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September 2020
A publication of the Howard County Office of Children and Families
Family Institute
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Family Institute Online Workshops, New this month!
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Tips for Surviving the Fall
School will start September 8. Are you ready?
Learn how to manage the Fall transition to virtual school in balancing your child's needs with your own work and home life. Gain insight on how to develop plans for a successful transition. Topics include: setting up a home space and schedule; finding supports and local resources; and contact information, if you have questions about kindergarten waivers, homeschool, licensed child care, safety considerations, and self-care. Read the power point now, click here.
If you have additional questions on any topic from the presentation, call the CARE Line to understand more at 410-313-CARE (2273) or email children@howardcountymd.gov.
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Behavior Basics and Managing Meltdowns
Tues.,Sept. 15, 7:00 - 8:30 p.m.
FREE Online: Register here
Don't allow tantrums, power struggles and misbehavior make daily life difficult in your household. Learn how to help decrease negative behaviors from happening and/ or what to do when they do occur. Ask questions and leave with skills and resources that you can use immediately to help you feel more confident in your parenting. For children ages two to eight.
Attendees will have an opportunity to meet a week later to discuss how skills are working in their home and ask follow up questions.
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Discipline & Communication in the Elementary Years
Thurs., Sept 29, 7:00 - 8:00 p.m.
FREE Online: Register here
Managing the school schedule and learning frustrations can be difficult for the whole family. Learn how to proactively prevent meltdowns by preparing your home and routine to encourage success. Become familiar with temperament types and learn how to use this information to individualize your interactions with your child. Discuss ways to effectively communicate with your child and the importance of structure, consistency and self-esteem to help build a growth mind set.
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Kindergarten Waivers
Parents have the option to request a Kindergarten Waiver from HCPSS. Parents can request a waiver to delay kindergarten for one year due to medical or immaturity reasons. Parents can also request a waiver for kindergarten if their child will attend a full-time child care program which will allow the child to enter first grade next fall. In this case, you are responsible for using a curriculum to instruct the child that meets the Maryland State Kindergarten Early Learning Standards. The Early Learning Standards define the key aspects of development and learning that are the foundation for a child’s school and life-long success. Standards can be found HERE.
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Children that turn four years old by September 1 and meet first priority criteria can apply for Pre-K in HCPSS. Pre-K will include live, teacher-led, virtual instruction and family engagement opportunities. To find out more about qualifications and enrollment process, visit Howard County Public School.
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Articles from Child Mind Institute
Tips to help kids thrive.
How teachers can support students.
What helps and doesn’t help when a child is struggling.
Articles from UNDERSTOOD
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Howard County Nature
The Howard County Conservancy, Click here.
Schools Out/ Science In, Student Field Experience and Nature in your Neighborhood.
Robinson Nature Center, click here
· Lil’ Pine Cones Outdoor Explorers, a weekly outdoor nature program geared toward learners 4-5 years old.
· Take Nature Home program kits that children can enjoy at their convenience from the comfort of home. Each kit includes materials and instructional videos. September themes include maps, navigation and landforms.
· Home school nature classes occurring on the first Thursday and Friday of each month. There are three age-appropriate sections each season (4-5, 6-8 and 9-12 years).
Visit Howard County's List of Popular Parks, click here.
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Special Education Supports
Empowering Parents as Partners Conference
Save the Date: September 29 and October 1, FREE
The HCPSS Department of Special Education will host this virtual conference that will focus on supporting your child and participating in the IEP process during virtual learning. Live sessions and post recordings of presentations to the HCPSS web site.
Monthly Virtual SECAC Meetings
Wednesday, Sept. 16, Oct. 21, Nov. 18, Dec. 16, 7:00 -9:00 p.m. FREE
The Special Education Citizens Advisory Committee, SECAC, works with the school system to support the needs of students with disabilities. This group collaborates with other community disability advocacy groups to improve special education and the lives of students in Howard County. SECAC meets once a month. To receive a link to attend,
Created by the Maryland State Department of Education, Division of Early Intervention and Special Education Services (MSDE) to assist parents with understanding how special education services will be determined and provided to their child during the extended closure of school buildings which have been caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. It also offers information and suggestions for families and school professionals, working together, to ensure that the delivery of special education instruction, services and supports continues to be designed to meet the individual needs of students with disabilities in Maryland. Visit here.
