 |
Actions for Healthy Kids
COVID-19 and Staying Physically & Emotionally Healthy at Home
Action for Healthy Kids has created and collected resources to help parents and educators keep kids active and healthy while schools are closed or doing online learning.
Resources & Activities
New items include:
Upcoming Events
- "Caring for the Education Community During COVID-19: How Families Can Partner With Schools During Distance Learning" webinar, April 8, 1pm CST: This live, interactive session will provide parents and caregivers with concrete ways to connect and build relationships with educators during distance learning to support student health and academic success. Presented in partnership by Kaiser Permanente and Action for Healthy Kids.
- "Caring for the Education Community During COVID-19: How Schools Can Partner With Families During Distance Learning" webinar, April 15, 1pm CST: This live, interactive session will provide educators with concrete ways for family engagement during distance learning to support student health and academic success. Presented in partnership by Kaiser Permanente and Action for Healthy Kids.
- "Your Child's Brain: What's Going on in There? Building Resilience at Home and at School" virtual workshop, April 22, 3pm CST: This free virtual parent workshop will explore how our children’s brains work and think during their educational years and provide tips on how to help kids learn, build resiliency and keep the brain working most efficiently. Hosted by Action for Healthy Kids and Colorado PTA in partnership with Wellness Training Specialists.
- School grant application deadline EXTENDED, May 1: Apply for a school grant for physical activity, nutrition, and/or social emotional health programs at your school next year.
Questions?
|
A list of mental health resources including addiction and recovery, anxiety, ADHD, chronic fatigue, depression, developmental disorders, and more.
|
CFK VIRTUAL COFFEE AND CHAT - TAP INTO CFK RESOURCES TO MAKE YOUR SUMMER PLANS
April 15, 2020
6:30 PM - 8:00 PM
Join CFK for this live interactive session where CFK Family Resources Specialists will answer your questions and share local resources to help you make summer plans for your child. If you are looking for camps, therapists, ESY, adaptive sports or other programs to keep your child active and engaged this summer, then grab a cup of coffee and join us from the comfort of your home. This event is open to all and will be live on the CFK main Facebook page. Registration is preferred.
CFK Coffee and Chat is an interactive support group for families ages 0-12
.
FREE
|
Important new documents, resources and updates from the Ohio Department of Education
On April 2, 2020, Governor DeWine announced Ohio’s “Stay at Home” order will be extended through May 1. As families and educators settle in to a new and different way of teaching and learning, the Ohio Department of Education applauds your efforts and thanks you for all you are doing to rise to the challenges we all are facing.
In a continuing effort to provide updated information regarding Ohio’s coronavirus-related school-building closure, the Ohio Department of Education today released important new documents, family and educator resources and updates related to the following subject areas:
Remote Learning Resource Guide
A new
Remote Learning Resource Guide
is available to assist parents, families, caregivers and educators as they navigate the world of remote learning during Ohio’s ordered school-building closure.
State Testing
Early Learning and School Readines
s
Community Schools.
Community Schools
Whole-Child Nutrition Updates
Please check back for updates as they become available
Columbus Dispatch
Education officials are adjusting rules and requirements for Ohio’s College Credit Plus program as the coronavirus pandemic continues to impact K-12 and college education. The Ohio Department of Higher Education and the Ohio Department of Education worked with teachers, school counselors and college directors to prepare updated guidelines for its dual enrollment program
.
View Link
Clermont Sun
The Ohio School Boards Association, Buckeye Association of School Administrators and Ohio Association of School Business Officials appreciate the changes approved by the Ohio General Assembly aimed at easing the challenges for public school districts and their students during the coronavirus outbreak. This is an unprecedented situation, and the legislature acted swiftly to provide relief for educators and students. We applaud their work and their willingness to work with our associations to address the needs of our members and Ohio’s children. While districts have been fervent in their efforts to continue to provide educational opportunities for students in creative ways, educators have been worried about meeting student testing and other state requirements... Other favorable changes include providing local flexibility to grant high school diplomas, waiving retention requirements for the third-grade reading guarantee and permitting boards of education to hold public meetings electronically.
Cleveland Plain Dealer
The Independence Local School District is adapting to the state’s prolonged closure of schools due to COVID-19 by employing forward-thinking educational practices that are already well established in the district. “A lot of the work we’ve been doing as a district over the past years has been that push toward a 21st century student-engagement model, and that’s sustainable from a distance,” noted Superintendent Ben Hegedish. As evidence, Hegedish read a quote from an anonymous teacher who confirmed, “Every single professional development we’ve been doing for the past five years has been getting us prepared for this.”
