 
Dear Friends and Families of South Sound P2P,
Summer is coming to a close. In my house that means football and soccer with a lot of hollering for the teams we love. It is a busy time for P2P with many events and activities coming throughout the Fall, so please be on the look out. You'll find information in the newsletter, Facebook and our web site.
My kids are all grown and out of the house but for many of you it's time to dust off the old backpacks and get kids ready for school. Here are a few tips from Kittitas County P2P to help make the first few weeks go more smoothly.
*Communication Notebook - Develop a communication system that works well for you and your teacher. This can be anything from an email/text system, a spiral notebook, or a 3-ring binder complete with medication tracking forms, activity charts and treatment notes.
*Personal Supplies - These are items specific to your child that they will need to get through the day. This may include extra clothes, specialized food, diapers and wipes, personal comfort items, medications and disposable medical equipment. These items should be stored in an appropriate container labeled with your child's name.
*Visit the classroom/school before the first day of school. Getting a personal tour of a new school, classroom(s), where they will sit and where they will put their belongings can make the first day of school go much smoother. Talk to your child's teacher to arrange a meeting several days before school starts.
*IEP Preparation - If needed, your child's IEP can be updated after school starts to reflect any changes that have occurred over the summer. Review your child's IEP and consider goals that may need revising. Make notes of any changes that have occurred over the summer and any new accommodations that need to be made. Contact your child's teacher to arrange a date for the IEP revision meeting.
*New Sleeping Habits - Going to bed late and sleeping in is a summer habit that is hard to break. To make the first day of school easier to wake up to, start heading to bed 15 minutes earlier during the first week of August. Every 4-5 days move bedtime up 15 minutes. In the morning, wake up 15 minutes earlier. By the end of the month, the family should be back on a school sleep schedule.
Kim Smith Executive Director and Lead FRC "If we don't stand up for children, then we don't stand for much."
Marian Wright Edelman
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P2P Groups and Events
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Support Groups
Support Group Information
September
*9/6 Autism Support Group - P2P @ 6:00 p.m.
*9/20 Down Syndrome Support Group - P2P @ 6:30 p.m.
*9/27 Mom to Mom Support Group - P2P @ 6:30 p.m.
October
*10/4 Autism Support Group - P2P @ 6:00 p.m.
*10/6 Interagency Coordinating Council Meeting - P2P @ 1:00 p.m.
*10/14 Sibshops - P2P from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m.
**On line Autism Support Group - anytime you can reach your computer! Please email Elaine Rinker at erinker@ssp2p.org for your personal invitation!
P2P Events/Activities
***9/17 Sensational Saturday - Peter G. Schmidt Elementary 11:00 to 4:00
South Sound Up With Down Syndrome Support Group Buddy Walk 2011
It's time to start signing up for the Annual Buddy Walk event. Buddy Walk will take place on Saturday October 1st, but you can sign up now! Click on the site for more information! Buddy Walk
Hunter Farms Pumpkin Patch and Corn Maze
Join us for fun at Hunter Farms on October 16th from 1:00 to 3:00! More details in the October newsletter!
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Fundraisers/Donations
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Our HUGE Fund Raiser is on September 17th at Peter G. Schmidt Elementary School on Capital Blvd. in Tumwater from 11:00-4:00 Sensational Saturday will be a family fun event with Free Entertainment Fantastic Food Fabulous Prizes Family Games and Activities Fun Local Crafters, Artists and More Please join us for the day and invite ALL of your friends to help make this the best fund raiser EVER! Tickets are currently on sale through P2P. Please call or come by to purchase at the pre-event price! (If your family would like to attend but it will be a financial hardship, please contact Kim or Sheila at P2P as several people have purchased tickets to donate to P2P families). Click here for all the
event details! Details 
Raise Money for South Sound Parent to Parent Date: October 15, 2011 Time: 11:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m. Location: Trosper & Little Rock Panda Express Present the flyer (download) from 11:00a.m to 8:00 p.m. and 20% of your purchase will be donated to SSP2P! Panda Flyer
Donations to South Sound P2P
We Need Your Help!!! South Sound Parent to Parent is NOW accepting donations via Pay Pal Please click on the link below to see our donation page! |
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Parent to Parent News
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 Sibshops is Returning
Sibshops is a time to get together with other kids who have siblings (brother or sister) with special needs.
We
have fun activities, pizza, and great talk times. Most importantly, we have a safe place where young people can talk about their feelings, get advice and feel comfortable in knowing that they are not alone in the challenges and joys involved in having a brother or sister with special needs. Sylvia Heiser is the facilitator and she has years of experience working with young people! We are looking for more participants! Beginning in October, we will meet on the 2nd Friday of each month at Parent to Parent from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. If you need information, please email Sylvia at sheiser@ssp2p.org or call and leave a message for her at Parent to Parent. (360)352-1126 ext. 106 ~ See you at Sibshops!
