Strong Families. Strong Futures. |
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Hello VFN Families and Friends!
It is hard to believe we are well into summer and that the start of school is just around the corner. Although our VFN staff have had an opportunity to catch our breaths a little during the summer months, VFN is still very busy supporting families through our helpline and the Puppets in Education program is already deep into their planning for the upcoming school year.
In June we held our annual picnic at Oakledge Park in Burlington to celebrate and honor staff who have reached a milestone anniversary and to have an opportunity to come together and enjoy each other’s company. We were so happy to be able to return to this annual tradition which had been suspended for the last two years due to the pandemic. At the picnic we recognized Christine Kilpatrick who has been with us for 20 years, Sherri Dunne and me for 15 years, Dominique Dube and Mindy Deibler for 10 years, and Claire Giroux-Williams who has been with us for 5 years. We are so appreciative to have such knowledgeable, dedicated staff! Also in June, the VFN Board of Directors held their annual meeting and voted in two new board members, Cate Hegarty and Molly Thompson, and welcomed back Kim Keiser who stepped off the board for a year. We are excited to have these members join our board and share their wealth of knowledge and life experience.
In July the Board of Directors held a special meeting to vote on changing the by-laws to reflect a title change from President/CEO to Executive Director. Both board and staff feel the Executive Director title better reflects the size or our organization as well as the nonprofit landscape in Vermont. With this title change, the search committee responsible for hiring the next Executive Director has resumed and is moving forward with the hiring process.
Be sure to check out our new landing page on our website titled VFN Advocacy in Action. We launched this program in June with our first newsletter “The Source for Change: Connect. Learn. Act”. If you would like to receive our advocacy newsletter, please email info@vtfn.org to sign up.
Always from the heart,
Sarah Wallace-Brodeur
Interim President/CEO
Vice President of Operations
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Back to School State Guidance |
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The Agency of Education and Department of Health have issued a joint memo providing recommendations on Covid-19 for the start of school. The memo puts emphasis on the clinical judgment of school nurses in determining if a student or staff member with mild symptoms is well enough to attend school. If your child is at higher risk of severe health complications, a health plan may be included as part of your child’s IEP or Section 504 Plan. Federal guidance provides help to educators and families in designing learning experiences that protect children’s health and entitlement to education services under IDEA and Section 504.
VFN has prepared a series of Back-to-School virtual workshops:
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“Special Education Rule Changes – What Does This Mean for Families?” covers the implementation and timeline of Vermont Special Education Rule Changes. Two changes – the definition of adverse effect and special education eligibility for specific learning disability – were delayed and will take effect in July 2023. In the meantime, the present definitions apply.
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Our planned workshop on Special Education Evaluation Plan and Report will review disability determination, adverse effect and the need for special education services. Parents will learn how functional performance can be considered in special education eligibility.
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Our planned Psychoeducation Evaluations workshop will demystify this specific evaluation and help parents to advocate so their child can receive a quality comprehensive special education evaluation.
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Our last planned workshop of the series is on Section 504 Plan. Information in this workshop will help parents maximize the use of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 for their children who do not qualify for special education under the current eligibility rules.
Please sign up for these workshops in our upcoming events section!
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Calling all Sibs! We are excited to be able to continue in-person Sibshop activities starting this Fall. Did you know that after a child is diagnosed with a special health care need or disability, siblings’ experiences parallel parents’ experiences? That is why including brothers and sisters in the Family Support model is so important and it’s why VFN runs monthly Sibshops throughout the school year!
Sibshops are fun activities for children ages 6 to 13 who have a brother or sister with a disability or special health need. They provide an opportunity to connect, share a snack, and discuss the ups and downs of being a “sib,” all while doing a fun activity at VFN or in the community. All events are facilitated by trained Sibshops Facilitators with the help of a few volunteers. Sibshops began nationally in 1982; learn more about the history of Sibshops here.
From Get Air to MetroRock, decorating cookies to making puppets, we have planned many cool outings and activities this year.
If you are not ready to commit but want to keep a pulse on our activities and updates for the year, you can email mindy.deibler@vtfn.org to be added to our Sibshop email distribution list. We will be hosting a Parent Information Session during the first 10 minutes of our Sibshops Kick-Off event on Saturday, September 17 at 1 p.m. at the Essex Teen Center (2 Lincoln Street, Second Floor, Essex Junction). Join us to meet the Sibshops Team, learn more about the structure of Sibshops, and ask any questions that you may have.
We look forward to seeing our Super Sibs soon!
