Partners In Service

 Love cannot remain by itself – it has no meaning. Love has to be put into action, and that action is service. -Mother Teresa

In the above photo, this NCPrek is volunteering on her child's first day of school.

Whether your children are just starting preschool or entering the final year of high school, there are many good reasons for parents to volunteer at school. It's a great way to show your kids that you take an interest in their education, and it sends a positive message that you consider school a worthwhile cause.

Not only will the school reap the benefits of your involvement — you will, too. By interacting with teachers, administrators, and other parents on a regular basis, you'll gain a firsthand understanding of your child's daily activities. You'll also tap into trends and fads of school life that can help you communicate with your kids as they grow and change.

We truly engage our families in volunteering. They rack up over 1000 volunteer hours each year.  Volunteers are the heartbeat of our organization and actively engage in many of the activities that make a real difference in children’s lives.

Volunteering provides the opportunity for you to contribute towards the building of an inclusive community and the well being of our society.  Parents talents and skills can be matched with your work preference to obtain a role that satisfies you and best fulfills the mission of Partners In Learning.

Helping others feels good and helps you feels good and helps you feel good about yourself.
Volunteers are always welcome and always needed!

Norma Honeycutt, Executive Director

The First Day of School

 NC Pre-K counting how many girls and boys and graphing the findings.

 The children are getting acclimated to all of the fun things to do in each center!

These children are counting, sorting and matching as well as sharing and taking turns.

This group is singing with Mr. Matt!

Deborah K. Howell, M.Ed., Assistant Director

Difficult Goodbyes

It is that time of the year again! With school starting back this week, many of our long-time friends at PIL are making their way to big-kid school!

Unfortunately, saying goodbye to these children does not get easier with experience.

"Love you ... Kisses"

Throughout the years, we watch children grow and develop into their own personalities.

While it is difficult to say goodbye to all of our PIL graduates, certain children often take special places in our hearts. We can't help but to be amazed and ecstatic to be able to witness just how far a child can come from those early years of developmental delays and questionable outcomes.



Early Years

 

I am so lucky and grateful to be a part of such an amazing career where I get to experience the miracles that we see for each child.

I am also glad to be such a valuable member of the team it takes to help these children through the early years. Amazing Parents + Caring Teachers/Therapists + Great Support System + Determined Child = Endless Possibilities!

Happy Graduation!

Although it is so very hard to say goodbye to these children, it opens my eyes to what all the future may hold.

Last goodbyes

"It's Not Goodbye... Just See You Later"

Katherine Zink, ITFS/P

How to talk about SEX to your young school agers!

"We cannot protect our children from life. Therefore, it is essential that we prepare them for it."- Rudolf Dreikurs

The BIG S-E-X Talk....

TRUE STORY: What do you say when your 6 year old asks you while waiting in line at Wal-mart; "Mommy, how did you and daddy get me and CJ?" I remained calm and said, "We will just have to talk about that..." This answer suited her just fine until I could get home and talk to Cedric about it to see how we will decide to address it with her. I was thinking..."where did this come from, she turned 6 two weeks ago and now she wants to know what sex means...", What in the WORLD!!
 
Later that evening before bed, Madison came into our bedroom and whispers to me, "Mommy remember you forgot to tell me something...you forgot to tell me what sex is." Cedric and I looked at each other took a deep breath and followed these simple steps:

• Be relaxed and calm- be matter-of-fact so that they will not think the topic is too embarrassing or taboo.
• Keep it simple- the best answers are short and uncomplicated. Use the correct terms for body parts (penis and vagina). Explain that a seed from daddy and an egg from mommy join together in mommy's stomach. That's where the baby grows in a special sack there, called the womb. A follow up question may be, "Do you mean like eggs in the refrigerator?" Keep answering questions as long as they show interest, but don't overload with too much information. 
• Encourage their interest- No matter what the question is, try not to snap back, "Where did you get that idea" or steer away from the conversation. Either way your child may feel that the questions are taboo and not feel comfortable asking questions.
• Use everyday opportunities- Don't wait until your child starts asking questions. Children's books and movies provide opportunities for talking about babies and how they are born.
• Teach privacy- your kindergartner understands the occasional need for "private time", and they should know that they need to knock before coming in when the door is closed. Be sure to follow the same rule yourself when your child has the door shut. They may not really need privacy at this age, but they will better understand the household rule if you follow it, too. They should also know that their private parts are private, and that no one should touch them but their parents or the doctor, and then only for help using the toilet or for a checkup. Let them know that if anyone tries to touch them there, they can and should say no, and to tell their parent or another trusted adult nearby.