Transition
Transitions of all kinds are scary and challenging. As parents face that time when their kids are moving from high school to the next phase of life, a lot of questions come up. It is so important to prepare and be aware of just what questions should be asked.
Karen Huggins is being trained in the IEP process for students who are in transition and will be able to assist families with support and resources. Please call her if you have questions. The sooner you start, the better!
Karen can be reached at 352-1126 ext. 111 or khuggins@ssp2p.org. She will be in the office on Wednesdays beginning July 1st and will check email and voicemail during the rest of the week.
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Legislative Corner
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"A person's a person, no matter how small."
Theodor Seuss Geisel
Have you ever felt like you didn't have a voice when it comes to politics? Many people feel like their one little vote or opinion doesn't matter. If you are one of these people, then I strongly encourage you to read the book "Horton Hears a Who!" by Dr. Seuss. In that book, Dr. Seuss reminds us that one tiny voice can make all the difference in the world!
If the words of Dr. Seuss inspire you as much as they did me, then you might be wondering who you could turn to when you need help or you just want someone to hear your plight! First, you can go to The Arc of Washington's website, which is www.arcwa.org. On their home page, right above the word "Welcome" you will see 7 tabs lined up across the top of the page. Click on the one that says "Advocacy." Next, you will see a screen entitled "Legislative Action Center." From there you can type in your zip code, which will bring up our U.S. Senator's names plus the name of our Governor, Christine Gregoire. From this page you can type in your mailing address to determine what U.S. Congressional District you are in as well as who represents you in the State House of Representatives and State Senate. For example, I am in District 9 so my U. S. Representative is Adam Smith. He represents me in Washington D.C. I am also in Legislative District 22, so my State Senator is Karen Fraser. She represents me in Olympia. My two State Representatives are Sam Hunt and Chris Reykdal. You will notice that everyone's name is highlighted in blue, which means you can click on them to find out more about them and how to contact them. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at khuggins@ssp2p.org. Remember, your voice and your vote counts!
~Karen Huggins
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Parent to Parent is a network of families who have experienced the unique joys and challenges of parenting children with special needs. If you are caring for a person with special needs and would like to be connected with others in the community, we can help!
Please call us at (360) 352-1126 and say "Operator" or press 0 if you do not know who to ask for. Someone will take your call and connect you with the right person!
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Featured Article | |
The Power of Potential
Hello Everyone,
I wanted to thank everyone who came to the Parent to Parent Annual Picnic; we had such a great turn out! The best ever! When I saw all the families of my community out and about mingling around, I felt so proud. Not only to see all those special families out enjoying themselves, but proud of my organization for providing all of us a place to be just like everyone else. For those of you who don't know, I started out with P2P as a parent, with a Family Resources Coordinator and a team of caring professionals to help me through hard life changing times. That caring and willingness to always be there, eventually lead me to a position at P2P that allows me to give back to my fellow caregivers. Let me share a vision I have for P2P and use the comforting feelings of community, especially those feelings enjoyed by the many who attended the picnic.
As long as I've worked at P2P there has always been a word used to describe the agency. That word is "potential." Potential is such a great and unique word. It has the ability to be great or be irrelevant. It really just depends on what you do with it. Here is a hope I have for turning potential into greatness with the help of all of us.
Let me start by telling you a little about the P2P facility. The building and grounds of P2P used to belong to H.G. Homann, the first mayor of Lacey. We are in the process of putting the building on the roster with the historic society in Lacey, and with the Washington State Department of Archeology and Historic Preservation. I have had numerous conversations with Jack Homannm, the mayors' son and shared our ideas with him about bringing back the prestige the building once had. Mr. Homann is also very excited about our vision. We think of the wonderful possibilities of having a piece of Lacey's history restored and continue to serve our community and its children.
Part of the vision for this agency, is to make the grounds of P2P a special place for children and families to come and feel safe; kind of like the feelings we all experienced at the picnic. As parents and caregivers struggle to push through every day, doing their best to mainstream their children, sometimes we just need a place to just be where we don't have to fight off stares, or apologize. We need a place where we can practice skills to help mainstream or teach social skills for the future. In keeping with P2P's vision, we want to promote a caring and healthy environment where families can come and meet others with similar situations and learn from each other. We want them to be able to share how they overcame a specific challenge, not unlike typical caregivers sitting in a public park. Education, support, friendship, and sense of community are so important in raising our children. It takes a village to raise a child, but sometimes we in the special needs community remain on the outside looking in.
One of ultimate goals for the agency's grounds is to have P2P families sponsor plots and flower beds throughout the property. Every sponsored plot would be marked by a placard with that family's name. Each family would individualize their plot and be responsible for the maintenance. It would be a community garden of sorts that would allow all families to come and plant flowers or vegetables, a tree with a bench, or just listen to others share experiences of joy. I'm asking you to help this become a reality, not just as an employee of P2P, but as a father of two boys with a disability. Let's use our voices, connections and resources to help make this "ours" for good and not let it go away.
