Bridges4Kids News Digest

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

National News	*top*
Wrightslaw Alert! IDEA Regulations on Fast Track, Expected in June The Special Ed Advocate Newsletter, Wrightslaw, May 20, 2005 http://www.bridges4kids.org/articles/5-05/Wrightslaw5-20-05.html#top Includes: IDEA Regs on Fast Track, Public Comments & Concerns, Schedule of Public Meetings, and IDEA 2004 Info & Resources. Colin Powell Announces Campaign "100 Best Communities for Young People" America's Promise Bulletin, May 19, 2005 http://www.bridges4kids.org/articles/5-05/AP5-19-05.html#top Innovations In Education Office of Innovation and Improvement, U.S. Department of Education http://www.edpubs.org/webstore/content/itemDetails.asp?strItem=EU+0117P "Alternative Routes to Teacher Certification" looks at six programs that prepare people who already have content knowledge -- such as mid-career professionals, liberal arts graduates, retired military personnel, and other college graduates -- to teach. "Alternative Pathways to School Leadership" provides examples of successful strategies to prepare candidates for school leadership positions. To receive two copies of each new book, write to Courtney Phillips at Courtney.Phillips@ed.gov or click on the link above. Live Wire Media Offers Character-Building Curricula http://www.livewiremedia.com/ppsixpillars.html Character Counts! has partnered with Live Wire to create a "Six Pillars" series is written for grades K-5. Power and Control Drive School Bullies Peggy Walsh-Sarnecki and Teresa Mask, Detroit Free Press, May 23, 2005 http://www.bridges4kids.org/articles/5-05/Freep5-23-05.html#top But silent majority can stop torment, experts say. Frank Williams is a self-confessed former bully who remembers feeling a rush of power when he humiliated other kids. "It could be anything. I'd see someone walking down the hall and say, 'Uh, that looks so stupid,' " said the 18-year-old senior at Walled Lake Western High. MO Keeping Suspended Students in School Trisha Howard and Peter Shinkle, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, May 24, 2005 http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/stlouiscitycounty/story/33082E3424070A0086257 00B00209F23?OpenDocument Schools try to reduce “official hooky.” Out-of-school suspensions can cost St. Louis-area students tens of thousands of days a year - stealing valuable instructional time from students as well as state dollars from school districts' pockets. bridges4kids Featured Website: The National Association of Counsel for Children (NACC) http://www.naccchildlaw.org/ A non-profit child advocacy and professional membership association. The NACC is dedicated to providing high quality legal representation for children. Our mission is to improve the lives of children and families through legal advocacy. The NACC provides training and technical assistance to attorneys and other professionals, serves as a public information and professional referral center, and engages in public policy and legislative advocacy. MI Parents Want District to Pay Son's Costs Tony Bruscato, Plymouth Observer, May 22, 2005 http://www.bridges4kids.org/articles/5-05/Observer5-22-05.html#top The parents of a former Canton High School student want Plymouth-Canton Schools to reimburse them upwards of $100,000 they claim it cost to educate their son at a private school in Maine. eSchool News Sneak Peek at 'MS Student 2006' Corey Murray, eSchool News, May 23, 2005 http://www.eschoolnews.com/news/showStoryts.cfm?ArticleID=5673 This summer, software giant Microsoft Corp. plans to release a new tool designed to make doing homework--long a source of mental anguish for students--less about headaches and more about learning. Microsoft says its Student software is very user-friendly. Skills for Access: Resources on Accessible Multimedia http://www.skillsforaccess.org.uk/ "The aim of the project is simple - to create an online resource providing informed, practical and pragmatic advice and information on multimedia, accessibility and learning. This is supported by a series of general articles by experts in the field and case studies documenting real life experiences in creating multimedia to enhance the accessibility of e-learning." STUDENTS TEACHING STUDENTS: The Many Names of Abuse Teresa Mask, Detroit Free Press, May 11, 2005 