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Please Make A Note: April 29th Meeting POSTPONED, New Meeting Date May 18th!
I can’t believe it, but this Friday, April 27th, is NOT our final meeting at PS 163 of The Foorce.
It has come to my attention that several popular special needs programs will not have their summer schedules for 2012 ready in time for this Friday’s meeting. In order to have adequate time to prepare and to provide the best range of information possible, the meeting this Friday has been rescheduled for May 18th, 2012 at 9:00AM.
The meeting will be all about special needs summer activities and camps – I’ve collected more than a few over the last couple months of camp fairs and conferences and I’m looking to share. Attendees will also have an opportunity to find out about and sign up for the casual social group that has met weekly for the last 3 summers – absolutely free and a great social outlet if your child isn’t booked up for the summer.
Anyone and everyone with a special needs friend or loved one is invited to join us – the meeting will be from 9:00am until everyone leaves and small children are welcome (I’m bringing 2!). As usual, the meeting will be held at PS 163 (corner of W. 97th and Amsterdam) – exact location TBA.
Hope to see you there, on MAY 18th!
This Friday, April 27th – Special Needs Summer Activities and Resources (Final Meeting of the 2011-2012 School Year)!
I can’t believe it, but this Friday, April 27th, is our final meeting at PS 163 of The Foorce.
Because I sadly have had to cancel Lydia (insufficient funding, trying to reschedule), the meeting this week will be all about providing resources for summer activities and camps – I’ve collected more than a few over the last couple months of camp fairs and conferences and I’m looking to share. This meeting will also offer an opportunity to find out about and sign up for the casual social group that has met weekly for the last 3 summers – absolutely free and a great social outlet if your child isn’t booked up for the summer.
Anyone and everyone with a special needs friend or loved one is invited to join us – the meeting will be from 9:00am until everyone leaves and small children are welcome (I’m bringing 2!). As usual, the meeting will be held at PS 163 (corner of W. 97th and Amsterdam) and will be in the cafeteria or auditorium depending on availability.
Hope to see you on Friday!
May 6, 9am – Meeting at PS 163, featuring Dina Shanowitz of The Friendship Circle
One of my biggest worries in life is that James will end up alone, without meaningful relationships, when he grows up. One of the main reasons we have kept him in a CTT class setting rather than a contained class or private school is so he can pick up typical social behavior and learn how to interact with his peers. Of course, there are plenty of typical kids we’d rather he not be friends with – kids can be so mean and thoughtless. But the hope is always to take the good and accept that there are negative consequences to everything, it is the careful game of balancing we play.
So The Friendship Circle is especially intriguing to me. Below is an excerpt taken from their website at http://www.friendshipnyc.com:
The Friendship Circle’s unique approach brings together teenage volunteers and children with special needs for hours of fun and friendship. These shared experiences empower children with special needs, while enriching the lives of everyone else involved:
Children with special needs bloom and gain the confidence they need to make the most of their abilities and talents.
Teenage volunteers learn the priceless value of giving, the curative power of friendship, and the vital importance of integrating children with special needs into the community.
Parents and siblings receive much-needed needed respite and support from Friendship Circle programs and the Friendship Circle family.
The fact is, the Friendship Circle links volunteers, children, parents, staff, and supporters in a seamless circle of friendship that makes miracles happen every day.
I encourage you to attend the meeting on May 6th at 9am to meet Dina and learn more about this program. There will be the opportunity to sign up for the Central Park Challenge as well as the Summer Family group that meets twice weekly to give everyone a chance to stay in touch and socialize. I will also have more copies of the Extracurricular Summer Activities and Camps handout from the last meeting. I look forward to seeing you there!
The Foorce 
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