As our school year is winding down, we'd like to thank all of our families and staff who have utilized our resources, programs, and lending library this year! We look forward to serving our families in the 23-24 school year. Have a wonderful summer!

• We provide or host various information sessions or workshops throughout the school year for families. We offer a wide range of topics such as how to help your child with homework, organizational skills for those with weak executive functioning skills, behavioral expectations, internet safety, mental health, and bullying.
• We provide free consultative services for families who may be experiencing problems with their child at home or at school. We sit with families and listen carefully to their concerns, and offer recommendations on how to best work with your child at home, or with your child's teacher or school to address school concerns. We work closely with families of children with special needs through the special education process so they can be an informed and active member of their child's special education team.
• We maintain a free lending library full of learning resources that reinforce elementary literacy and math skills, social skills, and early childhood education skills. We provide books, DVDs and brochures for parents and caretakers about behavior, emotions, special education topics, and various parenting topics. We also provide information on various community agencies that assist with financial needs, mental health, and the care of adults with disabilities.

Our library is open from 8-4pm, Monday through Friday. (Summer hours are posted below.) Parents are welcome to come in to check out resources, or contact us to send requested resources to your child's school. Visit our library catalog to see our growing collection of resources, books, and eBooks! https://search.follettsoftware.com/metasearch/ui/43326

Looking for the Parent Resource Center's 2023 Summer Resource Guide? This annual guide is packed with information about summer programs, camps, fun ideas, community activities, summer learning tips and free resources to help you make the most of your time with your child or children this summer. Click here to access: https://www.smore.com/b5gtx

This guide is available on our website, and will be posted in the SCPS Community Newsletter each Tuesday throughout the month of May.

If an interpreter is needed, please contact us at least a week before the event so we can secure one for you. Email us in your preferred language at prc@spotsylvania.k12.va.us to make this request. Thank you.

Mental Health Awareness Month has been observed in the U.S. since 1949. Every year during the month of May, awareness is raised about mental health in an attempt to fight stigma, and to provide support and resources to those who need it.

Did you know...?

• One in 5 American adults experienced a mental health condition in a given year
• One in 6 young people have experienced a major depressive episode
• One in 20 Americans have lived with a serious mental illness, such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or major depression

Mental Health Awareness Week is from May 15-21. This year's theme for awareness is anxiety. Learn more about how you can get involved during this week by visiting the Mental Health Foundation website: https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/our-work/public-engagement/mental-health-awareness-week

Learn the truth about the most common mental health myths and information to help destigmatize them. Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) works to prevent and treat mental health conditions and provides support for people seeking or already in recovery.

Remind a young person in crisis that there is hope. 988 is here to help—during Mental Health Awareness Month and beyond.

Stop by the Parent Resource Center for a free 988 magnet. If you have concerns about speaking with your child about mental health and suicide, speak with your child's counselor, school social worker, doctor, or therapist for advice.

Online screening is one of the quickest and easiest ways to determine whether you are experiencing symptoms of a mental health condition. This free tool from Mental Health of America is designed to help educate about mental health conditions and is not to be used as an official diagnosis tool. Mental health conditions, such as depression or anxiety, are real, common and treatable. And recovery is possible.

https://screening.mhanational.org/screening-tools/

Created by young people for young people, NAMI Say It Out Loud is a free online card game that will bring you closer to your friends through conversation prompts about life, relationships, and mental health.

Best played on a mobile device, among 3-6 people, NAMI Say It Out Loud is made up of three card decks – Whisper It, Say It, and Shout It – with prompts that start at the surface and dig deeper as you play.

From questions about what makes you cringe to how you bring up your own mental health with friends, NAMI Say It Out Loud helps you explore how you and your friends approach mental health and well-being.

Play it here: https://siol.nami.org/

When: May 4 1:30-2:30pm EST

This virtual event is hosted by the National Family Support Technical Assistance Center, “Family Connections” is a virtual community for parents and caregivers who support loved ones facing substance use and/or mental health challenges.

Families tell us they need credible resources, guidance on accessing help, and the opportunity to connect with others facing similar challenges.

What will you learn as a participant?

1. Participants will learn how to find and access vetted, evidence-based resources on mental health and tools to support their families.
2. Participants will learn to couple their lived experience with education and knowledge as their children who experience/experienced mental health challenges enters different stages of development.
3. Acceptance Factor: By accessing reliable information, knowledge, and skills, parents and caregivers are better able to support, advocate, and act for their child at every stage of development.]

Learn more here: https://www.nfstac.org/events

Register here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/family-connections-navigating-family-support-tickets-608900256057?aff=ebdsoporgprofile

https://www.mhafred.org/helpline/

Visit our website for links to various community and mental health resources, information about how to find a mental health provider, as well as additional resources.

https://www.spotsylvania.k12.va.us/o/scps/page/community-and-mental-health-resources

https://www.spotsylvania.k12.va.us/page/mental-health-supports-resources

This month's activity is all about Mom! Mom's Night Out is May 5 at Castiglia's. Register at http://virginiadsa.org/events/. Direct questions to dzedd@virginiaadsa.org.

