Annual Statewide Family Conference

9TH ANNUAL STATEWIDE FAMILY CONFERENCE

For families of children who are hard of hearing, deaf,
deafblind, and deaf with additional disabilities
“FROM CATERPILLARS TO BUTTERFLIES”
MARCH 11-13, 2011
Madison Concourse Hotel

To register and for more information, families can go to: http://www.wesp-dhh.wi.gov/wesp/out_famcon.cfm


The registration deadline is February 18, 2011 - no exceptions!


FINAL CONFERENCE SCHEDULE
Friday, March 11, 2011
1:00 – 7:00 p.m. CONFERENCE REGISTRATION (Second Floor)
2:00 – 3:30 p.m. ASL Cafe (Beginner and Intermediate Classes)
4:45 – 6:15 p.m. DINNER (Wisconsin Ballroom)
6:45 – 7:00 p.m. WELCOME AND ANNOUNCEMENTS (Wisconsin Ballroom)
7:00 – 8:00 p.m. CONCERT BY RACHEL COLEMAN, SIGNING TIME!  (Wisconsin Ballroom)

Saturday, March 12, 2011
6:30 – 7:45 a.m. BREAKFAST
7:30 – 8:00 a.m. Late Arrival Check-In (Second Floor)
7:30 – 8:00 a.m. CHILDCARE DROP-OFF (Schedule of assigned rooms in folder)
8:00 – 8:15 a.m. WELCOME AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
Wisconsin Ballroom
8:15 – 9:45 a.m. GETTING TO KNOW YOU DISCUSSION GROUPS
Kids Ages 0-6
Kids Ages 7-11
Kids 12-14
Kids 15-21
Dads Group Only - All Ages
Combined Vision and Hearing Loss Families Only
Spanish Speaking Families Only
Grandparents/Extended Family Only

9:45 – 10:00 a.m. BREAK
10:00 – 11:30 a.m. ONE DEAF CHILD by Rachel Coleman
Keynote Presentation - Wisconsin Ballroom
11:30 a.m. – noon EXHIBITORS/SILENT AUCTION
12:00 – 12:45 p.m. LUNCH (Wisconsin Ballroom)
12:45 – 2:00 p.m. WORKSHOP SELECTIONS – SESSION I
ABCs of Audiology
The View – Parent Perspective thru Transitions
Auditory Learning
Real Life Skills for Real Life Success
Language & Literacy in the Secondary Setting
Highly Effective Strategies for Children with Multiple Impairments
What You Should Know About Your Child’s IEP (Presented in Spanish)
2:00 – 2:30 p.m. BREAK – EXHIBITORS/SILENT AUCTION
2:30 – 3:45 p.m. WORKSHOP SELECTIONS – SESSION II
Love, Language & Lullabies
From Challenges to Charms: Kids Proud of Their Hearing Aids
Thru the Eyes of the Deaf Student: Learning to Read Using Visual Strategies
Teaching Your Kids about the Red Flags of Dating
Transition: From High School to Post-Secondary Schools with Resources
Available for Deaf and Hard of Hearing
Highly Effective Strategies for Children with Multiple Impairments  (Part II)
What You Should Know About Your Child’s IEP – Part II
(Presented in Spanish)
3:45 – 4:15 p.m. BREAK – EXHIBITORS/SILENT AUCTION
Madison Ballroom
4:15 – 5:30 p.m. WORKSHOP SELECTIONS – SESSION III
ABCs of Audiology
The View – Parent Perspective thru Transitions
Common Core Writing Standards
Real Life Skills for Real Life Success
Establishing a Dating Timeline
Highly Effective Strategies for Children with Multiple Impairments (Part III)
What You Should Know About Your Child’s IEP (Presented in Spanish)
5:30 – 5:45 p.m. CHILDCARE PICK-UP (Schedule of assigned rooms in folder)
ALL KIDS MUST BE PICKED UP BY 5:45 P.M.!
6:00 – 7:30 p.m. DINNER
7:30 – 9:00 p.m. FAMILY FUN TIME
Scrapbooking Activity , Beading Activity, Cartoonist

Sunday, March 13, 2011
(Daylight Savings Time – Set Your Clocks Ahead!)
8:00 – 9:00 a.m. BREAKFAst
8:30 – 9:00 a.m. CHILDCARE DROP-OFF (Schedule of assigned rooms in folder)
9:15 – 10:15 a.m. MY JOURNEY AND MY CROWN
Michelle Koplitz, Miss Deaf USA - Wisconsin Ballroom
10:15 – 10:45 a.m. BREAK
CHILD CARE PICK-UP (Schedule of assigned rooms in folder)
10:45 – 12:15 p.m. SIGN SONG DANCE TROUPE
Wisconsin Ballroom
12:30 – 1:30 p.m. LUNCH/FAREWELL/SLIDESHOW

LearningPort National Professional Development Library

LearningPort National Professional Development Library Launched!! - LearningPort is a national professional development library of learning modules, tool kits, archived webinars and video resources conceived by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) to support the use of ARRA funds. It was developed through supplemental funds made available to NASDSE’s IDEA Partnership grant. Larry Wexler, Director of OSEP’s Research-to-Practice Division expressed the intent of the LearningPort website in this way: “We believe that after saving jobs, most school districts would use at least some of their ARRA funds to support the provision of professional development. As such, we wanted to develop a resource for states.” NASDSE is proud to be a part of this new initiative. To access LearningPort, go to: http://www.learningport.us/ or http://www.learningport.info/.

RIT Math Competition

Good news: The RIT Math Competition registration deadline has been extended until January 15th, 2011!!

A quick reminder about a great opportunity for 6th, 7th and 8th grade deaf and hard-of-hearing students who enjoy being mathletes!
It's not too late to register for the Rochester Institute of Technology’s Math Competition for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Students, a weekend of math and fun that can result in prizes and bragging rights for your students and your school. You may register your students as a team or if your school doesn’t have enough students for a team, students may register as individual participants.
This competition has been held for several years and I’d like to encourage your group to join the hundreds of students who have enjoyed this energizing weekend—using their math skills, getting a taste of a college campus and making new friends from other schools all over the country. For this weekend, teachers/coaches bring their teams and act as chaperones. Parents also are welcome and many do attend.
For general questions, visit www.rit.edu/NTID/MathCompetition or contact me, Sarah Sarchet, Math Competition Coordinator at sesnca@rit.edu or by phone at 585-475-2344 (voice) or 585-286-4625 (videophone). Limited financial assistance is available to support travel to the competition. If your school needs financial assistance to attend the competition, please call or e-mail me at sesnca@rit.edu.

Please pass this information along to your teaching colleagues.
Thank you and I look forward to seeing you at the RIT Math Competition!
Sincerely,
Sarah Sarchet




Pre-College Outreach Specialist
NTID Pre-College Outreach
Rochester Institute of Technology
LBJ 60-1238
52 Lomb Memorial Drive
Rochester, New York 14623
585-475-2344 (voice)
585-286-4625 (videophone)
sesnca@rit.edu