In this issue...
Heart and Hope
Talent Show for Children with Disabilities
Board Member Profile
25th Anniversary: Ft. Lauderdale
Help Support FND

UPCOMING EVENTS

January 8:
AMC Theaters "Sensory Friendly Films" presents: YOGI BEAR
10:00am - Locations Vary
More Details Here

January 11:
Positive Behavior Supports (PBS) Workshop
7:00pm - Tallahassee
More Details Here

January 15:
Parent Support Group
10:00am - Lake City
More Details Here

January 18:
Collaborative Communication Workshop
7:00pm - Tallahassee
More Details Here

January 20:
Upside 2 Downs Support Group Meeting
5:30pm - Pensacola
More Details Here

January 20:
C.U.D.L.E. Meeting
6:30pm - Sarasota
More Details Here

January 25:
Conflict Resolution Workshop
7:00pm - Tallahassee
More Details Here


For more upcoming events, please visit our online event calendar at:
http://fndfl.org/cal.asp
News From the Heart
Vol. 2, Issue 1
January 7, 2011
Heart and Hope

The 5th Annual Heart and Hope Statewide Family Conference will be held at Southwest Middle School in Orlando, FL on Saturday, February 12, 2011, from 9:00am until 4:00pm.

 

Heart and Hope is a FREE full day event that is designed to help bring individuals who are at risk, families who have children with disabilities and the professionals who serve them awareness of their options and rights that are available to them within the school system and beyond.

 

Workshop topics to be covered will include Transition, Guardianship, Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS), Response to Intervention (RtI) and Early Childhood.  An IEP Clinic will be available for individual assistance with your child's IEP. There will be vendor displays and information. KidCamp will be provided (pre-registration is required for KidCamp as space is limited).

 

This year's Keynote Speaker will be Dr. Angela Martin Walker, creator of the popular "Families Building Better Readers" and "Mysteries in the Middle" programs in Florida.  She will be presenting her "Readers of the Caribbean" literacy workshop for families.  Children will be invited to "pirate tryouts" and put through a battery of funny "tests" in their quest to become BOOK-A-NEERS. Parents and children practice reading activities led by the trainer, children participate in a live reader's theater, and each participating family takes home a literacy adventure gameboard that helps them apply what they learned during the workshop.

 

This event is sponsored by the Harper Family Charitable Foundation and presented in partnership with Orange County Public Schools Exceptional Student Education and Bright Feats.

 

Please visit www.fndfl.org/categories/99/ for more information and to register.


Talent Show for Children with Disabilities

We would like to thank you for your support of FND's Talent Show for Children with Disabilities project through Pepsi Refresh. You probably already know that our project did not win, but the competition had a lot of great ideas, 32 of which will receive funding from Pepsi to make them a reality. We feel that there were no losers, only winners. 

Those ideas that will be funded have not been announced yet, but at least a couple of finalists had projects that would benefit children with disabilities. We will update you on which of those projects will be funded once the results are finalized.

We are still interested in putting on a talent show for children with disabilities and will be investigating options to host a small, inexpensive, local event that we hope will gain support and interest in the community.

Board Member Profile: Charlene Greene

Charlene Greene is currently a student at Seminole State College, completing her A.S. Degree in Paralegal. Charlene is also a Licensed Real Estate Agent and HUD Certified Counselor. Ms. Greene is the mother of four children that she fostered and ultimately adopted.

 

Having developmental disabilities, a visual disability, as well as typical emotional needs, led to her advocacy path. Since moving her family to Florida in 2003, she has been cementing her knowledge and participation with appointments to District 7 Family Care Council, working with the Florida Department of Education on special task forces relative to exceptional education, and completing the progress measurements for special diplomas. Ms. Greene is committed to what is in the best interests of the children and families of Florida.

 

In addition to her position on the Family Network on Disabilities Board of Directors, Charlene sits on the Special Education PTA in Florida (SEPTA), participated in the State of Florida Partner in Policymaking, and is a Seminole County Leadership Partner.


FND's 25th Anniversary Celebration:
Ft. Lauderdale


Please join us at Holiday Park in Fort Lauderdale (1150 G. Harold Martin Dr. - MAP) from 2:00pm until 5:00pm on Saturday, January 22nd. There will be free information from local agencies, food, and games. We hope you'll come out and have a good time with us!


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