Stop the Summer Slide

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MISSOURI PARENTS ACT E-NEWS

May 20, 2015

Stop the Summer Slide.

Introducing the "Read MOre, Missouri!" Summer Reading Challenge

The following information was provided by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education website.

Missouri students can keep their reading skills sharp over the summer months by joining the "Read MOre, Missouri!" reading challenge.

"Kids who read during the summer are much more likely to retain the skills they gained during the school year," says Commissioner of Education Margie Vandeven. "'Read MOre, Missouri!' encourages children to read for pleasure and can help reach the goals of Missouri's Top 10 by 20 initiative."

The reading challenge is an effort to prevent "summer slide," the loss of learning skills that many students experience during their break from classes. Experts say that reading just six books during the summer can keep students from regressing and having to catch up once school begins again in the fall. Parents are encouraged to read aloud to their children and to have their kids read something every day.

There are many ways to select the texts to share with children. School and public librarians are a great resource, and there are numerous book lists. The goal is to engage children with reading lots of different kinds of books (or magazines, short articles, even websites). The best way to build reading skills is to read!

For more information please visit the DESE website or contact Sarah Potter, Communications Coordinator at communications@dese.mo.gov

Navigating

Life's Superhighway:

Forming Cross Agency Partnerships at the Local Level

The Office of Special Education in partnership with Vocational Rehabilitation, the Department of Mental Health, Division of Workforce Development and Missouri Centers for Independent Living are offering the 2015 Missouri Transition Training Institute (TTI)- "Navigating Life's Superhighway: Forming Cross Agency Partnerships at the Local Level."

If you are interested in participating in this year's Institute, you will need to register online via the My Learning Plan.

Registration fee will be $50.00 per person. The fee may be paid in advance or at the time of registration. Registration will begin at 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday, June 16, 2015.

For additional information, contact John Stains at John.Stains@dese.mo.gov (573-751-0225) or Barb Gilpin at Barb.Gilpin@dese.mo.gov (573-751-7661).

Introducing a Little Bit More Chaos...

The Chaos Course Team

Chaos Course, a Ninja Warrior Gym, in Belton, Missouri recently introduced a Unique Needs class in order to better accommodate the fitness needs of individuals with disabilities.

"At Chaos we teach people to get past obstacles. Sometimes those are physical ones, like a Salmon Ladder, or a Cliff Hanger. Other times, it's how to get a toy onto a shelf when you are in a wheel chair. We cater to the outliers. Those who cannot ordinarily, those who are extraordinary, and those who just aren't ordinary," says Elizabeth Babcock, owner of Chaos.

"My husband and I have always been proud to say we are more creative than we are scared of any challenge. So we've always accepted everyone into our classes. We now offer both Unique Needs classes as well as allow anyone to belong in the rest of our classes too. We have youth and teen/adult fitness classes for those with developmental and physical disabilities."

For more information about Chaos Course and the current class schedule, visit www.ChaosCourse.com.

UPCOMING MPACT TRAININGS

McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act Overview

Date: 05/20/2015

Time: 1:00pm to 2:30pm

Location: The Library Station

2535 N. Kansas Expressway

Positive Behavior Interventions

Date: 05/21/2015

Time: 6:00pm to 8:00am

Location: Southwest Center for Independent Living

2834 S. Nettleton, Springfield

Section 504 and Students with Disabilities

Date: 05/30/2015

Time: 10:00am to 12:00pm

Location: Developmental Services of Franklin County- North Building

1281 N. Highway 47, Union

Steps to Success: IDEA Part C to Part B

Date: 05/20/2015

Time: 10:00am to 12:00pm

Location: Knights of Columbus Developmental Center

3800 Park Ave., 2nd Floor, St. Louis

Date: 06/01/2015

Time: 6:00pm to 8:00pm

Location: Spencer Road Library

427 Spencer Road, Room 212,

St. Peters

Steps to Success: Parental Rights

Date: 06/17/2015

Time: 1:00pm to 2:00pm

Location: MPACT State Office

8301 Stateline Rd, Suite 204,

Kansas City

Steps to Success: Understanding the IFSP Process

Date: 06/24/2015

Time: 1:00pm to 2:00pm

Location: Joplin Library

300 South Main Street, Joplin

The Art of Effective Advocacy

Date: 06/10/2015

Time: 10:00am to 12:00pm

Location: Knights of Columbus Developmental Center

3800 Park Ave., 2nd Floor,

St. Louis

Understanding the Evaluation Process

Date: 06/10/2015

Time: 4:00pm to 5:00pm

Location: Enrichments Alternatives

1700 S. Campbell Ave, Suite E,

Springfield

For a complete list of MPACT's trainings, including online trainings, visit our website.

MPACT
8301 State Line Road
Suite 204
Kansas City, Missouri 64114
(800) 743-7634 phone (tty)
(816) 531-4777 fax

info@ptimpact.org email

MPACT is funded in part or whole by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs Grant No. H328M090020-10. The contents of the website, however, and any documents cited herein do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the U.S Department of Education.
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