Bridges4Kids News Digest

"Your newsletters are so full of useful information for everyone that I had to devote a page on my website just for your news...so at least my readers will have access to everything you post plus they can subscribe to you as well. Keep up the great work and keep on keeping us informed." - Keith Kessler, Founder of DAC (Disabled Action Committee), Dale City, VA

"Just wanted to say what a wonderful website Bridges4Kids is! I work at MDCH as follow-up coordinator of the Michigan Birth Defects Registry...I am really impressed with the wealth of information available...Thanks again for your devotion to families and children, especially those with special care needs." - Jane Simmermon, RN, MPH, Michigan Birth Defects Registry, Follow-up Coordinator.

Read the bridges4kids News Digest online! http://www.bridges4kids.org/newsdigest/index.html

National News	*top*
Emotional Ties to School Vital to Success William Raspberry, Seattle Times, September 14, 2004 http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/opinion/2002034444_raspberry14.html There's a growing body of evidence that building emotional connections between young people and their schools improves their commitment to education and increases their ability to resist risky behavior. Research shows that 40 percent to 60 percent of all students -- urban, suburban and rural - are "chronically disengaged" from school. And these numbers don't include kids who actually drop out of school. "Essentially, we're telling kids they're on their own, and while many of them succeed, many don't. This is not acceptable." D.C. Truancy Initiative Cites 756 Families Denise Barnes, Washington Times, September 24, 2004 http://washingtontimes.com/metro/20040924-112852-4081r.htm D.C. public school officials yesterday said their new efforts against truancy — including "aggressive interventions" — have already resulted in 756 families being notified about problems with their children's attendance. CA Report: Kids at Steep Risk From Bad Air Kerry Cavanaugh, L.A. Daily News, September 21, 2004 http://www.dailynews.com/Stories/0,1413,200~20954~2417518,00.html Los Angeles children playing outside were at high risk of breathing unhealthy air one out of five days over the last three summers. bridges4kids Featured Website: The Supportive Classroom http://www.uvm.edu/~wfox/SupportiveClassroom.html A Curriculum for Creating Safe and Supportive Classroom Environments - Tested in 14 Vermont Schools Kindergarten through Eighth Grade. "We believe that all students need to be supported to feel good about themselves, to feel good about school, and to feel that they belong. For belonging to occur, students and their teachers must be supported, and opportunities created for students to meaningfully participate and make friendships. For every student to belong, teachers must strive to find a way to help all students to have power and worth as individuals and as group members." Mandatory Mental Health Screening Threatens Privacy, Parental Rights Wendy McElroy, September 17, 2004, FoxNews.com http://www.bridges4kids.org/articles/9-04/FoxNews9-17-04.html#top On Sept. 9, the 'Ron Paul Amendment' was defeated in the House of Representatives by a vote of 95-315. The Amendment would have prevented the funds sought by an appropriations bill (HR 5006) from being used for the mandatory mental-health screening of Americans, including public schoolchildren. WA Tacoma Elementaries Enforce Ban on Recess Gregory Roberts, Seattle Post-Intelligencer, September 18, 2004 http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/191407_recess18.html The recess bell will ring no more in Tacoma public schools. It's been stilled by the pressures of the world marketplace. bridges4kids Featured Website: Stop It Now! http://www.stopitnow.com The Campaign to Prevent Child Sexual Abuse (888) PREVENT (773-8368). No Black-White Test-Score Gap at Age 4, But It Appears After Children Enter School Hoover Institution Newsletter, September 24, 2004 http://www-hoover.stanford.edu/pubaffairs/newsletter/04081/fryer.html African American children and white children from similar family backgrounds who entered kindergarten in 1998 began school with approximately the same test scores. This striking finding is drawn from the national Early Childhood Longitudinal Study. But by the end of first grade African American children have lost ground to comparable white children. The authors find no evidence that slippage occurs over the summertime, an oft-offered explanation for the test-score gap. Nor are differences in family background the likely cause. Instead, it appears that the cause is within the schoolhouse. Chemicals banned in European Toys Lansing State Journal, September 20, 2004 http://www.bridges4kids.org/articles/9-04/LSJ9-20-04.htm European Union governments permanently banned chemicals used to soften plastic from being used in toys, saying they are harmful to young children who put toys in their mouths. The measure outlaws the chemicals, known as phthalates. B4K Editor's note: The following article does a good job of describing phthalates, the controversy over them, and the scientific evidence available at the time (3-4 years ago) the article was written, with the author ultimately concluding that the evidence then available did not support a ban. 'Lost Boys' Celebrate Success Elaine Jarvik, Deseret Morning News, September 18, 2004 http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,595092235,00.html Their stories are still hard to fathom: the trek across hostile terrain, the young boys who died en route, the refugee years spent without parents. But many of the "Lost Boys" of Sudan who have resettled in the Salt Lake area are finding their way now — and are attending college in record numbers. "It's amazing to me, given the life they've had and the childhood they had, how strong they are," says Kristy Swapp, Gai's girlfriend. "I know no way to explain it based on American culture." She credits their religious faith — "They'll say, 'I may have been lost from my family, but not lost from God' " — and their sense of being part of an extended network of cousins and ancestors. "By the time they're 3, they've heard their family history back 10 generations."