For all information for special education supports, visit The Family Support & Resource Center: Click here. For questions, email FSRC@hcpss.org or call 410 313-7161.
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Surviving Virtual Learning: A Guide to Schooling in the Age of COVID-19
Presented by Kennedy Kreiger, Zoom link here/ Meeting ID: 983 5775 2206
Thursday, September 3. 7 to 8 p.m.
This webinar will discuss:
Setting up a well-organized virtual school environment; creating a school schedule for the “new normal”; establishing expectations for independent work; gaining work compliance
“can’t do” vs. “wont’ do” skills vs. motivation deficits; understanding the “why” behind challenging behavior; and incentivizing good choices.
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The Character Lab
Scientific insights to help children live a healthy happy life.
Actionable advice for parents and teachers based on science
The Character Lab makes scientific insights accessible through online Playbooks and Tips of the Week. Playbooks are written by experts on specific character strengths. Each includes a curated set of evidence-based resources, including recommended curricula, videos, and books. Read more about Playbooks. Each Tip of the Week contains 60 seconds of actionable advice in the form of a personal letter which is always fact-checked and approved by the scientists whose work is highlighted. Read the latest Tip of the Week.
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Free and Reduced-Price Meals (FARMs) Program
Howard County Pulic School System families have been impacted financially by the pandemic, and may now be eligible to receive benefits through the program. Participation in FARMs qualifies students for a wide range of opportunities and resources beyond breakfast and lunch, including free college applications, free JumpStart Dual Enrollment tuition, discounted internet through the Comcast Internet Essentials program and more.
Enrollment is confidential and qualification is based on family size and income.
Families must submit a new application every school year. Complete the application online as soon as possible. Paper applications may be picked up at HCPSS summer meal locations through August 28 and will be available at all HCPSS fall meal sites when the school year begins on September 8. Paper applications should be mailed to the Food & Nutrition Services Office, 10910 Clarksville Pike, Ellicott City, MD 21042. If you have questions regarding the program, please visit www.hcpss.org/FARMs or email Food and Nutrition Services at foodsvc@hcpss.org or call at 410-313-7134.
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Quality Time With Your Children
While we are all spending time at home, it may feel like we are spending ample time with our children. But, are we being intentional with that time? Intentional quality time with our children means being engaged, focused, and following our child’s lead. This means putting all distractions including our electronics aside to truly be present and focused on your child to strengthen your relationship. This time does not have to be long, even ten minutes a day can be impactful. Have you noticed that your child is having more behavioral challenges? Implementing a few minutes of quality time with your child can help reset their day. Click below to watch a video and to review additional resources to learn more about spending intentional time with your child.
This month’s challenge: Commit to spending ten minutes of quality time with your child each day. For more information, read the following:
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Why Is It So Hard to Motivate Kids with ADHD?
The ADHD brain processes rewards and consequences differently. Traditional reward systems don’t motivate students with ADHD. ADHD brains differ from neurotypical ones in ways that impact motivation:
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The parts of the brain that manage executive functions and emotions have different levels of activity.
- Electrical activity differences make it harder for ADHD brains to filter out irrelevant stimuli, and focus on the task at hand.
- ADHD is linked to low dopamine activity, which impacts desire — and reactions to rewards, success, and failure.
These differences mean that kids have to work harder to acquire information and pay attention which means they experience more frustration and failure than they do success.
To understand how you can adjust your parenting accordingly, read the tips from ADDitude here.
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Free Vaccine Clinics
for Students
Howard County Public School Health Services with the Howard County Health Department and the Maryland Partnership for Prevention will offer several immunization clinics for any student who may need them. Multiple vaccines will be offered at the clinics during the week of September 21 at no cost to families.
