Parent and Family Newsletters
Building bridges between home, school and community
to promote student success for all families of Jenison Public Schools
to promote student success for all families of Jenison Public Schools
New beginningsSpring is a time to consider new opportunities and beginnings. Life is full of them, chosen and not-so-chosen. Often in order to enter into something new, we need to leave behind what is known and comfortable, and this can be scary. If you experience fear that comes with new beginnings know that you are not alone, and that there are steps you can take to help you enter into the unknown. 1. Accept and understand that change and uncertainty happens to everyone Change occurs, whether we invite it or not. Life brings unexpected challenges and opportunities to us. If we can accept and understand that this is part of life, we can face the inevitable fear and uncertainty that comes along with confidence. 2. Understand your fears Fear is response to something that we perceive as threatening or harmful. Allow yourself to wonder, “what am I afraid of?”. Understanding your fear can help to remove some of feelings associated with it. Naming your fear and allowing it to help you can give you control over your worries. Otherwise, your worries and fears can control you. 3. Write down your fears The actual act of writing things down can be helpful. It can help bring awareness, remove the power of the fear, and help you identify barriers to moving forward with solutions. It can even be a helpful practice to write a letter to your fear. Begin with "Dear fear," and see where it leads you. 4. Use positive language You don't always get to choose circumstances, but you can choose the frame in which you perceive them. Try to use positive language in thinking and talking about transition, not ignoring the fear, pain or discomfort, but not letting them steal the show. You get to choose which thoughts to focus on and believe. 5. Embrace your learning You can ask yourself, "What is the opportunity?". Even the hardest, darkest times provide some opportunity for growth, joy, hope, or help. If it is not immediately evident, keep looking. You will find it. 6. You don't have to do this alone. Remember that you don't have to navigate new beginnings alone. Reach out to friends, family, supportive coworkers, anyone who will have a positive impact on you. They would probably love to help. adapted from: https://www.counselling-directory.org.uk/counsellor-articles/the-challenge-of-new-beginnings-facing-your-fears Spring ideas and activitiesSpring break brings a transition for a lot of families, whether you are traveling or staying home. Here are some resources for you. THINGS TO DO IN WEST MICHIGAN THIS SPRING. Check out these links for ideas for you and your family:
Community resources and eventsSummer camp opportunities that are free or low cost, and for children with special needsYouth Haven Ranch:
Youth Haven is committed to meeting the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of disadvantaged children. This includes boys and girls living in foster care, single-parent families, or low-income homes, as well as children who have experienced abuse, neglect, gang violence, or even a parent in prison. There are no income requirements for this program. Our free weekend and summer camps, Kids' Klub after school programs, and follow-up programs give troubled kids a chance to get away from their difficult circumstances and have fun with other kids their age. They learn they are loved, valued, and have the potential to do something great with their lives. Most importantly, they discover God loves them, created them for a purpose, and will never leave them, no matter what they might be going through. Youth Haven provides disadvantaged children with...