No Child Left Behind (NCLB)	*top*
MI Education Community Invited to Comment on Proposed District Report Cards Jeremy Hughes, Chief Academic Officer, Michigan Department of Education, September 17, 2004 http://www.bridges4kids.org/articles/9-04/MDE9-17-04.html#top NCLB requires the state to issue an adequate yearly progress (AYP) report card for a school district as well as individual schools within the district. We did not do so in 2003 because of incomplete data. We are prepared to do so now, but need to define on what basis we will compute a district’s AYP. No Child Left Behind Newsletter: September 15, 2004 Edition (PDF) U.S. Department of Education, September 15, 2004 http://www.ed.gov/news/newsletters/achiever/2004/091504.pdf Topics Include: Letter to Superintendents Offers Guidance, Funding for the Arts; Filling the Summer Gap; Close-Up: No Child Left Behind—Improving Literacy Through School Libraries; Tips for Parents; and New Resources! Just Added to FREE Web Site.
Parenting/Parental Involvement	*top*
No Class: Why Are "Public" Schools Closed to the Public? Robert Maranto, Wall Street Journal, September 16, 2004 http://www.opinionjournal.com/extra/?id=110005625 It's back-to-school time. Unfortunately, despite school report cards and mandates like No Child Left Behind, many public schools still treat parents like mushrooms: feed them guano and keep them in the dark. This occurred to me when, like any good parent, I called the principal's office at my local public elementary school to check it out before sending my son. bridges4kids Featured Resource: Sign up for AARP's Free Newsletter for Grandparents Raising Grandchildren http://www.aarp.org/life/grandparents/Articles/a2004-01-20-gicvoicenewsletter.html In this newsletter from the AARP Grandparent Information Center you'll get: Practical information to help you raise your grandchild, Resources and information, News about programs that support grandparents and their grandchildren, and Practical tips on how to deal with challenges such as legal and financial matters, education, housing, health, respite, child-rearing, grief, loss, and stress. The newsletter is sent through the U.S. Post Office (snail mail).
Early On/Early Intervention	*top*
NM Governor of New Mexico Wants to Invest in Preschool Programs Susie Gran, Albuquerque Tribune, September 27, 2004 http://www.abqtrib.com/archives/news04/092704_news_prek.shtml With full-day kindergarten a reality for all New Mexico kids, Gov. Bill Richardson says it's time to move on to preschool. Richardson announced has a plan to pump $7 million to $9 million into new programs for 4-year-olds. OH Ohio Could Save $782 Million in Taxpayer Money by Investing in Children Clive R. Belfield, Teachers College, Columbia University http://www.ourfuture.org/issues_and_campaigns/education/OH_early_ed.cfm Renewing our Schools, Securing our Future: A National Task Force on Public Education recently released a report on the importance of early education titled Investing in Early Childhood Education in Ohio: An Economic Appraisal.