http://www.bridges4kids.org/articles/5-05/Freep5-11-05.html#top Personal stories used to try to slow rise in violent relationships. The 'Secret' Homeless Kenneth Todd Ruiz, DailyBulletin.com, May 21, 2005 http://www.dailybulletin.com/Stories/0,1413,203~21481~2882004,00.html For two years, Rhonda Dyer and her daughter, Kayla, lived out of a 1985 Toyota van, traversing a network of Upland parking lots. CT Connecticut Schools Target Junk Food CNN, May 23, 2005 http://www.bridges4kids.org/articles/5-05/CNN5-23-05.html#top Connecticut is on the verge of adopting the most far-reaching ban in the country on soda and junk food in public schools, in an effort to curb rising rates of childhood obesity. Childhood Lead Poisoning News Paul Haan, Get the Lead Out, May 18, 2005 Study on lead poisoned children not having access to care http://online.wsj.com/article_email/0,,SB111575506240229529-IhjfINllal4nJyoZXmHbKaCm4,00.html http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/short/293/18/2232 Updated Medicaid testing rated (April 2005 report) http://www.michigan.gov/documents/200504noID_124762_7.pdf EPA backing away from passing rules for contractors requiring lead-safe work practices and disclosure http://www.peer.org/news/news_id.php?row_id=493 http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-paint10may10,1,99282,print.story?coll=la-headlines-nation&ctrack=1&cset=true Senate Letter of Concern http://www.afhh.org/aa/Congress_johnson_epa_letter_050905.pdf bridges4kids Book Review: The Silence Within & Supplemental Guide Janice Drewek, Preschool Teacher, May 23, 2005 http://www.bridges4kids.org/ReviewPanel2.html#8 The Silence Within describes a teacher’s experience with a selectively mute child. Also described is the process that followed in the child overcoming the disorder, after five years of being mute in school and all social situations.
No Child Left Behind (NCLB)	*top*
SES: Two Billion Reasons to Worry Corey Murray, eSchool News, May 16, 2005 http://www.eschoolnews.com/news/showStoryts.cfm?ArticleID=5667 At an estimated $2 billion per year, the market for Supplemental Educational Services (SES)--the voluntary tutoring programs that must be offered to students who attend certain underperforming schools, as required by the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB)--has become one of the hottest money-making propositions in public education. For more information on No Child Left Behind, visit http://www.bridges4kids.org/ESEA.html.
Parenting/Parental Involvement	*top*
Summertime and Our Children Still LEARN! Loreena D. Parks, Assistant Professor, Special Education, Eastern Michigan University http://www.bridges4kids.org/ld/articles/Parks5-05.htm Many parents are concerned that their children are missing out on academics during the summer months. Children do not have to be in the classroom in order to learn. There are many lessons learned in the summer that can help to make the school year more effective. Summer Reading Tips For Parents Coordinated Campaign for Learning Disabilities http://www.bridges4kids.org/ld/articles/CCLD5-05.htm Summer shouldn't mean taking a break from learning, especially reading. Studies show that most students experience a loss of reading skills over the summer months, but children who continue to read actually gain skills. Efforts should be made during the summer to help children sustain reading skills, practice reading and read for enjoyment. Tips for Grandparents Adapted from PACER Center's "Early Childhood Connection" http://www.bridges4kids.org/ld/articles/Pacer5-05.htm When a child is born or diagnosed with disabilities, parents are not alone in their concerns. Grandparents are often anxious, too, not only for their grandchild, but for their child whose life is affected by the baby. Many grandparents and parents have been interviewed to ask how grandparents can best help their children and grandchildren. Here are some tips. bridges4kids Book Review: I'm Not A Brat & There's A Dragon In My Wagon Melody (age 8) and Jackie D. Igafo-Te'o, May 24, 2005 http://www.bridges4kids.org/ReviewPanel2.html#7 These two books of silly poetry, written by 35-year teaching veteran, storyteller and author, Arnot McCallum, will encourage kids of all ages to pick up a book and read. For more information on Parenting, Siblings, Adoption and Foster Care, visit http://www.bridges4kids.org/Parenting.html.
