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Down in the Southland Friends Don’t Count Chromosomes!

Summer 2014

I N S I D E T H I S I S S U E

1 Down in the Southland, Inc. Events

2 Monthly Calendar

3 Ages & Stages; Resources

4 Education and Community Awareness; App Corner

6 Birthdays; Look What I Did

Ink from the Inc. Information on the latest organizational happenings

Since our fiscal year is almost over, and we are gearing up for our

2014 Walk for Down in the Southland on 9/21/2014, it seemed like a

good time to take a look back over the past year and see exactly

what DIS has accomplished and how so many families have been

touched by all of the hard work of our volunteers. Because of the

generosity of all of our sponsors, donors, families and friends, what

Down in the Southland has been able to accomplish includes:

• iPads for children with Down syndrome

• Conference and educational program stipends for family

members of children with Down syndrome

• Support for families experiencing serious medical issues

• College scholarships

• Support for other organizations who also serve people with

Down syndrome, such as NADS and Gigi's Playhouse

• Affiliate training to begin Next Chapter Book Clubs in the

southern suburbs

• Community outings including: Gymboree, Space Golf,

Easter Egg Hunt, Trim-A-Tree, Ornament Workshop, Jazz

Dance Classes, Konows Pumpkin Farm and others

• Ages & Stages Christmas parties

• Mom's night out dinner

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LOOKING AHEAD…

For a limited time, Down in the Southland is pleased to provide

teachers with a free copy of Teaching Reading to Children with

Down Syndrome, by Patricia Logan Oelwein or

Teaching Math to People with Down Syndrome and Other Hands-On

Learners by DeAnna Horstmeier, Ph.D. Teachers interested in receiving a free

copy should complete the form on our website.

Books will be distributed in July.

This program will end on June 30, 2014.

Please share this information with your child's teachers or direct them to the DIS

website page where they can complete the application.

The application will be available until June 30, 2014.

Some fine print: Down in the Southland reserves the right to limit the total quantity of books distributed and/or to end the program sooner than June 30,

2014

http://www.downinthesouthland.org/teachersboo

kappl.htm

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• Family picnic

• New parent information and support packages

• Giving Back to organizations such as: Ronald McDonald House, LifeSource (Blood Drive), Make-A-Wish Foundation

• We have expanded our lending library to include books and instructional materials that are not available from your local

public library...many of which are written specifically for teachers to help THEM help our kids with Down syndrome! We

have added 9 new titles, which are listed below.

None of this can even begin to demonstrate the support, friendships, camaraderie, and love that has endured for yet another

year. Won't next year be great?!? We are looking forward to even more fun, necessary, educational and inclusive programs that

will ensure that children with Down syndrome will be able to live, work, play and be educated in their community....with a high

quality of life!

Thanks for a great year, and it’s fun to be looking forward to the next!

Juliette

Wow! What a conference! So many presenters on FIRE to change the face of education in the state of Illinois….to make it a place where ALL children are educated, not just those in the middle. They were on FIRE to make education in Illinois a place where inclusion is just another form of diversity and needs to be embraced. They were educators on FIRE to help their fellow educators understand that the easiest way to reach all of the students is to change the way they plan and teach, up front, to reach ALL of the students, using the principles of Universal Design, instead of trying to modify and accommodate on the back end, to hopefully meet each child who needs modifications and accommodations. They were educators on FIRE to break down the barriers of ‘your students’ and ‘my students’ between general ed. teachers and special ed. teachers. They were educators on FIRE to see all kids as kids and all educators as team mates who can easily work together to create future generations of educated Americans who accept that everyone is different and everyone has different needs and everyone should include and help every other human being. Is there really any other way? Some of the speakers whose sessions were attended by DIS members included:

• Paula Kluth • Cheryl Jorgensen • Keith Jones • Jen Kurth • Julie Brandolino • Patrick Schwarz (the most singing and dancing-est closing keynote speaker EVER!)

Don’t miss hearing any of them present if you ever have the chance!! Planning for the 2015 Inclusion conference is already underway.

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Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Walk Registration Opens!