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High School Students on
IEPs and Section 504 Plans
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High school students who are receiving special education services through an Individualized Education Program (IEP) or support through a Section 504 plan are eligible for HireAbility (formerly Vocational Rehabilitation) Services. HireAbility Transition Counselors can provide services such as job exploration counseling, work-based learning experiences, counseling on postsecondary education at institutions of higher education, workplace readiness training, and instruction in self-advocacy.
For more information on how HireAbility services may fit into your high school child’s IEP or Section 504 or any other transition-related concern, please call the VFN helpline at 802-876-5315 or info@vtfn.org.
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The Puppets are taking a well-deserved rest this summer and gearing up for the fall.
In the 2021-2022 School Year, VFN’s Puppet Team reached 6,501 kids and 593 adults for a total of 7,094 people! We performed 133 shows at 35 sites in Vermont, New York, and Massachusetts.
Keep an eye out in late August for the fall letter to schools which will contain a list of grant funded shows, program listings and available dates.
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Vermont Family Network (VFN) is seeking Support Parent volunteers! If you are at a point in your parenting journey where you are ready to support another family, please consider becoming a trained VFN Support Parent with our Parent Match Program.
Through a one-to-one “match,” experienced Support Parents offer emotional support to families and assist them in finding information and resources. Over the years, VFN has made hundreds of parent matches and we hear from parents again and again about how helpful it was to talk with another parent who has “been there.”
This month’s training will be delivered in 2 parts. In Part 1, we will share our Power Point training slides (through email) along with a questionnaire that will ensure participant’s understanding of the material. Part 2 will involve joining a Support Parent Zoom gathering for discussion about the Parent Match process, review of necessary skills, and sharing of family stories. This gathering is scheduled for Tuesday, September 27 from 6 to 8 p.m.
We appreciate your interest in VFN’s Parent Match Program!
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Homemade
Strawberry Popsicles
Ingredients
- 2 pounds fresh strawberries, washed, stems/leaves removed and roughly sliced
- 1/4-1/2 cup sugar (start with 1/4 cup and add more to taste)
- 1 cup water
Instructions
- Mix together strawberries and sugar and allow to set for 15-20 minutes. You want the sugar to draw out the juices from the strawberries. Add more sugar to taste if desired.
- Pour strawberries into blender and blend with 1 cup water. Blend until desired texture is achieved.
- Pour into popsicle molds and freeze until solid.
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Upcoming Events - Register today! |
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Free Workshops
This workshop will focus on the task of the Evaluation and Planning Team (EPT), of which the parent is a member. EPTs use "Form 2 - Special Education Plan and Report" to plan for a child’s special education evaluation. Parents will learn what input they should provide for the Form 2 development. Presenter: Ernest Wheeler - Educational Consultant with the Vermont Agency of Education.
This workshop will help to demystify psychoeducational evaluations: When and why are they conducted? What questions are they intended to answer? Who is qualified to assess different disability categories? This workshop will also cover questions parents should ask during the evaluation planning process. Presenter: Shannon Newell, PhD NCSP, Associate Professor of Psychological Science at Castleton University.
Through the Collaborative Proactive Solutions (CPS) Model, and looking at the work of Dr. Ross Greene, we’ll examine how concerning behaviors that arise in a family are simply telling us that there are expectations that the children (or caregivers!) are having difficulty meeting. We’ll discuss how to shift our lens to one of lagging skills/unsolved problems and move towards collaboratively solving problems in a way that benefits both caregivers AND kids. Presenter: Sara Wilkins, Vermont Lead Advocator for Lives in the Balance program.
Under Vermont’s current special education eligibility rules that will remain in effect for another year, some children with disabilities will not qualify for an IEP but will qualify for a Section 504 Plan. Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 can be a powerful tool. Learn how to use Section 504 to get the services your child needs in school! Presenter: Greg Van Buiten, Attorney, EdLaw New England PLLC.
You may have seen in media outlets that a new crisis line, 988, has been launched in VT and nationally. What exactly is 988 and how might it impact your family? Please join us as we host a team from the Vermont Department of Mental Health to talk about this new crisis line and what it means for VT individuals and families. Presenters: Samantha Sweet, DMH Director of Mental Health Services, 988 Program Lead and Amy Guidice, Contractor, 988 Planning Coordinator.
If you are unable to attend, you can still register and we’ll send you a recording of the workshop which you can watch on your own time.
In case you missed our last series of workshops, you can find a full list on our VFN website. Stay tuned as we add more workshops to our fall schedule!
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VFN Workshop Topics/Speakers Survey
We want to hear your ideas for our upcoming online workshops. What topics interest you? Are there presenters you would recommend?
Let us know your thoughts.
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Contact Us. We Will Listen! |
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Helping Vermont Families thrive for more than 30 years |
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Office
600 Blair Park Rd, Ste 240,
Williston, VT 05495
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