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Run, Walk n Roll Against Bullying a Huge Success!
 On that cold Saturday morning October 27, over 200 runners, walkers, rollers, and friends came together to promote awareness of bullying prevention. Held at Western Regional Park in Howard County, the run was a fun event with music, a waffle truck, prizes, kids activities, awards, and a photo booth! Mike Gerlach and his team from Insight on DisAbility radio program hosted the event and provided the music.
 Justin Hilz and Del. Jon Cardin were awarded PPMD's Outstanding Leader of the Year awards for their work to prevent bullying. Justin, who was himself bullied, has spoken out about bullying and is working to prevent bullying in his community. Del. Cardin sponsored Grace's Law in the Maryland General Assembly which cracks down on cyber-bullies by expanding the cyber harassment law to apply to harassment on social media as well.
Charm City Run managed the run. For official race results, click here. The top 3 male runners were: Brian Buschling, Barrett Crawford, and Brett Kutscher. The top 3 female runners were Avery Smedley, Aileen Linton, and Laura Landry.
Thank you to our generous sponsors and partners who helped make this event possible and successful. For a full listing of our sponsors, click here.
If you weren't able to make it this year, join us next year. We'll send out save the date announcements as soon as we have it scheduled. Don't miss out on the fun! |
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8th Annual Around the World of Special Education Western Maryland Regional Conference
Join Parents' Place of Maryland for the 8th annual Around the World of Special Education Western Maryland Regional Conference. This free all day conference will feature presentations designed for families of children with disabilities. Presenters will include representatives from Parents' Place, MSDE, Maryland Disability Law Center, and Maryland Coalition of Families. This year's event will be held:
Saturday, November 23, 2013
8:30am - 3:00pm
Otterbein United Methodist Church
108 East Franklin Street
Hagerstown, MD 21740
During lunch you will have the opportunity to speak to community providers and connect with other families. Door prizes will be awarded throughout the day. The event is sponsored by Parents' Place of Maryland, Alleghany County Special Education Advisory Committe and Maryland Coalition of Families. There is no cost to attend, but you must register in advance by contacting Debbie DiPaolo at 301-689-3113 or debbie@ppmd.org.
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Advocacy ATLAS: New Website for Family Advocates
Genetic Alliance, in partnership with Family Voices and Parent to Parent USA, launched a new online resource for individuals with special healthcare needs and their families. The Advocacy ATLAS: Accessible Tools for Leadership and Advocacy Success, features over 250 tools and resources to help new and experienced advocates communicate their needs around services, support, and access.
Every day individuals advocate on behalf of themselves or others to communicate needs, share experiences, and take steps to get what they want and need. Resources are grouped by category on the Advocacy ATLAS and include Insurance and Financial Assistance, Access to Healthcare, Transition to Adulthood, Steps to Employment Succession, and Education Services and Supports. All resources on the Advocacy ATLAS website are free and downloadable.
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Sibling Leadership Network
 The Sibling Leadership Network is dedicated to advancing causes important to the millions of siblings of people who have disabilities. The Network website can connect you to many resources on the Affordable Care Act, Self-advocacy resources and connect siblings with other siblings their own age.
SibKids is a warm and thoughtful listserv for young brothers and sisters of kids with special needs from all over the world. We talk about our sibs, but we also talk about school, music, sports, and life! SibKids is hosted by the Sibling Support Project.
Sibteen is a place where teenage sibs of people with disabilities can connect with others who get it. It's a fun and thoughtful group where members share unique concerns, joys, frustrations, and information with others who truly understand! Sibparent: A place where parents of kids with special needs can talk about their "other" kids. |
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Common Core and IEP's
Some special-education experts say Common Core State Standards will offer needed clarity to schools that have adopted standards-based individualized education programs. Such IEPs connect student goals to general-education academic standards. "At least the common core looks at a set of knowledge and skills within a grade and age band for kids," says Margaret J. McLaughlin, a professor in the special-education department at the University of Maryland, College Park. She says that connection has been missing from many standards-based IEP programs. This article in Education Week discusses how teachers will approach the new Common Core Standards.
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Why Taking Away Recess Is A Bad Idea
Taking away recess has become a common practice among teachers trying to rein in unruly students. A study by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation found that 77 percent of school principals reported taking away recess as a punishment.While teachers may think taking away recess is an effective way to punish students for bad behavior, recess plays an important role in children's development. Research shows the value of recess: It gives kids a much-needed break from intense studying, teaches them social skills, encourages them to use their imagination, and allows them to exercise.
An increasing number of organizations are speaking out against the practice of withholding recess. In its recent statement on the "crucial role of recess," the American Academy of Pediatrics emphasizes that recess should not be taken away for disciplinary or punitive reasons. Likewise, the National Association for Sport and Physical Education outlines in a position statement that "students should not be denied recess so that they can complete class work or as a means of punishment."
This article in The Atlantic Monthly discusses the most recent studies and current practices regarding recess.
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Save These Dates!
November 13, 2013
6:00pm -8:00pm
Columbia, MD
November 14, 2013
7:00pm - 8:30pm
Rockville, MD
November 15, 2013
9:30am - 2:00pm
Arnold, MD
November 16, 2013
8:00am - 4:00pm
Bowie, MD
November 18 - 22, 2013
December 2, 2013
1:00pm -2:00pm
Webinar
December 2 - 6, 2013
There are a lot of new workshops and training events on our calendar! Be sure to check the PPMD online calendar for time, location, and registration information for these and many other training opportunities. www.calendarwiz.com/ppmd
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Nora School Parent Education Series
The Nora School Parent Education Series features experts in their fields talking about topics of particular interest to parents of high school students. Lectures appeal to parents of current students, teachers, and the wider community. To reserve a space, RSVP to Marcia Miller 301.495.6672 or marcia@nora-school.org.
Lectures are free and open to the public. Lectures are held at the school at
955 Sligo Avenue
Silver Spring, MD 20910.
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Social Media Protection App
FriendGuard is an app that helps you protect yourself and your children from social media security, privacy, and safety threats. FriendGuard's resource center is designed to provide useful information for parents, individuals and business owners that focuses on their unique social networking challenges. The FriendGuard app provides social anti-virus protection.
If you and your children use Facebook, Twitter, or other social media sites this app may help provide some safety.
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Soft Skills to Pay the Bills
The US Department of Labor Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) offers the Soft Skills to Pay the Bills video series and discussion guide. The series is based on the Soft Skills to Pay the Bills curriculum (PDF), which focuses on teaching workforce readiness skills to youth, including youth with disabilities.
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Howard County Bullying App
A smartphone app gives Howard County students and parents a way to report bullies.
It's part of the campaign Stand Up HoCo to stop bullying both online and in person, while protecting the individual reporting it.
"We're giving our children, students and adults a way to report bullying wherever it happens," said Ken Ulman, Howard County Executive.
A link to the website is available on the Howard County Public School System website.
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