This organization IS ours! It does belong to us! P2P will face some real funding issues in the next two years. A portion of the agency's funding may be on the chopping block in 2013. The only way to prevent this from happening is us! We can't allow people who don't understand, or those who don't remember what this agency's vision is not address us or just pass us by. Some people don't remember where they're driving any longer. Caregivers, if we take the reins and drive, we have a say in our destiny. "We" have the power to take the word potential and turn it into greatness. "We" have to unite as a team, not unlike the team we relied on to help us when we first counted on those at P2P.
I think it very important for all of us who use any kind service, to give back in some way to the next ones who come in. What will the next family do that needs support if P2P is not around? They may not be afforded the same opportunities that our families had to grow and move forward. I was helped by this organization during some very tough times in my life. P2P was there for me when there was no one else. Now I am trying to give to families what P2P gave to me, a light at the end of the tunnel. New blood, creative thinking, and the continued current direction of the agency are what P2P needs to move forward for the future. Potential,... it's a beautiful word too.
Matt Graffagnino,
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Volunteers
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Volunteer Needs
SENSATIONAL SATURDAY VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!!!
On September 17th, along with Kokua, Parent to Parent will hold a major fundraiser at Peter G. Schmidt Elementary School. We will need a TON of volunteers! Here is how you can help:
Run an activity
Pre-sell tickets
Sell tickets at the event
Have a vendor booth
Share your talents by running a craft booth
Get donations for the Cake Walk
Get Sponsorships
Get donations for door prize baskets
Help with set up
Help with clean up
We are SO excited about this event and very happy with the outpouring from those willing to help. There will be a training at the site the evening before!
PLEASE call if you can help! Thanks!!
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Thank You
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A huge thanks to all of the P2P families who made our annual picnic so much fun! Thank you to those who prepared the food, cleaned the grounds, played the music, allowed us to bounce and organized like crazy. Thank you to the P2P staff who spent their Saturday coming out to play and meet with the special people we love to serve!
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Community Events and Activities
Free Safety Fair!
Located at Westfield Capital
Saturday September 10, 2011. 10am-5pm
· Safety Treasure Hunt with Prizes from
All American Ice Cream, Jamba Juice and Wetzel's Pretzels
· Fire Engine Display & Jaws of Life Demo
· Enter for a Chance to Win an iPad (drawing to be held at 4 PM)
Child's Car Seat Check
K-9 Unit
Driving Simulator
& Washington State Patrol
Fire Dept. Smoke House Training
Safety & Fraud Prevention
Bike Helmet Fittings (& Discounted Helmet Sales)
Waste Reduction & Free Document Shredding (Courtesy of LeMay)
(No business shredding, limited to 2 grocery bags or 1 banker's box per family)
Programs at MultiCare Mary Bridge Children's Hospital & Health Center
Bridges provides grief support for families with kids 4-18 who have lost a parent or sibling and another support group for children who have a family member with a serious illness. For info visit
Our Down's at Dance program is starting up again. Classes are every Friday Sept 16 - Nov 4. This session is 8 weeks. Our class time is 4:00 - 4:45(and boy do you get a workout!) at Johansen
Olympia dance Center on Jefferson. Participants need to be age 12 and up. The cost is a bargain at $100 per session. Financial assistance is available upon approval from South Puget Sound Up With Down Syndrome group. Financial Scholarship forms are available at P2P office.
Once again, we are fortunate to have our marvelous dance instructor, Barbara Rowe. We just love all her energy and enthusiasm!
You can register on line for the dance classes at
www.olympiadancecenter.com or call 360-943-8011
Looking forward to seeing you on the dance floor!
