Monthly Archives: September 2007

October Workshops and Support Groups

Posted on by

support-group-pix.jpg 

The GRACE Foundation of New York (Getting Resources for Autistic Children’s Equality)Topic: Parent Support GroupDate: Tuesday, October 9th, 2007

Time: 10:00 am

Location: 264 Watchogue Road (Above Jimmy Max- entrance in the rear)

Contact: Julie Larsen 718-983-3800

Parent to Parent New York, Inc.

Topic: Mothers Support Group

Date: Wednesday, October 10th, 2007

Time: 10:00 am

Location: Institute for Basic Research 1050 Forest Hill Rd. 10314

Contact: Parent to Parent NY, Inc. @ 718-494-4872

Childcare is provided with prior registration

Down Syndrome Parent Support Group of Staten Island

Topic: Down Syndrome: A Developmental Pediatrician’s Approach

Date: Wednesday, October 10th, 2007

Time: 7:00 pm

Location:  Behavioral Sciences Building (Bldg. 28) NY State Institute for Basic Research ~ 930 Willowbrook Road, SI, NY  10314

Contact: Anne Gordon @ 718-494-5122

Parent to Parent New York, Inc.

Topic: Fathers Support Group

Date: Wednesday, October 10th, 2007

Time: 7:00 pm

Location: Please contact office for location 

Contact: Parent to Parent NY, Inc. @ 718-494-4872

  

Parent to Parent New York, Inc.

Topic: Sibling Support Group

Date: Friday, October 12th, 2007

Time: Please call Parent to Parent NY, Inc. for time and

Contact: Parent to Parent NY, Inc. @ 718-494-4872

Pre-Registration is required

UFT/DIAL A TEACHER

Topic: 10th Annual Parent Conference

Date: Saturday, October 13th, 2007

Time: 8:00 am -3:00pm

Location: The New York Sheraton Hotel & Towers

52nd Street & 7th Avenue, New York, NY

Contact: UFT 212-598-9205 or go to http://www.uft.org/parent/events/ny/parent_conference/

(You must register to attend)

The GRACE Foundation of New York (Getting Resources for Autistic Children’s Equality)

Topic: Weekly Gym Program for children 3-16

 ~ Children must meet OMRDD Eligibility~

Date: Saturdays, October 13th, through June 21st, 2007

Time: 9:30am-12:30pm

Location: PS 55 – 54 Osborn Avenue, Staten Island,

Contact: Julie Larsen 718-983-3800

CSI/IBR Center For Developmental Neuroscience and Developmental Disabilities

Topic: Honoring Willowbrook’s legacy in an academic setting

Speaker: Henry Kennedy, Esq.,Willkie Farr & Gallagher, New York, NY

Date: Monday, October 15th, 2007

Time: 9:30 am

Location: The College of Staten Island 2800 Victory Blvd. Building 6S – Room 229, Staten Island

Contact: Diana Cocozza @ 718-982-3950

Hungerford School’s Annual Transition Fair

Date: Saturday, October 20th, 2007

Time: 10:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Location: The Hungerford Main Site ~155 Tompkins Avenue, Staten Island, NY

Contact: Janet Manolakos @ 718-447-2956 or Terry Slavens @ 718-273-8622

Please Register no later than Friday, October 12th , 2007

Parent to Parent New York, Inc.

Topic: Mothers Support Group

Date: Tuesday, October 23rd, 2007

Time: 10:00 am

Location: Institute for Basic Research 1050 Forest Hill Rd. 10314

Contact: Parent to Parent NY, Inc. @ 718-494-4872

Childcare is provided with prior registration

The GRACE Foundation of New York (Getting Resources for Autistic Children’s Equality)

Topic: Parent Support Group

Date: Tuesday, October 23rd, 2007

Time: 10:00 am

Location: 264 Watchogue Road (Above Jimmy Max- entrance in the rear)

Contact: Julie Larsen 718-983-3800

Parent to Parent New York, Inc.

Topic: How Medicaid Coverage Changed for Most People with SSI of SSD ~ How to Get the Care You Need

Date: Tuesday, October 23rd, 2007

Time: 7:00-9:00 PM

Location: Institute for Basic Research 1050 Forest Hill Rd. 10314

Contact: Parent to Parent NY, Inc. @ 718-494-4872

Childcare is provided with prior registration

   

Staten Island Developmental Disabilities Council

General Council Meeting

Date: Friday, October 26th, 2007

Time: 9:30 am – 12 Noon

Location: Elizabeth Connelly Center

930 Willowbrook Road, Staten Island, NY 10314

Contact: SIDDC office @ 718-983-5354

Parent to Parent New York, Inc.

Topic: Sibling Support Group

Date: Friday, October 26th, 2007

Time: Please call Parent to Parent NY, Inc. for time and location

Contact: Parent to Parent NY, Inc. @ 718-494-4872

Pre-Registration is required

                                           

Don’t Forget! Petrides “J” Building BAKESALE

Posted on by

bakery1.jpg  

On Tuesday, October 2nd, we will have a PTA BAKESALE at our Petrides “J” Building. The sale will occur during lunchtime between 11:50 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. If you would like to help out during the sale, come to the building at 11:30 a.m. to help set up. Or, if you would like to bake something or buy juice boxes or pre-packaged goodies, you may send them in with your child, or drop it off in the morning. DON’T FORGET TO SEND IN CASH WITH YOUR CHILD THE DAY OF THE SALE! We are so happy to say that we made $313.00 at the bakesale at our Main Site. VOLUNTEERS NEEDED! Call Kirsten Rorke, telephone: (718) 816-8897.

