You are an expert on your child and you can be your child’s best advocate.  The Education Law Center provides helpful tips to help you be an advocate for your child at school. It can be important to get involved, keep records, be prepared, use resources creatively, and follow up.

If you feel overwhelmed, there are organizations and advocates that can assist you. MPACT is a statewide parent training and information center that serves parents of children of all abilities.

The post Be an Advocate for Your Child in School first appeared on Lutheran Family and Children's Services of Missouri.

A coping skills toolbox is a great resource to consider in create calm in the classroom. Students can keep it in their desk and access it as needed during the day. The tools inside will ideally serve as an intervention before the issues escalates to involve a teacher or principal.

Here are some basic instructions to create a coping skills toolbox of your own!

1. Find an unused box with a lid – A shoebox works great.
2. Cover it in paper – Have the student choose their favorite color.
3. Decorated the outside with positive affirmations and calming pictures.
4. Inside the box, include things to touch, see, and taste – Here are some ideas: Make our own playdoh and stress balls; Create a small social story, a (mini) stop sign, and a few positive affirmations; and a small pack of gum and mints.

Items in a coping skills toolbox can vary from student to student. Feel free to get creative! It’s even a good idea for school counselors, teachers and students to collaborate on the box together.  Also, let the student to have a choice in what goes in the box, after all it is his/hers.  Let us know if you try this intervention and how it helps manage emotions better next year.

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Set a new routine before the school year starts – Summer is a time for relaxation that can involve vacations, staying up late and long gaps for unstructured time for children. Parents and children need time to transition from their summer routine to their school routine. Parents school start incorporating parts of their school routine at least two to three weeks before the first day of school. An example of this is moving bedtime up from 10pm to 8:30pm.

Be Prepared – Parents should make sure their children have all back to school necessities. This can include: basic school supplies (paper, pencils, and folders), school uniforms, backpacks, and electronics (calculators, computers). Parents can get a supply list from their children’s school to help with this process.

Participate in back to school activities – Most schools have back to school events, such as, back to school fairs and meet the teacher night. These events allow parents and their children to gather important information like, classroom assignments, schedules, and the school calendar. Parents and their children have the opportunity to meet school staff, and to receive information on how to access resources and services offered at the school. These back to school events can also provide comfort to parents and children as they explore their new learning environment.

Set goals for the upcoming year – It is important for parents to encourage their children to set goals for the upcoming school year. Goals can include: better grades, joining a team or club, or making more friends. Parents can assist their children in making a vision board with encouraging pictures and inspirational quotes to keep them focused and motivated to achieve their goals.

Make good physical and mental health a priority – Going back to school can make life very busy and overwhelming for parents and children. It is important to make healthy eating and regular physical exercise a part of the family routine. Parents should minimize their children access to sugary snacks and encourage physical activity often. Parents should also talk to their children each day and provide support for signs of stress and depression. Parents can look to a physician and/or mental health therapist for support.

The post Back to School first appeared on Lutheran Family and Children's Services of Missouri.

Do you think that your child may have a learning disability, serious emotional disturbance, or may qualify for special services? The website for the National Center for Learning Disabilities (ncld.org) has a plethora of information detailing the different types of learning disabilities, warning signs, your child’s rights, and information about Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) and 504 plans.

In order for your child to get qualify for an IEP they must have a formal evaluation. Parents may request an evaluation through a letter, and a sample of this can be found on the NCLD website. If your child qualifies, they are entitled to a formal plan that describes how the school will support your child’s needs. There is often confusion regarding the differences between IEPs and 504 plans. A 504 plan can be given to a child who has an identified learning disability or Attention-Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder but does not meet the requirements of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) for special education services and supports (an IEP). In other words, the 504 Plan is a way that needed accommodations can still be given to help your child succeed in school, even when they did not qualify for an IEP. A detailed comparison of IEPs and 504 plans, including funding, requirements, services, and who is protected, can be found here http://www.ncld.org/disability-advocacy/learn-ld-laws/adaaa-section-504/section-504-idea-comparison-chart.

Speak with your child’s school if you have any concerns and see specifically how they handle testing, IEPs, and 504 plans. Every parent has the right to request that their child be evaluated if they have concerns. Again, for much more information, please look to ncld.org.

The post Does my child need an IEP or 504 Plan? first appeared on Lutheran Family and Children's Services of Missouri.