Michigan News	*top*
Teacher Appreciation Robert C. Johnston, Education Week, September 22, 2004 http://www.bridges4kids.org/articles/9-04/EdWeek9-22-04.html#top Tom Watkins, Michigan’s State Superintendent of Schools, likes to ask students about what they think makes a teacher great, and then to jot down the answers for use in his speeches. Since taking over as Michigan’s top school official in 2001, Mr. Watkins has filled a drawer with the quotes. At the urging of friends and colleagues, he recently compiled some of the comments into a small paperback book titled They Help Us Paint Rainbows. State Could Lose Millions in Cash For Kids Jack Kresnak, Detroit Free Press, September 27, 2004 http://www.freep.com/news/childrenfirst/juvie27e_20040927.htm Michigan could lose millions of dollars in federal aid for children who are abused, neglected or delinquent because Family Court judges and referees may be improperly filling out legal documents. Study: School Pensions Absorb Expected Funding Increases Gongwer News Service, September 27, 2004 http://www.bridges4kids.org/articles/9-04/Gongwer9-27-04.html#top Expected increases in health care funding for school retirees combined with still low earnings on retirement investments mean retirement account contributions could eat up as much as half of any future increases in school aid, according to a report from the Citizens Research Council. Metro Schools Ask Kids to Leave Peanuts at Home Francis X. Donnelly, The Detroit News, September 24, 2004 http://www.detnews.com/2004/schools/0409/26/d01-283557.htm First it was drugs. Then guns. Now some schools in southeast Michigan are trying to prevent another possibly lethal scourge from reaching their classrooms: the peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Williamston, Fowlerville Schools Giving Kids Healthy Snack Options Lansing State Journal, September 29, 2004 http://www.lsj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20040929/NEWS05/409290320/1006/news05 Justin Dartt, 16, a junior at Fowlerville High School, is not happy about the new healthy snack machines at his school. Fowlerville and Williamston high schools are piloting a state program this year aimed at getting students to eat and drink healthier. Everett's Principal is Named Best in the State Susan Vela, Lansing State Journal, September 28, 2004 http://www.lsj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20040928/NEWS05/409280326/1006/news05 Dale Glynn, who has led Lansing's diverse Everett High School since 1995, is Michigan's new High School Principal of the Year. Affectionately known as "Rainbow Man" because of his inclusive nature, Glynn said the students "become my sons and my daughters." Michigan Youth Leadership Forum: Application & Information (PDF) http://www.bridges4kids.org/pdf/events/YouthLeadershipForumApp11-04.pdf Youth with disabilities are invited to participate in the June 12-16, 2005 Leadership Forum. Application deadline is November 30, 2004. FIA Adds More Counties to Multi-county Service Gongwer News Service, September 27, 2004 Beginning Friday another 12 counties will be added to the number of those with so-called "transparent county lines" that should expand the options Family Independence Agency recipients have for receiving services. The counties added to the list - Arenac-Bay, Clare-Isabella, Gladwin, Lake-Newaygo, Mason-Oceana, Midland and Osceola-Mecosta counties - will bring to 48 counties the number that give FIA recipients greater flexibility in choosing an office for services. Under the program, an FIA recipient can choose to work through an office that is more convenient than the office located in the recipient's home county. Lead Poisoning: Get the Lead Out! News Get the Lead Out!, September 24, 2004, Issue #1 http://www.bridges4kids.org/articles/9-04/Lead9-24-04.html#top In this Newsletter: State of Michigan Budget Update - $1 Million in New Funds, State Legislation Update, Candidate Forum - State Offices, HUD Grant Staff Changes, Touchpoint Service Provider Training, Institutes for Healing Racism, and HUD Grant One-Year Party October 16. Bill Tracks Errant Students Edward L. Cardenas, The Detroit News, September 29, 2004 http://www.detnews.com/2004/schools/0409/30/c01-287964.htm Two Macomb County state representatives plan to introduce legislation that would require disciplinary records to follow students from school to school. Michigan Department of