Meet at the ASK Staff
Jane Gordon: First STEP Teacher and After School Tutor

Miss Jane is a familiar face to our families whose children have attended the First STEP Preschool program in the past ten years. Or After School Enrichment. Or Summer Enrichment. Or needed individual tutoring. Basically, if your ASK child has needed help with school work in past decade, Miss Jane has probably been one of the extremely kind, caring, and patient ladies who's done that (the other being Miss Alma, of course!).

When asked to talk about her experience, Miss Jane says, "I have been teaching for almost 50 years. I have taught elementary ed, special ed, college classes, hospital ed, and children on home bound instruction due to medical issues. I have been an educational consultant at the hospital and at an outpatient psychiatric clinic and was an educational diagnostician for Richmond Public Schools for 13 years, testing preschoolers for developmental issues. Maybe it is enough to say that I have plenty of experience. My degrees are in elementary education and special education."

Suffice it to say, our ASK kids and their siblings are in extremely capable hands when Miss Jane is helping them. We are grateful that she's chosen to share her valuable experience with our ASK community!

Under the Sea: Kourageous Kids Party 2017
Join us as we celebrate the unveiling of the 2017 Kourageous Kids portraits and have a fun time with friends!

Sunday, September 10 
5:30 - 7:30 p.m. 
Children's Museum of Richmond 
2626 West Broad Street 
Richmond, VA 23220

We will be recognizing the 2017 Kourageous Kids, but everybody is invited to celebrate our ASK kids and enjoy the party! We'll have light refreshments, games, face painting and balloon animals by Clown Alley, and all the exhibits at the Children's Museum.

RSVP to Denice at DGrawe@askccf.org or 804-658-5910, ext. 104 by September 6.
Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction:
presented by Sherry Klauer
MBSR Course, presented by Sherry Klauer

Information Session

Thursday, September 14, 5:30 - 7:30 p.m.
Weekly classes beginning
Thursday, September 21 - November 9, 5:30 - 7:30 p.m.
ASK's Penny Tree office
5211 West Broad Street, Suite 102
Richmond, VA 23230

Let's face it. Being a survivor or parent/caregiver to someone with childhood cancer presents many challenges to our mental well being through harsh treatments/hospital stays and for many year beyond. ASK Parent Sherry Klauer knows all too well the stress that we can feel during these difficult times, as her daughter battled a brain tumor in 2009.

Sherry is offering a special program this fall to the ASK community called Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction or MBSR. This program was developed at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center in 1979 and has been offered in hospitals and therapy centers throughout the world ever since. Many research studies over the past several decades have shown that this program can be of significant benefit to those suffering with stress and anxiety.

MBSR uses mindfulness practices such as mindful meditation techniques, gentle yoga, and discussions about brain science to help us understand how we react to stress and how to better manage it going forward.

This offering is best suited for adults over the age of 18
and is not meant to "treat" or "cure" those with severe anxiety or depression.

For more information on this program or to register for the Fall session, please contact Sherry Klauer at SKlauer@verizon.net.

ASK is covering the registration fee and is offering the class for FREE for all participants, but class size is limited, so call today to reserve your spot! 
 
   
2017 ASK Educator Conference
Friday, November 3, 2017
8:30 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden
Henrico, VA

Do you ever feel like your ASK child's school doesn't completely understand how cancer has affected her? Do you wish someone could explain it to his teacher in a way that would affect change in the classroom? Could the process of returning to school after pediatric cancer treatment be better, if someone could just educator your child's educators?
 
Please encourage your child's teachers, school administrators, nurses, and support staff to attend our upcoming conference, Back to School with Childhood Cancer. Designed and facilitated by Alma Morgan, this professional development opportunity will provide CEUs to school personnel to create an environment that acknowledges and responds to the unique needs of our pediatric cancer patients and survivors.
 
Print out a conference flier and encourage your child's teacher to register!
   

Sibling Pizza & Game Night
Friday, September 29
6 - 8:30 p.m.
ASK's Penny Tree office
5211 West Broad Street, Suite 102
Richmond, VA 23230
 
Join us for our Sibling Social Group kick-off meeting, where we'll eat pizza, play games, and plan our upcoming activities. This event is open to ASK siblings (sorry, no ASK kids, just siblings!) ages 8 - 18. RSVP to Denice at DGrawe@askccf.org or 804-658-5910 by Wednesday, September 27. 
 
   
Memory Sharing
Memory Sharing is an opportunity to help our children process feelings of grief and loss that may arise as they travel through pediatric cancer. ASK Chaplain Tom David Siebert and Denice Grawe, ASK program coordinator, will be at the ASK Penny Tree office to offer a safe space to talk about grief and conduct simple activities to acknowledge loss.

1st Tuesday of every month
October 3, 2017, 6:30 - 8 p.m. 
ASK's Penny Tree office 
5211 West Broad Street, Suite 102, Richmond

Please contact Tom David Siebert at 804-248-7756 or sieberttd@vcu.edu for more information. 
After School Enrichment
Colonial Heights - begins October 3
St. Ann's Catholic Church
17111 Jefferson Davis Hwy
South Chesterfield, VA 23834 
 
Richmond - begins October 4
ASK Penny Tree office
5211 W Broad Street
Richmond, VA 23230 
 
Fredericksburg - begins October 5
Fredericksburg UM Church
308 Hanover Street
Fredericksburg, VA 22401
 
Come participate in tutoring and homework assistance, games, snacks, crafts, special programs, and socializing with other ASK kids!  
 
New format this year for
Colonial Heights and Fredericksburg!
 
Tutoring will no longer be in a group setting; instead, each child will be given a time slot for one hour of 1-on-1 tutoring with a certified teacher. Student will receive assistance with homework, as well as study strategies to prepare for tests and quizzes.
 
Tutoring session will take place on the day of the week designated for each site (Colonial Heights on Tuesdays, Fredericksburg on Thursdays) with the exception of school holidays and when school is closed for inclement weather. If school is delayed or closed due to weather, tutoring will be cancelled.
 
Once a month, tutoring will be a group session. After homework is completed, students will complete a holiday craft, play a new game, or participate in a social. The dates for the group sessions can be found on our family calendar. 
 
Save the Date
Parent Discussion Group - New Diagnosis Information
Tuesday, October 10, 6 - 8 p.m.
ASK's Penny Tree office
5211 West Broad Street
Richmond, VA 23230

Halloween Party/Parent's Night Out 
Friday, October 27, 6 - 9 p.m. 
ASK's Penny Tree office 
5211 West Broad Street, Suite 102, Richmond
 
Middle School/High School Retreat
Saturday, November 4 - Sunday, November 5
Camp Hanover
3163 Parsleys Mill Road
Mechanicsville, VA 23111 
 
Parent Discussion Group - Legal, Financial, & Insurance Information
Tuesday, November 14, 6 - 8 p.m. 
ASK's Penny Tree office
5211 West Broad Street
Richmond, VA 23230
 
2017 Dunkin' Donuts Munchkins Run
Saturday, November 18, 9:00 a.m.
St. Christopher's School
St. Christopher's Road 
Richmond, VA
 
ASK Holiday Party
Sunday, December 3, 2 - 4 p.m. 
Virginia Crossings Hotel & Conference Center
1000 Virginia Center Pkwy
Glen Allen, VA 23059 
 
Amy Godkin | Executive Director | AGodkin@askccf.org
ASK Childhood Cancer Foundation | 804.658.5910 | www.ASKccf.org
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