database:organizations dealing with children with special needs, Lexington areas.

Fayette Co public schools special education coordinator

Bluegrass Council of the Blind, Teresa Thomas.

 
DSACK

The ARC of Central KY

KENTUCKY MEDICAL REHABILITATION CLINICS

JEANNIE TIMBERLAKE

NATHANIEL HOUSE INC

Stride in Winchester, KY

Special Olympics

CAKY LEXINGTON

ADC OF LEXINGTON

Bluegrass Impact

WINNERS ON WHEELS

COMMUNITY ALTERNATIVES KY-LEXINGTON

Lord's Legacy

SHRINERS HOSPITAL TR DEPARTMENT

NEW BEGINNINGS

Active Day

CARETENDERS

FAMILY RESOURCE CENTER

CRYSLLIS HOUSE

TRINITY BAPTIST CHURCH

ACCESS

ACADEMY OF LEXINGTON PARENT RESOURCE CENTER

SANDER & ASSOCIATES

Dream Catching for kids: Here is waht we neeed to proceed.

BECOME A DREAM CATCHER FOR SPECIAL NEEDS KIDS

An invitation from Paschal Baute, March 26, 2014

One out of 20 children are born handicapped. One out of 8, 15%, have some special need, handicap, adversity, trauma, or loss that slows learning and growing.  I was one of these “lost kids” until one teacher changed my life, at age 13, by believing in me.  More than other children these kids need to find hope and inspiration to cope with  adversity.  If we can save one child  from despair ,this project is worthwhile.

Stories and storytelling foster hope, dreams, and possibilities like the famous  Ugly Duckling. We dream of a storytelling festival designed for special needs children. Will you help?  Will you become a Dream Catcher for children needing hope.  

Our state is highest in the nation in child abuse. We aim to touch many hearts  Too many children  give up too soon without love and attention. They stop trying or escape into mischief.    It almost happened to me long ago. Let us parents, caregivers and storytellers use our gifts to foster grit in children with special needs. “It takes a village.”  We are that village.

I am a Spellbinder ™ storyteller and KSA member is a Dream Catcher: now recruiting persons to become a dream catcher with me.   Here are our needs,  with 5  months to go. Our immediate need is to  obtain Dream Catchers for these positions:

Chair, to contact Special Needs groups in Fayette County;

Chair  to contact Public School coordinators of Special needs in seven surrounding counties.

Chair of local arrangements, to explore suitable venues

Chair  to collect stories of hope and grit for special needs children.

Chair  to recruit storytellers, develop program.

Chair for media  promotion and publicity.

Come, dream with me: Call Paschal (859)m293-5302

Visit our blog for updates. http://dreamcatchersforchildren.blogspot.com/

CHILDREN LEARN GRIT THROUGH ADVERSITY

http://www.stlmag.com/St-Louis-Magazine/March-2014/Fostering-Grit/

Fostering Grit

Overcoming adversity. is part of the learning process.

By Thomas Hoerr

Illustrations by Donough O’Malley

“Should students be praised for their achievements or their effort?” That question reflects a dialogue that educators are having about how to prepare students for success in life. We’ve come to realize that while doing well in school counts, it’s also important to have strong “noncognitive” skills. These include working well with others, being an engaged and caring person, and possessing grit. Grit is having tenacity, hanging in there, and being resilient. Grit is not backing away from a problem because it’s difficult and not giving up until you finish the job.

When you consider who is successful—regardless of how you define success—it’s probably their grit that got them there. Their success didn’t come easily; it happened because they learned from their mistakes, turned them into “good failures,” and didn’t give up. Grit was written about in Paul Tough’s book How Children Succeed, and associate professor Angela Duckworth was just named a MacArthur Fellow for her research on grit.

Educators need to develop grit in children, and there is a role for parents, too. At home and in school, children need to know that good things don’t often come easily and that success comes from not giving up. Children need to learn that there is merit in trying and trying again, even if they aren’t immediately successful.

Parents should talk about grit and let their children know that they value both the effort and the result. Instead of complimenting Janice for being a good soccer player, she should be praised for her effort and for being a good teammate. Lawrence should be told how much we value the many drafts he prepared in writing his report and that he kept working to make it better. Our children should know that important goals aren’t achieved without effort and failure along the way. That’s part of the learning process.

Children should also step out of their comfort zones and take risks in learning. Too often, kids want to back away at the first failure or when things become hard. We need to talk about their grit, so they understand that tenacity is needed to succeed and that they will gain from persevering. Grit needs to be part of their vocabulary.

We need to practice what we preach and let our children know how we respond even when things don’t come easily. Too often, we don’t share our frustration or how it took us seven tries to finally get it right. We do our children a disservice if they don’t see us displaying the grit that they need to develop. Our children need to appreciate our grit and how we handle frustration. Modeling a behavior is always more effective than just talking about it. 

Let’s think about good grit, too. We want our children to use grit in achieving positive ends and making the world a better place. This means that we must teach character along with grit. 

Thomas Hoerr, who received his Ph.D. from Washington University, is head of New City School in the Central West End. A former public-school principal and teacher, he’s the author of Fostering Grit

http://www.stlmag.com/St-Louis-Magazine/March-2014/Fostering-Grit/

Here is a great short story on ecology for children:

Wake up and smile today.....

Wake up. and smile today!  This blue speck of dust on which we live has begun, last night at 11:57 p.m., a different journey!  The wonderful season of spring is upon us, with leafing, flowering, blooming, blossoms and berries and fruit and veggies to follow.  We are alive at a magnificent time in the history of the cosmos. Today, we dance and sing: “This Little Light on Mine…(please excuse the spam weight loss commercial that got attached., ity is not long. )” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CVeB7ACVgO0