Archive for March, 2010

A Community’s Worst Nightmare

Wednesday, March 31st, 2010

Last week, a local school district announced that they had to close an elementary school and lay off 61 staff (including 47 teachers) to compensate for reduced state funding. I’m sure it was a tough decision on the district’s part. But the impact on the children and the future of this community is going to be devastating. The children will now have longer bus rides to the other schools in the district. Some students who live in rural areas will have to be on the bus for 55 minutes. There is a high risk for children to make bad choices during this unstructured, unsupervised time. The class size will go from 20 students to 26 students. This makes individual teaching and overall classroom management very difficult. Teachers do more than just teach. They are sometimes the only positive role model in a child’s life. Now there will be fewer teachers to help mold our young children into responsible, respectful adults. It is our responsibility to provide children with the tools that are needed to build a better tomorrow. And how can that happen if we are not supported by our government agencies?   

Kimberly Wragge
http://www.kimsautismawareness.com

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Great Recipe for Outdoor Activity

Sunday, March 28th, 2010

   BUBBLES3 cups water

1 cup dishwashing liquid or baby shampoo

½ cup light corn syrup 

Mix together. Make a wand out of a metal hanger. Try using a fly swatter to create tiny bubbles. HAVE FUN!!

Kimberly Wragge
http://www.kimsautismawareness.com

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Hotel Get Away

Friday, March 19th, 2010

We just came back from a hotel get away. This tradition started last year when we noticed that the kids had as much fun in the hotel as they did going to see the actual attraction that was planned. So we decided to start taking them to a nearby hotel for an overnight adventure. The family loves to live the hotel life. They love hanging out in the fancy rooms, ordering room service, and of course swimming in the heated, indoor pool. We have a slumber party atmosphere in the evening. Laying around in our pajamas and watching movies. It’s funny how the environment of a hotel just says “relaxation”. We try and do this every couple of months. We need to take every opportunity to make our family bond stronger and this is a great way to do it. 

Kimberly Wragge
http://www.kimsautismawareness.com

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Children’s Stress

Saturday, March 13th, 2010

Life can seem very stressful to our children and can cause some anxiety especially in our high-paced, activity packed scheduled.

If needed, try these simple but effective ways to reduce your child’s stress.

Don’t dismiss their feelings. Allowing your child to talk openly about their fears and worries and give them a chance to release it instead of holding it in. This will also encourage a trusting relationship between the both of you.

Get them outside. Research has shown that exercise is a great stress reliever. Playing outside in the fresh air can boost their mood as well.

Stick to a routine. Maintaining a daily schedule will provide comfort and predictability. Routine bedtime and mealtime is especially essential.

Set a calm example. Keep yourself calm and your voice tone low. Children learn from their environment, especially from their primary role models. Provide a peaceful environment in the house. Home is your child’s shelter from chaos in the world.

Kimberly Wragge
http://www.kimsautismawareness.com

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4 Tips to Help Students Become more Organized

Friday, March 12th, 2010

*Teach prioritizing

Students sometimes feel overwhelmed with upcoming assignments, tests, etc. To ease their anxiety have them make a list of tasks that need to get done immediately down to tasks that are not so urgent.

*Use of a calendar

Have the student write scheduled activities as well as homework due dates. A weekly calendar is easy to grasp the concept of yesterday, today, and tomorrow.

The calendar offers a multisensory approach: It is a visual record of activities. It works kinesthetically as your child writes down the events.  Talking over the planned events provides auditory feedback as well.
 

*Watch the clock

Understanding the concept of time will teach the student to have better time management. Analog clocks (not digit clock) provide the opportunity for students to see what the relation between the current time and how much longer till the next hour. Provide time slots for activities, such as from 6-7pm is homework. This will also get the child motivated to complete tasks.
 

*Tackle the paper flow

Students benefit from having a system in place for the volume of paper that gets brought home. For younger students, providing one folder with the 2 pockets labeled “Homework” and “Notices”. The Homework side can be bringing home work and then returning it back to school. And Notices can also be going home and returning to school. It is a good idea to start practicing being organized at an early age.

For older students, a 3 ring binder with color coded dividers for each subject is helpful. They also sell binders that have a cover which zips to eliminate papers falling out.
Kimberly Wragge
http://www.kimsautismawareness.com

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Snow Days

Wednesday, March 10th, 2010

Well if you live in the Tri State area (NY,NJ, PA), you were like us and was bombarded with the biggest snowstorm of the season last week. In Port Jervis, we got 32 inches over a 3 day period (Wed-Fri). Now because I work in a school, I look forward to the snow days. I’m not sure if I like working 5 days in a row without a holiday or snow day to break up the week. So at first, I was thrilled with the idea of a big snow storm coming. I had the chance to do arts & crafts and baking with the kids without always feeling rushed. I got caught up on my never ending chore of laundry. I actually finished reading a book that I started in the summer. It was wonderful to look outside and see the beautiful snow covered trees and mountains. The kids were enjoying playing outside. It was magical. For the first 2 days. And then cabin fever set in. The kids quickly got bored and began bickering with each other. I pulled out all of my tricks to keep them entertained. (It didn’t help that our power kept turning off.) We just about watched every Disney movie available. The kids needed to get out and be in a different environment. Finally on Saturday, after spending hours cleaning off the car, I took them to the mall just to get them out of the house. I never thought I would be so glad to get back to work on Monday. Thank goodness this only happens once a year.

Kimberly Wragge
http://www.kimsautismawareness.com

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