tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48497830436751038562024-03-13T09:04:49.702-07:00Laraway HappeningsLaraway Youth & Family Serviceshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13317917369697917904noreply@blogger.comBlogger181125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4849783043675103856.post-58409539008908778392019-09-17T11:09:00.000-07:002019-09-17T11:12:10.041-07:00Laraway Teacher Wins Scholarship from the prestigious Colonial Williamsburg Foundation<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Yi4ObHlyblY/XYEgJ0xBspI/AAAAAAAACEo/epoirAH5rNAguQYpd7T1jJU3MC-wJJXGgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/crown-312734_1280.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="706" data-original-width="1280" height="110" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Yi4ObHlyblY/XYEgJ0xBspI/AAAAAAAACEo/epoirAH5rNAguQYpd7T1jJU3MC-wJJXGgCLcBGAsYHQ/s200/crown-312734_1280.png" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Laraway School
teacher Carla Occaso won a summer scholarship to the prestigious Colonial
Williamsburg Foundation Teacher Institute in Williamsburg, Virginia.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Carla attended along with teachers from
across the United States.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Institute
offers teachers:<o:p></o:p></div>
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</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Primary source materials and standards-based
content<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">A lens to view people and events that is
inclusive<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Creative teaching strategies to actively
engage students in the classroom<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">A truly immersive learning opportunity, on
the rich Colonial Williamsburg site<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Opportunities to share ideas with fellow
teachers and staff<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Access to the Colonial Williamsburg
Education Resource Center, offering lesson plans, media, etc.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“I’m always
thinking about what they (Laraway School students) like,” Carla said. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Carla recognized
that many Laraway students enjoy playing Chess, Dungeons and Dragons, and the card
game, Magic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She also knows our students
benefit greatly from hands-on learning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Carla has been creating Artifact Bags, each containing items associated
with a particular member of society during the Medieval Period.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This era, also known as the Middle Ages,
covers the 5<sup>th</sup> to the 15<sup>th</sup> centuries in Europe.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Students will
rummage through the bags, lifting out items offering clues to who the contents
might have belong too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Are they a king,
a bishop, a noble, a knight, a cleric or a commoner?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A gilded fork with a faux, plastic “jewel”
might belong to a king, poised to thrust it into roasted wild boar. A
rough-hewn, wooden spoon might be the sole eating implement for a commoner’s
gruel.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Carla’s
excitement is evident as she creates crowns, swords and shields for students to
access in this highly tactile approach to teaching history.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let the learning begin!<o:p></o:p></div>
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(Source:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span class="MsoHyperlink"><a href="https://www.history.org/history/teaching/teacherdevelopment/index.cfm">https://www.history.org/history/teaching/teacherdevelopment/index.cfm</a></span>)<o:p></o:p></div>
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Laraway Youth & Family Serviceshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13317917369697917904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4849783043675103856.post-58605797808167091342019-08-27T05:28:00.000-07:002019-08-27T05:29:08.542-07:00Change is Coming<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6jvgH-MSMxw/XWUiBBRU43I/AAAAAAAACDM/RecOlCny9n0LJypZdqDYRIb05G3d_h7GACLcBGAs/s1600/Greg%2BNOW%2BHIRING.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="960" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6jvgH-MSMxw/XWUiBBRU43I/AAAAAAAACDM/RecOlCny9n0LJypZdqDYRIb05G3d_h7GACLcBGAs/s320/Greg%2BNOW%2BHIRING.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve come to believe one of the most
challenging and difficult questions Life asks of us is, “Will you change?”<span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;"><span style="color: inherit;"> </span>This question has been on my
mind quite a bit as I prepare to leave Laraway to pursue new opportunities to
provide training and consultation with other organizations in the community and
beyond.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What does it take to make a big change in
your life?<span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;"><span style="color: inherit;"> </span></span>Reflecting
on the children and youth who have passed through Laraway’s doors, has given me
some answers.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have learned it’s important to dream.<span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;"><span style="color: inherit;"> K</span>now your passions and let
them run wild.<span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;"><span style="color: inherit;"> </span></span>Imagine a
new destination and destiny for yourself.<span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;"><span style="color: inherit;"> </span></span>On
the practical side of things, it’s helpful to have a plan for getting through a
big change.<span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;"><span style="color: inherit;"> </span></span>A long
journey is less daunting when you have a map and compass to help guide you.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Finally, and I would say most importantly,
you’ve got to have a travel buddy when making a change.<span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;"><span style="color: inherit;"> </span></span>The tough times are a little
more manageable, the good times are a little more enjoyable when you have
someone to walk and talk with you.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt;">Thank you for 20 amazing years
of changes! <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>~Greg Stefanski<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt;">Search Committee Update:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt;">The Search Committee has been
busy meeting with staff, reviewing survey results and posting ads for the next
Executive Director of Laraway.<span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;"><span style="color: inherit;"> </span></span>If
you would like more details or have any suggestions, please send a message to <a data-auth="NotApplicable" href="mailto:EDSearch@Laraway.org" id="LPlnk995093" target="_blank"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">EDSearch@Laraway.org</span></a>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt;">Thank you- Anne, Ben, Emma and
Rhonda<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />Laraway Youth & Family Serviceshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13317917369697917904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4849783043675103856.post-75580152359769676412019-08-21T10:53:00.002-07:002019-08-21T10:54:40.505-07:00Student Writing: Meet Math Teacher James Love<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-67eUpW4ZLOs/XV2EEs-qqJI/AAAAAAAACCc/nJIMoIFGLz4_ZJQEkArW2B2ifmUbQ4qUwCLcBGAs/s1600/James%2BLove.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-67eUpW4ZLOs/XV2EEs-qqJI/AAAAAAAACCc/nJIMoIFGLz4_ZJQEkArW2B2ifmUbQ4qUwCLcBGAs/s320/James%2BLove.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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By SL, Laraway School Student</div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.2; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; color: inherit; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> This is about James, a math teacher at Laraway. Before that, he worked at the chocolate factory and still picks up weekend shifts from time to time. I chose to interview James because I enjoy his company. We talked about where he is from, where he has been, and where he is going.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.2; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; color: inherit; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">James was born Nov. 10th, 1992 at Stanford Hospital in East Palo Alto, California. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: inherit; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;">He</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.2;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; color: inherit; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">moved to Vermont with his family because they needed a change of pace. At the time, James was only 16. As he grew up he found out he has a knack for math. “I always liked how concrete math seems. I never liked writing.”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.2; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; color: inherit; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This led him to a career in math and a lifelong interest in games.