Early On/Early Intervention/Early Childhood	*top*
PBS for Young Children: Pre-kindergartener Expulsion Rates Pre-kindergarteners Left Behind: Expulsion Rates in State Prekindergarten Systems (PDF) Walter S. Gilliam, PhD, Yale University Child Study Center http://www.bridges4kids.org/PBS/NationalPreKExpulsionPaper03.02_new.pdf Read the results of a study on the expulsion of young children from state-subsidized pre-K classrooms from a national study of 3,898 pre-kindergarten classrooms (81.0% response rate), representing all of the nation's 52 state-funded pre-kindergarten systems currently operating across 40 states. Nationally, 6.67 preschoolers were expelled per 1,000 enrolled -- 3.2 times the rate for K-12 students. Also, see... Expulsion Rates for Prekindergarten and K-12 by State (PDF) http://www.bridges4kids.org/PBS/NationalPreKExpulsionPaper03.02.pdf and Michigan Pre-kindergarten Fact Sheet (PDF) http://www.bridges4kids.org/PBS/FactSheetMichigan.pdf Early Childhood Education Newsletter: Enjoy The Outdoors! Education World's Early Childhood Education Newsletter, May 24, 2005 http://earlychildhoodmichigan.org/articles/5-05/ECE5-24-05.htm Come on outside, the weather is fine! What better time than springtime to take some of your lessons outdoors? Whether your children are measuring water or playing shadow tag, they are using nature’s bounty to help them learn. bridges4kids Book Review: The Bilingual Book of Rhymes, Songs, Stories & Fingerplays Kathy Peppin, Early On Service Coordinator, Ottawa Area Intermediate School District, May 27, 2005 http://earlychildhoodmichigan.org/articles/4-05/GryphonHouse5-27-05.htm With Spanish and English on each page, this collection of over 450 rhymes, songs, stories, and fingerplays provides the opportunity for building vocabulary and exploring the sounds of language-important skills for beginning readers! bridges4kids CD Review: My Turn Your Turn Jackie D. Igafo-Te'o, Bridges4Kids, May 28, 2005 http://earlychildhoodmichigan.org/articles/4-05/Bollinger5-28-05.htm Award-winning singer-songwriter, Cathy Bollinger does a phenomenal job all around on her newest CD, My Turn Your Turn. bridges4kids Book Review: High/Scope's Preschool Key Experiences: Movement and Music Liz Buckmaster, MT-BC, Music Therapist, Lincoln Park Public Schools, May 13, 2005 http://www.bridges4kids.org/ReviewPanel2.html#4 This booklet and accompanying video provide a roadmap of how movement and music abilities develop in young children and how adults can support this process. TN Tennessee's Pre-K Plan: Start Small and Learn Claudette Riley, Tennessean, May 22, 2005 http://earlychildhoodmichigan.org/articles/5-05/Tennessean5-22-05.htm Tennessee is closely studying other states' preschool programs to ensure its new expanded program, likely to become a reality this fall, is implemented smoothly. Like Georgia, Tennessee will try to serve as many children as possible, keep classes small and give parents choice between public and private centers, but it will probably move more slowly. MI Audit Criticizes Michigan Child Care Licensing System Gongwer News Service, May 23, 2005 http://earlychildhoodmichigan.org/articles/5-05/Gongwer5-23-05.htm State officials have failed to adequately check the criminal backgrounds of childcare workers and to conduct required inspections of childcare centers in a timely fashion, an audit from Auditor General Thomas McTavish showed. Emergent Literacy and Language Facilitation: Videos for Staff and Parents Available in English, Spanish, Vietnamese, Korean, Mandarin, and Filipino. To preview the English version of the videos "Talking and Play" and "Talking and Books" on the web, please go to www.walearning.com. Washington Research Institute (WRI) developed the Language is the Key program. This evidence-based program helps staff show parents how to encourage young children (birth to five) to talk and build the foundation for literacy. MI Michigan's Great Start System: Website Updates ECIC, May 11, 2005 http://earlychildhoodmichigan.org/articles/5-05/ECIC5-11-05.htm A description of Michigan's Great Start System is now available on the Great Start website, along with a document titled "Great Start System Talking Points." MI Information on Public Comment Regarding the Application for Federal Funds Under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) as Amended in 2004 and the Changes that Affect Those Procedures Jacquelyn J. Thompson, Ph.D., Director, Office of Special Education and