Parent Resource Center Monday Message: 5.3.21

May is Mental Health Awareness Month

Monday, May 3, 2021

SEPTA 2021 Awards in Excellence Nominees
Wednesday, May 12 at 7:00 p.m
Congratulations to all of the nominees for Arlington SEPTA’s annual Awards for Excellence in Special Education, and a special congratulatory shout-out to the Parent Resource Center’s Kelly Mountain, who was nominated for this year’s Turner Award!
Winners will be announced at the 2021 Excellence Award Virtual Ceremony on . Live on Zoom, Recorded for YouTube.
Register to attend the session
View the list of the 2021 nominees
Learn more about the awards. on the awards visit: Learn more about the awards

Teacher Appreciation Week
APS is celebrating employees throughout the month. This week, we acknowledge the incredible contribution of our teachers and teaching assistants:

• May 3-7: Teacher Appreciation Week
• May 5-6: Teaching Assistants

Parental controls in iPad Screen Time Settings
APS has announced the following: Some families have been taking advantage of the parental controls available in the iPad’s Screen Time setting. Using these controls is fine most of the school year, but they interfere with the device’s ability to take the Virginia Standards of Learning (SOL) tests. During the SOL testing window, these controls must be removed. To ensure all students can test, we have removed these settings from the student’s iPads through the remainder of the school year. Families may re-enable these controls after the last day of school.Thank you for your understanding and the importance of this action.

Our neighbors at the Fairfax County Parent Resource Center have published its 2021 Special Needs Summer Camp Guide.

WETA has shared its May Calendar with activities to keep you and your family busy throughout the month.

New PRC Videos: NOVA Vision Conference: April 20, 2021

Annual Excellence in Special Education Awards Ceremony
Wednesday, May 12th: 7pm
Register here
For more information on the awards visit:https://www.arlingtonsepta.org/programs/excellence-awards/.
Sponsored by Arlington SEPTA

Don’t We Already Do Inclusion?
May 20th: 7:00-9:00 pm
This presentation is not only filled with ideas for teaching diverse learners, but is also focused on change itself and, more specifically, on how those concerned about inclusion can create change even when they are not in positions of power. The activities, examples, and illustrations in this workshop are designed to help participants refine their vision and their skills when it comes to inclusion. The ideas are no or low cost and many can be achieved by any number of stakeholders—including students and families. Come and learn tried and true techniques as well as some out-of-the box solutions such as involving traditional and social media,“shrinking” the change, phoning for help, advertising, and writing your way to progress.
Sponsored by Arlington SEPTA

How to Avoid Learning Loss Without Sacrificing Summer Fun
NOTE – New Date! Monday, May 24, 2021: 7-8pm
Featuring Ann K. Dolin, M.Ed.
Register here
This spring, as we navigate hybrid learning and launch into yet another new normal, we’re all looking forward to a relaxing summer ahead. But this summer, more than ever, we want to make sure our kids are feeling confident and prepared academically for school success this fall.
In this interactive virtual talk, Ann will share strategies for:

• Planning interactive summer activities so fun that your child won’t even realize they’re learning
• Ensuring your child is up to speed after a year of inconsistencies and setbacks
• Accessing online and offline learning resources that make summer learning fun and easy
• Incorporating math, reading, and writing into your child’s summer routine to minimize pushback
• Encouraging engagement when your child seems burned out or distracted

Ann Dolin, M.Ed. is the President and Director of Educational Connections. She holds a B.A. in Child Psychology/Elementary Education and a Master’s degree in Special Education, with a concentration in Learning Disabilities, from Boston College. Ann is a former Fairfax County, VA public school teacher with over 20 years of teaching and tutoring experience. Ann is a recognized expert in education and learning disability issues, and she is also the author of the award-winning book Homework Made Simple: Tips, Tools and Solutions for Stress-Free Homework.

Arlington Special Education Advisory Committee (ASEAC) Meeting
Tuesday, May 25, 2021 from 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Virtual Meeting –  via Zoom
Registration coming soon
The Zoom meeting link will be sent to those registered prior to the meeting. Please note that the business portion of this meeting will be recorded through Zoom.At the beginning of each meeting, ASEAC welcomes comments from the public regarding the needs of students with disabilities in APS. See the ASEAC Public Comment Guidelines at https://aps2016.apsva.us/special-education-advisory-committee for information about submitting public comments. Any person who would like an interpreter and/or any person with a disability who needs accommodation to access the meeting should contact the Parent Resource Center at 703.228.7239 or prc@apsva.us as soon as possible to request assistance.

COMMUNITY PARTNER WEBINARS/VIRTUAL LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES and MEETINGS – Read more at aps2016.apsva.us/prc-events
**The events included below are shared for informational purposes, and listing may not be inclusive of all available community learning opportunities and inclusion of opportunities does not reflect endorsement by Arlington Public Schools.

NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) Arlington Parent Support GroupsNow Meeting Virtually
These groups are geared to parents whose child is experiencing symptoms of a mental illness, including: depression, anxiety, eating disorders, mood disorders and more. No diagnosis is required to participate. Participants are given the opportunity to share their story, experience support, and glean guidance (as desired) from group members regarding both community and school resources. Confidentiality is respected.
School Age Students and Teens (PK-12): Sundays 7pm-8:30pm
2021 Dates:

• May 9 and 23
• June 6 and 20

Older Teen and Young Adults: 3rd Sunday 1-3pm
Questions? Contact:

• PK-12: Michelle Best (mczero@yahoo.com)
• Adults: Naomi Verdugo (verdugo.naomi@gmail.com)

Both: Alisa Cowen (acowen@cowendesigngroup.com)

NAMI Events

• Ending the Silence for Families Presentation
  Monday, May 3: NAMI Ending the Silence for Families Presentation- 6:30pm
  Join here: https://zoom.us/j/99894898434\
• In Our Own Voice Presentation
  Wednesday May 12: – 6:30-8:00pm
  Join Zoom meeting here: https://zoom.us/j/91225401467
• Yoga for Young Children
  Monday, May 17:
  5:30pm: Children in Kindergarten through 2nd grade
  6:05pm: Children in Grades 3-5
  Watch Live here.
• Virtual YouthFest 2021
  Saturday May 22:  2pm
  https://conta.cc/2QUIDF0

Virginia Commonwealth University Autism Center for Excellence (VCU-ACE)Lunch and Learn Series
Autism and the Black Family
May 6, 2021: 12:00 – 1:00 pm ET
Register here 

Depression in Children and Adolescents
Thursday, May 6 at 5:30pm
Register here

Upcoming Events from PEATC – Virginia’s Parent Education and Advocacy Training Center

• Virtual Advocacy Summit | May 3 – 10, 2021: 10:00 AM
• An Overview of COVID Recovery, Compensatory Education, and Extended School Year Services
  May 13, 2021 06:30 PM Register here
• Early Childhood Academy
  May 15 – June 19, 2021  
• Behavior Summit
  May 19, 2021
  Register here
• PEATC LATINX
  • Grupo de Chat para Padres: Unete a nuestro nuevo GRUPO DE CHAT mediante la aplicación de WhatsApp y podras mantenerte al tanto de todo lo que PEATC Latino esta haciendo. Entra al GRUPO: https://bit.ly/2VoU2vw