Hungerford School’s Annual Transition Fair

Posted on by

SATURDAY October 20, 200710:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.@ The Hungerford Main Site, 155 Tompkins Avenue, Staten Island, N.Y. 10304  

Representatives from the Staten Island Developmental Disabilities Service Office (SIDDSO) & many of the Agencies that provide services for people with disabilities will be on hand to meet with High School parents.  They will be providing information on what is required to help your child move into the adult community! Please take this opportunity to speak to these Representatives.  It is imperative to find out what is available long before you need to make a final decision about your child’s future in the adult community.  

A light breakfast and lunch will be served.  Sorry, we are unable to provide child care.

RSVP: JANET MANALAKOS (718) 447-2956

NOTE: This fair is geared towards students who are twenty-one and aging out of the school system. We recommend this fair to all special education families so they may get an idea of services that will be available for their children later on.

“Louder Than Words” by Jenny McCarthy

Posted on by

 

We have some great new books for the Parent’s Lending Library. One of them is by Jenny McCarthy entitled “Louder Than Words”.  You may have seen her on the Oprah Winfrey Show discussing her book and her life with her son, Evan,  who was diagnosed with Autism.

Ms. McCarthy talks about the intense combination of behavioral therapy, diet and supplements that helps her son manage his Autism. If you are interested in borrowing this book you may leave a comment in the comments box.

Parent to Parent Workshop – Important News!

Posted on by

parent-to-parent.jpg 

Parent to Parent will be hosting a workshop on “The Changes in the Structure of the Department of Education“, presented by Claire Donnellan, Chairperson, Committee on Special Education, Districts 20, 21, 31, and Gail Zivot, Administrator of Special Education, Committee on Special Education, District 31.

Come learn about:

* The New Structure

*The Integrated Service Center

*How it all works, and more

The workshop will be held on Tuesday, September 25, 2007 from 10:00-12:00 noon

at the Institute for Basic Research (IBR), 1050 Forest Hill Rd, Staten Island.

Refreshments will be served. If you need child care, or more information, please call 718-494-4872.

September 20th PTA Meeting Minutes

Posted on by

 

PS 373 PTA GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING

9/20/07 @ 9:30 AM

 

Officers Present: Siri Kagan, Ida Gilman and Laura Strohm

Parent Coordinator: Kirsten Rorke

 

Officers were introduced.

Reading of the June minutes were waived, Minutes were passed around for reading.

The Bylaws need to be voted on at October meeting.

New Business:

OVERCROWDING:
District 75 encompasses special education, city wide.   PS 373 has 5 sites: the Main on Henderson Ave, PS 58, Petrides’ J building, RELC, PS 21 and 22 inclusion classes.

There has been a great increase in need for PS 373 seats and the DOE has no plan to meet this need.  Nine classes were added to the Main site this year by splitting classrooms in half.  The PTA is proposing a new, three story addition at the Main site.

Also, at the Petrides site, we have 6 classes and approximately 60 students in 12:1:1 classes.  Nearby, the H building sits, used only for storage of garbage and unused or broken items.  The PTA’s goal is to get it cleaned up to use for additional classrooms.

Please sign the petition that the DOE grant these requests.

 

Lana Knight, the UFT Representative for PS 373 provided information on the upcoming yearly UFT workshop.

It is 8AM to 3PM on Saturday 10/13 in NYC. Babysitting is available for a $10.00 fee.  It is a wonderful workshop for parents and if there is enough interest, the PTA can make group travel arrangements.

 

Ida Gilman, Treasure spoke about the following:

Bake Sales 9/26 at the Main site and 10/2 at Petrides.  PTA is requesting baked goods donations to be sold to the children on these days.  The money will be used for the POWER OF CHOICE program, for our children.  The POWER OF CHOICE was explained.

Volunteers were requested for all of our activities.

Please complete your parent surveys.

COSTCO donated our refreshments and representatives were available for membership application, during our meeting.

A PTA Costco membership was proposed.  There was no opposition from the membership.

Nutrition Cards:  The PTA would like to purchase nutrition cards for the teachers to give to the parents at Parent Teacher conference. Approximate cost: $205.00

Treasurer’s Report read:       Beginning Balance $1933.13

                                                   Closing Balance      $2114.54

 

General Membership introduced themselves.

 

Announcements:

Parent to Parent Workshop on Tuesday, 9/25 at IBR

SI Museum- free AM on Saturday, 10/27

Please check out our website, the computers in the library of the Main can be used by parents.

Look for our Cookie Dough Fundraiser in October, cookie dough to be delivered in time for the Holidays.

 

Principal Mike Zangwill was introduced.  He encouraged parent communication with teachers and staff. He also discussed IEP meetings, nationwide shortage of speech therapists, OT and PT providers, and bussing issues.  Many new teachers and staff were hired over the summer, including the addition of an Autism Coach.  Standardized vs. alternate assessment was discussed.  Mike took questions from the membership.

 

Motion to adjourn the meeting was made at 11AM.

Respectfully submitted by Laura Strohm