Contact 
Calendars
Careers
Engage 
District
March 1, 2021
A new month, filled with many new beginnings over the next few weeks! Kudos to the staff, families and students who have worked hard to prepare for this transition, and we wish all of our returning APS students a wonderful first few weeks in their new learning environments.
- Positive Parenting and the Seven Essential Life Skills for Children
How does parenting and child development intersect? The way we parent can nurture the very skills that children need—not just for success in the short-term—but across their entire lives. Check out Mind in the Making and Zero to Three’s Positive Parenting and the Seven Essential Life Skills for Children Infographic. - Did you miss NOVA Night or the Medicaid Waiver session? The session videos are now online!
YORKTOWN HGH SCHOOL PTA WEBINAR; How Executive Function Skills Improve Student Success
Wednesday, March 3, 2021: 7pm
Register here
How do Executive Functions skills impact planning, starting, and completing work? Learn how to build them to help your student thrive. One of the great joys for a parent is to be able to cheer on our children as they build new skills. When it comes to school, we praise the obvious skills such as doing well on a test or getting an A on a paper, but often miss the less obvious — but equally important — ones, such as overcoming challenges to get started on planning and completing in order to finish a longer-term assignment on time. In this helpful presentation by The StudyPro and Rachel Bailey, M. A., you will learn:
- What Executive Functions (EF) skills are and why they matter
- How to recognize and improve “missing skills” behind common school challenges
- How to partner with your student to support them the “right way”
Improving Executive Function skills will help with focus, flexibility, and pushing through frustration. And that’s definitely something to cheer about.View event flyer
Arlington Special Education Advisory Committee (ASEAC) Meeting
Tuesday, March 23rd: 7:00pm – 9:00pm
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.
Understanding Transition Services: Building Interdependence with our Students
Wednesday, March 24th: 7:00pm-9:00pm
Register Here
Arlington Public Schools Transition Services, Parent Resource Center and Program for Employment Preparedness (PEP) are continuing to sponsor a monthly Transition Series. This month’s session will feature a workshop on the importance of building interdependence with students. As students and children grow into adulthood, we often strive to support them in obtaining independence. What often gets left out is teaching them interdependence. Humans have the capacity for meaningful relationships with one another that are mutually beneficial. This is interdependence. Teaching interdependence to people with disabilities demonstrates that they are valued by society, and shows how building connections with others can support and enrich their lives.
Join APS Autism/Low Incidence Specialist Deborah Hammer to explore the importance of interdependence, and learn strategies for how to build this critical lifelong skill.
Please contact Kelly Mountain at 703-228-2136 or Christina Eagle at 703-228-5738 for additional information.
ARLINGTON COUNTY EVENTS
Parent Support Group
Join other parents in your community to share experiences and learn about topics relevant to your family each week. Each week a different topic will be discussed, covering a broad range including Internet Safety, Time Management for kids, COVID related grief and loss, How to navigate the school IEP process, Positive Praise and Behavior Management. Come support other parents and share your successes and lean in for support. Send any questions to cmarketti@arlingtonva.us
- Nutrition and Impact on Development – Tuesday, March 9th, 2021 7-8 pm
- Conflict Resolution in a Family System – Tuesday, March 23rd: 7-8pm
Hosted by Arlington CFSD clinical staff
Project Family Classes: Beginning March 1st
Arlington County invites Arlington families with children 0 to 5 years of age to participate. Virtual classes will include a developmentally based curriculum. Activities for children will include letters and thematic discussion, reading time, and interactive music lessons.Register here to secure your spot.
- Monday: 10am to 11am
- Tuesday: 1pm to 2pm
- Wednesday: 11am to 12pm
- Thursday: 9am to 10am (Reserved for children 0 to 12 months)
- Friday: 10am to 11am (Class in Spanish)
- Saturday: 10am to 11am
Classes will be held through Zoom. Each class cycle will last for 7 weeks. All classes are completely free for all Arlington County residents. For more information contact Leonardo Espiña at: lespina@arlingtonva.us.
View Project Family Flyer
View Project Family Flyer SPANISH
COMMUNITY WEBINARS/VIRTUAL LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES and MEETINGS*
*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 Groups
Now Meeting VirtuallyThese 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) for 2021
Sundays 7pm-8:30pm
- March 7 and 21
- April 11 and 15
- 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)
Virginia Commonwealth University Autism Center for Excellence (VCU-ACE) Lunch and Learn Series
- Teaching Self-Determination: Where to Begin!
March 4, 2021: 12:00 – 1:00 pm
Register Here - Lunch and Learn: Order of Self-Determination – Student Perspectives!
