UPCOMING EVENTS AND INFORMATION FOR PARENTS & CAREGIVERS:

Influenza Vaccine Available Free for All Children
Beginning in October, flu vaccine funded by Washington state and the federal Vaccines For Children (VFC) program will be available through Public Health and private providers to cover all children ages 6 months through 18 years, regardless of ability to pay. The CDC has expanded recommendations for influenza vaccine to include all children ages 6 months through 18 years, in addition to high-risk groups. http://www.fwps.org/info/newsletter/0809/cm081106.html#vaccine

 

Ombudsman’s Office Provides Problem-Solving and Workshops

The Washington State Office of the Education Ombudsman is an agency within the Governor's Office, and not a part of the public school system. Its five Education Ombudsmen provide confidential information over the phone and listen, inform, and give customers options for problem-solving. Any parent or guardian of a K-12 public school student can call the OEO office to request free services. The requests that they do not accept are complaints against elected officials, or calls about private schools or professional misconduct. They do not give legal advice. 

Ombudsmen also give free workshops and trainings for parents and educators. Some workshop topics include: what is family involvement, home-school communication, working with diverse populations, resolving conflict, and working with interpreters and translators. You can find the OEO website at [ http://www.governor.wa.gov/oeo/ ]http://www.governor.wa.gov/oeo/ where you’ll find a wealth of family-school partnership information. You can also sign up for the OEO e-newsletter. The October 2008 issue covers topics including:

"School-Family Partnerships: What does it mean and How do we do it?"
  [http://e2ma.net/go/1409229062/1285718/47204621/goto:http://files.e2ma.net/19944/assets/docs/microsoft_powerpoint_-_school-family_partnerships.pdf

 "Powerful Partnerships: Home-School Communication"
http://e2ma.net/go/1409229062/1285718/47204619/goto:http://files.e2ma.net/19944/assets/docs/microsoft_powerpoint_-_communicatingwithschools.pdf

http://e2ma.net/go/1409229062/1285718/47204617/goto:http://files.e2ma.net/19944/assets/docs/microsoft_powerpoint_-_communicatingwithschools.pdf

 
 Other workshop topics include: "Powerful Partnerships: Family Involvement" and "Understanding the School System." Materials for these workshops can be found on their homepage at

http://e2ma.net/go/1409229062/1285718/47204615/goto:http://www.waparentslearn.org/ ]http://www.waparentslearn.org/.

THE KC KIDS PROGRAM PROVIDES DENTAL CARE COVERAGE, AT NO COST, TO CHILDREN WHO QUALIFY. This oral health pilot program is supported by a $1 million gift from Washington Dental Service in partnership with King County Executive Ron Sims’ Children’s Health Initiative. Your kids may be eligible if they are under 20 years of age, don’t have dental coverage and your income qualifies. For more information, please visit [ http://www.kckidsdental.org

PARENTS OF PRESCHOOL-AGED CHILDREN MAY APPLY FOR FREE PRESCHOOL. Both Head Start and ECEAP (Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program) are recruiting for preschool students from low-income families. For more information, please contact Eileen Borne at Federal Way ECEAP at 253/945-4581 or Linda delPilar, Federal Way Head Start at 253/945-5882.

FREE DROP-IN HOMEWORK HELP IS AVAILABLE AT THE EX3 RON SANDWITH TEEN CENTER. On Mondays and Wednesdays, 4 - 8 p.m., and on Tuesdays and Thursdays, 5 - 8 p.m., free homework help is available. One-on-one tutoring is also available by appointment for $10 a session. A $36 EX3 membership pass is required to participate in these programs. Contact Pam Credico at 253-681-6507 or e-mail her at [ mailto:pcredico@positiveplace.org ]pcredico@positiveplace.org. The center is located at 31453 28th Avenue South in Federal Way, in front of Truman High School.

THE BUZZ ON BULLYING

If you grew up and are functioning in American society, you can probably provide your own definition of bullying and have had some level of personal experience with it. Bullying is an all-too-common human activity that has existed since the beginning of recorded history and is present in most cultures. It is enacted by both boys and girls, as well as women and men. Research suggests that somewhere between 30 percent and 60 percent of American schoolchildren report being bullied.

Bullying is about power. It’s all about big on little, many on few, smart on less smart, older on younger. At some point, you’ve probably been the smaller one, the younger one or had your interests and feelings unfairly damaged by someone more powerful than you.

As you probably already know, although girls are sometimes physically violent, boys tend to be more physical. They punch, trip, kick and slam each other into lockers. A less-physical form of bullying is more often the bullying-of-choice for girls. This bullying, sometimes called relational aggression, includes spreading vicious rumors, using social exclusion, taunting and other psychologically painful strategies to hurt someone, damage reputations or keep others in line.

New Research on Bullying
It’s not surprising that researchers have discovered we need to do more than punish bullies and support victims. The most recent and compelling research indicates we need to intervene on many levels simultaneously. In other words, bullies, victims, peer bystanders, school personnel and parents all have a role to play in preventing and reducing bullying. Parents should consider the following tips to deter and diminish bullying:
 • Communicate your concerns about supervision, monitoring and consequences for bullying to your children’s school.
 • Help your children build a social safety network and encourage them to travel via the buddy system.
 • Encourage your school to develop anti-bullying social norms for children before middle school; this includes teaching about the difference between tattling and telling.
 • Help your child’s school use a clear, effective limit-setting system for bullies; bullies need to know exactly what consequences they will suffer if they engage in bullying behavior.
 • Teach your children anti-bullying strategies. These might include methods for getting the bully on their side, assertiveness skills, humor and conflict-management skills.
 • Avoid bullying the bully or your own children. One of the ways children learn to be bullies or victims is through their own family experiences.  

Contact your school counselor, Lisa Reasner, for more information and resources.

Article from www.schoolcounselor.org