Toledo CBS-11
While so many children are home from school during the coronavirus pandemic, an online story telling service offered to everyone online to bring children and parents together. The University of Findlay's Mazza Museum began recording Virtual Storytime videos on their Facebook page two weeks ago. Now, four times a week, faculty and staff from UF share their favorite picture books to help supplement any story time that is lost for kids home from school.
Import Links with updated information from The Ohio Department of Education:
The Ohio Department of Education will continue to provide updated information as it becomes available so please keep checking back at:
www.education.ohio.gov/coronavirus
.
Finally, hang in there! You’re doing a great job! The Ohio Department of Education is so very proud of Ohio’s education community and all the amazing things you’re doing to support Ohio’s students during this time.
|
Free Stuff for Kids with Disabilities
We all love free stuff, but sometimes when you are raising a kid with a disability or special need, you REALLY love free stuff – or more accurately, you really NEED the free stuff, because disability or special needs can be expensive.
Here’s a short list of some great free stuff for kids with disabilities or special needs*, focusing on products, services and money.
|
Financial Resources and Discounts for Students with Disabilities
Disability discounts, tips, and information for travel, utilities, books, software, and assistive technologies are out there for disabled college students to use. This list can help in the realm of finances to cut both financial costs and the associated unnecessary stress.
|
The Character Tree
The
Character Tree
is giving teachers a way to share character education videos and downloadable resources with parents to use at home. Free access will last through Jun. 30, 2020. This program provides videos for first and second graders, with discussions, examples from history and role modeling to teach "character development" and emphasize positive character traits, including kindness, curiosity and integrity. All lessons are standards-aligned and come with printable resources. Parents can also sign up for their own free accounts.
|
Deaf is Different Webinar
Thursday, April 23, 2020
TIME: 10:00 - 11:00 am
In this
FREE
webinar you will have an introduction to deaf culture and the unique needs of students who have any degree of hearing loss, from mild to profound or unilateral to bilateral. We will discuss how IDEA and ADA specifically support the educational needs of students with hearing impairments or deafness and how they can be applied to real-life situations. A variety of tools and resources to support families, teachers, and related services providers will also be presented.
PRESENTER: TABITHA BELHORN
Tabby is the Parent Mentor at the Ohio School for the Deaf, where she provides family support to parents of children who are deaf or hard of hearing through the state of Ohio. She has three children, the oldest of whom is deaf. She has worked with hundreds of families of children who are deaf, hard of hearing, deaf plus, or deaf-blind for over 14 years. She presents workshops on educational advocacy for deaf and hard of hearing students around the country as a national ASTra trainer for Hands & Voices. She has been a member of the State Advisory Panel for Exceptional Children and served as the co-chair for the Universal Newborn Hearing Screening Subcommittee. Currently, she is a member of the Outreach Center for Deafness and Blindness advisory committee and serves on the steering committees for Deaf Education Ohio and CHLDRN of Ohio.
After registering you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.
Please contact Valorie or Sandy with questions and comments:
Valorie Dombroskas
740-594-9242
Sandy Brickner
419-595-2248
|
CDC Announces new Autism Rates
1 in 54 children has been identified with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) according to estimates from CDC’s Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring (ADDM) Network.
|
The National Child Traumatic
Stress Network
At this time, information about COVID-19 is rapidly evolving as new details are confirmed and new questions emerge. In the event of an outbreak in your community, as a parent/caregiver, your first concern is about how to protect and take care of your children and family. Knowing important information about the outbreak and learning how to be prepared can reduce your stress and help calm likely anxieties. This resource will help you think about how an infectious disease outbreak might affect your family—both physically and emotionally—and what you can do to help your family cope.
|
Educational Resources
ABCya!
- math, spelling, art games for PreK through middle school
Cool Math
- math lessons and games for middle - and high school students
school
Khan Academy
- tutoring and resources in multiple subjects for K-12. Also offers college testing tutorials.
