Happy Holidays

   





                               HAPPY     
                            HOLIDAYS
                                                 ~ The SERC Library Staff

Our Sympathy and Resources to help talk with children about traumatic events

First, on behalf of the SERC Library and SERC, we extend our sympathy to the families and friends of those who were lost on Friday at the Sandy Hook Elementary School, our support and thoughts to the rest of the students and the teachers, and our thanks and support to the first responders.   You will all be in our thoughts for a very long time, if not for forever, know that we are thinking of you.     

The SERC Library has resources you can use under the keywords:  crisis, post-traumatic stress, grief, death, and bereavement.  The resources listed below are more immediate resources. 

Please continue to check the blog for additional resources as they are made available.

Jenny Groome from the Connecticut State Library has posted some Federal resources to the Connecticut State Library’s Blog on Tips for Helping Children Cope After Traumatic Events,  http://www.ctstatelibrary.org/node/10198

In addition,  Alberta Richetelle, Program Director and Judith Kronick, Reference Librarians for Healthnet sent these links along:

 

Healthnet : Connecticut Consumer Health Information Network

       Lyman Maynard Stowe Library – University of Connecticut Health Center   

                     P.O. Box 4003    Farmington CT 06034-4003

                                           Telephone: 860/679-4055

                                  http://library.uchc.edu/departm/hnet

http://www.apa.org/helpcenter/aftermath.aspx

Helping your children manage distress in the aftermath of a shooting

From the American Psychological Association

http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/helping-children-and-adolescents-cope-with-violence-and-disasters-parents/how-parents-can-help.shtml

Helping Children and Adolescents Cope with Violence and Disasters: What Parents Can Do/How Parents Can Help

From the National Institute of Mental Health

http://www.nctsn.org/nctsn_assets/pdfs/age_related_reactions.pdf

Age-Related Reactions to a Traumatic Event

From the National Child Traumatic Stress Network

 

http://www.aacap.org/cs/root/facts_for_families/children_and_the_news

Children and the News

From American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry

http://www.dbsalliance.org/site/PageServer?pagename=education_brochures_coping_unexpected_events

Coping With Unexpected Events: Depression and Trauma

SEE SECTION:  Helping and Talking with Children

From the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA)

http://www.aacap.org/galleries/default-file/Talking_to_kids_aurora_shooting.pdf

Tips for Talking to Children about the Aurora Shooting

From American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry

 

From Exchange Every Day:

In the wake of the tragic shooting in Connecticut, many of you will be working with children and families who will have questions, concerns, and fears you need to deal with.  And, it is important that you deal with these issues forthrightly and appropriately.  We have surveyed members of the Exchange community and they how to respond: 

• An Exchange article by Diane Levin:  "When the World is a Dangerous Place — Helping Children Deal with Violence in the News."
• A New York Times article, "Tips for Talking to Children About the Shooting.
• Advice from National Child Traumatic Stress Network, "Talking to Children about the Shooting."
• Advice from the National Association of School Psychologists, "A National Tragedy: Helping Children Cope."
• A resource from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, "Tips for Talking to Children and Youth after Traumatic Events."
• Fred Rogers' advice from Family Communications, "Helping Children Deal with Tragic Events in the News."
• Advice from the American Psychological Association, "Helping Your Children Manage Distress in the Aftermath of a Shooting."

 

Just some Holiday facts!

Okay --- A little holiday fun facts ---

HANUKKAH

~ Latkes, or potato pancakes are a popular Hanukkah dish, usually served with applesauce and sour cream

~Jewish holidays are based on a lunisolar calendar, which is based on the movement of the sun and moon – the Hebrew calendar ranges from 353 to 385 days - therefore - Hanukkah does not fall on the same date each year

~A Hanukkah menorah as nine candles – one for each of the eight nights of Hanukkah and an extra one to light the others – the world’s largest Hanukkah menorah – at 32 feet high – can be found during the festival of lights in New York’s City’s Central Park

~A dreidel is a popular Hanukkah toy – to play the game, players start out with the same amount of money (or candy) and they gain and lose depending on which letter turns up when they spin the top – the four letters on the dreidel’s sides form the initials of the message, “A great miracle happened there”

~ One Hanukkah tradition is the giving of the gelt, or gold coins – in the past children would give gelt to teachers and charities – now a reward for winning dreidel games – chocolate candies wrapped in gold tinfoil are sold to mimic real gelt.

