Parent Weekly Update 1/27/17

Hi parents,

Everything seems to be back on track and I want to thank parents from the 11 to 13 and team groups for your flexibility in accommodating us  regarding our two makeup sessions  that occurred earlier this week.  Only a few families were unable to attend. Because we are in the process of working on individual projects with all of our groups, this helped us to stay on track.

  Upcoming Schedule for Week

• 6-8 -  no meeting on Tues, it's the rare 5th week of the month
• 8-11 - no meeting on Tues, it's the rare 5th week of the month
• 11-13 - Wed, 2/1, 4:15-6:45pm meeting
• Teen - Thu, 2/2, 4:15-6:45pm meeting

The Parent Meetings for February will be as follows:

Webinar: 2/8 7:30-8:30pm. If you have not registered for the webinar, click here to sign up and you will automatically receive reminder notices.

Drop In Meetings: We will be holding drop in meetings on the following dates in February (remember, these are held at the office):

• Wed, 2/8, 5:30-7pm (just before the webinar)
• Thu, 2/9, 11:30am-1:30pm
• Sat, 2/11, 10am-noon

Thanks to all of you who completed Rapid Screener. If you haven't tomorrow morning is the final deadline for completing it.

Summer Program

We are getting close to publishing the new LUNCH Groups website and will let you know when this occurs. It should make accessing the videos, LUNCH Points, and other information easier. We hope to have it up and running by next Monday.

That's it for now. Contact me if you have any questions.

Mid-Week News Flash 01/25/17

Hi all,

One of our participating parents asked me to post this free event that is designed as support for families.  I don't know anything about it, so you can access the link if  you are interested and learn more. If you have questions, feel free to write me and I will forward your email to the parent who provided the information.

 Any chance you could put this up on the parent blog?  Kinda late now but I figured it wouldn't be bad to let parents know that its out there.  We are planning on having it once a month.
Thank you!
Laura

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/parent-support-group-tickets-31236971623?utm_source=eb_email&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=order_confirmation_email&utm_term=eventname&ref=eemailordconf

Parent Weekly Update 01/20/17

Hi Parents,

I'm happy to say that, so far, we've managed to avoid the worst of the rains. We'll see what occurs next week. Just as a reminder, we always have "rainy day" contingency plans for all groups. So, as long as it's safe to drive, we will be holding group sessions even if there is rain.

Upcoming Group Sessions

Here's the schedule for next week:

• 6-8 Group: Tues, 1/24, 4-6pm (Regular Session)
• 11-13 Group: Wed, 1/25, 4:15:-6:45pm (Make Up Session)
• Teen Group: Thu, 1/26,  4:15:-6:45pm (Make Up Session)

Webinar and Drop In Parent Meetings

We have held all of the parent meetings for this month. You may have noticed that Parent Drop In Meetings were listed for 1/18 and for 1/25. That was an error and I have removed the 1/25 meeting.

The Parent Meetings for February will be as follows:

Webinar: 2/8 7:30-8:30pm. If you have not registered for the webinar, click here to sign up and you will automatically receive reminder notices.

Drop In Meetings: We will be holding drop in meetings on the following dates in February (remember, these are held at the office):

• Wed, 2/8, 5:30-7pm (just before the webinar)
• Thu, 2/9, 11:30am-1:30pm
• Sat, 2/11, 10am-noon

Summer 2017 Program Information

We've had several inquiries from families regarding the Summer 2017 Program. So, to make your planning easier, here is the following information:

We have reviewed our summer program results from the past two years and made some changes in the upcoming summer program. The reason for this is that, while the kids appear to be generally benefiting from the program, parents still report being a bit overwhelmed by the amount of information presented. Basically, we take nearly all of the information the is presented during the first 5 webinars and pack that into the summer session.

Accordingly, we have revised the program as detailed below:

• This year the groups will run from July 5 to August 9. There will be 3 different groups broken down by the same age ranges as the school year program groups (There will not be a program this summer for 6 and 7 year olds).
• 8-11 (July 5 - 21)
• 11-13 (July 24 - August 9)
• 14-18 (July 11 - 27)

8-11 year olds (July 5 - July 21) and 11-13 year olds (July 24 to August 9)  

These groups will meet 3 times a week M/W/F for a total of 8 group meetings. The time of each session is a bit longer: Group sessions will be held from 8:30am-3:30pm (7 hours each day)

Teen Group (July 11 - July 27)
These groups will meet 2 times a week T/Th for a total of 6 group meetings. The time of each session will be from 9:00am-3:30pm (6.5 hours every group).

Parent Support

• There will be a weekly webinar (dates and times TBD). However, these will be based upon recorded videos that will be available to view in advance. The purpose of the webinars will be to review what was discussed on the videos and/or to bring up situations that are occurring at home or in the community.
• There will be also be 2 Parent Drop In meetings (dates and times TBD) each week, once during the week at night and once on a weekend day. This will be similar in format to the current drop in meetings.

We do not accept any current group members for the summer program until March/April so we have had a chance to evaluate if students have been making sufficient progress to warrant participation in the summer program. We will send out surveys to families around mid-March inquiring whether you are interested in the summer program for your child.

As always, please be in touch if you have any questions.

Mid-Week News Flash 01/18/17

Hi Parents,

Wednesday, Jan 18 Drop In Parent Meeting

In last Friday's weekly update, I indicated I would be holding an additional Parent Meeting on Wednesday, Jan 18, from 7pm to 8:30pm. So far, only one parent has signed up for that time slot. If you are planning to attend tonight, please click here or use the link below to RSVP.
https://goo.gl/forms/dB1ImUQ0SZFY53jt1

What Happens When It Rains?