</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.2; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; color: inherit; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In order to get the credentials to use his interest in math as a profession, he needed an education. So he studied math for four years at what was Johnson State College, he also did accounting there for a year before getting a job at Union Bank. He then went to be an employee at a chocolate factory, where at some point a friend referred him to a job at Laraway. Clearly he got the job, that’s how I am able to write this. Interesting, right?</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.2;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; color: inherit; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="border: 0px; color: inherit; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"></span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; color: inherit; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> And, as for James, the future isn’t out of his grasp. “I feel like for right now, my plan is to pursue my teaching license, and get a masters in counselling.” In the future he would like to live in the country or a suburban area because he moved around a lot as a kid. “I would like to have a wife and kids. One maybe two (kids).”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.2; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; color: inherit; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I asked him about his goals:</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.2; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; color: inherit; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">He said, “Skydiving. I have a crippling fear of heights. I want to tackle that fear…..What is the probability of the parachute not opening?”</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.2; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px; color: inherit; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">To finalize this document, I can tell you that James is a great teacher. He enjoys problem solving and he makes learning fun by integrating games into math. His perseverance helps himself and others. James intends on living his best life; unknowingly he has a huge impact on others. </span></div>
Laraway Youth & Family Serviceshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13317917369697917904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4849783043675103856.post-66430658276744224632019-07-30T12:30:00.001-07:002019-07-30T12:30:55.237-07:00CLiF Visits Laraway: Books and Stories <br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Q2tCttR6y8o/XUCXGmop7ZI/AAAAAAAACA8/LqLZE7W_njYkMhM2NG9Nje9HA8VIH1udgCLcBGAs/s1600/Duncan%2BMcDougall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="960" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Q2tCttR6y8o/XUCXGmop7ZI/AAAAAAAACA8/LqLZE7W_njYkMhM2NG9Nje9HA8VIH1udgCLcBGAs/s320/Duncan%2BMcDougall.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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"What kinds of book do you like to read?" Duncan McDougall asked a group of Laraway students. McDougall, Executive Director of the Children's Literacy Foundation (CLiF), called on kids as they raised their hands responding with, "Mysteries." "Graphic Novels." "Adventure." "History." "I just like to be true," one student said.</div>
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Laraway is fortunate to have received a Summer Readers Grant from CLiF again this year. McDougall met with two groups of Laraway children, ranging in age from 7 to 19. He offered a dramatic reading of a story before inviting each participant to choose two, brand-new books to take home.</div>
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Children and youth in Laraway's programs often come from families experiencing significant socioeconomic challenges. Transportation to get to the library or, simply, time can be barriers for working families and others. That's the beauty of CliF...they bring the storytellers and the books to Laraway!</div>
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We are grateful to have been selected, yet again, for CLiF's Summer Readers Program! </div>
Laraway Youth & Family Serviceshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13317917369697917904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4849783043675103856.post-42595008562575292662019-07-03T08:43:00.001-07:002019-07-03T08:43:03.493-07:00Laraway School Awards Diplomas to Graduating Seniors<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8TWfjOJQaTg/XRzLF9faffI/AAAAAAAAB_g/rfeakzGTluIRL_tGyGafQptv9vsHjuldwCLcBGAs/s1600/graduate-150374_1280.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1223" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8TWfjOJQaTg/XRzLF9faffI/AAAAAAAAB_g/rfeakzGTluIRL_tGyGafQptv9vsHjuldwCLcBGAs/s320/graduate-150374_1280.png" width="305" /></a></div>
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"It is not enough to be busy. So are the ants. The question is: What are you busy about?"</div>
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Henry David Thoreau</div>
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Laraway School concluded another successful academic year. Two seniors graduated, earning their high school diplomas. Students in our K-12 school advanced to their next grade level with some with plans to return to their public schools.</div>
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Students and staff celebrated academic and social achievements alike. Students were recognized for meeting academic requirements in math, literary arts, science, art and the social sciences. Teachers also recognized students for personal growth in areas of cooperation, collaboration and real-world problem-solving. James, a math teacher pointed out that a particularly math-savvy pupil kept him "on his toes" during a unit on Budgeting!</div>
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Laraway School is a "busy" place? What are we busy about? Academics. Social Skills. Employment Skills. Learning to "be" in the world in a positive way.</div>
Laraway Youth & Family Serviceshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13317917369697917904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4849783043675103856.post-59670154646351177792019-06-17T12:53:00.002-07:002019-06-17T12:58:44.600-07:00Nanci Lepsic Joins Laraway Board of Trustees<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: black;"> Nanci Lepsic has worked as an
educator, administrator, occupational therapist and ski instructor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She and her husband Tom also raised four
children adopted from the Vermont Department for Children, Youth and
Families.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The youngest, a ski racer,
just graduated from Rice Memorial High School with plans to attend St.
Michael’s College.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"> Nanci
grew up in a Polish-American family in Buffalo, New York.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Her father didn’t have the opportunity to
attend college, but he made sure his daughters did. Nancy earned a
degree in Occupational Therapy from SUNY-Buffalo in 1983. She went
on to earn her MBA while working as an administrator in the healthcare
industry. She taught college-level courses in New York, Pennsylvania
and Vermont.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"> “I
started my career working in a program in the Adirondacks for clients with
developmental disabilities,” Nanci said.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The experience offered valuable learning experiences and chance
encounters with all sorts of wildlife, including a black bear.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"> Nanci
loves to ski. She began teaching in an adaptive skiing program at
Kissing Bridge when she was 17.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Moving
on to positions at Big Tupper and Whiteface, she then realized her dream of
being a Ski Bum, teaching at a United States Army Recreation Base in
Germany.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>An interesting historical fact is
that the military’s ski lodge was a farm during the Third Reich frequented by
Adolf Hitler and his entourage. </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"> Nanci
retired at 40 to have more time and energy to address the special needs of her children. One
of them was a client of Backpack,---Laraway’s public school based
behavioral intervention program---during middle school.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She has helped these promising young
people gain a strong foothold in building positive futures for
themselves. They are now 26, 21, 20 and 18 years of age and, as of
this month, all have graduated from high school and are employed.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"> “I
was looking for what to do next when Greg (Stefanski) called,” Nanci said.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"> We
are so glad Nanci answered the call to join our Board!</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br />Laraway Youth & Family Serviceshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13317917369697917904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4849783043675103856.post-70665353323851572232019-06-17T12:51:00.003-07:002019-06-17T12:59:53.159-07:00Rhonda Lehoullier Joins Laraway's Board of Trustees<div style="text-align: left;">
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<span style="font-family: "lucida sans unicode"; font-size: 10pt;"> Rhonda Lehoullier is a new member of Laraway’s Board of Trustees. </span><span style="font-family: "lucida sans unicode"; font-size: 10pt;">Rhonda grew up in</span></div>
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<span lang="en-US" style="font-family: "lucida sans unicode"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Lamoille County. She’s held a variety of jobs over the years and takes pride in her skills as a seamstress. She learned to stitch and sew from her Grandmother Jo.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="en-US" style="font-family: "lucida sans unicode"; font-size: 10.0pt;"> “I wanted to serve on </span><span style="font-family: "lucida sans unicode"; font-size: 10pt;">Laraway’s Board of Trustees because, to me, it would mean serving the children. </span><span style="font-family: "lucida sans unicode"; font-size: 10pt;">It’s very important to me to be able to help,” said Rhonda.</span></div>
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<span lang="en-US" style="font-family: "lucida sans unicode"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Laraway is fortunate to have so many dedicated Board volunteers who are genuinely committed to insuring we provide the best </span><span lang="en-US" style="font-family: "lucida sans unicode"; font-size: 10pt;">services available to those we serve. </span></div>
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<span lang="en-US" style="font-family: "lucida sans unicode"; font-size: 10pt;"> Thank you, Rhonda!</span></div>
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<br />Laraway Youth & Family Serviceshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13317917369697917904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4849783043675103856.post-72931731210132703082019-06-05T12:49:00.001-07:002019-06-19T05:51:53.068-07:00Laraway Goes to Town for Green Up Day...Literally!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-l5NCOubm_YU/XPgZ73M6okI/AAAAAAAAB84/fxP0prxRVsgNTTUNAPk4ZAaUgDh8dOqlwCLcBGAs/s1600/chips-3942875_1920.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1066" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-l5NCOubm_YU/XPgZ73M6okI/AAAAAAAAB84/fxP0prxRVsgNTTUNAPk4ZAaUgDh8dOqlwCLcBGAs/s320/chips-3942875_1920.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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By Carla Occaso<br />
