Darla Henry & Associates
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In This Issue
Welcome!
We are happy to welcome the Tamassee DAR School in SC and Christian Family Care of Pheonix, AZ to the 3-5-7 Model� Family! 
We were also thrilled to have spent time this summer with our friends throughout the state of Mississippi and reconnecting with friends in Colorado, Washington DC, and Califonia!
New Programs!
Did you know we have a Groups Program and 
Resource Parent Program? 
Contact us to learn more about these programs.
Like us on Facebook
Purchase the 3-5-7 Model� A Practice Approach to Permanency here.
September  2015
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Greetings!  Wow, where did the summer go??!!?  We've already left behind the more relaxed schedule of the summer months and are in full swing for the fall season.  For families, this time of year brings a return to the routines of a new school year.  For youth, this time comes with the opportunity to reconnect with friends and to forge new peer relationships.
 
As relationships are critical to the well being of our youth and especially significant in the developmental phase of adolescence, we encourage you to look at peer relationships through the lens of the 3-5-7 Model�.   The  3-5-7 Model� Readiness Continuum is one tool which helps you to do this.  With this tool we describe how youth navigate the tasks of Clarification, Integration and Actualization as part of the "HOW WILL I GET THERE?" question. 
 
In the Clarification task we may see youth interact negatively with peers or that they are uncomfortable in peer related activities.  As they move toward Integration, youth may begin to express desire to have friendships or talk about peers and peer-related activities more frequently.  We see our youth Actualized in their peer relationships when they demonstrate reciprocal relationships with peers and can maintain their own identity when with peers. 
 
Keeping this in mind, and thinking about the youth you are working with, we challenge you to develop activities that help them make sense of their peer relationships.  Share your ideas with us and you may see them featured in a future newsletter! 








P.S.  If the don't know what the Readiness Continuum is then it's time to give us a call so we can catch you up on the developments of the 3-5-7 Model� over the past few years. 
Teacher Resources
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The National Association of School Psychologists provides a resource for teachers titled, FOSTER CARE FOR CHILDREN: INFORMATION FOR TEACHERS By Nancy McKellar, PhD Wichita State University.  It's  not overwhelmingly long yet addresses issues of separation and loss, dealing with change and transitions and tips for supporting foster children in school.  
 
From NPR Ed, Grief In The Classroom: "Saying Nothing Says A Lot" is an article that highlights the often unspoken issue of grieving students and references GrievingStudents.org, a website with resources for schools to support grieving students.  

GrievingStudents.org includes fact sheets, advice and videos. The materials were produced by the Coalition to Support Grieving Students, a group including 10 national organizations that represent teachers, school administrators and support staff.

 
Wouldn't it be great if all your youth's teachers had a copy of this?  Why not send one today!

3-5-7 Model� Workbook Feedback

We are seeking feedback on our current 3-5-7 Model� Workbook and suggestions for activities to include in the next edition. So, if you are one of the folks who has lots of notes and papers crammed into your 3-5-7 Model� Workbook with tips on how to modify activities and with activities that you wish were included, then we'd love to connect with you.   

Please contact Teresa at [email protected] for more information about where and how to send your feedback. The deadline is Nov. 15th.  

Featured Activity

Name of Activity:  Fitting In

Purpose:  To talk about transitions and how things sometimes change-activity could be specifically geared toward peer relationships.

Materials Needed: Create a worksheet titled "I'll Know I Fit In When..."  that has the following questions listed on it with space to record answers below each:  The family..., The kids at school..., The relatives..., The neighbors treat me like..., The members of my birth family say...

Getting Started:  Talk to the child/youth about what "fitting in" means. Ask him about other places he has been and how long it took for him to feel comfortable. Ask what was happening when he felt comfortable. For children/youth who have never been comfortable, this is a dream page.  After the discussion, take out the worksheet. Have the child/youth fill in under each category the ways he will know when he fits in.