School starts next week!

September 2022 eNews

UPCOMING EVENTS

Check out the September Calendar for upcoming trainings and events!

COVID VACCINE CLINICS

The Arc Lane County will host two Sensory-Friendly Vaccine Clinics in September to help vaccinate people of all ages against COVID. The clinics will be held on September 2 and September 23. Our September clinics will be followed with another clinic on October 14.

The Arc's sensory-friendly vaccine clinics provide extra accommodations to help people who may need extra time and patience with the vaccine process. Preregistration for the vaccine clinic is required. Register online.

The Arc also has rapid antigen test kits for COVID testing. These kits are available through the CARES Center, Old Nick’s Pub (located at 211 Washington St.), and the Unitarian Universalist Church (located at 1685 W. 13th Ave.),

Other organizations interested in distributing COVID test kits can email communityhealth@arclane.org or call 458-215-4268.

In other COVID news, the Food and Drug Administration recently approved the use of Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech bivalent boosters to help protect people against COVID variants. These boosters, designated for people 12 years and older, will start shipping to vaccine clinics soon.

Next week, children and teens will head back to school. Whether excited, anxious or a bit of both, here are some tips to help parents get ready:

Create a one-page profile to share with the IEP team. More templates are available here.
Review your child's IEP and make sure accommodations and transportation are in place.
Establish an easy communication system (notebook, checklist, etc.).
Purchase a binder to organize IEP paperwork and school-related information.
Attend school events (back to school night, teacher conferences and parent group meetings) to meet other families and stay abreast of what's happening at your child's school.
Help ease the transition by visiting the school, reading a social story about the school and meeting the teacher before the first day.
Establish new bedtime and wake up routines before school starts.
Radiate positivity for the new school year ahead!

We hope parents and students have a terrific start to the new school year! If you have IEP questions or need IEP support, don't forget to contact Families Connected.

FAMILIES CONNECTED PARENT GROUP MEETINGS TO START AGAIN THIS MONTH

Exciting news! The Families Connected parent groups will start meeting again this fall. Meetings will take place in Eugene/Springfield, Cottage Grove, Oakridge and Florence.

Parents can socialize, connect over successes and challenges, and receive trainings on topics of interest. Childcare will be provided, giving children an opportunity to socialize, play Minecraft and have fun with peers. Food will be provided for both parents and children.

Come connect with other parents over shared experiences! Keep an eye on the Families Connected page on Facebook and Instagram for more information about meeting dates and times in your community. We look forward to connecting with you in person!

SCHOOL SUPPLY DRIVE TO BENEFIT LOCAL FAMILIES

Escudo Latino, an organization that provides resources and information to the Latinx community living in Lane County, is sponsoring a School Supply Drive throughout the month of September to help local students get the gear they need to have a great year at school.

Backpacks, pencils, crayons and other school supplies are needed to help children succeed. If you can help, please contact Mariela at 541-321-8034.

HELP ADVOCATE TO END SECLUSION AND RESTRAINT IN SCHOOLS

Schools should be a safe place for all students, yet children with disabilities are subjected to dangerous and traumatizing seclusion and restraint practices in schools.

These practices are disproportionately done to students of color and can lead to long-term behavioral and mental health consequences.

You can help put an end seclusion and place significant guardrails around the use of restraint in schools by asking Congress to pass the Keeping All Students Safe Act.

Email members of Congress now and ask them to pass this important bill to make safe schools a reality for all students.

VISIT SENSORY ZONE AT SPRINGFIELD BLOCK PARTY, YMCA WELCOMING FESTIVAL

The Arc Lane County and Families Connected will join the fun at the Springfield Block Party on Friday, Sept. 9. The Arc will set up an inflatable bounce house for children to enjoy, and will drinks and snacks to benefit the Stepping Out program. Families Connected will host its sensory zone for anyone who may need need access to fun sensory activities or a quiet space to regroup.

The Sensory Zone will also be part of the YMCA's Welcoming Festival on September 19 that will honor the different cultures that make up our community and celebrate what unites us as a community.

RELIEF NURSERY RELEASES LATEST EDITION OF COMMUNITY RESOURCE GUIDE

Relief Nursery, an agency focused on preventing child abuse and neglect, has released the latest edition of its Community Resource Guide to help ensure people in the community have access to resources to help families thrive.

The guide is chock full of local resources related to mental and physical health, parenting, disability, education, addiction and housing. Download the Community Resource Guide in either English or Spanish/Español,

SEPTEMBER IS SEXUAL HEALTH AWARENESS MONTH

Oregon Health and Science University's University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDD) will celebrate Sexual Health Awareness Month in September for people with disabilities.

Through its Disability Justice Snapshot series, UCEDD will send weekly emails with topics related to sexual health and wellness for people with disabilities. Sign up online to receive UCEDD's Disability Justice Snapshot this month.

INTRODUCTION TO ADULTING CLASS TO START SEPT. 10

KindTree-Autism Rocks and the City of Eugene Recreation will host an Intro to Adulting class for teens ages 13-17 years to learn independent living skills.

The free classes, which will run from Sept. 10 through Oct. 29, will start at 10 am and end at 11:30 am at the Hilyard Community Center. Interested teens can register online.

FALL COLLABORATIVE PROBLEM SOLVING CLASSES TO START

The Child Center will host free Collaborative Problem Solving Classes to help families strengthen positive relationships and help children build the skills needed for the home, school, community and life.

The web-based classes will be offered on different days and at different times to accommodate a variety of schedules. Register online.

Families Connected, a program of The Arc Lane County, provides peer support to parents in their journey raising a child with a disability. Familias en Conexión is a sister program for parents who speak Spanish.