Yay, it’s summertime! This is what most school age children are yelling at the top of their lungs right about now.  This is exciting for parent as well, but also a little nerve wrecking.  Our children have learned so much throughout the school year, and we don’t want that to stop.  For some kids, a few months off in the summer can lead to loss of knowledge and lowered test scores.  While our kids are definitely in need of a break to recharge for the upcoming school year, we can also make sure they have fun & learn all summer long!  Here are 10 great ways to do just that!

1. Summer Reading Club Kick-off: Start off the summer by getting signed up for the summer reading club! This extravaganza event is fun for the whole family. There will be face painting, snow cones, a climbing wall, and more. It will be held at St. Louis County Library Headquarters, on Saturday, June 4^th from 1:00-4:00. If you can’t make that, be sure to stop into your local County Library to get your child signed up for a summer full of reading & prizes! We all love incentives! For more information: http://www.slcl.org/content/summer-reading-club-kick.
2. Visit the St. Louis Science Center! They have wonderful summer events for kids of all ages. From free weekly Story Times, to Dino Mysteries & the Teen Science Café, there is something for everyone! For more information: http://www.slsc.org/kid-family-activities.
3. Amazing Animal Encounters and the World Bird Sanctuary: Free, fun, family-friendly environmental education programs are presented by the naturalists using snakes, parrots, birds and mammals. You and your kids will learn about the amazing creatures that share our planet, and what we can do to help them survive. For more information: http://www.worldbirdsanctuary.org/events/amazing-animal-encounters/.
4. Planetarium Shows play daily at the James S. McDonnell Planetarium in Forest Park, including: The Little Star That Could, Live Sky Tonight/Mission Mars & The Constellations.  After the show, you can take a self-guided tour of the Boeing Space Station to learn about living and working in space. For more information: http://www.slsc.org/planetarium-show.
5. A-MAZE-ing Cockroaches: Kids ages 7-12 will replicate a famous study by zoologist Charles Henry Turner. Working in teams, kids will build a maze out of play dough and run live cockroaches through it. Part of the StArt@Your Library series at the St. Louis County Library. Free, but registration is required. Learn more and register at slcl.org.
6. Space Travel: Kids can race a balloon rocket and design their own car engine as they learn about space travel. They’ll see the principle of propulsion at work in a real rocket launch, and build their very own Shuttle Copter to fly to the skies!  Presented by Mad Science of St. Louis. For ages 6-11. Part of the StArt@Your Library series at the St. Louis County Library.  Free, but registration is required. Learn more and register at slcl.org.
7. Building the Arch: Kids will use their hands and brain to engineer their very own arch made out of everyday materials at this free workshop. Part of the StArt@Your Library series at the St. Louis County Library. For ages 7-11. Free, but registration is required. Learn more and register at slcl.org.
8. Stop Motion Animation: Learn how to create a stop motion film with an iPad app. iPads provided. Ages 10–14. Part of the StArt@Your Library series at the St. Louis County Library. Free, but registration is required. Learn more and register at slcl.org.
9. Family Days and the World Chess Hall of Fame: Explore the current exhibitions during a kid-friendly tour, take part in hands-on activities for kids, and play and learn about the game of chess at these special Saturday Family Days. These events are designed for families with children ages 5 to 12. Each day has a different theme.   Admission is $5 per child for non-members. For more information: http://www.worldchesshof.org/news-events/event-calendar/event/2016/06/04/family-day-/.
10. Faust Historic Village Open House: Experience St. Louis County as it was a century ago. Tour the 1850s Conway House, and its period herb garden and outdoor kitchen.   Also tour the circa 1848 log cabin of Ludwig and Salome Mertz, a dye and insect repellent garden, German vegetable garden, smokehouse, outhouse and woodshed and the Davis House. On occasion, visitors may see a blacksmith at work in the Yokel barn. Guides in period dress will be available to answer questions. This is a free event is at Faust Park in Chesterfield. For more information: http://www.stlouisco.com/Portals/8/docs/Document%20Library/parks/PDFs/Faust/CalendarofEvents.pdf

We hope you and your children have a blast learning together all summer long!

For additional activities across the St. Louis region, visit blueprint4summer.com. Create an account an plan your summer one activity at a time!

The post Keep Your Child Learning This Summer! first appeared on Lutheran Family and Children's Services of Missouri.

Learn more about LFCS School Counseling here! If you’d like to support kids like Tony, contact us today.

The post Meet Tony: An LFCS School Counseling Client first appeared on Lutheran Family and Children's Services of Missouri.