Early Intervention Services, May 16, 2005 http://earlychildhoodmichigan.org/articles/5-05/Thompson5-16-05.htm MI Summer 2005 in St. Joseph County Two documents, created by St. Joseph County Early On, contain information on summer fun for everyone! The first one, Summer Fun, is a list of programs brought to you by Early On (PDF). They are open to all children birth to age 5. If a program does fill, then children in Early On or Special Education will be given preference. http://www.bridges4kids.org/pdf/events/StJoSummerFun2005.pdf The second one, Summer Extras, is a list that Karin and Amy created of programs already in existence in our community that are available to families and children birth to age 5 (PDF). http://www.bridges4kids.org/pdf/events/StJoSummerExtras2005.pdf For more information on Early Childhood issues, visit www.EarlyChildhoodMichigan.org.
Michigan News	*top*
Summary of Pending Michigan Legislation Affecting Schools Michigan Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD), May 22, 2005 http://www.bridges4kids.org/articles/5-05/ASCD5-22-05.html#top Senate Bill 325 would amend the Revised School Code to move up the date by which a child must be five years old, from December 1 to September 1 by the 2007-08 school year, in order to attend kindergarten. Senate Bill 328 would permit districts or intermediate school districts who receive payments from the Durant v State of Michigan settlement to use those funds for the Early Learning Success Program. Senate Bill 329 would allocate $1 million from the State School Aid Fund for 2005-06 to the Department of Education for 50 grants of $20,000 each to districts to develop a five-year Early Learning Success model for grades K-3. Senate Bill 326 would amend the Revised School Code to require a school district or public school academy to devote at least one professional day a year to training in pupil learning, if they had an above-average percentage of pupils receiving special education. Senate Bill 327 increases the number of credits that a teaching student needs in elementary level reading from six to nine. Senate Bill 205 would amend the Revised School Code to require that, by July 1, 2007, the board of a school district or a public school academy would require each person it employed as an interscholastic athletic coach to hold valid certification in sport safety training. Single-sex Academies Planned Chastity Pratt, Detroit Free Press, May 12, 2005 http://www.bridges4kids.org/articles/5-05/Freep5-12-05.html#top Detroit district optimistic, but resistance is likely. BALDWIN YOUTH FACILITY: Prison Is At The State's Mercy Laura Potts, Detroit Free Press, May 23, 2005 http://www.freep.com/news/childrenfirst/punk23e_20050523.htm Deep in the scrubby jack pine forests of Lake County, an unlikely battle is brewing over the state's so-called punk prison. At issue is whether to close the maximum-security prison for 484 teenage boys convicted as adults. Most communities might be glad to see it go, but most aren't Lake County. MESSA Expects Fair Report MIRS, May 23, 2005 http://www.bridges4kids.org/articles/5-05/MIRS5-23-05.html#top The lead attorney for the Michigan Educational Special Services Association (MESSA) says he expects a fair report will be issued in July concerning cost competition in the education health care sector and the possible creation of state government operated system for Michigan schools. Switalski And MHSAA Don't See Eye To Eye On Steroid Testing MIRS, May 23, 2005 http://www.bridges4kids.org/articles/5-05/MIRS5-23-05.html#2 Sen. Mickey Switalski (D-Roseville) says it's time for random steroid drug testing at high school tournaments, and has introduced legislation on the topic. But the Michigan High School Athletics Association (MHSAA) says thanks but no thanks. Detroit Parent Network: Download the May/June newsletter (PDF) http://www.bridges4kids.org/dpn/pdf/MayJune2005Newsletter.pdf BWL: Lead Pipes Need Flushing For 7 Minutes Tom Lambert, Lansing State Journal, May 17, 2005 http://www.lsj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050517/NEWS01/505170337&SearchID=73208462844531 12,000 homes told to run water longer before drinking it. The Lansing Board of Water and Light recommended Monday that its customers with lead service lines run their water for at least seven minutes before drinking it. The public utility replaced lead lines to about 400 to 500 homes since last summer. To find out if you have lead pipes, call 702-6006.