3796 Perrine Rd, Rives Junction, MI 49277 - 517-569-3631 Salvation Army: Curtis Britcher / Camp Director 616.784.1404 ext: 4200 Goals of Salvation Army Camping: Camping at Little Pine Island focuses on having fun in God’s creation and teaching practical skills that many kids have not had the opportunity to learn. Drawn primarily from Salvation Army Community Centers, camper’s physical, social and spiritual needs are met in ways they will take with them long after camp is done. They also offer band, choir, and drama camp. Link for more information: https://centralusa.salvationarmy.org/LPIcamp/youth-summer-camp/ Little Pine Island Camp and Retreat Center: 6889 Pine Island Drive Northeast Comstock Park, MI 49321-9616. To apply for camp: Summer registration begins each year on May 1st. A $5.00 non-refundable fee is submitted with each registration. Campers receive a $5.00 credit for the camp store upon arrival. Additional transportation or registration fees may be requested by local service centers. Please contact the Corps (The Salvation Army Church) nearest you for additional information. A desire for a boatload of fun and a little information can get your child registered. Necessary information includes: a copy of his/her health insurance card, an up-to-date immunization record, and completed forms for health history, Summer Food Service Eligibility & an activities “Informed Consent” form. Don’t forget to check for all those “need your signature” spots! To register call Lansing Capital Area Command at 517.482.9715, located at 525 N. Pennsylvania Ave Lansing Michigan. North Star Reach: https://www.northstarreach.org/ There are no income requirements for this program. 1200 University Camp Dr., Pinckney, MI 48169 – 734-680-8744 The Need for North Star Reach: Unfortunately, each year there are many more children who are unable to attend regular summer camp due to serious medical conditions. A needs assessment conducted in 2008 confirmed that there are more than 75,000 children in the Great Lakes Region (Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin and Ontario, Canada) with serious and life-threatening illnesses (cardiology, gastroenterology, blood disorders, cancer, burns, organ transplants, ventilator dependence) that will be eligible to attend North Star Reach. Currently, less than 10% of these children have an opportunity to attend summer camp and for some no programming exists at all. A health center staffed by nurses, physicians and other medical professionals allows children with complex medical needs to come to camp, often for the first time. The Benefits of North Star Reach: Campers at North Star Reach experience all of the fun, joy and independence that all children receive at camp and appreciate a rare sense of normalcy. Campers leave with improved self-esteem, restored childhood and a sense of accomplishment at attempting challenges in an environment that provides physical, emotional and medical support and supervision. Campers, staff and volunteers are all impacted in a positive way by the camp experience. Additionally, parents have a much-needed opportunity for respite and many report that their children return from camp with a new sense of autonomy and independence. About Our Camp: North Star Reach is a 501(c) 3 non-profit organization located on 105 acres in Pinckney, Michigan. As a Full Member Camp of Serious Fun Children’s Network founded by Paul Newman, North Star Reach serves children with chronic and life-threatening health challenges across the Great Lakes Region, free of charge. North Star Reach operates year-round and includes a health center, dining hall, cabins to house campers and staff, arts and crafts center, two swimming pools, nature trails, athletic court, sports field, an accessible tree house, archery range, amphitheater and waterfront docks, all designed to fit in a rustic camp environment. Camp can accommodate approximately 1,500 children and family members annually. Apply for Family Camp: Our Family Camp programs are entirely free of charge and open to families with a child who has a diagnosis within the areas associated with one of our family camp sessions (see our 2019 schedule below). In addition, the child who has a serious health challenge must be 17 years old or younger (yes, infants are welcome!). We ask that families only attend one Family Camp per year. During our Family Camps, we offer many activities similar to our summer camp programs, such as boating, arts and crafts, archery, evening campfires, morning hikes, and more. We purposefully plan these activities so that families can spend time together. North Star Reach Family Camps begin Friday evening (welcome and check-in starts at 6 p.m.) and will run until 12 p.m. Sunday afternoon. Since there are a limited number of spots available, families must commit to being at camp Friday to Sunday. Unfortunately, we are unable to accommodate Saturday arrivals. To apply for Spring Family Camp, complete the information on the online application website by clicking the button below. (Note: applications will go live January 1, 2019.) We recommend you review the following instructions before submitting your application: https://www.northstarreach.org/lets-camp/family-camp/ 2019 Family Camp Schedule New Camper Family Orientation: If your camper/family is applying or thinking about applying for the first time to one of our programs, you are invited to this orientation. This event will include information on our program, tour of camp and more. April 