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Fairfax, Room 9, 2709 Hunter Mill Rd., Fairfax, VA
Alexandria Family Support Group meets on the 2nd Wednesday of the month, 7:30-9:00 pm, First Christian Church of Alexandria, 2723 King St., Alexandria, VA
Contact: Joanna Walker at 703 620-2633 or Joannaw.walker@gmail.com
For other Family Support Groups visit http://www.nami-northernvirginia.org/for-families-and-friends.html
ACPS Monthly Support Group for Parents of Preschoolers Receiving Special Education Services
Parent Resource Center, Minnie Howard Campus of
T.C. Williams High School, Room 134, 3801 W. Braddock Road
The group will meet monthly on the following Tuesdays:
Sept. 15, Oct. 6, Nov. 10, Dec. 1, Jan.5, Feb. 2, Mar. 1, Apr. 5, May 3, and June 7, from 9:30 to 10:45 a.m.
Please join us for support, strategies and conversation.
For more information, contact Janet Reese, ACPS Parent Support Specialist, (703) 824-0129 or janet.reese@acps.k12.va.us
ACPS Monthly Support Group for Parents of Students in the Citywide Autism Classes
Parent Resource Center, Minnie Howard Campus of
T.C. Williams High School, Room 134
3801 W. Braddock Road
The group will meet monthly on the following Wednesdays: Sept. 16, Oct. 14, Nov. 11, Dec. 9, Jan. 13, Feb. 10, Mar. 9, Apr. 13, May 11 and June 15, from 9:30 to 10:45 a.m.
Please join us for support, strategies and conversation.
For more information, contact Janet Reese, ACPS Parent Support Specialist, (703) 824-0129 or janet.reese@acps.k12.va.us