Disability News	*top*
Who Do You Tell About Your Disability? Edward M. Hallowell, MD, Mind Matters, April 2000 http://www.bridges4kids.org/ld/articles/Hallowell4-00.htm It should be possible to talk about having a disability ... about your ADD or your Depression, or your Dyslexia .... you should be able to do so without encountering suspicions or disbelief. However, this is rarely the case. NFB and Other Disability Groups Protest Cutbacks at Federal Rehab Agency PR Newswire, May 19, 2005 http://www.bridges4kids.org/articles/5-05/Newswire5-19-05.html#top Over a thousand blind and disabled people from all over the United States will gather in Washington next week to protest cutbacks and other changes at the Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA). LDA of America Surveys: Parents and Professionals The Learning Disabilities Association of America needs your help in finding out how we can best serve people with learning disabilities and their families, and the professionals who support them. You do not need to be a member of LDA to take the survey. Choose the option below that best describes you to take the survey: Individuals, Parents & Families (Primary) at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.asp?u=615791082240 or Professionals Who Support Them (Supporting) at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.asp?u=994621083141. Survey closes June 30, 2005. Schneider: Local Boy Brings Realism to BoarsHead Role John Schneider, Lansing State Journal, May 13, 2005 http://www.bridges4kids.org/articles/5-05/LSJ5-13-05.html#top Who could be better in the role of a boy with Down syndrome than a boy with Down syndrome? Well, it depends on how you look at it. bridges4kids Book Review: Evidence of Harm - Mercury in Vaccines and the Autism Epidemic: A Medical Controversy Joy Majzel, April 23, 2005 http://www.bridges4kids.org/ReviewPanel2.html#6 David Kirby explores the heated controversy over whether Thimerosal, a vaccine preservative made with 49.6 percent mercury, has contributed to the current epidemic of autism. For more information on Disabilities, Disorders and Diseases, visit http://www.bridges4kids.org/Disabilities.html.
Special Education Issues	*top*
LA Learning Together Mark Waller, New Orleans Times-Picayune, May 22, 2005 http://www.bridges4kids.org/articles/5-05/Times5-22-05.html#top In the metro area, children in special-education are increasingly moving into regular classes. Once there, the children - those with special needs and those without - are learning important lessons about life. Commentary: Still a Gap in Special Education Barbara Miner, Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, May 21, 2005 http://www.bridges4kids.org/articles/5-05/Journal5-21-05.html#top Want to build a first-rate school? Recruit good students and get rid of "problem" students as soon as possible. It's a time-honored if despicable tradition in some Milwaukee schools - public, private and charter alike. Links To Info On Section 504 and 504 Plans Compiled by Celeste Johnson, May 2005 http://www.bridges4kids.org/Section504.html For more information on Special Education, IEPs and Section 504, visit http://www.bridges4kids.org/Rules.html.
Ask the Attorney/Advocate	*top*
bridges4kids Exclusive: Ask the Attorney with John Brower Visit http://www.bridges4kids.org/AA.html for dozens of John's previously posted Q&As.