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Laraway School Teacher</div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif , "emojifont";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Laraway School student P.B. </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "times new roman" , serif , "emojifont"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">coordinated our Green Up Day effort this year. He broke up the school into groups and gave each group a stretch of road in our hometown of Johnson. I went with G.R., E.W., S.L., and L.W. to clean up a section of Hogback Road. We scrambled down muddy hillsides and brooks to</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "times new roman" , serif , "emojifont"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">recover six bags full of bottles, cans, cups, and miscellany. G.R. fished a flip flop out of a brook while S.L. found a downed road sign. It was raining most of the time, but we expected it and dressed for the occasion. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "times new roman" , serif , "emojifont"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">P.B. supplied us with gloves and </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "times new roman" , serif , "emojifont"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">bags.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "times new roman" , serif , "emojifont"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> “We filled over 80 bags of trash. I was impressed with the participation, given the rain,” P.B. said.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "times new roman" , serif , "emojifont"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Awards were given to each school group: Explorers, Most (Trash collected) Overall; Grizzlies, Teamwork; Tetons, Biggest Individual Item; and Dreamscopes, Most Unique Item.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "times new roman" , serif , "emojifont"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Green Up Day brought lots of excitement to those who participated. It is a hallowed tradition to Vermonters. Vermont's first Green Up Day was held April 18, 1970, during the administration of Governor Deane C. Davis.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "times new roman" , serif , "emojifont"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Laraway students like to do their part to keep Johnson CLEAN and GREEN!</span></div>
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Laraway Youth & Family Serviceshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13317917369697917904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4849783043675103856.post-39751805175250526312019-05-07T07:47:00.001-07:002019-05-08T05:22:44.834-07:00Laraway Hosts Transition Fair<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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We can't become what we need to be by remaining what we are.</div>
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~Anonymous</div>
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Youth aging out of foster care...Youth experiencing mental health challenges pursuing continuing education...Youth encountering learning disabilities endeavoring to find a job to support themselves. In an age of "Helicopter" and "Snowplow" parenting, many of the youth Laraway serves lack traditional family supports. These young people---with their own hopes and dreams---require extra supports at the stepping off point to adulthood.</div>
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Laraway's Transition Team has been working diligently to research best practices and evidence-based programming to supporting youth in transition. This intra-agency team represents staff from our foster care, educational, clinical and behavioral intervention programs. They're working on a laundry list of deliverables to promote positive outcomes for youth leaving our programs.</div>
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Our Transition Team is hosting Laraway's first-ever Transition Fair on Thursday, May 16th from 1:15 p.m.-4:00 p.m. This event, for Laraway staff, youth, and our youth's caregivers, will offer information on accessing Health, Housing, Education, Employment and Community-Building opportunities. Representatives from the Vermont Department of Labor, Vocational Rehabilitation and the local federally-designated health center will be among those represented. We've integrated incentives for youth at approach vendors to ask question to learn information while ALSO practicing social skills. The event features the debut of our free, online Transition Portal, a resource for Laraway client families and the broader community.</div>
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For more information, please contact Katherine at Kstamper@Laraway.org or (802) 635-2805 x 106.</div>
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Laraway Youth & Family Serviceshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13317917369697917904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4849783043675103856.post-5692562934400857192019-03-11T13:50:00.003-07:002019-03-11T13:50:54.116-07:00Jeff Lamkins: A Teacher's View<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I can’t wait to find out!</span></b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">By Jeff Lamkins, Social Studies Teacher, Laraway School
Individualized Program<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In February 2018, I was new to Vermont and looking for a job
similar to what I have done in the past, which was teaching high school and
middle school. I came across an ad that seemed to be tailor-made for me.
Shortly after applying for the Social Studies position at Laraway Youth and
Family Services, I was lucky enough to hear back, and they asked me to come in
for a visit to see the campus, and get to meet some students and staff. I was
very excited and looking forward to coming in.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">My first day at Laraway was quite memorable, as it was the day we
were holding Laralympics! The students and staff piled into what seemed like a
convoy of vans, and headed to a nearby snow-covered series of hills. Teams
sporting different countries’ flags competed in a variety of events such as
bobsledding, skiing, and other winter sports. I looked a little out of place
wearing my long black leather coat, looking more like a city slicker than an
outdoorsman. Regardless, all of the students and staff made me feel like a part
of the family. I would be tempted to say that they went <i>out of their way</i>
to make me feel welcome, but in fact they were all just being themselves. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“This is who they are,” I thought to myself. They are genuinely
warm and loving people who bond together to help the students reach their full
potential. Yup, this is the place I need to be!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Fast forward to the present day: I am approaching my first full
year here at Laraway, and I can honestly say that this is the most rewarding
job I have ever had. I am here to teach students, and I try to do that to the
best of my ability, but I learn as much from them (maybe more) then I teach
them. The students at Laraway have shown me how to overcome obstacles, pressing
on toward their goals of building themselves through academic success, even
though they have moments when that may be the last thing they want to do. But
they do it anyway, and they do it well! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In the short year I have been here, I have seen tremendous growth
in students. Some make unbelievable advances in their social skills and
interactions with others. Some serve the local community in charitable work.
Some have jobs out in the community, and some have moved on to public school
settings using Laraway as the launching pad to the rest of their lives. But
ALL, and I mean ALL of the students at Laraway are better today than they were
yesterday, and tomorrow that will happen again.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">They are strong, very strong, always moving forward toward their personal
goals. And although they will have struggles, their struggles will not have
them. There is power in that, real personal power. And that lesson that they
have taught me is more valuable than anything I could ever teach them. How many
schools can say that about their teenagers?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">My grandfather once said to me, “If you love your job, you’ll
never work a day in your whole life.” I know what he means now. Thank you,
Laraway. Thank you for allowing me the privilege of being a member of your
family. What wonderful discoveries will I see at this amazing place in my
second year? I can’t wait to find out!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Laraway Youth & Family Serviceshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13317917369697917904noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4849783043675103856.post-34963652047808654132019-03-11T10:53:00.003-07:002019-03-11T10:53:52.686-07:00Kandi Marlow: Celebrating Professional Social Worker Month<br />
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March
is National Professional Social Work Month.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Please enjoy this blog posting from Kandi Marlow, MSW, a Program Manager
at Laraway Youth & Family Services.<o:p></o:p></div>
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“<i><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">The
good we secure for ourselves is precarious and uncertain </span></i><o:p></o:p></div>
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<i><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">Until
it is secured for all of us and incorporated into our common life.”</span></i><o:p></o:p></div>
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<i><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">~Jane
Addams</span></i><o:p></o:p></div>
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I chose this quote because Social Work is the most flexible practice you
can choose if you wish to inspire and make change within the world. Jane Addams
was an original Pioneer for Social Work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>She remains one of the most famous and decorated female Social Workers.
Jane Addams inspired and created the practice in which I get to work. When
asked what I value and enjoy about this work, I would reply with the gratitude
I feel for all the great work done by strong women before me. They created
the path on which I am privileged to walk in this field of Social Work. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Social Work month is not only about recognizing individual Social Workers
but, also, about recognizing the field of practice and the invaluable
contributions of the profession. Every day, over 680,000 social workers across
the United States, serve some of the most vulnerable in our society by
empowering and elevating them. I believe Social Workers are superheroes who use
their superpowers to create not only change but, also, to give voice to the
voiceless.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />Laraway Youth & Family Serviceshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13317917369697917904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4849783043675103856.post-84193784718195401402019-02-28T08:15:00.001-08:002019-02-28T08:25:01.771-08:00Chamber of Commerce names Laraway Staffer 2019 Employee of the Year<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">Rick Aupperlee has worked for Laraway Youth
& Family Services for 18 years. In his present role as School-to-Work
Coordinator, he introduces students to the work world. He helps them
understand expectations and supports needed to find success on the job.