Human Services Issues Draft Child Care Center Rules (PDF) Michigan FIA, September 23, 2004 http://www.michigan.gov/documents/Center_draft_9-23-04_103941_7.pdf Opportunity for public input on Friday, October 15th, 2004 from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. at the State of Michigan Library 717 W. Allegan Street, Lansing, 1st floor auditorium. September FOCUS on Results Now Available http://www.cenmi.org/focus/index.asp FOCUS on Results are guidance and technical assistance documents published four times a year by the Michigan Department of Education, Office of Special Education and Early Intervention Services (OSE/EIS). The September 2004 packet includes What Is the Process in Michigan for Resolving Disputes Regarding Suspensions and Expulsions? What Factors Must Schools Consider When Suspending or Expelling Students? Meeting the Challenge of Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP); Using Assessment Data Changes the Way Some Schools Do Business; and No Child Left Behind-No, Really! Introduction to The Children with Special Needs Fund Michigan Department of Community Health http://www.bridges4kids.org/articles/9-04/CSNF9-04.html#top The Fund provides services and equipment to children with special health care needs that no other resource – including state or federal programs – provides. The Fund was created in 1944 with a large bequest of Dow Chemical stock by Dr. and Mrs. James Pardee. Dr. Pardee was a co-founder of the Dow Chemical Company. It has been supplemented by donations made by many other individuals over the past 58 years. This generosity has enabled the Fund to help thousands of families. The Fund is administered through the Michigan Department of Community Health. $46 Million in Grants Will Help Engage Detroit Kids After School Chastity Pratt, Detroit Free Press, September 17, 2004 http://www.freep.com/news/education/skuls17e_20040917.htm At least twice a week, 15-year-old Lionel Andrews of Detroit kicks and punches other children. He said if he couldn't do that, he would probably be sitting at home or hanging out in the streets. "It gives me something to do," he said, describing the karate lessons he has taken after school since last year.
Disability News	*top*
CHILDREN IN CRISIS: Mental Health Laura Potts, Detroit Free Press, September 2004 http://www.freep.com/news/childrenfirst/crisis.htm In this three-part series, the Detroit Free Press examines how children with bipolar disorder, anxiety, schizophrenia, depression and other mental illnesses succeed or fail in getting mental health services. Through the eyes of children who are in treatment, locked up, or on the brink, we explore what it takes to get services, what's available and the impact on families when a child needs mental health care. CHILDREN IN CRISIS: Family of Boy Overcoming Abuse Makes Tough Choice to Get Him Help He Needs Laura Potts, Detroit Free Press, September 14, 2004 http://www.freep.com/news/childrenfirst/zack14_20040914.htm Not when he is reminded of the fire that killed his three adopted siblings and nearly took his own life. Not when he thinks of the years of horrific neglect, physical and sexual abuse and constant shuffling from place to place. Not even when he's plucked out of his home and locked up in a juvenile detention center. Integrated at Last: The Right to Belong, The Story of Yvonne http://www3.nb.sympatico.ca/ipenner/rs/integrated.html Desperate Measures People Magazine, September 27, 2004 http://www.bridges4kids.org/articles/9-04/People9-27-04.html#top Armed with a new study, some parents say vaccines trigger autism. But is skipping shots the answer? Cognitive Rehabilitation Shows Robust Benefits For Schizophrenics Psychiatry News Online, September 10, 2004 http://www.bridges4kids.org/articles/9-04/PsyNews9-10-04.html#top Targeted therapy can help ease some of the most chronically disabling aspects of schizophrenia, new research shows. bridges4kids Featured Website: Caring For Cerebral Palsy http://www.caringforcerebralpalsy.com This site addresses the specifics of caring for a child with cerebral palsy: bathing, dental care, dressing, exercise, feeding, hearing, nutrition, play, seizures, sleep, suctioning techniques, suppositories & enemas, toilet training & bowel issues, and vision care. Information comes to you in the form of excerpts from texts we've found useful, and links to sites that offer additional perspective.