Also, for those of you wondering what happens when it rains, we still meet unless the weather makes it unsafe to do so. As for the older groups going out to dinner, we evaluate the weather and either travel nearby or bring food in (typically from Gelsons) and eat (carefully) in the meeting room.

Completing Rapid Screener - Progress Update

Finally, thanks to so many of you who have completed Rapid Screener. If you have not completed it, please do so at your first opportunity. If you need the link and email to be resent to you, just let me know.

Make Up Sessions for Older Groups

For 11-13 and Teen Groups, note we are meeting this week and next week for January.

That's it for now. Thanks for reviewing this.

Parent Weekly Update 01/13/17

Hi Parents,

Looks like everyone is getting back into the swing of things.  Just a few reminders to help everyone stay on track.

Make Up Sessions for 11 to 13 & Teen Groups

11-13 Group:  We will be holding group next on week on the 18th, as usual.  However, we'll also be holding group the week after, on the 25th.

Teen Group:  We will be holding group next on week on the 19th, as usual.  However, we we'll also be holding group the week after, on the 26th. 

We hope you will be able to attend.

Additional Parent Meeting This Month

I have scheduled a third Parent Drop-In Meeting for this month. It will be held next Wednesday, January 18, from 7 PM until 8:30 PM. Don't forget, there is also a parent dropping meeting this coming Saturday (tomorrow) from 11 AM until 1 PM.

To RSVP, click here or use link below:

https://goo.gl/forms/PQh2OYbOcMeYZQWG3

Completing Rapid Screener

You should have received an email request to complete Rapid Screener earlier today. If you did not, please send me an email. I am using a bulk mailing system and sometimes that results in emails appearing in the SPAM folder, so please check if you don't see it.

We need to have these back by Monday night so I can begin analyzing the data in time to have your reports out.

That's about it for this week. Let me know if I missed anything.

Dr. G.

Mid-Week News Flash 1/1017

Dear Parents,

It was necessary for me to move the Thursday Parent Drop In Meeting from noon to 12:30pm because of a conflict that has arisen.

Please RSVP for either the Thursday meeting or the Saturday meeting by clicking here.

In this coming weekend's parent update, I will let you know the third date, a weekday evening, that has been scheduled. Also, I will let you know what dates have been scheduled for the 11 to 13-year-old group and the Teen group as make up sessions.

Parent Weekly Update 01/06/17

Hi Parents,

Hope everyone is settling in and preparing for school, etc. A few important updates below.

Recent Group Cancellations for 11-13 and Teen Groups

As about 1/2 of you are aware, it was necessary to cancel our groups earlier this week on Wednesday and Thursday because I came down with the stomach flu. I'm happy to say that I'm recovering and I appreciate the understanding parents showed when Terry called and emailed. Now I just need to pace myself a bit for a another day or two. 

Many of you who emailed me after Tuesday afternoon have not received replies as I have been unavailable. Terry tried to contact as many as possible to inform them I was out ill. Please bear with me while I catch up. If your matter is truly urgent and I have not responded, please send me an email with the subject line "Urgent."

Dr. Mazor and I spoke and plan to offer"Makeup" sessions for the end of the month for the canceled groups. Details to follow.

Upcoming Meetings

Group Meetings

The 6-8 year old group meets this Tuesday, from 4-6pm as usual. All other groups meet the week of the 17th.

Parent Webinar

Our webinar for the month will occur this Wednesday on Jan 11 at 7:30pm. If you have not already signed up (good to do whether or not you are planning to attend, click here to register. If you are having any problems with incorrect appointment times showing up, look at the 12/23/16 Parent Update for an explanation and video tutorial.

Parent Meetings

There will be parent meetings this week on Thursday, noon to 2pm and Saturday, 11am to 1pm. I will also be holding an evening meeting, but not this week. Most likely, it will be on January 18th or 19th, from 7pm to 9pm (right after the 11-13 or Teen Group).

Parent Surveys

Later this week you will be receiving an updated version of Rapid Screener® to complete. We will be analyzing and using this data as part of our mid-session progress updates that will go out by early February. In order to get everything done, it's important that we receive these back in a timely manner.

Do Have Questions?

Recently, I've spoken with some parents who remain unclear about how the passwords work on LUNCH Points vs accessing the videos. Also, some families are unclear how to implement what they have been learning via the webinars at home (e.g., do you understand how to use a) Environmental Control; b) Instructional Control; and c) Contingency Management? 

While you are welcome to ask any questions you wish during the drop-in Parent Meetings, if you would like a meeting just focused on "basics," please let me know and indicate if you prefer a webinar vs coming to the office. I will propose a time and date for those who respond.

Finally, Emails

I am glad to be receiving so many emails from parents. For many, I think we have some productive dialogues occurring. However, I am receiving some emails that are fairly lengthy. This makes it hard to provide a useful response. Please keep your emails targeted and try to note how long and detailed they are. I'm happy to respond multiple times. I recall one parent from last year who emailed me about 4 times a day for a week straight. Perfect! She kept her emails short and targeted and followed up on my suggestions and questions. The process contributed to a positive result for her child.

In general, longer questions should be addressed at Parent Drop-In Meetings. If you feel that a private consultation (not covered by group fees) is warranted, let me know.