FREE PREP Conference and Resource Fair

Free! Live and Learn... 1st Annual Parent Conference and Resource Fair

Sponsored by PREP/Parent Resource Center (www.prep-prc.org) and the Special Education Advisory Committees (SEAC) of Albemarle, Charlottesville, Fluvanna, Greene, Louisa, and Madison

WHEN - Saturday, March 8, 2008, 9:00 am to 1:00 pm
WHERE - PREP/Parent Resource Center (Ivy Creek School Building) 225 Lambs Lane, Charlottesville

Join your friends, neighbors, and colleagues for a day of learning, sharing, and fun. All free, with food and childcare*.

Topics include parent advocacy, sensory strategies, family dynamics, assistive technology and more.

For more information and to register:Sarah Blech, Coordinator, PREP/Parent Resource Center
(434) 975-9400 ext. 2342 or sblech@k12albemarle.org

* Childcare is limited. Please register early if you need childcare.

Special Education Advisory Committee (SEAC) Parents, Educators, and Community Agencies:
Partners in the Education of All Children

The Special Education Parent Advisory Committee is composed of parents of students who require special education services, other interested persons from the community, and educators in the field who have an interest in special education. This committee provides advice concerning unmet needs in the education of children with disabilities and assists in the formulation and development of long-range plans for these children. Any parent who is interested is encouraged to attend the Special Education Parent Advisory Committee meetings. For more information contact your Director of Special Education.

Safe Surfing on the Internet

My fourth grader is becoming increasingly Internet savvy. I want to install an Internet filter on our computer to prevent my kids from accessing inappropriate material. We use Google as our search engine and I have it set to "strict filtering" but I fear that my kids will soon find other ways to navigate the Internet.

Does anyone have software suggestions or know of good sites that review this type of software? I'm wondering if I install something if it's going to make the Internet a pain for me to use.

Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks.

Willa Neale

Living Wage for Charlottesville City Schools

The Virginia Organizing Project is working with other local groups to encourage the Charlottesville School Board to pay all employees a living wage. Let's take care of those who serve our children warm meals and who keep our schools clean and healthy every day.


The city of Charlottesville has already committed to paying all employees a living wage of $11.44 per hour. Call your school board representatives and ask them to follow the city's lead and raise all employees to a living wage of at least $11.44 per hour for all school employees! In this next budget cycle they need to raise all employees up to this level and help these valuable employees adequately support their families.


Please call your school board members or attend the next public comment at one of their meetings and let them know you support a living wage for all school employees.


Log on to http://www.ccs.k12.va.us/board_members.html for school board contact information.


Thanks,
Sarah Cooper

Principal Search Update

The following is an update from Dr. Giglio at Central Office about the search for a new principal for Greenbrier:

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We have over 26 applications that we are reviewing. Our plan is to select the best candidates and conduct reference checks before we interview.

The selected applicants will be invited in for a panel interview. The interview panel will narrow the group to a few finalists who will be asked to attend and present at the school parent/staff forum. Definite dates are not yet set but we want to allow enough time for any out of state applicants to make travel arrangements.

As you may recall, at the forum, every parent and staff member has an opportunity to present questions and provide feedback to the superintendent who will make a final recommendation to the School Board.

The interview panel will be a diverse group consisting of some Central Office staff members, two parents, two staff members and another elementary principal.

We are asking the PTO to select one parent. A second parent will be selected by the Central Office administration to provide diversity on the panel. (We are asking the same of staff.)
We are also asking the PTO to provide a list of 4 or 5 topics they would like covered in the interview process.

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If you have a topic you would like covered in the interview process please email Willa (willaneale@hotmail.com) or Lorie (lorie1963@aol.com).

Thanks for keeping up with the PTO.

Cell Tower Concerns

Hello,

I would like to start a thread about the cell phone tower issue.

From what I understand, there is some exposure to the power frequency electromagnetic fields that come from the towers. I did some research and saw an article from the World Health Organization that has made me feel a bit unsure about it all.(http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs263/en/) In the article,it is stated that the ELF's (power frequency electromagnetic fields) are "possibly carcinogenic to humans" and they link a possibility between exposure to them and childhood leukemia.

I really don't know much about the issue but I have read of many schools protesting the use of towers. If some people can talk to either side, then perhaps we, as parents, can be educated about the matter.

It seems like putting them up closer to the gas stations and railroad tracks might be a safer bet. Granted, I am sure that the school could use the $10,000 a year it would be paid, but not at the expense of the children's health.

From what I understand, once that contract is signed, it is very hard to get the company to take the towers down.

Thanks! Lindsay Diamond