Mobymax
- helps with learning gaps in variety of subjects, various ages
PBS Kids
- games, videos, daily activities with preschool characters
Scratch
- create your own stories, games and animations
Seussville
- activities with a Dr. Seuss character theme
|
Challenging Behaviors Tool Kit
Challenging Behaviors Tool Kit from Milestones. This tool kit covers the functions of challenging behaviors. It offers an understanding of how to analyze these behaviors and provides valuable hands on resources.
|
|
|
|
YOUR THERAPY SOURCE
This online resource for pediatric therapists, teachers, and parents offers hundreds of free activities, hand-outs, and information sheets:
- Fine motor skill activities and worksheets
- Gross motor skill printables and worksheets
- Handwriting worksheets and activities
- Sensory processing forms and activities
- Visual perceptual worksheets and activities
- Occupational and physical therapy resources
|
DO2LEARN
Do2learn
provides thousands of free pages with social skills and behavioral regulation activities and guidance, learning songs and games, communication cards, academic material, and transition guides for employment and life skills.
Do2Learn believes that simply telling busy teachers, parents, and professionals what they should be doing is not enough. Within each topic, Do2Learn provides the hands-on resources needed to implement their suggestions. If they explain how to devise a visual communication system using
picture cards
, they provide
free cards
to get you started. When they present the
Teacher Toolbox
on how to adapt a classroom for children with special needs, they provide resources for
behavior management plans
,
literacy tools
, and the materials to create everything in you
r
classroom
.
|
2020 Summer and Beyond Directory
Local Summer Camps and More...
Check out the 2020 Summer and Beyond Directory. There are five sections to browse through. Contact organizations and camps if you have further questions about their programs throughout the year to support children and youth with different abilities..
2020 Summer and Beyond Directory
Check out the 2020 Summer and Beyond Directory. There are five sections to browse through. Contact organizations and camps if you have further questions about their programs throughout the year to support children and youth with disabilties.
2020 Summer and Beyond
.
|
CABIN FEVER MATH FOR NON-SCREEN LEARNING
In response to sudden demand for non-screen learning,
Bedtime Math
has adapted their engaging after-school math activities for kids to enjoy at home. Below are some of the sample activities you’ll find on their website.
BEACH BALL PARTY
Art Prep: 10 mins
Math Play: 10 mins
# of Kids: 1 +
What’s the math?
basic operations
M&M MARCH MADNESS
Time: 15-30 mins
# of Kids: 1 or 2
What’s the math?
grouping, bar graphing
FACE-OFF
Art Prep: 15-30 mins
Math Play: 15-30 mins
# of Kids: 1 +
What’s the math?
counting, identifying coordinates, fractions
|
Crisis Text Line
Throughout Ohio, individuals can text the keyword “4HOPE” to 741 741 to be connected to a Crisis Counselor. Any person may need help in coping with a stressful situation. Reach out by text to communicate with someone trained to listen and respond in a method that is private, secure and confidential.
The Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (OhioMHAS) has entered in to a contract with the national Crisis Text Line to provide Ohioans with a state-specific keyword to access its free, confidential service available 24/7 via text on mobile devices. This resource is intended to broaden the options available through current community crisis hotlines.
|
New weblink for:
Stay-at-Home Wellness Kit for Parents
The Ohio Mental Health Network has heard everyone's requests and they quickly developed this website for easier access to the Wellness Kit for Parents.
Please feel free to post, or share this weblink as you see fit across Ohio so parents have mental health supports and resources as they teach and help their children through this crisis.
Kathleen M. Oberlin, Director
Ohio Mental Health Network for School Success
330-697-3899
|
The Latest Department of Developmental Disabilities (DODD) Guidance and Resources
The Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities (DODD) remains dedicated to health and public safety as the department responds to coronavirus (COVID-19).
Here are the latest guidance messages and resources from DODD.
Guidance
Updated Guidance
Resources
Information and Resources
DODD has set up a dedicated
web page
for department communications and links to helpful resources that will advise people with disabilities, their families, service providers, direct support professionals, county boards of developmental disabilities, and the community at large.
For specific questions about COVID-19 and additional information and resources, DODD urges you to use the Ohio Department of Health’s call center. Call 1-833-4-ASK-ODH (1-833-427-5634), or visit
coronavirus.ohio.gov
.
|
WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT ZOOM?
FREE VIDEO CONFERENCING
ARE YOU LOOKING FOR NEW WAYS TO MEET WITH YOUR FAMILIES?
ARE YOU INTERESTED IN USING ZOOM VIDEO CONFERENCING?
If you are looking for new ways to meet with your families during this challenging time, and want to consider using Zoom to have virtual meetings, you may want to read further.
Thank you to Nick Pirnstill, the IT support at OCECD, for creating a tutorial guide that explains how to create a free Zoom account and various other functions of Zoom to assist in scheduling and hosting meetings.