7pm Mom’s Night

8 9 10 11 12 13 14 1:15

Swim lesson

12:45 Swim lesson

7:30 pm BOD mtg

15 16 17 18 19 20 21

1:15 Swim lesson

12:45 Swim lesson

22 23 24 25 26 27 28 Annual Family Picnic 12pm

1:15 Swim Lesson 6:30pm Annual Member Meeting

12:45 Swim lesson

29 30 Xtreme Trampoline 1pm

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Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1 2 3 4 5 1:15

Swim lesson

6 7 8 9 10 11 12 1:15

Swim lesson 2:30 pm – Ice Cream Social

12:45 Swim lesson NDSC CONFERENE in Indianapolis

NDSC CONFERENE in Indianapolis

13 14 15 16 17 18 19 NDSC CONFERENE in Indianapolis

1:15 Swim lesson

12:45 Swim lesson

20 21 22 23 24 25 26 1:15

Swim lesson

12:45 Swim lesson

27 28 29 30 31 1:15

Swim lesson

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Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1 2

12:45

Swim lesson

3 4 5 6 7 8 9

10 11 12 13 14 15 16

17 18 19 20 21 22 23 DIS bracelet sale @ Wal-Mart

24 25 26 27 28 29 30

31

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Next Chapter Book Club Next Chapter Book Clubs have three common threads:

• Social connectedness • Literacy learning • Community inclusion

No one component is more important than another. Each club is run by its members. They decide what to read, as well as when and where to meet. To help insure that all goes smoothly, two volunteers help facilitate each club. Reading level is not a factor in joining a Next Chapter Book Club, as volunteers are trained to help facilitate this. Our first club will be for high school aged children with Down syndrome. If you are, or someone you know is, interested in being a facilitator or member of a Next Chapter Book Club, contact Lisa Pringle at info@DowninTheSouthland.org or call 708-614-6118.

Resources: Ages 4-6

Making Preschool Inclusion Work Strategies for Supporting Children, Teachers, and Programs The most effective inclusion starts as early as possible. AVAILABLE IN THE DIS LIBRARY! (See pg.9) Ages 6 and up: http://bookbuilder.cast.org/library.php A really neat website which you can use to create, share, publish, and read digital books that engage and support diverse learners according to their individual needs, interests and skills. Really helpful for fully including all children!

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Scholarships Awarded Down in the Southland was pleased to present our first ever college scholarships to five 2014 graduates! The recipients are:

Bailey Bartczak Amanda Blount Andrew Geirut

Kylie Kratz Marisa Marchionda

Congratulations and we wish you all much success in your educations!

Who: All members of Down in the Southland When: Wednesday June 25, 2014 at 6:30 p.m. Where: Beggar’s Pizza 15600 S. Cicero Ave. Oak Forest IL Why:

• To share the progress we have made in the past year • To share ideas for the upcoming year • To share information from the Illinois Inclusion Conference

Please note that there is no childcare available during this meeting.

Don’t miss our annual family picnic for DIS member families! It’s a great chance to have fun and get to know other families in a relaxed, family friendly atmosphere! We will be at the Monee Reservoir, on Sunday, June 22st! If you did not receive the Evite with all of the details, please email info@DowninTheSouthland.org

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LOOK WHAT I DID!!

Each month, this space will be a place to share our children’s

recent accomplishments. Send your child’s recent successes to info@downinthesouthland.org

Clare Murphy made her First Holy Communion!

Down in the Southland Board of Directors: President: Juliette De Nova 708-614-6118

Vice President: Lisa Pringle 708-535-1438

Secretary: Mollie Gryga 708-214-8186

Treasurer: Peggy Marchionda 708-258-6963

Member-at-Large: Judy Marino 708-336-1276

For more information about Down in the Southland email info@downinthesouthland.org with DOWN IN THE SOUTHLAND as the subject

Connor-Shaw Center in Peotone IL was able to purchase two new iPads for their school! The school was the winner of the 2013 Dimes for Down syndrome contest and received a prize of $1000!

The Dimes for Down Syndrome Contest will be conducted again this fall in conjunction with the 2014 Walk. Details will be sent to members via email in June.