HCPSS students may attend a clinic at any location and pre-registration is required. Parents/guardians must complete an online consent process prior to the clinic dates.
For updated information on locations and dates, click here.
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30 Ways to Eat Zucchini!
Looking for ways to add vegetables into your family's diet? Taste of Home shares recipes of blueberry zucchini squares, zucchini crust pizza to zucchini noodles and cheesy zucchini saute. Look to the variety of ways to prepare this healthy vegetable here and try some in your home today.
For additional ways to get children helping in the kitchen, click here.
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Health & Wellness Townhall
Calvin Ball sponsored this event with Howard County health professionals. The health leaders answered questions and discussed pressing health topics including COVID-19, behavioral and mental health, and innovations in healthcare. Issues such as mental health for young residents, the impact and future of a vaccine, and the racial disparities highlighted by COVID-19 were addressed. Video of the event can be viewed here.
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Basics Insights
NEW! Text Message Program from The Basics Howard County to Make the Most of Your Child's First Three Years
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As parents, we want to make the most of our child's first three years. Howard County's latest partnership with The Basics, uses evidenced-based strategies to help you reach that goal. To receive information by text in either English or Spanish for your child under the age of three, sign up for FREE here. Based on your child's birth date, content will be sent in a developmental sequence that becomes more complex as you and your child grow together. To learn more about The Basics Howard County, email
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Maryland Family Engagement Coalition Hosts Equity Discussions
In August, the Maryland State Department of Education joined the Maryland Family Engagement Coalition and MAEC to kick off the annual Maryland Family Engagement Summit. The conversation discussed “Birth-12 Equitable Family, School, Community Engagement” featuring keynote Dr. Walter Gilliam. Read the article.
To learn more about equitable family engagement and share with your PTA:
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Howard County Library System
The team is available Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Thursdays until 8 p.m.
- CHAT live with a staff person from any page on the website.
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EMAIL at askhcls@hclibrary.org
- CALL 410.313.7750
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Diaper need has increased this year during the pandemic and resulting economic hardships. More families are struggling to keep their babies and toddlers in clean diapers.
The Howard County Diaper Project is asking for help from the community to provide help for these families. Through its partnership with the Community Action Council of Howard County, the Diaper Project collects diapers and wipes for families in need and distributes them to eligible families through the Howard County Food Bank, which is run by the Community Action Council.
Currently the most pressing need is for diapers (sizes 4, 5, 6 and 7) and wipes. The Diaper Project has created an Amazon wish list for easy donating.
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Order through the Amazon wish list at: https://tinyurl.com/diaperproject
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Cash gifts are also welcome. Please go to www.cac-hc.org/donate, and select “diaper bank” from the “donation restriction” menu.
- Diapers and wipes can also be dropped off in person at the Howard County Food Bank at 8385 Gerwig Ln, Ste. J, Columbia; 9:30-4:30 M-F. Look for the donation box in front of the building.
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Take the Census!
It takes only five minutes to complete.
Have you taken your Census? Howard County loses out on nearly $18,000 in federal funding for each person not counted in the Census. This funding will support programs that provide school lunches, head start, food services for families in need, and much more. Especially as we respond and recover from COVID-19, these funds will be pivotal over the next ten years and beyond to help our community thrive.
This year is the first time the Census questionnaire can be completed online, making it even easier than ever for residents to respond. If you have not taken your census yet, do so RIGHT NOW. If you have, then encourage five of your neighbors to do the same.
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5-year Plan for Children,
Youth and Families
Recently, the Local Children's Health Board released the five-year Howard County Community Plan for Children, Youth and Families for fiscal years 2021 to 2025. This plan provides a framework for partnerships between public and private organizations and focuses on strengthening access to high quality education, healthcare and wellness, with an emphasis on equity within support systems and outcomes. For more information about this report and/or to request a copy, please contact Kimberly Eisenreich at 410-313-6400 (voice/relay).
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