You will have access to read, download and/or print the Zoom instructions here.
HAPPY ZOOMING QUESTIONS?
Valorie Dombraskas
740-594-9242
Sandy Brickner
419-595-2248
|
Mental Health Support for Children, Teens and Adults during COVID-19
Mental health supports for children, teens and adults during this time. Click on link below
|
All families need support and direction in finding the right resources to meet their needs and help their children thrive. You can also get information from United Way's 211 Service. Just dial 2-1-1 or visit
211oh.org
Financial Resources
Education, Health and Safety
Housing, Legal, and Civic Resources
Key Resources in Ohio
Questions about COVID-19?
|
United States Department of Education Supplemental Fact Sheet Serving Children with Disabilities with COVID19
The link below addresses the Risk of COVID-19 in Preschool, Elementary and Secondary Schools While Serving Children with Disabilities:
The United States Department of Education recognizes that educational institutions are straining to address the challenges of this national emergency. They also know that educators and parents are striving to provide a sense of normality while seeking ways to ensure that all students have access to meaningful educational opportunities even under these difficult circumstances. No one wants to have learning coming to a halt across America due to the COVID-19 outbreak, and the U.S. Department of Education (Department) does not want to stand in the way of good faith efforts to educate students on-line.
|
Helping Students Adversely Affected by School Closures, Secretary DeVos Announces Broad Flexibilities for States to Cancel Testing During National Emergency
WASHINGTON – U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos announced today students impacted by school closures due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic can bypass standardized testing for the 2019-2020 school year. Upon a proper request, the Department will grant a waiver to any state that is unable to assess its students due to the ongoing national emergency, providing relief from federally mandated testing requirements for this school year.
Secretary DeVos commented: “Students need to be focused on staying healthy and continuing to learn. Teachers need to be able to focus on remote learning and other adaptations. Neither students nor teachers need to be focused on high-stakes tests during this difficult time. Students are simply too unlikely to be able to perform their best in this environment. Our actions today provide turnkey flexibilities for state and local leaders to focus on the immediate needs of their students and educators without worrying about federal repercussions. I’ve spoken with many local education leaders in the past days, and I’m inspired by their efforts to help their students continue to learn and grow. We’re going to continue to provide every flexibility possible to help make that as simple as possible.”
In response to the extraordinary public health threat posed by COVID-19, President Donald J. Trump declared a national emergency. As a result, many states have closed some or all schools. Therefore, a state unable to assess its students may seek a waiver from federal testing requirements by completing a form available at
oese.ed.gov
. At the Secretary’s direction, the Department has dramatically streamlined the application process to make it as simple as possible for state leaders who are grappling with many complex issues.
To protect students’ health and safety, a state that deems it necessary should proceed with cancelling its statewide assessments for the 2019-2020 school year. Since student performance, as measured by assessments, is required to be used in statewide accountability systems, any state that receives a one-year waiver may also receive a waiver from the requirement that this testing data be used in the statewide accountability system due to the national emergency.
The Department will continue to speak with state and local leaders to identify any additional needed flexibilities, and it remains in coordination with Congress on expanding the range of flexibilities available to the Department under law.
The Department continues to update
www.ed.gov/coronavirus
with information for students, parents, educators and local leaders about how to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
|
Guardianship Tool Kit
Navigating the process of establishing guardianship requires a thorough understanding of the process. The Milestones tool kit is a tutorial that was written with the help of Ohio attorneys.
When your child turns 17, you may have providers or professionals suggest that you contact a lawyer to discuss guardianship and other options for your family and your child. When your child turns 18, he is considered his own guardian and able to make decisions and choices in all areas of his life (i.e. medical, financial).
This tool kit was written with assistance from Kevin Lipman, Spitz & Lipman, LLC; Allison M. McMeechan, Esq., Reminger Co., L.P.A.; and Andrew D. Pappert, Cuddy Law Firm, PLLC. It is intended to provide broad general information about the law. Before applying this information to a specific guardianship problem, readers are urged to seek advice from an attorney.
|
Call
216-524-0424
for more information or
eileen.hawkins@escneo.org
|
Please read...
This newsletter is a resource. Independence Local Schools does not endorse or recommend any providers, methodologies or services from any of the groups or companies listed.
We
urge
you to make independent judgment when selecting a professional to assist you.
Eileen Hawkins, Parent Mentor
Confidential Help Available for help with IEP's, 504 Plans, Resources, Support and more. Services provided
FREE
of charge by the district.
|
|
|