The Well Sibling Squad (WSS) is a social support group for children ages 10-16 who have a sibling(s) with physical or mental health issues.

WSS's last meeting of the school year will be on May 6.

Please RSVP to Jocelyn Price at sibsquad2018@gmail.com.

The Rappahannock Area YMCA’s Special Needs program gives individuals with an intellectual and/or developmental disability access to classes and activities that encourage self-sufficiency, socialization and staying active—all qualities that help them learn, grow, and thrive. Open gym, swimming, tennis, rhythm and drumming, and sensory-friendly classes and activities are offered both in-person and virtually at various locations.

Learn more at https://family-ymca.org/programs/special-needs/.

Do you know a rising high school junior or senior living with a disability that would benefit from participation in our Youth Leadership Forum? The Leadership Forum focuses on self-advocacy, leadership, and independent living skills for youth with disabilities. See the flyer and application for consideration. For more information or to apply, please contact the disAbility Resource Center at 540-373-2559, or visit https://www.cildrc.org/.

The goal of transition planning is to support students with disabilities as they progress through school and prepare for life as an adult. This includes planning for college, work, transportation, living arrangements, health care, and daily living.

Transition planning for a student’s future begins as early as elementary school with career awareness and exploration activities. In Virginia, formal transition planning begins through the IEP process the year the student turns 14 and drives the development of the IEP.

The Fredericksburg Area Council on Transition (FACT) has developed a comprehensive transition guide that helps break down transition in an easy to understand format, and gives families, staff and community members access to various local community and state agencies that assist individuals with transition.

Visit https://www.factfred.com/ to learn more!

SCPS participates in an ongoing process of identifying and evaluating children ages birth to twenty-one who are suspected of having a disability.

Any child who is identified as having a disability and qualifies as in need of special education is entitled to a free, appropriate public education designed to meet his/her needs. Early identification assists parents, students and schools in the design of appropriate educational services. Referrals can be made by anyone concerned with the child's educational performance including the parent, child's teacher, community agency or a school official.

For additional information, contact:

Birth - age 2: PEID (Parent Education Infant Development)

(540)371-2712

Age 2 - 5 prior to entrance to kindergarten: Early Childhood Special Education Office

(540)582-7020

For school age children: Call your neighborhood school or

Office of Student Support Services (540)834-2500, extension 1005

All parents of school-aged children and youth with disabilities who receive special education services in Virginia are encouraged to complete the Virginia Department of Education’s annual Parent Involvement Survey. The survey will remain open through December 15, 2023. If you have questions concerning this survey, please contact Chiquita Seaborne, Family Engagement Specialist/Special Projects Coordinator, via telephone at (804) 225-3898 or via email, at Chiquita.Seaborne@doe.virginia.gov.

• Parent Involvement Survey-English
• Parent Involvement Survey-Spanish

Visit Central Rappahannock Regional Library for more information about this event. Stories, songs, and activities to celebrate mothers on their special day! Dates and ages vary by location.

Visit https://www.librarypoint.org/grow-a-reader/ to learn more.

To register: Visit page 6 of the Spotsylvania Parks & Recreation Winter Play-by-Play booklet: https://www.spotsylvania.va.us/DocumentCenter/View/23182/2023-Winter-Play-by-Play---Website?bidId=

Click on the picture below or visit https://ideas.demco.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Childrens_Activity_Calendar_May23_2pg.pdf to download a copy of the May 2023 activity calendar!

Did you know that the PRC maintains a Tutor List for area tutors? Click on the document above to visit our 2022-2023 Tutor List, which you can find on the PRC website at www.spotsylvania.k12.va.us/prc.

Livingston Elementary School invited their families to a One School, One Book

event which included reading “Friendship According to Humphrey” by Betty G.

Birney. Each student had the opportunity to take home a Humphrey finger puppet

for the night and write about their adventures! To culminate the One School, One Book event, they also had Book Bingo Night on Wednesday, March 8.

Spotswood Elementary School families enjoyed so much fun at the school’s

annual SOL Carnival on April 20 . More than 515 community members enjoyed

academic games, food, and fun. Stacy Herrara, paraeducator and the dunk tank

was the main attraction as students got a chance to win tickets to dunk their

favorite teachers! How fun!

Salem Elementary School hosted a Title I Spring Read/Math/STEM Night on April

27. It was an exciting time to kick off their One School, One Book family

engagement project of the book “A Boy Called Bat” through various reading, math

and STEM activities.

A big THANK YOU to our Title I schools for inviting Parent Resource Center staff to participate in a wide variety of educational and family engagement activities this year! We also appreciate your help in promoting our educational resources that allow our families and staff to support students' learning throughout the year.

Hours:

Monday-Friday

8am-4pm

Courtney Seely, Teacher Facilitator

Sandy Sprague, Parent Facilitator

Jordana Neylon, Administrative Assistant

Email: prc@spotsylvania.k12.va.us
Website: https://www.spotsylvania.k12.va.us/prc
Location: 7409 Brock Rd, Spotsylvania Courthouse, VA 22553, USA
Phone: 540-582-7060
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/spotsyprc
Twitter: @SCSPRC