Family Resource Group- May 2024

Can you believe it's already almost summer?! The weather still hasn't made up its mind, but I'm sure we're all ready for sunshine and all the fun that summer brings. We've released this edition of the newsletter slightly early to give you ample time to prepare for summer.

This edition of the newsletter is entirely summer-focused, with new resources to help you wrap-up the school year, as well as summer learning opportunities, camps and fun events to join. Read on to learn more.

This will be the final newsletter of the school year. We'll start again in September. If you have any questions or feedback, please feel free to contact me at any time. We also ask you to provide feedback by completing the survey at the end of the newsletter.

Happy Summer!

Tess Nasehi

Family Resource Group BVI Editor

tnasehi@pattankop.net

Please complete the survey by clicking the button below or find it at the end of the newsletter, so we know how to better serve you.

-Summer Resources-

-Summer Learning-

-Summer Camps & Events-

- Resources to Keep -

- Feedback Survey -

*Each section contains 1-6 topics.

In this article, MDE-LIO shares Six Ways to Wrap Up the School Year, including considerations for:

• Talking about your child's progress
• Textbooks
• Assistive Technology needs
• Independent Living Skills
• Extended School Year services
• Summer activities and camps

Is your child eligible for Extended School Year (ESY) services or are you wondering what to ask your child's IEP team about ESY? The "Extended School Years Services in Pennsylvania" guide contains several documents that can provide direction, answer questions, and guide families and school teams in making determinations about ESY services.

It is so important for families and school teams to discuss and plan for the unique learning and environmental needs of students with visual impairments. The "Preschool to School-Age Transition: Considerations for Children Who Are Blind/Visually Impaired" document includes a list of questions and considerations for use as a planning tool for initial and ongoing discussions between families and school personnel.

PaTTAN's Secondary Transition Initiative shares many great resources for families of students navigating the secondary transition process, including:

• The Secondary Transition Fact Sheet Bundle: This bundle includes 10 fact sheets about secondary transition for students with disabilities with topics ranging from employment to postsecondary education.
• The Secondary Transition Roadmap: The Roadmap illustrates how the Pennsylvania Department of Education, the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation (OVR), and the Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) systems can work together to ensure the best outcomes for students.
• The Connecting for Employment Training Series accompanies the Secondary Transition Roadmap.
• Visit PaTTAN's Secondary Transition webpage and the Pennsylvania Secondary Transition website for more resources.

If your child has both a vision and hearing loss, your family (parents/guardians, siblings and child with deaf-blindness) is welcome to join us for our hybrid Family Learning Conference!

Come experience sharing, caring and learning together with staff from the Pennsylvania Deaf-Blind Project, PaTTAN, and other families living with deaf-blindness. Register today by clicking the button below!

Parent Scholarshop Opportunities and Supervised Childcare are Available!

Date: June 21-22, 2024

Where: virtual or in-person at The Penn Stater Hotel & Conference Center

Save the date for the 2024 PA Community of Practice Transition Conference: Charting YOUR Course. This conference focuses on topics to support students, families, and teams navigating the secondary transition process. Join us and meet other families and professionals who can support you along this journey. More information will be released soon.

When: July 31 - August 1, 2024

Where: virtual and in-person opportunities at the Penn Stater Hotel & Conference Center

Enjoy a day of family fishing with VisionCorps! This event is free for VisionCorps clients and their families. Lunch will be provided.

When: Saturday, May 11 from 9:00am - 12:00pm

Where: 501 Kennedy Road, Airville, PA 17302

RSVP to Jennifer Eaton by Friday, May 1st

JEaton@visioncorps.net or (717) 205-4154

Camp Abilities provides fun and enriching opportunities for visually impaired youth to participate in a wide range of sports and wellness activities. The Mid-Atlantic Camp Abilities teams offer several summer camp opportunities for students ages 5 (DE), 6 (NJ), or 7 (PA) through 17 to participate in this year.

• Camp Abilities PA @ WCU: May 24-27 in West Chester, PA. Overnight camp featuring triathlon, beep baseball, goalball, cross-country, field events, and soccer.
• Camp Abilities New Jersey @ Rowan University: July 19-21 in Glassboro, NJ. Overnight camp featuring rock climbing, ropes course, canoeing, orienteering, skateboarding, and first aid.
• Camp Abilities Delaware: August 4-9 in Newark, DE. Overnight camp featuring soccer, swimming, golf, hiking, cross-country running, wellness lessons, and O&M skills.
• Camp Abilities New Jersey @ Field of Dreams: August 21-23 in Tom's River, NJ. Day camp featuring beep baseball, beep kickball, golf, track & field, basketball, and soccer. Contact stribina@kean.edu for more information.

Join VisionCorps for 7 sessions of adventure this summer! Throughout this series, the 9 areas of the Expanded Core Curriculum are addressed through various activities that are age-appropriate and engaging for all students. The program is led by Teachers of the Visually Impaired and Certified Orientation and Mobility Specialists.

Limited transportation opportunities are available to families in need. These events are for rising kindergarteners through rising 8th graders. Admission is free!