Special Education Issues	*top*
AZ Special-ed Pupils Learn Via High-tech Inspiration Monica Mendoza, The Arizona Republic, September 22, 2004 http://www.azcentral.com/families/education/articles/0922special22.html Severely learning disabled children at Desert Mirage Elementary School in Glendale, Arizona are using technology this school year and making great educational gains beyond what teachers and parents predicted, even hoped. bridges4kids Featured Resource: The Special Ed Advocate: September 16, 2004 Edition http://www.wrightslaw.com/nltr/04/nl.0916.htm Topics include: Getting help for a child with reading problems; what does law say about passing grades; can parent get child's IEP changed: do teachers have to provide accommodations in child's IEP; prepub offer Stephen Jeffers v. School Board ends 9/28; finding help in the Yellow Pages for Kids with Disabilities; new issue of The Beacon on high-stakes testing; Wrightslaw programs in CT, VA, OK. Dumont Willis' New Hampshire Special Education Dictionary http://alpha.fdu.edu/psychology/new_hampshire_special_education.htm They have been given nicknames by audiences at their workshops. At a workshop on test reviews, they were dubbed Cisco and Eggbert; at a workshop on learning disabilities they were named (by a dyscalculic member) The Three Stooges; and at a workshop on the identification of Serious Emotional Disturbance they were named Dumb and Dumber! Now you, too, can benefit from their unique insight into New Hampshire's special ed process - which sounds suspiciously familiar to that found in other states!
Ask the Attorney/Advocate	*top*
bridges4kids Exclusive: Ask the Attorney with John Brower http://www.bridges4kids.org/AA.html#q&a It's back to school season again! Preparing for your first IEP of the season? Refresh your legal know-how by visiting John's Q & A on Special ed law. Visit our site to find the answers to dozens of special ed-related questions!
Upcoming National Events	*top*
These are NEW calendar listings that have been added this week. To view a complete calendar of National events, visit http://www.bridges4kids.org/Conferences.html. Jane Pauley Television show "Asperger Syndrome: A World Apart" WHEN: Friday, October 1, 2004 DESCRIPTION: What is it like for parents who can't connect with their child? The Jane Pauley Show will go inside the minds of children with Asperger Syndrome - a neurobiological disorder affecting as many as 1 in 300 children - in hopes of helping parents recognize the symptoms, and find solutions that can help their children lead full, productive lives. FOR MORE INFORMATION: Check your local listings for broadcast times and stations at http://www.janepauley.com/watch/index.html or visit http://www.janepauley.com/ (Click on "Show Info" or "This Week" for details.) CHADD's 16th Annual International Conference WHEN: October 29-30, 2004 WHERE: Renaissance Nashville Hotel and Nashville Convention Center, Nashville, TN DESCRIPTION: With more than 70 sessions being offered over three days, you will have the opportunity to listen to and speak with the country's leading specialists covering the newest treatments for AD/HD and recent findings in the fields of medicine, psychiatry, psychology and education. SCHOLARSHIPS: Scholarship Notice: Click here to download the scholarship application and information packet (PDF). FOR MORE INFORMATION: Visit http://www.chadd.org for more details or to register. Free CME/CEU Accredited Online Seminar and Teleconference: "Contemporary Issues in ADD/ADHD" WHEN: November 4, 2004 from 7 - 9 PM (ET) (6 PM CT, 5 PM MT and 4 PM PT) DESCRIPTION: Presenters are Pasquale Accardo, MD, Professor of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, Virginia Commonwealth University, Medical College of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia and Jonathan Mink, MD, PhD., Associate Professor of Neurology, Neurobiology & Anatomy, and Pediatrics, Chief of Child Neurology, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry. Moderator will be Alan Percy, MD, Director, Clinical Neuroscience, Civitan International Research Center, University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine. This seminar is for: Child Neurologists, Primary Care Physicians, Pediatricians, Nurses, School Nurses, Elementary and Secondary School Teachers, Special Ed Teachers CME/CEU offered only for healthcare professionals. The objective for this On-line Seminar & Teleconference is to present what the correct body of scientific literature tells us is happening in the brain of a child or adult with ADD/ADHD. There are chemical imbalances, and there are a wide array of pharmacological and behavioral interventions used in the treatment of ADD/ADHD, once a differential diagnosis is made. All of these issues and more will be addressed in this Web-based interactive symposium. FOR MORE INFORMATION:* Visit http://www.eparent.com/web_seminar_add_adhd/ for more details or to register. The Second International Conference on Positive Behavior Support "The Expanding World of PBS: Science, Values, & Vision" WHEN: March 10-12, 2005 WHERE: Tampa Marriott Waterside Hotel, Tampa, FL DESCRIPTION: Positive Behavior Support involves the assessment and engineering of environments so that people with problem behaviors can increase social, personal and professional quality in their lives.Special features will include half-day and full-day Skill-Building Workshops and evening Topical Interest Groups. FOR MORE INFORMATION: Visit our conference website at www.apbs.org for registration information or call the conference support office at (570) 398-4081.