CHRISTMAS

~ The word Christmas is Old English, a contraction of Christ’s Mass

~ The abbreviation Xmas is not irreligious – the letter X is a Greek abbreviation for Christ

~ Electric lights for trees were first used in 1895

~ 7.6 million Christmas trees are sold each year

~ Christmas became a national holiday in America on June 26, 1870

KWANZAA 

~ In December 1966 Kwanzaa was first celebrated – the holiday was started by Dr. Maulana Karenga – the name comes from a Swahili phrase meaning first fruits

~ The three green candles symbolize the future

~ The single black candle symbolizes unity

~ The three red candles symbolize the struggle out of slavery

~ The Kwanzaa holiday is celebrated for seven days and on each of the seven days you are suppose to work on a certain trait – unity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity, faith

New Year’s Day 

~ New Year is the oldest of all holidays, it was first observed in ancient Babylon as many long as 4000 years ago

~ New Year is celebrated like a festival throughout the world and everyone around is in a festive mood, partying, singing and dancing to ring out the old year and ring in the new

~The tradition of making New Year resolutions dates back to the early Babylonians

~ Noise making and fireworks on New Year’s Eve is believed to have originated in ancient times, when noise and fire were thought to dispel evil spirits and bring good luck

~ The Tournament of Rose Parade dates back to 1886 – that year members of the Valley Hunt Club decorated their carriages with flowers to celebrate the ripening of the oranges in California

Three Kings Day 

~ On this day Los Tres Reyes gave three gifts to Baby Jesus – gold, frankincense and myrrh

~ Children write letters to their favorite Wise Man or Rey Mago asking for presents

~Children leave a bucket of water and hay for the animals

~ Milk and cookies are left for the Three Wise Men to eat

~Children place their old shoes under their beds before going to sleep – the Wise Men will leave them the presents they wished for in their letters in these shoes

 

 

 

 

 

 

War of 1812

You did read the title right ----- I did say War of 1812 ----- did you look twice?

Some exciting news came through the Library listserv regarding the completion of a Collection of War of 1812 Papers which are now online!  Check out the press release from the Connecticut State Library and then check out the collection link below:

The Connecticut State Library has recently completed the digitization of the “Chauncey Hosford War of 1812 Papers” and has made them available online as part of the State Library’s Digital Collections   http://cslib.cdmhost.com/cdm/landingpage/collection/p15019coll1

During the War of 1812, Chauncey Hosford (1784-1855) enlisted as a first lieutenant in Capt. Elizur Warner’s Company of the United States Infantry Thirty-seventh Regiment on April 30, 1813.  His prior military service included a commission as ensign in the Third Company of the Fourteenth Regiment of Connecticut Militia as of April 28, 1810.  The Thirty-seventh Regiment was stationed at Fort Griswold in New London.

Hosford was assigned to the recruiting service and spent much of the time in his home town of Canaan in Litchfield County recruiting men from the area.  Most of this collection of 101 items reflects his recruiting activities. Included is correspondence, orders, weekly recruiting returns that list the names and towns of recruits, and receipts for recruiting expenses.  Also included is a muster roll for Capt. Elizur Warner’s Company.

The “Chauncey Hosford War of 1812 Papers” was donated to the Connecticut State Library by David A. Gibbs and Rosemary Pereira in 2012 and is part of the David Arthur Gibbs Collection of Hosford and Gibbs Family Papers.

SERC Authors Report listed on The Family Center on Technology and Disability Website!!

Janet Zarchen

Smita Worah

Congratulations to SERC authors Smita Worah, Ph.D. and Janet Zarchen!  Their report Providing Access to Common Core Language Arts Standards to Students who use Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) has been listed on the The Family Center on Technology and Disability national website!  Check out the report here http://ctserc.org/aac-core/Providing%20access%20to%20Common%20Core%20Language%20Arts%20Standards%20to%20Students%20who%20use%20Augmentative%20and%20Alternative%20Communication%20%28AAC%29%20%282%29.pdf and The Family Center on Technology and Disability website at http://www.fctd.info/

Inclusion Schools Week - December 3rd - 7th!