When: 9:00am - 3:00pm on the following Thursdays:

• June 6, 13, 20, & 27
• July 11, 18, and 25

Contact Jennifer Eaton for more details:

JEaton@visioncorps.net or (717) 205-4154

The mission of the Helen L. Diller: Vacation Home for Blind Children is to create a complete and varied recreational program for visually impaired children, and introduce them to the many new experiences that the seashore has to offer. Registration for summer camp sessions is now open. These camps are offered at no cost to families for campers ages 7-15 with a visual impairment that can be verified with an eye report. Read on or visit their website for more details.

2024 Camp Dates (Sunday to Saturday):

• Week 1: June 16-June 22 (sighted sibling)
• Week 2: June 23-29
• Week 3: June 30-July 6 (Alumni)
• Week 4: July 7-13
• Week 5: July 14-20 (Alumni)
• Week 6: July 21-27 (Sighted Sibling)
• Week 7: July 28-Aug. 3
• Week 8: Aug. 4-10

Beacon Lodge camp was designed for blind youth and now provides specialized recreation for a variety of campers with special needs. Registration for Beacon Lodge youth and family summer camps is now open. Their Children's Village features cabins, arts and crafts, a nature center, outdoor *Beacon Lodge camps require fee for enrollment. Read on or visit their website for details.

Youth Programs

• Camp Sensational: 6 Day / 5 Night Session - June 22-27
• Camp LEAP: 6 Day / 5 Night Session - June 29-July 4
• Camp AD(H)Dventure: 6 Day / 5 Night Session - July 6-11
• Camp ConnXions: 11 Day / 5 Night Session - July 13-20

Family Programs

• Camp Unite (Children's Village): For families with a child up to age 18 living with a disability - July 27-31
• Adult Family Camp: For Families with an adult age 18+ living with a disability - June 15-19

The KAOS program is supported and managed by the Susquehanna Valley Team River Runner Chapter of Team River Runner, a national nonprofit organization. The KAOS series aims to get visually impaired youth out on the water. Join KAOS for exciting FREE days of kayaking, camping and family-fun. Remember- blindness is NOT barrier to adventure!

When: July 26-28, 2024

Click here to register family members.

Click here to register students.

Contact Jennifer Eaton for more information:

Jennifer.Eaton@teamriverrunner.org

PA Parents of Blind Children is a division of the NFB of Pennsylvania (NFBP). It is the mission of the PA Parents of Blind Children to provide resources and information to parents with blind and low vision children living in the commonwealth. Families can connect with others who have had similar journeys so that no parent feels alone.

Click here to visit PA Parents of Blind Children's Facebook page.

NFBP also has a division for students with visual impairments: the PA Association of Blind Students. Details about scholarships, workshops, conventions, and internship possibilities are distributed throughout the year.

Click here for more information on the PA Assocation of Blind Students.

The mission of the Bureau is to assist Pennsylvanians who are blind or visually impaired gain the skills necessary to live and work independently in their communities. Services offered can include but are not limited to: counseling and guidance, blindness skills training, mobility (travel) instruction, instruction on performing daily living activities, vocational and college training, job placement services, and more.

Click here to visit BBVS's website.

This division of NFB offers a national membership and advocacy organization of families and friends of blind children. Their goal is to help families and blind children maximize the child’s skills, independence, and opportunities, while holding high expectations for all of our children. Families may connect with them and the resources, support, and expertise of blind people who can serve as mentors and role models for us and our children.

Click here to visit NOPBC's website.

The Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired (TSBVI) presents the Family Recharge Zone- a virtual space just for families to network and collaborate. Families may join TSBVI on the first Thursday of each month for 90 minutes of learning, connection, and encouragement.

Click here to learn more.

APH (American Printing House for the Blind) FamilyConnect and the Chicago Lighthouse have partnered together to provide a virtual support group that bring families of visually impaired children on the first Wednesday of every month from 7:30pm-8:30pm (ET).

Click here for more information on the next support meeting.

This dedicated group of families, professionals, and community members is leading change by building awareness, empowering families, presuming competence, and fostering high expectations of students with disabilities. Click here to learn more about F2MAX.

PEAL works with families, youth and young adults with disabilities and special health care needs to help them understand their rights and advocate for themselves.

Click here to visit the PEAL Center's website.

HUNE is a non-profit organization that offers free bilingual (English and Spanish) programs, supports, and services on all aspects of special education. HUNE also offers an after-school and summer program. Click here to visit HUNE's website.

Parent to Parent of Pennsylvania aims to connect and empower families by building a supportive community. Families can connect with others who have had similar journeys so that no parent feels alone. Click here to visit Parent to Parent of PA.

PaTTAN has a library of publications, videos, podcasts, and websites to help families better understand special education information. Listed below are a few popular resources, but you can also search PaTTAN's website to find more. Many of our publications are also available in other languages.

• Pennsylvania Parent Guide to Special Education for School-Age Children
• Parent Consultants: Supporting Family-School Partnerships for Student Success
• IEP Team Members video series
• Student-Led IEP Resource Hub
• Teacher's Desk Reference: Visual Impairment
• Considerations for Educating Students with CVI: The Learning Environment