20: New Camper Family Orientation at North Star Reach. Spring Family Camp April 26 – 28: Cardiology/General Session Family Camp May 10 – 12: Palliative Care/General Session Family Camp May 17 – 19: Neuro-Oncology/General Session Family Camp Fall Family Camp September 27 – 29: Sickle Cell/Hematology/Pain Management/General Family Camp October 11 – 13: Transplant/General Session Family Camp October 25 – 27: Epilepsy/General Session Family Camp November 1 – 3: Dance Marathon at the University of Michigan Family Camp General Session Family Weekend Camps are open to families with a child who has a serious medical diagnosis. Dance Marathon Family Camp is for families who are a Dance Marathon family OR families with a camper diagnosed with a physical or developmental challenge. Housing Typically, two families will share a cabin with two bathrooms (2 toilets, 2 sinks and 2 fully accessible showers in each). Our cabins are purposefully built to house 16 people, so plenty of room for two or more families to share for a weekend. Each cabin has heating, air conditioning, electrical outlets and bunk-style beds. Activity Level The distance from the cabins to our waterfront is approximately a half mile. Participants should be aware on an average Saturday at Family Camp families may walk up to three miles going from cabin to meals to activities. Immunizations Current immunization for Chicken Pox, MMR and DPT/DTaP are required for all participants under 18. Current immunizations for TdaP, within the last ten years, is required for participants 11 and older. Processing Your Application After submitting your family’s application, your forms will be reviewed for completion. You will be contacted at a later date if information is needed to complete your application. Once all members’ applications are complete, they will be reviewed by our Medical Team and you will be notified of your enrollment status. Enrollment is based on completion date: first completed, first reserved. Waitlist Unfortunately, North Star Reach may not be able to accommodate all who apply to camp. While we would love to be able to welcome everyone, we do have a limit to the available accommodations for families so first completed, first reserved. If a session is already full and you apply, you will be notified you have been placed on a waiting list. If a reservation becomes available, you will be notified. Keep in mind that an application must be complete before it is reviewed by our medical team. Apply to Summer Camp: Our Summer Camp programs are entirely free of charge and open to children who have a diagnosis within the areas associated with our summer programs. For Transplant, Epilepsy, Cardiology, Sickle Cell/Hematology/Pain Management and Sibling sessions, campers must be 7-15 years old by the first day of the session. Campers for Solstice Camp must be 16 years old at the start of the session, or 17 years old during the entire session. To apply for Summer Camp, complete the information on the online application website by clicking the button below. (Note: applications will go live January 1, 2019.) We recommend you review the following instructions before submitting your application: https://www.northstarreach.org/lets-camp/summer-camp/ New Camper Family Orientation: If your camper/family is applying or thinking about applying for the first time to one of our programs, you are invited to this orientation. This event will include information on our program, tour of camp and more. April 20: New Camper Family Orientation at North Star Reach 2019 Summer Camp Schedule June 17 – 22: Transplant (Michitanki) Camp June 27 – 30: Solstice Camp (for campers aged 16 & 17 who have a diagnosis associated with one of our summer camp sessions) July 8 – 13: Cardiology Camp July 20 – 24: Epilepsy (Camp Discovery) Camp July 31 – August 5: Sickle Cell/Hematology/Pain Management Camp August 12 – 17: Sibling Camp (for brothers and sisters of a North Star Reach camper) Transplant Camp is for campers who have received a solid organ transplant. * Solstice Camp is a week for campers ages 16 and 17 with a serious health challenge associated with one of our summer camp sessions. These health challenges include solid organ transplant, sickle cell/hematology/pain management, cardiology and epilepsy. Cardiology Camp is for campers with congenital and acquired heart disease, transplantation and pre/post-surgical repair. * Epilepsy (Camp Discovery) Camp is for campers who have a diagnosis of epilepsy or a seizure disorder. Sickle Cell/ Hematology/Pain Management Camp is for campers with hematologic diseases including sickle cell disease, bleeding disorders, anemias (blood cancers excluded). This week is also for campers with a diagnosis of chronic pain that is under the care of a pain management specialist. Sibling Camp is a week for siblings ages 7 – 15 of campers who have attended a program in 2016, 2017 or who have applied to attend in 2018. Siblings attend camp without the camper with the medical diagnosis. *Heart transplant campers may attend either Transplant Camp OR Cardiology Camp. Have a wonderful week!
1 Comment
Gosko Carmen
3/31/2019 10:54:25 am
Thank You for this! My husband was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in January this year. Six days after, prostate cancer . And on March 5, rectal cancer. We have a 15 yr. old at Jenison and we so appreciate the support of the staff and all the community. May God Bless you richly.
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