Upcoming National Events	*top*
These are NEW calendar listings that have been added this week, along with events taking place this week. To view a complete calendar of National events, visit http://www.bridges4kids.org/Conferences.html. Notice of Public Meetings on IDEA DESCRIPTION: A series of public meetings will be held in order to seek comments and suggestions about proposed regulations, which will be published in a Notice of Proposed Rule Making (NPRM) in the Spring of 2005, to implement programs under the recently amended IDEA. OSERS will provide specific location information through the NPRM to be published in the Federal Register in the Spring of 2005. The meeting locations will be accessible to individuals with disabilities. DATES/TIMES/LOCATIONS: The public meetings will be held from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. and from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.: Monday, June 6, 2005 in San Antonio, TX; Friday, June 17, 2005 in Nashville, TN; Wednesday, June 22, 2005 in Sacramento, CA; Friday, June 24, 2005 in Las Vegas, NV; Monday, June 27, 2005 in New York, NY; Wednesday, June 29, 2005 in Chicago, IL; and Tuesday, July 12, 2005 in Washington, DC. FOR MORE INFORMATION: Contact Troy R. Justesen, Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary, Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 5138, Potomac Center Plaza, Washington, DC 20202. Telephone: (202) 245-7468. If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), you may call the Federal Relay Service (FRS) at 1-800-877-8339. Postsecondary Disability Training Institute WHEN: June 7-11 & 12, 2005 (7:00-9:30 Tu; 8:30-4:00 W, Th, F; 9:00-12:00 Sat) WHERE: Holiday Inn By the Bay, Portland, Maine DESCRIPTION: The objective of this Training Institute is to assist concerned professionals to meet the unique needs of college students with disabilities. Participants can select from a variety of Strands, Single Sessions, and a Saturday Post-Session taught by experts in the field, which provide participants with in-depth information and adequate time for questions and follow-up discussions. Participants also have opportunities to share information and network throughout the week. COST: Cost is $345 per registrant. FOR MORE INFORMATION: For more information or to register, contact carrol.waite@uconn.edu. National Association of Counsel for Children (NACC) 28^th National Children's Law Conference WHEN: August 25-28, 2005 WHERE: Renaissance Hollywood Hotel, Los Angeles, CA FOR MORE INFORMATION: Visit www.naccchildlaw.org/training/conference.html for more information, to download the brochure, or to register.
Upcoming Michigan Events	*top*
These are NEW calendar listings that have been added this week, along with events taking place this week. To view a complete calendar of Michigan events, visit http://www.bridges4kids.org/Conferences.html. disAbility Connections Celebrates 80 Years of Service WHEN: Thursday, June 2, 2005 from 8 a.m. - 6 p.m. WHERE: disAbility Connections, 409 Linden Avenue, Jackson, Michigan DESCRIPTION: Join us in celebration of 80 Years of Service to the Community at disAbility Connections’ Open House. Join us for Open Tours, Refreshments, Community Partner Exhibits, Assistive Technology showcase, and much more. FOR MORE INFORMATION: Click here to learn more. Helping the Out-of-Sync Child at Home and School with Carol STock Kranowitz WHEN: Saturday, June 4, 2005 WHERE: Bethel College, 1001 West McKinley, Mishawaka, Indiana (8 miles from the Michigan border) DESCRIPTION: You will learn how to identify your child’s sensory integration difficulties and how these deficits in sensory processing can interfere with everyday functioning. Most importantly, you will learn activities that help children get “in-sync” while strengthening their motor skills, language, and overall development. Moving and touching activities emphasizing hard work, music and rhyme, rhythm, visual spatial relationship, auditory-language processing, motor planning and calming down will be taught. Download the PDF flyer here. FOR MORE INFORMATION: For further information or directions to Bethel College, please call Dan Ryan 574-289-4831, EX.1028 or email at danr@logancenter.org. Our Life in a Nutty Shell…Living With Autism and Loving It! WHEN: June 9, 2005 at 7:00 p.m. WHERE: The Judson Autism Center, 4410 W. 13 Mile Rd., Royal Oak, MI 48073 DESCRIPTION: Please join the Gammicchia Family as they take us on a journey.....their journey through Autism. They will share with us the challenges they’ve faced, the triumphs, and what it has been like for them to live with autism over the past twelve years. FOR MORE INFORMATION: For more information download the flyer (PDF) or call 248-837-2110. 