Parents Guide of Las Vegas

Nevada PEP Trainings
Nevada Prepaid Tuition Program Now Open
Get Ready for the Second Semester
Parents Are Role Models
Resolutions to Revolutions
Understanding Respiratory Syncytial Virus
To Err is Human, to Forgive Divine
Parenting New Year’s Resolutions
News from Henderson Parks and Recreation Department
Family Calendar
PBS KIDS Video App
Summer Camp Directory
Family Dining
100 Most Popular Names of the 2000’s
Daycare/Preschool Directory

Is Your Child a Target of Bullying?
Bullying is a serious issue that affects nearly every school in our nation. It is a behavior that knows no boundaries of class, race, gender, size of school or age. Bullies tend to target children who are considered “different”. Don’t miss this class full of strategies to help families cope with and prevent bullying.
When: Wednesday, January 4, 6-8pm
Where: Nevada PEP

IEP Clinic
Nevada PEP offers Individualized Education Program (IEP) Clinics each month. Clinics include a brief  overview of the IEP process and a question & answer session. Please bring your child’s IEP so you can review it during the class!
When: Saturday, January 7, 9am-12noon
Where: Nevada PEP

You Can Do It
The “You Can Do It!” presentation will help families and high school students with disabilities prepare for a successful transition into college.  Participants will receive their very own “You Can Do It” guide which provides strategies and ideas that will help parents and students develop a plan to attend college.
When: Thursday, January 12, 6-8pm
Where: Nevada PEP

Navigating Through Transition
Making the transition from the structure of high school to the challenges and responsibilities of adulthood can be a daunting task for many students with disabilities. This workshop gives parents and students information on transition by using the guide “Where Am I Going? How Will I Get There?”
Reviewing the rules and regulations, participants will  learn to develop a transition plan which can involve other agencies. Both students and parents will find this training helpful as students move towards college, employment and living independently.
When: Saturday, January 28, 9-11am
Where: Nevada PEP

IDEA Series Evaluation For Special Needs Children
Part 1 – Starting the Process to Obtain Help for a Child
When: Tuesday, January 10, 6-8pm
Where: Nevada PEP
Part 2 – Writing Individualized Education Programs
When: Tuesday, January 17, 6-8pm
Where: Nevada PEP
Part 3 – Learning about Rights & Procedural Safeguards
When: Tuesday, January 24, 6-8pm
NVPep.org

More so now than ever, a college education is becoming a requirement to a better future. The Nevada Prepaid Tuition Program has been helping families across the state become better prepared to meet the rising costs of a college education since its inception in 1998. It continues to be an attractive alternative to exhausting family savings or depending solely on student loans when sending a student to college. Along with the other Nevada 529 College Savings Plans administered through the Nevada State Treasurer’s Office, this Program is designed to help parents, other family members, and friends maximize the opportunity of saving for college. Since inception, 14,120 contracts have been purchased by Nevadans, and enrollment continues to grow. Last year alone, accounts rose by 15%, following a 26% increase in 2010.

The Nevada Prepaid Tuition Program provides many benefits, the foremost being the ability to avoid the continually escalating costs of higher education by locking in today’s rates and avoiding future tuition increases. Several affordable plan options, including flexible payment plans starting as little as $36 per month, are available. Contract holders can select from five different tuition plans and can pay for their contract in a lump sum payment, over a five year period, or monthly until graduation. Earnings are tax-deferred until the contract beneficiary attends college, and are then tax-exempt as long as the funds are used for tuition costs. A Nevada Prepaid Tuition contract is not limited to Nevada schools; it can be used at any accredited public or private university, college, or vocational school in the United States. To add to its flexibility, contract holders can transfer the contract to another qualified beneficiary (up to a first cousin), keep the contract for up to six years, or cancel the contract and request a refund if the beneficiary decides not to go to college after graduation. A popular component of the Program is a gift coupon option that can be used by other family members and friends to give a gift toward a child’s Prepaid Tuition contract. The coupon, available on our website, can be used for birthdays, religious celebrations, graduations, or any other special occasion.