Upcoming Michigan Events	*top*
These are NEW calendar listings that have been added this week. To view a complete calendar of Michigan events, visit http://www.bridges4kids.org/Conferences.html. Meeting Notice: Michigan Child Care Task Force (mcctf) WHEN: October 6, 2004 WHERE: Grand Tower FIA building, 235 S. Grand Ave., Lansing, MI 48909 (Meeting will take place in the Dempsey Room, 1st floor. There is parking available at the South Grand Parking structure just north of the FIA building. You may be asked to produce I.D.) FOR MORE INFORMATION: Contact Lisa Brewer at 866-648-3224, ext.27 or Richard Lower at 517-374-MHSA for more information. The Wonder of Boys and Girls: Understanding the Hidden Nature of Our Sons and Daughters WHEN: October 6, 2004 from 8:30 a.m. to 11:15 a.m. WHERE: Cranbrook Art Museum on the grounds of Cranbrook Schools in Bloomfield Hills DESCRIPTION: Therapist Michael Gurian, author of “The Wonder of Boys” and “The Wonder of Girls” will give two presentations, courtesy of the Birmingham Bloomfield Families in Action, on “The Wonder of Boys and Girls: Understanding the Hidden nature of Our Sons and Daughters” and “What Could He Be Thinking: Understanding the Nature of Our Boys.” The first, on The Wonder of Boys and Girls” will be held at Cranbrook Art Museum on the grounds of Cranbrook Schools in Bloomfield Hills; and the second, “What Could He Be Thinking” will be at the Seligman Performing Arts Center on the Detroit Country Day School campus in Beverly Hills. Gurian will discuss his research in neurobiology and how the brain works in both genders to help parents and professionals understand how boys and girls learn differently and how to better bond with each gender. Prevention of substance abuse will grow from understanding how to communicate with the genders. “For example,” he says, “for boys, don’t sit them down and verbalize and lecture them for 10 to 20 minutes. The male brain doesn’t take in as many words as the female brain. Girls have twice the verbal centers as boys do. So boys don’t process as much being lectured to.” FOR MORE INFORMATION: For more information call 248.645.3000. For directions visit schools.cranbrook.edu/about/campus/directions.asp. Macomb St. Clair ASA Safety Day SPONSOR: The Macomb/St. Clair County Chapter of the Autism Society of America WHEN: October 9, 2004 from 1-4 p.m. WHERE: Bozymowski Center, 11870 El Dorado, Sterling Heights, MI DESCRIPTION: See Vendors for: Identity Cards, Locator Watches, Door Alarms, Pool Alarms, Fence Alarms, Other Devices. See Representatives from: Children's Hospital, Police Department, Fire Departments & Others. All attending will get even discounts when purchasing at the event. Existing members will have the first $50 paid from the Autism Society chapter to the vendor toward your purchase at the event. New members that day get first $25 paid. Identa-A-Kid Services of America - The child Identification Program. State Farm is bring Seat belt safety (preschool - 1st grade), Taylor Door will have deep discounts available. Bicycle Helmets from Children's Hospital for $4.00 and they will fit them on the children while supplies last. Stan Safety, the Magical Fireman, Door Prizes and Music. Free Window Decals and Finger Printing. Cider and Doughnuts. FOR MORE INFORMATION: For further information please call Angel Vice at (586) 757-7550. Association for Children's Mental Health 15th Annual Conference "Pathways to Possibilities: Hope and Help for Children and Families" WHEN: October 28-29, 2004 WHERE: Kellogg Hotel and Conference Center, East Lansing, MI DESCRIPTION: Topics include: "Parity and Access"; "Healthy Child: The Effects of the Environment on