He also works with employers to insure they feel well-supported as they
help youth find their footing at work.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> Rick is a strong advocate for hunger
awareness and action. Laraway's School-to-Work students often start with
volunteer experiences at local food shelves and the Johnson Community
Meal. They develop valuable work readiness skills (e.g., showing up on
time, maintaining a positive attitude, completing tasks as requested,
etc.). <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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"...Rick always has a smile on his face, everybody knows his name
just like 'Norm' on Cheers in this town," wrote Tom Fondakowski, Dining
Services Director at Northern Vermont University and Johnson Community Meal
partner. "Rick is a soft spoken, modest man, but his tireless
efforts, in my opinion, don't get recognized by our community leaders and I wanted
to make sure he gets some recognition for everything he does, not only for his
community, but giving our youth opportunity at Laraway, assistance to those in
need, and coordinating all of us."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Congratulations, Rick! We are fortunate to count you as a
colleague.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">(PHOTO: Orah Moore
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Laraway Youth & Family Serviceshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13317917369697917904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4849783043675103856.post-60422575993004690662019-01-21T08:00:00.001-08:002019-01-21T08:13:28.630-08:00How do we say thank you?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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How do we say thank you? This is a question well worth pondering as we reflect on the many wonderful gifts the children and families we serve received over the holiday season. Thank you notes have all be sent and, yet, it feels like MORE is required to acknowledge and celebrate the outpouring of generosity. </div>
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Chilean Poet Pablo Neruda (1904-1973) wrote, "Love is not about property, diamonds and gifts. It is about sharing your very self with the world around you." Here are some examples of people who shared with Laraway during the holiday season.</div>
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G, a staff member at the Lodge at Spruce Peak, noticed a Pennies for Presents canister. Pennies for Presents is a service project of Laraway School students in which they decorate and deliver canisters to local businesses, inviting folks to drop spare change in. When collected, the students sort and tally the coins---a hands-on math lesson---and purchase gifts which are donated to the Lamoille Family Center. G's spotting this initiative hatched a plan to invite her colleagues to purchase gifts for Laraway School students. A Wish List was quickly compiled, based on students' genuine interests and needs. Warm hats, a fishing pole and books representing specific genres were purchased, wrapped and tagged with each student's initials---to protect confidentiality. G and her colleagues presented the beautifully wrapped gifts on luggage cart at the resort. Picking up those presents on a cold December day was deeply gratifying and humbling.</div>
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N, a long-ago Backpack staff member at Laraway, recognized that many of our families feel want most greatly during the holiday season. She, with help from co-workers, launched the Backpack Holiday Project in which each family receives a festively wrapped box containing food, housewares, books and holiday treats to make their holidays a little brighter. The project, now in its second decade, is fueled by Backpack behavioral interventionists and case managers soliciting donations from the businesses they patronize throughout the year. Several Backpack staff also made cash and in-kind donations to support the project. </div>
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K, a retired businesswoman and Stowe resident, has a keen eye for quality new and gently-used items left at the "Put and Take" area of her community's trash and recycling transfer station. She's aware that Laraway School hosts a Holiday Store each year in which students choose presents for family members which they wrap---helped by Laraway Elves (i.e., teachers)---and bring home to their families. K has dropped off brand new and gently-used games and puzzles and she also purchased warm gloves and socks for the store's offerings. </div>
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M works in Substitute Care, our therapeutic foster care program. She had a kernel of an idea: transform our youth recreation room into a magical North Pole. She needed a tree---which we had donated---and a toy train to circle around the base of that tree. She enlisted her co-workers to provide cookies; her only caveat was that they be homemade. The youth room was decorated with twinkly lights. A fire "blazed" on the Smart TV screen. Carols played in the background. Santa (aka Program Director Dave McAllister) was ready with a gift for each youth. An ornament-making station was set up for youth to make a gift for someone they cared about. And there was hot chocolate, REAL hot chocolate with whipped cream and sprinkles. M had a vision to create a warm, wonderful holiday party and recruited her colleagues to help because all kids---including those in foster care---deserve homemade cookies and real hot chocolate.</div>
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J works in an administrative role at Laraway. This year, like last year, she quietly wrote a personal check when she learned of a youth who needed a pair of winter boots. J was generous enough to cover the cost of a "good" pair of winter boots, the kind that keeps your feet warm and doesn't soak through to your socks.</div>
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This post touches the tip of the iceberg when considering the generosity shown towards our children and families during this past holiday season. Thank you to everyone who shared a bit of themselves with our "world." Neruda would be pleased.</div>
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<br />Laraway Youth & Family Serviceshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13317917369697917904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4849783043675103856.post-87814327738682811272018-12-17T07:54:00.000-08:002018-12-17T08:04:01.168-08:00There is no normal with the drug problem: Message from a Mom<br />
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<span class="normaltextrun"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">There is no normal
with the drug problem:<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span class="normaltextrun"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Message from a Mom
who lost a child to addiction<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span class="normaltextrun">This little exercise was pretty cathartic. I had to
weed through a lot of stuff in my head and came up with some
observations. The thing that stuck out most was the fact that there is no
normal with the drug problem. I went to a few meetings and heard some
unbelievable stories.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My boy didn't
compare with most of them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Although
Chris had a few DUIs and lost his license for 2 years, he always had a job and
never missed any work time. Fortunately (or not) he had the means to
purchase what he wanted without having to resort to theft. I heard
stories of kids who were in jail several times for stealing to support their
habit. Kids living on the street because they didn't have the funds to
live anywhere. Kids who didn't have anywhere to turn for help or support.
I also talked to parents who tried everything to help their child, but nothing
worked and they had given up. I don't know what I would have done if I
were in that situation. </span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; user-select: text;"><span class="eop"></span> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="paragraph" paraeid="{760464f8-f4d0-4fa4-96e9-ccb2dc256aff}{165}" paraid="1793795267" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; overflow-wrap: break-word; user-select: text; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; user-select: text;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: inherit; user-select: text;"><span class="normaltextrun">After writing pages and pages of notes and
recollections, I think I can answer your questions in a fairly brief manner</span></span></span><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; user-select: text;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="contextualspellingandgrammarerror"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: inherit; background-position-x: 0%; background-position-y: 100%; border-bottom: transparent; user-select: text;">.....</span></span></span><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; user-select: text;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: inherit; user-select: text;">with some
explanations.</span></span></span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; user-select: text;"><span class="eop"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="paragraph" paraeid="{760464f8-f4d0-4fa4-96e9-ccb2dc256aff}{173}" paraid="585733365" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; overflow-wrap: break-word; user-select: text; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; user-select: text;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: inherit; user-select: text;"><span class="normaltextrun">To someone who is experiencing addiction:</span><span class="eop"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="normaltextrun">Provide a combination of positive and negative
reinforcement. That person needs to be told that they are likely to end
up in jail or dead. It isn't useful to be positive although that should
be part of the conversation. You need to tell them how special they are
and how much they are loved, but too much sugar-coating doesn't really deliver
the message...they are heading down a dangerous path. Nagging doesn't
help. The bottom line is that the person has to take responsibility and
decide that enough is enough. No one can do that for them. I
struggled with Chris for a long time, but what finally made HIM decide that he
needed to walk a better path was the death of his grandmother. He was
supposed to go and see her on his birthday, but he got high with friends
instead. She died before he got a chance to see her and I don't think he
really got over that. It was what finally convinced him that he was going
to get serious. You can never, ever, give up. And
really pay attention to the friends and family that you do have that love you
unconditionally. Chris had some really amazing friends and I hope he knew
how special he was to them.</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; user-select: text;"><span class="eop"></span> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; user-select: text;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: inherit; user-select: text;"><span class="normaltextrun">To the parents</span></span></span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; user-select: text;"><span class="eop"> </span>of someone experiencing addiction: <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="paragraph" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<br /></div>
<div class="paragraph" paraeid="{760464f8-f4d0-4fa4-96e9-ccb2dc256aff}{199}" paraid="1912525362" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; overflow-wrap: break-word; user-select: text; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; user-select: text;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: inherit; user-select: text;"><span class="normaltextrun">Be supportive as you can. Reinforce
the fact that you do love your child unconditionally. Make sure they know
that you love t</span></span>hem, but don't love their behavior. Show that
you are concerned, but realize that they have to be the ones to decide to
change. No one can do it for them. </span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; user-select: text;"><span class="eop"></span> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="paragraph" paraeid="{760464f8-f4d0-4fa4-96e9-ccb2dc256aff}{209}" paraid="694238186" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; overflow-wrap: break-word; user-select: text; vertical-align: baseline;">
<br /></div>
<div class="paragraph" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="normaltextrun">To </span><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; user-select: text;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: inherit; user-select: text;">the friends</span></span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; user-select: text;">
of someone experiencing addiction:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span class="eop"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="paragraph" paraeid="{760464f8-f4d0-4fa4-96e9-ccb2dc256aff}{217}" paraid="1575299278" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; overflow-wrap: break-word; user-select: text; vertical-align: baseline;">
<br /></div>
<div class="paragraph" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="normaltextrun">Be there for them</span><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; user-select: text;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: inherit; user-select: text;">,</span></span><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; user-select: text;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: inherit; user-select: text;"> but don't condone their behavior.