 

Inclusive Schools Week 2012 December 3-7, 2012

This year's theme for the 2012 Inclusive Schools Week is Social Inclusion: More than a Seat in the Class!

Check out this information from Inclusive Schools Network and for more information, check out their website at http://inclusiveschools.org/inclusive-schools-week/:

About Inclusive Schools Week

Inclusive Schools Week is an annual event sponsored by the Inclusive Schools Network (ISN) and Stetson & Associates, Inc., which is held each year during the first week in December. Since its inception in 2001, Inclusive Schools Week has celebrated the progress that schools have made in providing a supportive and quality education to an increasingly diverse student population, including students who are marginalized due to disability, gender, socio-economic status, cultural heritage, language preference and other factors. The Week also provides an important opportunity for educators, students and parents to discuss what else needs to be done in order to ensure that their schools continue to improve their ability to successfully educate all children.

How to Celebrate

You care about the dignity of all children—those with disabilities and those from diverse backgrounds—and you know that your school and community can do a better job of meeting their needs through the use of inclusive educational practices. We encourage you to take the lead in coordinating Inclusive Schools Week in your school, school district, or community. Thousands of individuals—teachers, family members, and schools administrators—local, state, and national organizations and advocacy groups, and entire school districts have enthusiastically stepped up to this task—and have found this experience to be extremely rewarding in terms of its impact on children and youth.

AbleNet Online Professional Development Sessions - Free webinars!

Check out AbleNet’s offerings and recently recorded webinars at http://www.ablenetinc.com/Professional-Development

December 11, 2012 2:00pm CDT - 45 Minutes

 

Title: Apps for Guided Reading
Category: Assistive Technology
Presenter: Jane Farrall, SLP
Cost: FREE

December 13, 2012 4:00pm CST - 60 minutes

Title: Holidays are such social times...but not for everyone! Learn some ways to improve social skills for children with autism.
Category: Assistive Technology
Presenter: Mo Buti, M.Ed-BD, M.Ed-ADMIN
Cost: FREE

December 18, 2012 11:00am CST - 45 minutes

Title: Using the TrackerPro with Predictable for Android
Category: Assistive Technology
Presenter: Rebecca Bright, BSpPath MRCSLT regHPC MASLTIP
Cost: FREE

February 7, 2013 2:00pm CDT - 45 Minutes

Title: Switch Access to the iPad
Category: Assistive Technology
Presenter: Jane Farrall, SLP
Cost: FREE

Bullying LibGuides

The SERC Library has recently published 5 LibGuides on Bullying!

Check out the LibGuides at SERC Library LibGuides.

The titles are:

Bullying 2012

Bullying and Cyberbullying:  Prevention & Intervention

Bullying in School – January 2012 – December 2012

Cyberbullying through June 2012

Impact of Bullying in Schools through December 2011.

Free Math Webinar!

Teaching with Math Tasks: 8th Grade Classroom
Featuring Travis Lemon and Curtis Linton

Tuesday, November 27, 2012
2:00 PM ET | 1:00 PM CT | 12:00 PM MT | 11:00 AM PT
Junior high math teacher Travis Lemon will talk about using math tasks to embed direct instruction within a context of exploration and inquiry. During this webinar, we will observe video footage of Travis Lemon's class at American Fork Junior High as they work in small groups to solve a real-world problem using linear equations. Travis asks his class to find the most cost-effective way for a man to have his furnace fixed given the variable of three different repair company cost structures. This math task is aligned with Common Core Math Standard 8.EE.8.

To save your seat https://events-na8.adobeconnect.com/content/connect/c1/1093648891/en/events/event/shared/default_template_simple/event_registration.html?sco-id=1096780585&campaign-id=email&_charset_=utf-8

Happy Thanksgiving!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Did you know – that the first Thanksgiving feast was held in the second year the Pilgrims were at Plymouth Rock and it was a three day feast!