Our Children's Development"; "Voice and Choice: The Family's Role in Evidence Based Practice"; "How To Talk To Legislators"; "Finding Information and Resources to Help Your Child"; "Bullied Youth: Helping Them Achieve Success"; "The Healing Parent"; "Honoring and Engaging the Highly Sensitive Child with the Arts as Process"; "Communication: Strategies That Work"; "The Explosive Child"; "Michigan Mental Health Commission Findings and Recommendations." Parent Scholarships Available! COST: 2 Days member $135 (after Oct. 11 = 160; non-member $170 (after Oct. 11 = $190) 1 Day member $85 (after Oct. 11 = $100); non-member $120 (after Oct. 11 = $140). FOR MORE INFORMATION: To register or for a conference brochure call 1-888-ACMH-KID (1-888-225-4543). Michigan Council of School Attorneys 2004 Fall Conference WHEN: November 4, 2004 from 1:00 PM - 4:30 PM WHERE: DeVos Place Convention Center, Grand Rapids DESCRIPTION: Keeping up with school law issues can be challenging even for the most experienced school attorney or school official. To stay current, you need access to concise, clear information. The Michigan Council of School Attorneys Fall Conference has consistently offered pertinent and timely topics for school officials and attorneys who are involved in the legal aspects of education, and this year is no exception. Whether you are an attorney, board member or school administrator, this half-day conference is designed for those interested in the cutting edge legal issues that confront school districts. Each presentation will be conducted by a school law expert who will address all of your concerns and questions. All registrants will receive a detailed outline of each presentation assembled in a convenient three-ring binder. COST: $50 MASB & MCSA Members/ $65 Non-Members FOR MORE INFORMATION: Register online at www.masb.org or download registration form at http://www.masb.org/pdf/fallconference04.pdf and mail registration form with payment to MASB Business Office, 1001 Centennial Way, Ste 400, Lansing, MI 48917 Michigan Fathers Conference SPONSORS: Dads Empowered in cooperation with The Birmingham Public Schools and Birmingham Youth Assistance WHEN: November 6, 2004 from 8 a.m. - 3 p.m. WHERE: Birmingham Covington School, 1525 Covington Rd. (corner of Quarton and Covington), Bloomfield Hills DESCRIPTION: Featuring Morning Kick-off speakers: Mike Stone, WDFN and Chris Edwards, FOX 2 News. Morning Keynote: Paul W. Smith, WJR Radio, on The Importance of Fathers. Lunch Keynote: Steve Garagiola, Channel 4, "Balancing Work and Family". Childcare available - must sign up in advance. COST: Breakfast and Lunch included with full day registration of $22 ($30 after Nov.4). Half-day registration available: includes breakfast (8AM - 12:30PM: $16 ($22 after Nov. 4). FOR MORE INFORMATION: For more details visit www.dadsempowered.org or call 248-203-3800 to register. Registration forms available online at http://www.communityed.net. Annual Michigan Collaborative Early Childhood Conference WHEN: Preconference: Wednesday, January 26, 2005; Conference: Thursday & Friday, January 27-28, 2005 WHERE: Hyatt Regency Hotel, Dearborn MiAEYC's Annual Early Childhood Conference SPONSOR: Michigan Association for the Education of Young Children (MiAEYC) WHEN: April 14-16, 2005 WHERE: Amway Grand Plaza Hotel and DeVos Place, Grand Rapids, Michigan FOR MORE INFORMATION: Visit http://www.miaeyc.org for more details.
Bridges4Kids Chief Executive Officer Deborah Canja deb@bridges4kids.org Bridges4Kids Director of Information Technology & Information Systems Jackie Igafo-Te'o jackie@bridges4kids.org Bridges4Kids Resource Assistant Bella Djordjevski news@bridges4kids.org