To the 3rd issue of the Lanark, Leeds & Grenville Chapter of O.A.F.C.C.D.’s Newsletter!
 

•  Update on Tri-County Preschool Communication Assistance Project
• Healthy lunches for healthy learning
• Notes from the Chair
• 9 ideas to help children perform at their very best

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We would like to Thank Carolyn Lunn for the very informative talk on Computer Hardware & Software for Special Needs Children in June.

We would like to also thank all those people that donated food and time into making our 1st annual Family BBQ a success.

Thank you!!!

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Membership Fees and donations are currently our only source of operating funds. Your membership Fees are very important to us and we need you to send your membership fees as soon as possible. If you have not yet joined, please do so as soon as possible. The Annual Membership Fee is only $15.00 ($5 of which goes to the local Chapter) . So please pay today!!

NOTE: Fees will be waived upon request.

Please complete and send this notice to make sure that your membership information is correct. Return to OAFCCD, Sharen Heath, 13 Segal Dr., Tillsonburg, Ont., N4G 4P4

Name: ___________________________________________________________

Address:_________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________

Phone:___________________________________________________________
 

Parent: ___                     Professional: ___ Specify:______________________

New Member: ___ Renewal: ___

NOTE: Membership Fees can now be paid at the local Chapter level. Please contact Susan or Connie for more information or to make a payment.

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Be sure to visit our Web Site at

http://www.cyberus.ca/oafccd/lanark

Here you will find information on Our local chapter

• The Ontario chapter
• Upcoming events and meetings
• Pictures of our children
• Inspirational Poems & stories
• Many links to other sites dealing with Special Needs

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    Summer is no time to be at indoor meetings. It's a time to be outside with family, sharing conversation, fun activities and great food. That was the theory behind the very successful barbeque held in lieu of a July meeting at Connie and Kevin Beckett's home in Smiths Falls on Sunday July 20.

     Sunshine smiled on us all afternoon, making the pool that the kids splashed in look pretty appealing! The kids enjoyed painting, making bubbles, a variety of climbers, driving toys, and a ball tent as well as swimming and just plain running around. For the adults, there was the chance to relax, chat with other parents, and enjoy meeting the children who brought us together as members of the OAFCCD.

    It was especially good to see the friendships that were quickly established among the children, such natural pairings as Kaity and Jessica, Ashley and Megan (watch out, world!). Kyle, Dean, Glen and Brandon (with Elizabeth right behind) discovered every means of gross motor movement known to man - climbing, jumping, running, rolling and on and on. A good time was had by all, and we look forward to repeating the experience next summer.

     Special thanks are due to Connie and Kevin Beckett, and their co-organizer for the day Susan Richards. Ian Irving of the Tollgate Restaurant, Bell's Corners, not only provided the food for the barbeque, but cooked most of it on the spot, too! And we all appreciated the effects of Joanne Ferguson and her helpers, who took over the job of kid-minding for the afternoon.

    To See more pictures of the BBQ go to  http://www.oafccd.com/lanark/picnic.htm

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    The Steering Committee for the Tri-county Preschool Communication Assistance Project (P-CAP) is very pleased to have the Ministry of Health flow $200,000.00 to Lanark, Leeds and Grenville Counties to build the existing speech and language services into a regional system for preschoolers. The Steering Committee is responsible for planning the speech and language services for the tri-county area. Their job is to assess the areas of need for assessment and treatment of children, as well as identifying issues in communication development that need to be highlighted for parents, families and caregivers. Resources that are required to better deliver services will be determined, and plans will be made to assist their purchase and allocation throughout the Rideau Valley district. The goal of the Project is to make information on communication development and treatment services, as required, accessible to all individuals living within the catchment area.

    This local chapter of the OAFCCD was integral in the early stages of planning helping to identify parental and family concerns regarding the delivery of speech and language services in this district. There has been representation on the Hiring Committee for new P-CAP staff, and there will continue to be ongoing consumer representation from this largely rural district on the Steering Committee. Your Consumer Representatives are (in alphabetical order): Judy Barrie - Lanark, Connie Beckett -OAFCCD, Diane Bennet - Lanark, Heather Bourguignon - Grenville, Greg McDougall -OAFCCD and Joan Van Asseldonk - Leeds.

    A key piece to this funding is the establishment of a toll-free access line for families, caregivers and professionals to use as a means of referring children with communication needs. It will also be a source of information about the system and the Partner agencies that will belong. All agencies currently providing speech and language services will be partners in the system and will benefit from a "one-stop referral shop". As families feel the need to have a child's communication system checked for areas of difficulty, they can call the toll-free number, answer a few questions and be automatically referred to the appropriate agency. An information packet will be mailed out about that Agency to the family.