Did you know – that the celebration was in the fall of 1621 and Governor William Bradford invited the neighboring Native Americans to join with the colonists to celebrate a good harvest!

Did you know – that historians have suggested that many of the dishes were prepared using traditional Native American spices and cooking methods!

Did you know – that Wampanoag guests arrived with deer and the Governor sent men out on a “fowling” mission!

Did you know – that Thanksgiving did not become an official national holiday until President Lincoln proclaimed the last Thursday of November a national day of thanksgiving in 1863 --- just a mere 200 years later!

Did you know – that as many as 107 million American homes will celebrate Thanksgiving this year!

Did you know – there is a lot of conflicting information out there on the first Thanksgiving!

Did you know – that the SERC Library will be open on the morning of Black Friday sales, however, we will not have any sales, we will be offering quiet space from 8:30 am to 12 NOON!

Happy Thanksgiving from the SERC Library Staff!

Food for Fines!

 

In the spirit of the holidays and in light of the fact that food pantries have such a great need after the recent storm, we are doing a food drive.  The Library will waive overdue fines if you bring a non-perishable food item in with your overdue resources.

Clarke Schools for Hearing and Speech Free Wednesday Webinar Series!

 

Free Wednesday Webinar Series 

A variety of educational seminars designed for early intervention and allied professionals.

 

We are pleased to announce open registration for our newearly intervention webinar series presented by experts in hearing loss from Clarke Schools for Hearing and Speech and CREC Soundbridge. Thanks to the generous support of the Grossman Family Foundation, all webinars in the 2012-13 series are presented free of charge. 

 

2012-13 Schedule

All webinars will be held 12-1PM Eastern Time

 

November 28, 2012: Childhood Hearing in the 21st Century

New frontiers in auditory development and recent discoveries in infant hearing loss. Registernow!

 

January 23, 2013: From the Ears to the Brain

Auditory perception in infants and toddlers and the development of the listening brain. Registernow!

 

March 13, 2013: How Do Infants and Toddlers with Hearing Loss Learn to Listen and Talk?

Hearing aids and cochlear implants are only the beginning! An overview of strategies for providing auditory access and fostering early language development. Registernow!

 

June 5, 2013: Family Centered Practice for Infants and Toddlers with Hearing Loss

What have virtual home visits taught us about coaching and family centered early intervention? Registernow!

Free STEM Webinar

From The VHS Collaborative ---- and no not the VHS as in videocassette ---- this VHS stands for Virtual High School -----

THE VHS COLLABORATIVE WEBINAR SERIES PRESENTS: Part 2 of our STEM Series: "Engaging Students in Science Using Open Educational Resources (OERs)" Join us on Thursday, November 29, 2012 for this Free Webinar. Increasing students' interest in science related college majors and careers must begin in high school or even earlier. One approach is to use Open Educational Resources (OERs). As the movement toward releasing resources into the public domain continues to grow, each year brings a wealth of new opportunities to engage students in science through various forms of digital content. OERs: Address multiple learning styles Can be used to introduce or reinforce concepts Help make content meaningful, and connect students to the greater scientific community. In this webinar we will: Share 2012's Top 10 Science OERs Discuss methods to integrate these digital resources into the classroom Explore ways in which OERs can add new depth, dimension, and excitement to the classroom through a variety of digital media. Learn More & Register Now   For more information or to register by phone, please contact Danielle Neuffer at dneuffer@TheVHSCollaborative.org or call 978-450-0413.

Veterans Day 2012

We send out a heartfelt "thank you" to the men and women of all branches of the military that serve us in times of war, peace, tragic events, and national disasters ---- you are truly our heroes and we owe you a debt of thanks for your service - 

According to Military.com, here is some history on Veterans Day:   "Veterans Day,  November 11, or what has come to be known as Veterans Day, was originally set as a U.S. legal holiday to honor Armistice Day - the end of World War I, which officially took place on November 11, 1918. In legislature that was passed in 1938, November 11 was "dedicated to the cause of world peace and to be hereafter celebrated and known as 'Armistice Day.' As such, this new legal holiday honored World War I veterans.

