"You have exceeded my expectations!"

Thanks to an amazing college professor of mine, I have an inspirational video to share with everyone!

Please take four minutes of your day to watch this touching video featuring a conversation between a 12-year old boy with Asperger's and his mother.

They sit down together while the boy, Joshua, asks his mother, Sarah, some very deep and personal questions about his past, his syndrome, as well as their life together as a family.

Through my life as a teacher and therapist, I picture how children will turn out as they grow up. I also know that it is amazing to look back on the past and see how much progress a child has made!

I can only imagine that hearing the news of your child's Autism diagnosis can be terrifying at first, but as Sarah says, it eventually teaches you how to think "outside of the box" while you get to sit back and watch your child exceed your every expectation with each passing milestone!

 

 

Katie Zink, ITFS/P

Children and Teachers being Active!!

 

 

Today we did something a little different outside; Mrs. Sam (the two year old teacher) had a great idea to get children and teachers more active. We went down to the big football field and did relay races, jumped sticks, balance beams and lots more. Children along with the teachers had tons of fun, this was a great way to get both the children and teachers active. Great idea Mrs. Sam!!!

 

 

 

The benefits of being active for young children include:

·         promoting healthy growth and development

·         helping to achieve and maintain a healthy weight

·         building strong bones and muscles

·         improving cardiovascular fitness

·         improving balance, coordination and strength

·         maintaining and developing flexibility

·         improving posture

·         assisting with the development of gross motor and fine motor skills

·         providing the opportunity to develop fundamental movement skills

·         helping to establish connections between different parts of the brain

·         improving concentration and thinking skills

·         improving confidence and self-esteem

·         relieving stress and promoting relaxation

·         providing opportunities to develop social skills and make friends

·         improving sleep.

The Benefits of Physical Activity for Teachers

 

Regular physical activity is one of the most important things you can do for your health. It can help:

•Control your weight

•Reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease

•Reduce your risk for type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome

•Reduce your risk of some cancers

•Strengthen your bones and muscles

•Improve your mental health and mood

•Improve your ability to do daily activities and prevent falls, if you're an older adult

•Increase your chances of living longer

 

 

Pre-K Teacher Amanda Marshall :)

EVERY FAMILY HAS ITS OWN UNIQUE CULTURE

Every family has its own culture. Just think about when families are merged by marriage. Even when family backgrounds are very similar, newly married couples are almost always surprised at the variations of habits, food traditions and the way holidays are celebrated. Even friends can remind us how different families express themselves in the world. Invited to a friend’s home for dinner and a sleepover once when I was a child, I was taken aback when water was served as the beverage at the dinner table, as was the custom in this home. Such a small thing, really, but as a child, I had never considered that water might be a suitable beverage at dinner.

I was reminded about the uniqueness of each of our family experiences yesterday, when our PIL leadership team started our weekly meeting by sharing our Thanksgiving stories. There were notable variations, though a similar theme to each story.

As teachers, it is important to remember that each of our children enter our classrooms with their own unique life experiences and culture.

Katherine Generaux

We Are Thankful For Your Support!

As we prepare to celebrate Thanksgiving with our loved ones this week, The Board of Directors at Partners in Learning would like to say thank you for supporting our efforts this past year and ask you to celebrate Cyber Monday by helping us in caring for children.

Have you ever pondered the idea of 'possessing lightly' this holiday season? Instead of buying more THINGS for our loved ones, why don't we honor them with a donation to a charity close to their hearts? Partners in Learning is one such worthy organization we will support with a year-end donation. By buying less, you might be also able to invest in Partners in Learning with a charitable gift.

 You can help provide an exemplary early education to our county's yo ungest and most vulnerable children, eight-five percent of whom are currently receiving a scholarship or subsidy to attend. We serve more than 500 children annually; thirty percent of this population has a diagnosed disability. We all know the power of a great education. It is the greatest gift.

"Education then, beyond all other devices of human origin, is a great equalizer of the conditions of men-the balance wheel of the social machinery....it prevents being poor." Horace Mann 1848

 

Please join us in our pledge to 'possess lightly' this holiday season. Click Here to donate now!

 

With Gratitude,

Suzanne Yost        
 

Board Chair Suzanne Yost and her family at the Partners In Learning Wellness event.

The Giving Tree

Partners In Learning held its annual Thanksgiving luncheon last week.   We had over 100 families to come out to celebrate the gift of their child, thanksgiving and friendships.   The book "The Giving Tree", a children's book written and illustrated by Shel Silverstein was used as a springboard to teach the children about giving throughout the week. 

The Giving Tree is a tale about a relationship between a young boy and a tree. The tree always provides the boy with what he wants: branches on which to swing, shade in which to sit and apples to eat. As the boy grows older, he requires more and more of the tree. The tree loves the boy very much and gives him anything he asks for. In an ultimate act of self-sacrifice, the tree lets the boy cut it down so the boy can build a boat in which he can sail. The boy leaves the tree, now a stump. Many years later, the boy, now an old man, returns, and the tree sadly says: "I'm sorry, boy... but I have nothing left to give you." But the boy replies: "I do not need much now, just a quiet place to sit and rest." The tree then says, "Well, an old tree stump is a good place for sitting and resting. Come, boy, sit down and rest." The boy obliges and the tree is very happy.

The tree gives everything to the boy freely because it loves him, and its feelings are reciprocated by the boy when he returns to the tree for a rest. In this way, the relationship between the tree and the boy as he grows up could be viewed as similar to that between a parent and child; despite getting nothing in return for a long time, the tree puts the boy's needs foremost, because it wants him to be happy. Indeed, the only time the tree ever seems to be sad is when it feels that it has nothing left to give the boy and that the boy might never return.

 The concept of giving is revealed as the tree continues to give to the boy throughout their journey of life. In spite of receiving nothing in return, the simple act of giving to the one that he loves, makes the tree happy.

Blessings, Norma W. Honeycutt