    Another area for the Project is the development of a questionnaire, which can be used with families and caregivers at the child's 18-month check-up and inoculation. This will provide families with a guide about their child's communication development, and will alert families and professionals to any areas of concern. Everyone will agree that the earlier a child can receive assistance, the sooner gains are possible.

    So, stay tuned. The Coordinator, Marsha Cannon Houlahan, has just been hired and begins work at the end of August. The Hiring Committee is in the process of hiring the two full-time speech-language pathologists, who will begin late September to assist with lengthy waiting lists and health promotion activities. You will see articles in the local papers as the time approaches for the "Grand Opening" of the toll-free line. Please use the System as it rolls into place and provide us with feedback, so we will be able to provide a system that fits the needs of this community!!

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• The Annual General Meeting of the provincial O.A.F.C.C.D. will be held the weekend of October 25th.  Details will be announced as they become available.
• The Lanark, Leeds & Grenville O.A.F.C.C.D. would like to take an opportunity to congratulate Marsha Houlahan, Sara Sark and Ann Graham, on their new positions with P-CAP (Preschool Communication Assistance Project).
• P-CAP is well on its way to being up and running by the beginning of October, we will keep you informed.
•  Please take note that the November meeting is being moved.  This will be confirmed in your October mailing.

Studies have shown that children who eat well learn better. So, it's a good idea to make sure they are getting wholesome, nutritious lunches. Many parents pack a lunch box for their elementary school students. Here are some tips based on the Food Pyramid to make lunchtime healthy and fun, plus a couple of hints to make the process easier.

• Choose 1-2 oz. Meat, fish, poultry, eggs or cheese. A slice of sandwich meat, one or two hard boiled eggs, a small wedge of cheese will do. If you are making sandwiches, make ahead for a week and freeze just the bread and cheese. Veggies and condiments can be packed separately to prevent mushiness.
• Choose 2-3 servings bread, cereal, rice, pasta, or potatoes. Sandwich bread counts, along with muffins, bagels and other baked goods. Pasta salad is great, and dry cereal (puffed rice, Cheerios, etc.) can be packed in plastic bags to stay crisp.
• Choose 1-2 servings of vegetables. Baby carrots, celery sticks and broccoli florets are great for finger food, especially with non-fat dressing for dip. Lettuce, bean sprouts, and tomato slices can be packed separately for sandwiches.
• Choose one serving of fruit. Fresh fruit is great, but if your child is tired of bananas and apples, pick banana chips, dried peaches or apricots, or dried apples.
• Include one serving of milk. Doesn't have to be a liquid. Yogurt cups, milk-based pudding or cheese also work well.
• Pack treats only in small amounts, or make them double up. Flavored yogurt, banana chips, or pudding are good treat choices that actually belong in one of the above groups.

• The way food looks is as important to children as how it tastes. Use cookie cutters to cut sandwiches into fun shapes.
• Sandwiches don't have to be boring. Use different breads, bagels, rolls, biscuits or tortillas for variety.

1. Read To The Children   Spend at least 15 min. a day reading to your younger children.

2. Reduce TV Time   Yes, TV is one of the killers of Academic Achievements. Reduce the time in front of the tube; listening to music; and on the telephone. All of these activities cut into study time. Monitor the quality and quantity of what your child takes into the brain to avoid brain drain.

3. Teach Child to Learn for Learning Sakes    Encourage your child to study for life and not just for a class or a grade. Teach the child the habit of learning for self enrichment and enjoyment.

4. Set Aside Special Times for Study    Set aside special study time whether the child has homework or not. This develops regular and easy study habits.

5. If It Is To Be . . . It's Up To Me    Teach the child that the will and motivation to earn comes from within no matter what the school or the teachers do with or to you.

6. Life Is Fun . . . Sometimes   Teach the child that there will be some things in life that they will have to do whether they like it or not. To help with this, assign pleasant and unpleasant task around the home to get the child adjusted.

7. Those That Control The Language Control The World    Concentrate on verbal skills. Learn to use the English language correctly.

8. Superstars Don't Sprout-Up Over Night    Teach our children that it is hard work and sacrifice that makes a Michael Jordan good (not his shoes). It takes that same hard work and dedication to excel at whatever we do.

9. Meet The Child's Teachers BEFORE There Is A Problem Instead of trying to pull the child out of a hole why not build a platform for them to see over the crowd. Meet with the teachers and express your expectations and desires for your child AND the teacher. Come to an agreement with the teacher on how you, the teacher and child can work together to help the child maximize efforts. Make sure the teacher knows that they can contact you if your child misses ONE assignment or falls below your expectations of performance.

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