 

In 1954, after having been through both World War II and the Korean War, the 83rd U.S. Congress, at the urging of the veterans service organizations, amended the Act of 1938 by striking out the word "Armistice" and inserting the word "Veterans." With the approval of this legislation on June 1, 1954, November 11 became a day to honor American veterans of all wars.

In 1968, the Uniforms Holiday Bill ensured three-day weekends for Federal employees by celebrating four national holidays on Mondays: Washington's Birthday, Memorial Day, Veterans Day, and Columbus Day. Under this bill, Veterans Day was moved to the last Monday of October. Many states did not agree with this decision and continued to celebrate the holiday on its original date. The first Veterans Day under the new law was observed with much confusion on October 25, 1971.

Finally on September 20, 1975, President Gerald R. Ford signed a law which returned the annual observance of Veterans Day to its original date of November 11, beginning in 1978. Since then, the Veterans Day holiday has been observed on November 11."

For more information on Veterans Day check out Military.com at http://www.military.com/veterans-day and the U.S. Department of Veterans Service at http://www1.va.gov/opa/vetsday/vetday_faq.asp

Library closing early!

Now about this weather --- snow today sixties on the weekend!!!!  The SERC Library will be closing at 3 pm today, Wednesday, November 7th due to the weather. 

Be safe out there!

Lead for Literacy

The Language Diversity and Literacy Development Research Group at Harvard University, the Harvard Prek to 3rd Grade Initiative and the W. Clement and Jessie V. Stone Foundation have launched Lead for Literacy --- one page memos written for leaders dedicated to children's literacy development from birth to age 9.  They will release 16 memos over the next three months. 

In addition to the Lead for Literacy memos, the site offers information on:

Supporting Educators
Supporting Families
Current Research Projects
Completed Research Projects
Publications List
In the News
Our Team
Our Partners
Our Funders

Check out the site at:  http://isites.harvard.edu/icb/icb.do?keyword=lesaux

SERC Library is OPEN!!!!

If you do not, we do ------ Have POWER, INTERNET and we are OPEN --- until 6:30 pm!  Come on in and see us, if you are looking for somewhere to go today, if you do not have power or even if you do ----- we will be happy to see you!

SERC Library CLOSED, Tuesday, October 30th!

The SERC Library will be CLOSED on Tuesday, October 30th!  Please check back on Wednesday, October 31st to see if we are open.  You can check here, check the main page of the Library catalog (www.ctserc.org/library and click on the catalog) or call 860.632.1485 x 267.  

If you have resources that were due back to the Library Monday or today, do not worry you have "Sand-y free" days!   Be safe and for those without power ---- be extra safe and we know what you are dealing with ---- several of us remember last year at this time!!!!

I truly hope that the graphic is correct, we would like to see more sun!

SERC Library CLOSED - Monday, October 29, 2012

The SERC Library will be CLOSED on Monday, October 29, 2012 due to the storm.  Please check back to see if we will be open on Tuesday, October 30th either here on the blog, the home page of the SERC website at www.ctserc.org or you can call 860.632.1485 x 267. 

Be safe, be careful and we will see you soon!

Free Webinar from PreK-3rd Grade National Work Group

Looking Inside Classrooms: Teacher Effectiveness

Date:   Wednesday, October 24, 2012 - 3:00pm to 4:30pm

Far too many young children are deprived of effective teaching—a critical foundation for children’s future academic success. In the early years and early grades, practitioners, policymakers, and parents need to broaden and enhance the understanding of what constitutes high quality teaching. Teaching practices must be associated with improved school experiences and outcomes for children, both academically and in the social-emotional domain. In this webinar we will explore the use of observational measures to assess and inform teacher effectiveness in a PreK-3rd grade context. Addressing a broad range of instructional practices and priorities, these measures examine how teachers create opportunities for children to interact with their physical environment, their peers, and their teachers in ways that promote intellectual engagement and provide a social-emotional foundation for learning. This webinar will provide examples from schools districts and individual schools that are using these observational tools in novel and effective ways to promote better teaching.

To register:  http://www.prek-3rdgradenationalworkgroup.org/node/14