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DIS REFERENCE LIBRARY LIST

BOOKS FOR PARENTS

1. Gross Motor Skills for People With Down Syndrome

2. Fine Motor Skills for People With Down Syndrome

3. The Complete IEP Guide: How to Advocate for your Special Ed Child - NOLO 4th Edition

4. The Down Syndrome Nutrition Handbook - J Medlen

5. A Guide to Special Education Advocacy (What Parents, Clinicians and Advocates need to know) - Matthew Cohen

6. Classroom Language Skills for Children with Down Syndrome - Libby Kumin, ph.D., CCC-SLP

7. Teaching Math to People with Down Syndrome and Hands on Learners - DeAnna Horstmeier, Ph.D.

8. Early Communication Skills for Children with Down Syndrome

9. From Emotions to Advocacy and All About IEP's

10. Teaching Reading to People with Down Syndrome

11. Girl's Guide to Growing Up 1

17. Boy's Guide to Growing Up

18. Teaching By Design

19. Teaching Children with Down Syndrome about Their Bodies, Boundaries and Sexuality

20. Angel Unaware - Dale Evans Rogers

21. What I've Learned from My Daughter:Blessings From A Special Child - Nancy Jo Sullivan

22. A Special Kind of Love - Osborn/Mitchell

23. You Will Dream New Dreams: Inspiring Personal Stories by Parents of Children with Disabilities

24. Medical & Surgical Care for Children with Down Syndrome

BOOKS FOR CHILDREN and EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS

1. So Many Colors - Natalie Hale (flash cards included)

2. Spaghetti - Natalie Hale (flash cards included)

3. Reading A-Z books Level AA books 00-23 (includes books and laminated flash cards)

4. Sand paper numbers 0-20

5 Going Places (pictures and flash cards)

6. Zoo Animals (pictures and flash cards)

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7. Food (pictures and flash cards)

8. Let's Play (pictures and flash cards)

9. Pets (pictures and flash cards)

10. Handwriting Without Tears - Get Set For School - Coloring, Drawing, Singing, Counting, Handwriting Readiness

11. Handwriting Without Tears - Letters and Numbers For Me

12. Leap Frog Alphabet Books with CD - one for each letter of alphabet

13 Leap Frog Colors - Books and CD - to teach the spelling of the colors

14. Leap Frog Sing and Read Numbers One to Ten - Books and CD - to teach the spelling of numbers

15. Touch Math worksheets from beginning to subtraction

16. Touch Money worksheets and materials

17. Sign and Say Kaufman Cards

18. Self correcting puzzle sets using texture and color vocabulary

19. 1" cubes for stacking

20. Color Board Bood

21. Times Tales (multiplication DVD)

22. Essential Skills Basic Skill Series "Phonemic Awareness"

23. Essential Skills Basic Skill Series "Reading Comprehension"

24. Essential Skills Basic Skill Series "Measurement se Grade 1"

25. Essential Skills Basic Skill Series - math -

SPEECH MATERIALS

1. On, Under, In Front Of, Behind - laminated/velcro sheets

2. He has….She has - laminated/velcro sheets

3. Kaufman Speech to Language Protocol Speech Praxis Kit - Basic Kit

4. Kaufman Speech to Language Protocol Speech Praxis Kit - ADVANCED Kit - KIT 1

Kaufman Speech to Language Protocol Speech Praxis Kit - ADVANCED Kit - KIT 2

Kaufman See and Sign

TODDLER TOYS

1. Leap Frog - Phonics Bus

2. Chicos Circus - Pop up Toy

3. Phonics Radio

4. Learning to Read- First words puzzle games

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VIDEOS

Down Syndrome Education USA 2009 Conference (see below for detailed disks)

1. Downs Ed USA Family (1day) Early Years track -copy 1 (3 disks) DVD

2. Downs Ed USA Family (1day) Early Years track - copy 2 (3 disks) DVD

3. Downs Ed USA Family (1day) Childhood track - (3 disks) DVD

4. Downs Ed USA Family (1day) Teen Track - (3 disks) DVD

5. Kaufman Speech to Language Protocol DVD (original)

Kaufman Speech to Language Protocol DVD (copy)

BOOKS TO HELP CHILDREN UNDERSTAND ABOUT DOWN SYNDROME

1. My Friend Has Down Syndrome

2. We'll Paint the Octupus Red

3. My Friend Isabelle