Listen to them when they need to talk. Engage them in activities to
keep them busy and out of trouble. I have been in touch with a lot
of Chris's friends and co-workers. One of the guys that Chris worked with
was absolutely devastated. He actually said to me....."I wish I
would have said something to him, but I didn't want him to be mad at
me." I still have not had the guts to ask the guy what he meant by
that. Did Chris tell him he was back on drugs? Did he tell him how
he was going to celebrate on the 4<sup>th</sup> ? I will get back to him
and ask him to elaborate, but I am not ready for the answer yet. I doubt
if anything said would have changed the outcome.</span></span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; user-select: text;"><span class="eop"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="paragraph" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<br /></div>
<div class="paragraph" paraeid="{760464f8-f4d0-4fa4-96e9-ccb2dc256aff}{227}" paraid="1142502132" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; overflow-wrap: break-word; user-select: text; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; user-select: text;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: inherit; user-select: text;"><span class="normaltextrun">As a bonus......this was on Chris' </span></span></span><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; user-select: text;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="spellingerror"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: inherit; background-position-x: 0%; background-position-y: 100%; border-bottom: transparent; user-select: text;">Facebook</span></span></span><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; user-select: text;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: inherit; user-select: text;"> page.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
have copied the entire post. I am sure that he didn't write it, but
copied it to pass along. I thought it was pretty powerful. We
should all wish for a little more kindness</span></span><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: inherit; background-position-x: 0%; background-position-y: 100%; border-bottom: transparent; user-select: text;"><span class="contextualspellingandgrammarerror">.....</span></span></span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; user-select: text;"><span class="eop"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="paragraph" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<br /></div>
<div class="paragraph" paraeid="{760464f8-f4d0-4fa4-96e9-ccb2dc256aff}{245}" paraid="852579642" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; overflow-wrap: break-word; user-select: text; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; user-select: text;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: inherit; user-select: text;"><span class="normaltextrun">August 31, 2014</span></span></span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; user-select: text;"><span class="eop"> </span></span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="paragraph" paraeid="{760464f8-f4d0-4fa4-96e9-ccb2dc256aff}{251}" paraid="599741864" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; overflow-wrap: break-word; user-select: text; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; user-select: text;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: inherit; user-select: text;"><span class="normaltextrun">For all my friends, whether close or casual,
just because. One of the longest posts I will ever do, and the most real too.
Everyone will go through some hard times at some point. Life isn't easy. Just
something to think about. Did you know the people that are the strongest are
usually the most sensitive? Did you know the people who exhibit the most
kindness </span></span></span><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; user-select: text;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="contextualspellingandgrammarerror"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: inherit; background-position-x: 0%; background-position-y: 100%; border-bottom: transparent; user-select: text;">are</span></span></span><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; user-select: text;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="normaltextrun"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: inherit; user-select: text;"> the
first to get mistreated? Did you know the ones who take care of others all the
time are usually the ones who need it the most? Did you know the three hardest
things to say are I love you, I'm sorry, and help me? Sometimes just because a
person looks happy, you </span></span><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; user-select: text;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: inherit; user-select: text;">have to</span></span><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; user-select: text;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: inherit; user-select: text;"> look past their smile to see how much pain they
may be in. To all my friends who are going through some issues right now --
let's start an intention avalanche. We all need positive intentions right now.
If I don't see your name, I'll understand. May I ask my friends wherever you
might be, to kindly copy and paste this status for one hour to give a moment of
support to all of those who have family problems, health struggles, job issues,
worries of any kind and just need to know that someone cares. Do it for all of
us, for nobody is immune. I hope to see this on the walls of all my friends
just for moral support. I know some will!!! I did it for a friend and you can,
too. You </span></span><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; user-select: text;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: inherit; user-select: text;">have to</span></span><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; user-select: text;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: inherit; user-select: text;"> copy and paste this one, NO SHARING... If need be, I can send
this status to you in a message for you to copy and paste to your status.</span></span></span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; user-select: text;"><span class="eop"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="paragraph" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<br /></div>
<div class="paragraph" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span class="eop">Note:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>LB’s adult son died of an
overdose on July 4, 2018 in New Hampshire. She is Greg Stefanski's wife's cousin who graciously agreed to share her family's story in the hope someone else might be helped.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="paragraph" paraeid="{f5e1043c-8bce-4725-aabc-604e7b3333c2}{12}" paraid="2118508985" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; overflow-wrap: break-word; user-select: text; vertical-align: baseline;">
<br /></div>
<br />Laraway Youth & Family Serviceshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13317917369697917904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4849783043675103856.post-73263559484622267352018-11-26T12:57:00.001-08:002018-11-26T12:57:50.805-08:00Laraway School students learn about government at the Vermont State House<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ojzEFe-yE7g/W_xcyTaoNfI/AAAAAAAAByo/cGxNHWoofIkGtxzyFguMZqrkGnorN67QwCLcBGAs/s1600/Students%2Bat%2BState%2BHouse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="481" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ojzEFe-yE7g/W_xcyTaoNfI/AAAAAAAAByo/cGxNHWoofIkGtxzyFguMZqrkGnorN67QwCLcBGAs/s320/Students%2Bat%2BState%2BHouse.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Students and staff from
Laraway School’s individualized program traveled to the Vermont State House in
Montpelier on November 5th, the day before midterm elections. This was an
effort to combine English Language Arts with Social Studies in a fun way, using
local, primary sources.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The tour was arranged through Angelica
Caterino, State House Tours Coordinator. Kirk Gardner, our guide, met us in the
lobby for an orientation before leading us along the hallowed halls. He told us
about the history of the building, and of prior State Houses used to govern
Vermont since it became the 14th state in 1791. He explained how, shortly after
the Revolutionary War, people began settling Vermont in greater numbers.
Students listened politely as Mr. Gardner explained how the first State House
was built in 1808 where the Vermont Supreme Court is now. The building became
too small by 1833, due to dramatic population growth.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A larger State House was built in 1838.