2nd Annual Family Fun Day Friends of Western Washington Connecting Families, creating friends in the Down Syndrome Community Sunnyside Beach Chamber's Creek Road, Steilacoom, WA Saturday, September 10, 2011 12:00pm - 5:00pm Rain or Shine! We have reserved the large covered shelter with picnic tables. There is also a playground, beach and grass area where we can set up games. Bring a dish to share and drinks for your family. You can also bring lawn chairs and any outdoor games your kids would like to share with their new friends. Parking is $5 if you are not a Steilacoom resident and the machine only takes cash. For questions or to reserve a mini photography session time, call Shannon French at (253) 224-0397. For full details, click on the flyer link. flyer Behavioral Training ABA & Autism Workshop For Parents, Teachers, SLPs, Other Professionals & Caregivers Intro to Applied Behavior Analysis (Lacey Community Center 2PM-5PM Sat October 1st 2011) Attendees will learn: ¨ Basic Principles of ABA ¨ History of ABA ¨ Techniques for working with children with autism *Inquire about military/student discountWorkshop Presented by: Jennica Orme, M.S., BCBA Email or call for registration form & additional information: Jennica.ssbt@gmail.com (360-957-5535) SoundCareKids Grief Support for children, teens, and the adults who care for them Children, teens and their parents have found understanding and support at SoundCareKids for over 17 years. Each week builds on the concepts, discussions, and activities of the week before, so attending support meetings during a session is recommended. The Fall Session will include weeks focusing on grief during the holidays. Session topics include: Week 1: Learning about grief and getting to know each other Week 2: Exploring grief feelings and learning how to cope with them Week 3: Sharing our stories Week 4: Dealing with regret, guilt, and other unfinished business Week 5: Identifying and adjusting to change Week 6: Memories and Staying Connected Meetings are on Thursdays, 6:15 to 7:45 in West Olympia. Call Providence Hospice at (360) 493-5928 to request an information packet and to reserve your spot for the upcoming session that begins October 20th. Back to School Clinic The Health Department, Group Health Cooperative and the Thurston County Medical Reserve Corps are holding a Back-to-School Immunization Clinic for Thurston County students entering Pre-School through 8th grade. The clinic will be: * Date: Saturday, September 17 from 10am-2pm * Location: Group Health Cooperative, 700 Lilly Rd NE, Olympia * Who: Students entering Pre-School through 8th Grade * What: Only vaccine required for school attendance available * Cost: No cost to parents or guardians Students must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian. There is no pre-registration for the clinic and immunizations are on a first come first serve basis. No personal/philosophical exemption waivers will be signed. The clinic is an opportunity to mobilize the Medical Reserve Corps and protect children from vaccine-preventable diseases.
Steps Toward a Cure
Lacey, WA
Fundraising Walk
Sunday, 9/25/11, 11am-3pm
At the Regional Athletic Complex
The Dravet Syndrome Foundation is a volunteer-based, non-profit organization dedicated to aggressively raising research funds for Dravet syndrome, a rare and catastrophic form of epilepsy beginning in childhood, and related conditions. By offering research grants for syndrome-specific research with a novel approach, the DSF can move researchers and the medical community forward to find better treatments and a cure while assisting afflicted individuals and their families.
The Dravet Syndrome Foundation has awarded over $800,000 in research grants for Dravet-specific research - more than any other nonprofit organization. We have also awarded over $15,000 to families through our International Patient Assistance Grant Program.
We have been able to make great strides due to all of our supporters and volunteers. Thank you!
There is currently no cure for Dravet syndrome.
Please support our efforts to change that. For more information about Dravet syndrome, please click here
Want to Be Part of the Solution
Do you have a passion for individuals with disabilities? Are you looking for a way to help the local disability community? Would you consider membership in a local nonprofit Board of Directors as a way to use your talents and experience?
Kokua is a nonprofit organization supporting adults with disabilities. Our mission is to provide the support needed for adults with disabilities to live full and meaningful lives. Does this mission speak to you? Would you like more information about Kokua and the possibility of Board membership? Please contact
Chris Rasmussen-Barsanti
Executive Director
Kokua
chris@kokuaservices.com
360.705.4665, ext 101
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News from the Board
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 Thank You Camp Prime Time Last month my family had the pleasure of spending a week-end at Camp Prime Time on Clear Lake in Yakima County. Camp Prime Time provides a special opportunity for families with special needs and medical challenges to experience nature in a beautiful, comfortable, wheelchair-accessible setting with cabin accommodations. The week-end is filled with horseback riding, a boat ride, sing-along, campfire (with s'mores of course) and free time to explore the surrounding woods, lake, river and tree house. Friendly volunteers prepare and serve meals in the dining hall. Camp Prime Time, Inc., a non-profit organization, owns and maintains the facility through extensive volunteer commitment and generous donations. Their efforts bring amazing and unique joy to many campers. I highly recommend it! I want to acknowledge and thank Camp Prime Time for their wonderful gift of camping to our families. Erika Krupp, Board President |
SSP2P Staff
(360)352-1126
Kim Smith, Executive Director and Lead FRC ext. 108
Sheila Kavanaugh, Office Manager ext. 101
Sylvia Heiser, Helping Parent Coordinator ext. 106
Matt Graffagnino, Outreach Coordinator ext. 105
Karen Huggins, Transition/IEP Support ext. 111
Lara Putnam, Office Support ext. 111
Heather Logan, Part C Support
Shana Patterson, FRC (Olympia and Griffin) ext. 102
Elaine Rinker, FRC (Tumwater and Rochester) ext. 107
Jonita Snell, FRC (North Thurston, Tenino, Rainier, Yelm) ext. 103
Shanelle Montano, FRC (North Thurston) ext.109
Chris Brandt, Custodian
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September