I would have thought that this conversation would not come up any time soon. But I'd rather educate my child correctly rather than them hearing it wrong from somewhere else. Children will do and understand only what you allow them to.




Michelle Macon, Parent, Program Coordinator

Laughter is the best medicine!

Laughter is good for your health

• Laughter relaxes the whole body. A good, hearty laugh relieves physical tension and stress, leaving your muscles relaxed for up to 45 minutes after.
• Laughter boosts the immune system. Laughter decreases stress hormones and increases immune cells and infection-fighting antibodies, thus improving your resistance to disease.
• Laughter triggers the release of endorphins, the body’s natural feel-good chemicals. Endorphins promote an overall sense of well-being and can even temporarily relieve pain.
• Laughter protects the heart. Laughter improves the function of blood vessels and increases blood flow, which can help protect you against a heart attack and other cardiovascular problems.  http://www.helpguide.org/life/humor_laughter_health.htm

You are never to old to have fun and laugh.  Recently, I had the opportunity to spend the weekend at the beach with some friends.  We laughed the entire weekend and came home much more relaxed, in less pain, and had an improved sense of overall well-being. 
Norma Honeycutt,  Executive Director

NEURODIVERSE VS NEUROTYPICAL: What does it all mean?

Neurodiversity and neurotypical are terms developed by the Autism community to describe the difference between individuals with Autism and individuals with typically developed neurological systems. Last evening, Partners In Leaning hosted a viewing of the movie, Loving Lampposts. At the conclusion of the film, a discussion grew regarding how much value society places on conformity as it relates to the way individuals communicate with one another. Did I use the word “individual” again? In a country where individualism resides at the core of its soul, it often appears that those who have a disability label attached to their identity are not celebrated for their individuality.

One parent remarked that many of her child’s teachers and therapists, instead of concentrating their efforts on building a relationship with the child or adapting their teaching strategies to the child’s communication and learning style, have spent endless wasted hours trying to extinguish behaviors that are not harmful to anyone, including the child, and do not impede upon the learning process. The behaviors she described were simply autistic behaviors. The motivation to extinguish these behaviors is based on the notion that if a child “appears” to look less autistic, they will become less autistic and what------become more socially accepted?

Do you think we will ever grow, as a universal society, to learn to view every human being as simply an individual and uniquely valued member of the human race?

Katherine Generaux, Community Inclusion



Everyone can have fun outside, even babies!

This past week I had the pleasure of being in our Little Lambs classroom for around an hour between their morning and afternoon naps. Ms. Megan decided to take the babies outside for some fresh air and playtime.


Proof that children with all different types of disabilities can have fun outside!

Because we have a child who is mostly immobile and is on oxygen, I wondered how we would manage to take all of these babies outside effectively.



Fresh air!

ALL of the babies participated! Even the immobile babies who have not yet learned to crawl and our little one with an oxygen tank!



It's a whole new world outside!

Lots of activities going on!

Discovering grass!

Ms. Megan took turns assisting the babies down the slide and they LOVED IT!

Ready, set, go!

Katherine Zink, ITFS/P

Early Intervention Counts!

Partners In Learning sees about 150 children in their homes each week.  We provide what is called Community Based Rehabilitative Services.  Our therapist receive a copy of the goals that have been set for the child by their local Children's Developmental Services Agencies.   After receiving the child's goals, they go into the child's natural environment (home or school) and use toys to engage the child in learning and reaching their goals.   Below is one of our developmental therapist working with a child in their home.  

Tesha is absolutely wonderful and has made such a difference in my grand daughters life!  The doctor said that my she needed to talk more and Tesha has made a huge difference by getting her talking.  I don't know what we are going to do when she ages out. Tesha will just have to stay our friend.   Child's grandmother

 

 Norma Honeycutt, Executive Director

WHAT ABOUT THOSE BABY TEETH?

The care given to the health of baby teeth can be directly related to overall lifetime oral health. Here are a few suggestions for taking care of those precious milk teeth:

• Make sure that milk and foods that are high in calcium are included in your child’s daily diet.