However, it suffered a devastating fire in 1857. Some of the architectural
elements---including external Doric columns---survived and were incorporated
into the new building.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mr. Gardner explained that the gold dome
is covered in real gold leaf. He said it is less expensive to cover the dome in
gold, which has to be replaced every 30 to 40 years, than to repaint it with
greater frequency. We learned the black squares on the checkerboard floor came
from 480-million-year-old fossilized rock from the quarry at Isle La Motte. Mr.
Gardner told us that the rock was once a coral reef in an ancient sea that once
covered part of Vermont.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mr. Gardner guided us through notable
portraiture, including paintings of Vermont-born U.S. Presidents Chester A.
Arthur and Calvin Coolidge. We also viewed portraits of former governors
Madeleine Kunin, Howard Dean, Jim Douglas and Peter Shumlin. We then entered the
dark, jewel-green Senate Chamber to learn about legislative processes. We continued
to the ruby-red House Chamber, where staff and students were invited to sit in
the seats occupied by members of the House of Representatives. Mr. Gardner explained
how a bill starts with an original idea that must pass through numerous steps
to become a law.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Students and staff
asked questions and shared ideas. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sliding into the red velvet chairs in the
Governor’s Ceremonial Office, we sat in the room where Governor Scott signs
high-profile bills into law and hosts visiting dignitaries.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We ate a picnic lunch provided by our
wonderful cafeteria staff, Lisa Rock and Dave Doerr, before returning to
Laraway.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The field trip was organized to make government
and civics more relevant. Mission accomplished!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><b>~By Carla Occaso, Teacher, Laraway School</b></span></div>
<br />Laraway Youth & Family Serviceshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13317917369697917904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4849783043675103856.post-27530283690590085852018-10-22T10:24:00.000-07:002018-10-22T12:11:22.636-07:00"Learning how to learn" is often as important as what one knows...welcome, Ben Judy, to our Board<div style="text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-azs3MAYChJE/W84AFE53FdI/AAAAAAAABx4/1a0h5b9SqCE7VQt-4mtSmBK1a904U78lwCLcBGAs/s1600/Ben%2BJudy%2B2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-azs3MAYChJE/W84AFE53FdI/AAAAAAAABx4/1a0h5b9SqCE7VQt-4mtSmBK1a904U78lwCLcBGAs/s320/Ben%2BJudy%2B2.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: wf_segoe-ui_normal, "Segoe UI", "Segoe WP", Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif, serif, EmojiFont; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><b><br /></b></span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: wf_segoe-ui_normal, "Segoe UI", "Segoe WP", Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif, serif, EmojiFont; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><b> Ben Judy was born a fifth generation Californian in Palo Alto. He moved to the NH-VT Connecticut River Valley halfway through his high school years. He says he did most of his growing up in the East. Ben studied History in college, earning a degree from Bates.</b></span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: wf_segoe-ui_normal, "Segoe UI", "Segoe WP", Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif, serif, EmojiFont; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><b> "My degree from a liberal arts college influences my work at the Vermont Department of Labor, in that, 'learning how to learn' is often as important as what one knows. Both are important components, but the 'how' seems much more transferable to a wide variety of career options where soft skills seem to make a difference.</b></span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: wf_segoe-ui_normal, "Segoe UI", "Segoe WP", Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif, serif, EmojiFont; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px;">
<b style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"> Ben and his wife, Joyce, relocated to Vermont in 1994. Their move was prompted by a career change. Ben and Joyce love living in a place so many people visit for the distinct purpose of relaxing and recreating. They enjoy biking, walking and hiking---right from home.</b></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: wf_segoe-ui_normal, "Segoe UI", "Segoe WP", Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif, serif, EmojiFont; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px;">
<b style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"> "Serving on the Laraway Board allows me to support the valued and remarkable work the organization is engaged with," Ben said. "I feel closely aligned with the agency's vision that, 'All children and families below to nurturing communities.' As a community citizen, it in on all of us to help create nurturing communities."</b></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: wf_segoe-ui_normal, "Segoe UI", "Segoe WP", Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif, serif, EmojiFont; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px;">
<b style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"> When asked if there's anything else readers should know, Ben was quick to volunteer: "I'm a dog person!"</b></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: wf_segoe-ui_normal, "Segoe UI", "Segoe WP", Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif, serif, EmojiFont; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px;">
<b style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"> Thank you, Ben, for supporting Laraway's work with children and families.</b></div>
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<b style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"><br /></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><b> </b></span></span></span></span></div>
Laraway Youth & Family Serviceshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13317917369697917904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4849783043675103856.post-21593321020298808892018-10-09T14:09:00.001-07:002018-10-09T14:09:16.013-07:00"I have no doubt Logan will become an integral member of an IT team..."<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Ps6IITAZnJo/W70YynAxZYI/AAAAAAAABxA/sOlVCTzZkOUa79cCQbGEIt1WEwGrFn5LACLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_9983.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Ps6IITAZnJo/W70YynAxZYI/AAAAAAAABxA/sOlVCTzZkOUa79cCQbGEIt1WEwGrFn5LACLcBGAs/s320/IMG_9983.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;"> Logan, a former youth in Laraway’s Backpack Program, has goals. He hopes to earn a degree in Computer Systems Management and work on an IT (Information Technology) Team, helping to manage computers for a company. He’s particularly handy with hardware---fixing and rebuilding computers---so working in a tech repair shop also appeals.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;"> Logan spent several years in Laraway’s Backpack Program, our public-school-based behavioral support program as an elementary student. By middle school, he was an independent student in the classroom.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;"> “It (Backpack) was a pretty good experience,” he says. “We got to go to NCAL (North Country Animal League) and play with the animals.” Excursions such as this were offered as incentives for being on task in the classroom during the school day. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;"> Logan enrolled in a computer networking program in high school at a Vermont technical center and thrived. He learned to wire up computers, install operating systems, and troubleshoot. The latter is a very valuable skill for an aspiring IT professional---methodically going through a series of steps to determine the issue causing a problem. It takes patience. It takes skill.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;"> “Our teacher told us to treat our class like a job,” Logan says. “He assigned projects at the beginning of the week and we were expected to get them done. We worked individually, but could talk to each other to figure things out.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;"> Logan started a Computer Systems Management degree program at the Community College of Vermont. He’s presently interning at Laraway via a partnership with the Vermont Department of Labor and is mentored by Laraway’s IT Manager Jeff Snyder.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;"> “Logan is picking things up quickly,” Jeff says. “It’s motivating and encouraging to watch a young person work toward their goals. I have no doubt Logan will become an integral part of an IT team in the near future.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;"> Logan understands that earning a degree will open doors to a career in the IT field. For now, we are grateful to have Logan at Laraway to lend his burgeoning expertise!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Laraway Youth & Family Serviceshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13317917369697917904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4849783043675103856.post-11364711672177743942018-08-29T07:30:00.003-07:002018-09-19T12:00:55.844-07:00Backpack Program: Inspiring a Sense of Dignity <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RhmxhkUH5Vo/W4atIMxRAkI/AAAAAAAABvU/8cJo8pJe5c868Ej4HcCdXJhUdyBVPHi-wCLcBGAs/s1600/plum-949385_1920.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RhmxhkUH5Vo/W4atIMxRAkI/AAAAAAAABvU/8cJo8pJe5c868Ej4HcCdXJhUdyBVPHi-wCLcBGAs/s320/plum-949385_1920.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "lucidasansunicode"; font-size: 12pt;">“When people treat one another with dignity, they become more </span><span style="font-family: "lucidasansunicode"; font-size: 12pt;">connected and are able to create more meaningful lives.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "lucidasansunicode"; font-size: 10pt;">Donna Hicks, Ph.D.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "lucidasansunicode"; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Author of Leading with Dignity: How to create a culture that brings out the best in people</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "lucidasansunicode"; font-size: 10pt;"> Laraway’s Backpack Program staff spent time reading Donna Hicks’ book about dignity as they</span><span style="font-family: "lucidasansunicode"; font-size: 10pt;">prepared for and delivered summer programming. An underlying theme in their work would be to</span><span style="font-family: "lucidasansunicode"; font-size: 10pt;">emphasize each child’s dignity.