Parents and caregivers are encouraged to enroll their children in this valuable program now through February 28th, when the open enrollment period concludes. Enrollments for newborns are accepted through June 30th. The earlier you begin your child’s savings account the lower the price, so visit NevadaTreasurer.gov or call 1-888-477-2667 today! Sign-up for payroll deduction through your employer and receive 50% off the enrollment fee!

Remember that “go get ‘em” attitude you and your child had at the beginning of the school year? That certainty that setting aside “homework time,” limiting TV and recreational Web surfing and staying in close contact with teachers would lead to top grades all year long? Unfortunately the mid-point of the school year can be a “make or break” time for addressing any problems that have held your son or daughter back. Taking a close look at the following indicators will help you determine if your child’s current studying habits and overall approach to school are making the grade:

Indicator #1: Grades and conferences

Take a look at your child’s overall grades during the first half of the year. If you believe your child could have done better, talk directly with teachers to determine any issues that are impacting his or her progress. It’s also important to tell the teacher about any issues that may affect your child’s academic success. Family tension, financial concerns, health issues or marital problems directly impact a child’s ability to concentrate in school. Creating a partnership between school and home is a responsibility that both parents and teachers share.

Indicator #2: Standardized test results

In recent years, parents and students have paid the most attention to standardized tests during the spring – when many states and districts administer exams that now determine a student’s ability to graduate or move on to the next grade. But you can get a good idea of which skills should be strengthened in advance by taking a second look at the results of other standardized exams that may have been given during the fall. If your child scored poorly in reading or mathematics at the beginning of the year, for example, pay attention to these areas as he or she prepares for the tests that will be given in just a few months.

Indicator #3: Homework

While some students tend to complete homework successfully all year, many may have fallen out of the “homework habit” as the December holidays approached. After a long break, January is a good time to ramp up for the coming months by re-establishing routines, such as setting time aside for homework each afternoon or evening and maintaining a specific area of your house or apartment specifically for homework.

Indicator #4: The Work/Life Balance

While sports, clubs and other school-related leisure activities can make the educational experience much more well-rounded and rewarding, they should never become more important than academic progress. It’s therefore important to find the right balance between leisure and learning time. Take a look at your child’s academic success during the first half of the year and weigh it against all of the extracurricular activities that filled his or her schedule. Were there enough hours in a typical day last semester to keep up with schoolwork while enjoying every activity?

Dr. Raymond J. Huntington is co-founder of Huntington Learning Center, which has helped children achieve success in school for 26 years. For more information about how Huntington can help your child, call 1 800 CAN LEARN.

By Icia Reid-Sandulak

Your children model your behaviors in many ways. Whatever you do, your children are watching. You know the old saying “do as I say, but not as I do”. As parents you know that this is not a realistic goal for your children. Your children are more likely to do as you do, since you are the first and most important teacher in their life. You want your children to model your good behaviors, and only the good ones, right? Your children look up to you as their parent, their guide, their hero, and their mentor. If you around fighting with your neighbors , friends, and family, or ignoring rules, or even giving your middle finger to those who offend you, that is behavior your children will see as appropriate when they are interacting with their peers. Your children are watching when you think they are not!

On the bright side, you can take comfort in knowing that you are teaching positive behaviors. Don’t forget that you serve as role models not only through direct interaction with your children, but also though example shown with your attitude and behavior when you interact with others. There are no perfect parents; therefore, as parents you will have shortcomings in your parenting roles. It is up to you to take personal time out when necessary, to avoid negative interaction. Your children will admire this behavior. It is okay to make mistakes as long as you do not keep making the same mistakes. Your children are like sponges, they will soak up all the good behaviors and the bad behaviors too. Be sure to set more good examples. It will be healthier for you and your children. Don’t forget, you are the most important person in your children’s lives.

Icia Reid-Sandulak , has been working with children for the last 20 years. She has a background in Social Work and is the mother of four children, one son and three daughters. Presently, she is the director of Apple Grove Foster Care Agency and invites anyone who aspires to be a foster parent to contact the office for information.