• Sugar will serve as a lifelong enemy for teeth. If you do include sugar in a young child’s diet, offer it during mealtime only, then brush after meals.

• Don’t put sugary drinks in bottles!

• Offer cheese or fruit for snacks

• Eliminate the pacifier as soon as possible. It can affect your child’s teeth, and it inhibits language development.



This is Ceci.  One month shy of her 7^th birthday, she finally lost her first tooth.  She spent considerable time thoroughly cleaning her bedroom the day the tooth fell out, because she didn’t want the tooth fairy to think she is “a messy kid”.  The next morning, Ceci found fairy dust glitter scattered around her room and an undisclosed amount of money on her nightstand.

Katherine Generaux, Community Inclusion

Saving, saving, and saving more!

I just have to tell you guys about the consignment sale that I went to this weekend. It was the fall/winter season Charlotte Mothers of Multiples consignment sale. This group has two large sales per year and this was my very first one.


I enjoy buying consignment because of the large amount of toys that I need for the children I visit for special instruction, or CBRS, and I can easily get a lot of toys for not a lot of money.

If you are not a consigner, I am here to tell you how much you can really save on toys, clothes, books, electronics, bedding, and just about anything child-related.

           
I spent a total of $65 and I got 4 large bags full of stuff, including an infant Bumbo seat, a couple baby dolls and accessories for the dolls, special feeding supplies, and much more.

        

I know that there are many parents out there trying to save money and this is a great way to do it. Check out some local consignment stores and large bi-annual sales!

Katherine Zink, ITFS/P

Want to learn more about how young children learn?

 Want to learn more about how young children learn?Come on out to our curriculum fair for some hands on learning!

Never Too Young to Learn About $$$$

Last week the School Age campers were learning about finances. They learned the difference between buying items you need verses items you want. Shockingly most of them knew the difference already, so don't be fooled parents when your school ager tells you they NEEEEEDDDD an IPOD.

The State Employees Credit Union Fat Cat came to help reiterate the importance of being a smart money manager. They spent the week creating crafts to sell so they could make money to buy popcorn at the movie and to donate to a staff member raising money for the purchase of an IPAD to use during developmental therapy.

Deborah K. Howell, Assistant Director

THE INCIDENT OF THE PARROT IN THE BACK SEAT

Caution!  What is this child learning from her environment?

Driving down I-85 last weekend, we were returning from a trip to IKEA and Sam’s Club. The grandchildren, ages 6, 4, and 21 months, were in the car with me, along with their mother and grandfather. To alleviate boredom, we engaged the older children in a game of “I Spy”. After a while, my attention shifted away from the game and toward our toddler, Bella. As she listened to the verbal exchanges, she repeated some of the words we were using. I heard: “Yep, yep, yep”, “I dun know, I dun know”, “Hey Dude, hey Dude” and “Nope, Nope, Nope”. Listening to the slang and misuse of the English language we had been modeling for Bella, made me feel both alarmed and appalled!


Toddlers spend every waking minute of their day watching, listening and learning from their environment. This little incident of the “parrot” in the back seat was a reminder for me to be more mindful of the content of the environment we have designed for our family.

Katherine Generaux, Community Inclusion

Making Our Way to California!

Partners In Learning is having a virtual trip to California. We have many awesome stops along the way, including Nashville, the Mississippi River, Route 66, and the Grand Canyon.

Once we had walked all the way to Nashville (approximately 400 miles), we had a good old fashioned hoedown.

Take a look at just some of the fun we had during our hoedown!



Mr. Josh having some good old fun with the kids!



Ms. Debra enjoying the music and food!

Our girls having lots of fun!

Little cowboy!

Our very own Ms. Elia showing us her moves!

More fun activities to come along our trip!

Katherine Zink, ITFS/P

Why does she put everything in her mouth?

 

  My six year old grandson asked me why 

my granddaughter puts everything in her mouth.

It told him, "this she is how she learns."

 

Babies putting things in their mouths, otherwise known as mouthing, is not only normal, but also signals a growing interest in the world around them. In the first year, children explore their surroundings through their senses -- seeing, touching, hearing, smelling, and tasting. The more they explore, the more they learn.

 

Our granddaughters favorite way of exploring new objects is to put them in her mouth. 

Happy Learning!!

Norma Honeycutt, Nana