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "lucidasansunicode"; font-size: 10pt;"> The program, which is structured like a day camp, was hosted at the VFW in Hyde Park, Vermont. That was the base from which various groups gathered before dispersing to community activities.</span><span style="font-family: "lucidasansunicode"; font-size: 10pt;">Inspired by Hicks’ writing, highly structured schedules of the past were replaced with a more relaxed </span><span style="font-family: "lucidasansunicode"; font-size: 10pt;">activity pace.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "lucidasansunicode"; font-size: 10pt;"> “It’s difficult, sometimes, for our kids to complete things at school,” said Tammy Miller, Backpack’s</span><span style="font-family: "lucidasansunicode"; font-size: 10pt;">Program Director.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "lucidasansunicode"; font-size: 10pt;"> Miller referred to, typically, highly structured environments in public schools which work for many but not all students. Children in our Backpack Program attend their local public schools during the academic year, supported by Laraway Behavioral Interventionists. Because of their needs, it can be difficult for them to complete things in class.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "lucidasansunicode"; font-size: 10pt;"> “We wanted to give them (clients) a sense of accomplishment from completing something,” Miller said. Programming included an art show in Laraway’s Gallery Space and a “Wax Museum” Event in which </span><span style="font-family: "lucidasansunicode"; font-size: 10pt;">campers read biographies and then dressed up and answered questions about their historical figure. They also spent a lot of time outside picking (and eating) blueberries, mountain biking, hula hooping and swimming. All the while, they practiced social skills as they grew in confidence.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "lucidasansunicode"; font-size: 10pt;"> This is what one of our Backpack staffers said they learned from our Campers:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "lucidasansunicode"; font-size: 10pt;">“I learned that you should always include others and remember to laugh.” (AJ)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "lucidasansunicode"; font-size: 10pt;">“I learned that you can be British while living in the U.S. and you can create an entire zoo out of clay.” (JS)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "lucidasansunicode"; font-size: 10pt;">“I learned that dinosaurs aren’t always big and scary. They are, actually, quite sweet.” (ML)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "lucidasansunicode"; font-size: 10pt;">“I learned that guinea pigs look like bunnies, and, sometimes, they are lucky enough to get the best, sweetest, kindest, owners.” (SP)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "lucidasansunicode"; font-size: 10pt;">“I discovered that unicorns are even cuter when they are hand</span><span style="font-family: "lucidasansunicode"; font-size: 10pt;">-drawn and that you should never be afraid</span><span style="font-family: "lucidasansunicode"; font-size: 10pt;">to sing in the car.” (PS)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "lucidasansunicode"; font-size: 10pt;">“I learned that you should always brush your hair, swing your hips and never say no to swimming,” (EG)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "lucidasansunicode"; font-size: 10pt;">Backpack’s Summer Program ended with a cookout to which families and caregivers were invited. A</span><span style="font-family: "lucidasansunicode"; font-size: 10pt;">few tears were shed by staff as they reflected on this wonderful, striving group of campers. Let the school year begin!</span></div>
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Laraway Youth & Family Serviceshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13317917369697917904noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4849783043675103856.post-21927824602789186362018-08-20T08:30:00.006-07:002018-08-20T08:30:46.844-07:00Laraway Youth Receives Trailblazer Scholarship<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1WdHKVx-J4M/W3receJCq5I/AAAAAAAABug/sXKdURsAO70VTrMKxcSX0U8Oi9GL8x8KQCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_9698.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1WdHKVx-J4M/W3receJCq5I/AAAAAAAABug/sXKdURsAO70VTrMKxcSX0U8Oi9GL8x8KQCLcBGAs/s320/IMG_9698.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Kayla Woodman, the 2018 recipient of a Trailblazer
Scholarship, will attend Northern Vermont University as a member of the Class
of 2022. The aspiring psychology major is in foster care. She deftly balanced two
after school jobs with volunteering and academics at her local, public high
school.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">The
Trailblazer Scholarship Fund awards $500 scholarships to Laraway youth, or
recent alumni, pursuing higher education or the trades. The scholarship was
initiated by Stowe residents Tim Heath-Swanson and Rick Swanson who hiked the
Long Trail in 2016 to raise funds. The first Trailblazer Scholarship was awarded
in 2017 to a youth currently pursuing training as a certified automotive technician.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Young people in foster care are significantly underrepresented
on college campuses and in trades training programs,” said Katherine Stamper,
Laraway Youth & Family Services’ Development Director. “This scholarship
promotes aspirational thinking among the youth we serve. We all deserve a dream
to work towards.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">To
learn more, please contact Katherine at 635-2805 x 106 or Kstamper@Laraway.org or
visit www.Laraway.org<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br />Laraway Youth & Family Serviceshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13317917369697917904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4849783043675103856.post-11989507548692834082018-06-26T11:23:00.002-07:002018-06-26T11:23:32.394-07:00Lisa Burt-Parkhurst: If one person believes in you, it can really change your life<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lisa
Burt-Parkhurst, Program Manager for Laraway’s Backpack Program, recalls her
grandmother, Evelyn, with great fondness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Lisa believes success is relational---if one person believes in you, it
can really change your life.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“For me, it
was my Gram.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She showed me unconditional
love,” Lisa says.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“She believed in
me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My father passed away when I was
young and my grandparents gave me a piece of land.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This land hosts a plentiful stand of maple
trees where Lisa, her husband, and young adult son live and operate a family
sugaring business.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lisa
actively supervises Backpack’s case managers, each of whom juggles multiple
families’ complex dynamics on their caseload.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Backpack supports children experiencing barriers to academic
achievement---capitalizing on child, youth and family strengths---while
promoting positive social, emotional and behavioral growth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By extension, Backpack supports families to
foster overall stability.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lisa also
makes herself available for a check-in or targeted advice to frontline staff
working with individual students.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“I’m a
problem-solver,” Lisa says.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“I’m good at
finding solutions to problems that come up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I really try to be a good support for my staff.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I want them to know I’m there for them.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lisa’s path
to human services was not a straight line. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education,
intending to be a teacher.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Upon
graduation from college, teaching jobs were few and far between.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“I branched
out and applied to Laraway for a case manager position,” Lisa says.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She
acknowledges today that she wasn’t entirely sure of all the job would
entail.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hired by Substitute Care,
Laraway’s therapeutic foster care program, in 2007, Lisa acknowledges it took
her a full year to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">really</i> learn her
role, in all its complexities.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A cookie
cutter approach does not work with youth in foster care.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was incumbent upon her to piece together
support services for traumatized youth on her caseload, services that, hopefully,
eased their transitions to adulthood.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>She also developed a sense of how the legal system operated in relation
to youth in state custody.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Eleven
years later, Lisa has advanced her career at Laraway, assuming roles in
Backpack which included PBIS Analyst, Case Manager, Assistant Consultant, and
now, Program Manager for Tier III Services.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>She’s presently pursuing her Master’s Degree in Psychology with Applied
Behavior Analysis.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is often
said that one does not choose to work in human services but, instead, human
services chooses one to work in the field.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Empathy, patience, perseverance and hope are required to best serve kids
and families experiencing myriad challenges.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“I realize
I’m just really good at it,” Lisa says.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>“I grew up in poverty, with a dysfunctional family---so I get it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I understand.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I lived it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have developed