March 11, 2021: 12:00 – 1:00 pm
Register Here - Lunch and Learn: Building Relationships through Virtual and Community Programming
March 18, 2021: 12:00 – 1:00 pm
Register Here - Lunch and Learn: Self-Determination at Home and the Community
March 25, 2021: 12:00 – 1:00 pm
Register Here - Lunch and Learn: Women on the Spectrum: The Gender Voyage
April 1, 2021: 12:00 – 1:00 pm
Register Here - Lunch and Learn: Autism and the Black Family
April 29, 2021: 12:00 – 1:00 pm
Register Here
Upcoming Events from PEATC – Virginia’s Parent Education and Advocacy Training Center
- 2021 Family Engagement Symposium
March 6, 2021
Register Here - Behavior Summit
May 19, 2021
Registration opens on March 15th - 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
- Abril 24, 2021 | 10:00 AM La Cumbre VIRTUAL de Alcance Latinx, se creó para brindar un espacio seguro de discusión y acción para crear mejores condiciones para la comunidad Latinx a la que servimos en todo el estado de Virginia. Esta cumbre que reunirá a familias y profesionales para una mejor comprensión de la Educación Especial, la diversidad, la cultura y la oportunidad de aprender sobre los desafíos específicos que enfrenta nuestra comunidad. REGISTRATE HOY
SCAN Events
- Nurturing Parenting Program (English series)
Thursdays: Starting March 18 to May 13 (*skipping April 1) – 6:00pm- 8:00pm via Zoom
Register hereJ
oin other parents and share parenting insights, successes, and challenges. This is a FREE virtual program on - Strengthening Families 10-14 (English series)
Parent Session – Wednesdays March 3 to April 28 from 6:30-7:30 pm via Zoom*
Youth and Family Session – Mondays March 8 to May 3 from 5:30-7:30 pm via Zoom
Register here
Sessions are interactive and involve family activities. Parent/Caregiver and child between 10 and 14 years of age must attend the program. - Navigating the Tween and Teen Years (English)
Tuesdays: April 6 – May 18 – 6:00-8:00 pm
Register here
This class provides parents/caregivers with the skills to improve family communication while reducing family conflicts and teens’ negative behaviors and attitudes. Parent only series. - Nurturing Parenting Program (Spanish series)
Wednesdays: March 17 to May 12 (*skipping March 31) – 6:00 pm- 8:00 pm via Zoom
Please contact familyprograms@scanva.org to register.Join other parents and share parenting insights, successes, and challenges. This is a FREE virtual program.
The Arc of Northern VA Programs
Divorce and Children with Disabilities
Friday, March 5, 2021 – 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 noon
Register here
Divorce can make any conversation about finances challenging. The complex task of special needs planning for children with disabilities only adds to the stress. Our upcoming free seminar will give you the facts, structure and advice you need to get the planning right the first time:
- Issues arising out of the divorce (finances, child support, alimony)
- The importance of “getting it right the first time”, to benefit your child with disabilities
- Why setting up a Special Needs Trust is essential for parents and your child with disabilities
- Virginia Family Law 2020 Legislative Update as it pertains to children with disabilities and enforcing Child Support Obligations
- And more…Listen to experts, ask your questions. You’ll come away with knowledge and a vital dose of confidence that the help you need is close at hand.
The panel for this webinar will feature Catherine McQueen, Principal, Offit Kurman Attorneys At Law; Courtney McCarthy, Esq., McCarthy Law PLLC; and Tia Marsili, Director of Trusts, The Arc of Northern Virginia.
All workshops presented by The Arc of Northern Virginia are FREE to attend, but pre-registration is required
Life After High School – Finding the Right Fit for Neurodiverse Learners
Wednesday, March 10, 2021 – 11:00 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.
Register here
There are a multitude of paths that students can take after high school to achieve their goals in life. Naturally, parents want to see their children develop into resilient, capable young adults, living as independently as possible. Obtaining a college degree is one way to achieve this, but there are others. In recent years, many colleges and post-secondary programs have broadened their services to become more inclusive of all learners. This presentation will examine the wide range of higher education models for students with Autism, ADHD, and language-based learning challenges, as well as for those with intellectual and developmental disabilities. This webinar is Webinars an FREE to attend, but pre-registration is required.
Transition Lunch & Learn
Wednesday, March 17th – 12:00-1:30 p.m.
Register here
These small group sessions are an opportunity to begin creating a plan for the future. Learn what kinds of employment and meaningful day support services are available, how to explore post-secondary options, what transportation supports exist, how to help your child make decisions and advocate, when to apply for SSI and manage benefits, and what recreation activities are available.