2005 Parent Leadership Conference WHEN: Saturday, June 18, 2005 from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. WHERE: Focus Hope, 1400 Oakman Blvd., Detroit, MI DESCRIPTION: Join Detroit Parent Network and national renowned presenters and local radio and television personalities as we discuss powerful topics that affect the entire city for both parents and children. Find out how you can demand change for your neighborhoods, schools, and quality of live. Help us build tomorrow...together. Children/youth activities provided all day during conference. FOR MORE INFORMATION: For more information or to register, call the Detroit Parent Network at 313-832-0617 extension 28. Babysitting Workshop: Are you interested in babysitting children who have autism? WHEN: Thursday, June 23, 2005 from 5:00-8:00pm WHERE: Judson Center, 4410 W. 13 Mile Rd., Royal Oak (13 mile and Greenfield) DESCRIPTION: Come to a workshop to learn some basic skills! Any high school or college student wishing to help make a difference in the life of a child with autism should attend this workshop. Parents are desperate for trained babysitters...and it’s great experience! Advanced workshops will be available after this first introductory course for those students wishing to further their experience and earning potential. Parental permission for those under age 18 required prior to attending the workshop. COST: Cost is $10 and includes handouts, pizza dinner and certificate of completion. Scholarships available based on financial need FOR MORE INFORMATION: For more information, contact Stephanie Harlan, Director of the Judson Autism Center at 248-837-2110 or Stephanie_Harlan@judsoncenter.org. The Arc Michigan Annual Conference WHEN: June 23 - 25, 2005 WHERE: Ashman Court, Marriot Conference Hotel, 111 W. Main Street, Midland, MI (989-893-0500) FOR MORE INFORMATION: For more information, visit http://www.arcmi.org/. Family Fun Day WHEN: July 12, 2005 from 11 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. WHERE: Hawk Island Park, Lansing, Michigan DESCRIPTION: A day filled with family-friendly fun, learning, prizes, and games. Disability-related organizations will be on-hand focusing on SSI, respite, assistive technology, transition, college, education, funding and more! More details coming soon. A Summer Institute on Transition WHEN: July 20-21, 2005 WHERE: Troy, Michigan DESCRIPTION: Keynote Speaker will be Dr. Jim Patton. Jim will share his reflections, from both professional and personal perspectives, on trends in education and human services that emphasize new ways of conceptualizing levels of competence. His views have been shaped by extensive experience in transition education that includes work as a classroom teacher, consultant, professor, author and expert witness in competency hearings for persons with disabilities who are on death row. FOR MORE INFORMATION: Download the flyer with registration information and training strands (PDF) at http://www.earlychildhoodmichigan.org/SI2005.pdf. 2006 Michigan Collaborative Early Childhood Conference WHEN: Preconference: January 25, 2006 and Conference: January 26 and 27, 2006 FOR MORE INFORMATION: For more information, contact Laurie A. Nickson, Conference Coordinator, Michigan Collaborative Early Childhood Conference, (517) 336-9700, x25 or email lnickson@miaeyc.org.
Bridges4Kids NewsDigest Staff Deborah Canja Chief Executive Officer deb@bridges4kids.org Jackie Igafo-Te'o Director of Information Technology & Information Systems jackie@bridges4kids.org Bella Djordjevski Resource Assistant news@bridges4kids.org

Early Childhood Education Newsletter: Enjoy The Outdoors!

Come on outside, the weather is fine! What better time than springtime to take some of your lessons outdoors? Whether your children are measuring water or playing shadow tag, they are using nature’s bounty to help them learn.