therapeutic ways to manage my past.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
have goals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m forty-seven and I’m still
working toward my goals!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lisa shows
compassion and understanding towards her family of origin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Adopting this healthy stance is core to
healing and making peace with one’s past.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Has my
family grown?” Lisa asks aloud.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Yes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think I was able to help them grow.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thank you,
Lisa, for helping the children and families we serve heal and grow while serving
as an inspiration to up-and-coming staff.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br />Laraway Youth & Family Serviceshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13317917369697917904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4849783043675103856.post-64192832701176036742018-05-09T10:53:00.000-07:002018-05-09T10:53:29.013-07:00I knew I wanted to enter a field where I could really help people<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_Z7bq4Amd2U/WvM1N__ILHI/AAAAAAAABrM/zwqpLb7BDdwjUmPZOvesPxEgJJr4qPWrACLcBGAs/s1600/Joseph%2BAchilles.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="938" data-original-width="750" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_Z7bq4Amd2U/WvM1N__ILHI/AAAAAAAABrM/zwqpLb7BDdwjUmPZOvesPxEgJJr4qPWrACLcBGAs/s320/Joseph%2BAchilles.jpg" width="255" /></a></div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Achilles is a
Trojan War hero in Homer’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The</i> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Iliad</i> whose mighty strength is
compromised by one weakness, his Achilles’ heel. Achilles serves as a metaphor
for vulnerability.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Joseph Achilles, a Laraway staffer since
2015, helps young people in our program work to overcome vulnerabilities and
find their personal strength. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Raised in Vermont’s Northeast
Kingdom, Joseph loved school and attended the prestigious St. Johnsbury
Academy. He went on to earn a Bachelor’s degree in psychology at Franklin
Pierce University. Joseph joined Laraway as a Behavioral Interventionist (BI)
in Backpack, Laraway’s public-school-based, behavioral intervention program in
2015.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“I knew I wanted
to enter a field where I could really help people. I loved getting to
spend time with kids, one-on-one, seeing their incremental improvements. It was
great to see them try new skills and to witness the impact of the work we do,”
Joseph said. “I especially enjoyed being outside at recess and engaging the
kids during breaks when a student earned an incentive.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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Joseph left Laraway in 2017 to join
a public school system. He returned to work in Backpack’s Summer Program,
“just for the summer,” but decided to stay.<o:p></o:p></div>
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“Summer is my favorite time of the
year,” Joseph observed. “We get to spend time with the kids outside,
fishing and swimming. You see them really develop their social skills in a
group setting and make new friends.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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Joseph’s return to Laraway
coincided with his enrollment in his last year of graduate school. He was
promoted to the role of Backpack Case Manager. His role shifted to working more
closely with families, assessing their broader needs and helping them access
services while also supervising and supporting BIs. Helping families
garner support via Lamoille County Mental Health Services, Lamoille Restorative
Center, Vermont Vocational Rehabilitation and others agencies promoted
stability at home.<o:p></o:p></div>
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“Something I really appreciate about
working at Laraway is the group of people I work with and that there is room
for growth within the agency. You are able to move up. It’s been
wonderful to see Laraway promote from within.” Joseph said. “Seeing
others promoted sends the message, ‘If you work hard, it could be you one day.’
”<o:p></o:p></div>
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Joseph is quick to credit staff who
have mentored him. “Lisa Burt-Parkhurst (Backpack’s Tier 3 Program
Manager), is wonderful. She’s very supportive and always there when you
need something. She helped me learn to perform many of the functions of my
current role.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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Joseph completes his Master’s Degree in
Clinical Mental Health Counseling at Johnson State College this month. Laraway
supported his internship requirement, under the supervision of Rich Farrell,
LICSW, Backpack Program Clinician.<o:p></o:p></div>
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“Rich has been really supportive
throughout the whole process,” Joseph said. “He helped me learn and grow
as a clinician. He’s a great supervisor, always supportive and
understanding.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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Time will tell where Joseph’s
career takes him. One could call him an <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Achilles Healer </i><span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></span>.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />Laraway Youth & Family Serviceshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13317917369697917904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4849783043675103856.post-4664121527337047482018-04-18T08:21:00.003-07:002018-04-18T08:21:57.775-07:00"Owly" the Raffle Owl hits the road to sell tickets for a scholarship<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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"Owly" the Owl is about to make personal appearances in and around Lamoille County. Strapped into the front passenger seat of Laraway Executive Director Greg Stefanski's car, "Owly" is being raffled to raise money for scholarships awarded to Laraway youth transitioning to college.<br />
Jake Swan, owner of Art of the Carve, donated the approximately owl, made of white pine, for the drawing. Swanson, a 2016 graduate of North Country Union High School in Newport, is ranked among the Top 25 Carvers in the United States.<br />
The drawing is Tuesday, May 22nd at 4:00 p.m. at Laraway. Ticket holders do not have to be present to win. Tickets are 1 for $5 and 3 for $10 and can be purchased by contacting Katherine at 802-635-2805 x 106 or Kstamper@Laraway.org.<br />
Follow Laraway on Facebook to catch photos from "Owly's" adventures on the road!<br />
Details: Estimated Height: 30", Estimated Value: $350, Wood: Vermont White Pine<br />
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Laraway Youth & Family Serviceshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13317917369697917904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4849783043675103856.post-70522232140396589572018-03-05T08:01:00.002-08:002018-03-05T08:01:33.929-08:00David Prescott, LICSW, speaks about Motivational Interviewing at Annual Training<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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David Prescott will deliver the keynote address at Laraway's agency wide training on Friday, March 23rd. His topic will be Motivational Interviewing, a client-centered, goal-oriented counseling approach fostering behavior change by helping clients explore and, ultimately, resolve ambivalence. Development of the practice is attributed, in part, to psychologists William R. Miller and Stephen Rollnick.</div>
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David brings 32 years of experience in a variety of settings in assessing, understanding, and treating trauma. Recent activities include rolling out the Attachment, Regulation and Competency (ARC) Model across participating programs and co-editing <i>Current Perspectives in Neurobiology: Working with Young Persons who are Victims and Perpetrators of Sexual Abuse, </i>published by NEARI Press. He's co-authored two studies addressing Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) among males and females who have sexually abused. </div>
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David is a Fellow and Past President of the Association for the Treatment of Sexual Abusers, the largest professional organization of its kind in the world. He is also the 2014 recipient of that organization's Distinguished Contribution Award. He was awarded the 2007 Bright Lights Award from the National Adolescent Perpetration Network. He is a Certified Trainer for the International Center for Clinical Excellence and a member of the Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers.</div>
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Laraway Youth & Family Serviceshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13317917369697917904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4849783043675103856.post-15515523718810578912018-02-08T09:31:00.000-08:002018-02-08T11:08:37.860-08:00Photo Voice Project Depicts Impact of Substance Use<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Have you wondered how our community is impacted by substance abuse? Two teens in Laraway's therapeutic foster care program are exploring that very question and producing a Photo Voice project to document their work.<br />
What is Photo Voice? Photo Voice is an artistic endeavor for the purpose of fostering social awareness and social change. The concept calls for distributing cameras to individuals impacted by a negative social condition. With cameras in hand, participants document the impact of the social condition on their lives, creating a visual narrative.<br />
Who are the youth? The two teenagers involved in the project are Vermont high school students enrolled in Laraway's foster care program. Both have been personally impacted by family members' substance use. Both have been taking photos to "tell the story" of their experiences witnessing the fallout from substance use, legal and illegal.<br />
Join us for an Opening Reception of our Photo Voice Project on Tuesday, March 13th, 4:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. at Laraway Youth & Family Services' Gallery Space (Admin Building, 2nd Floor), 275 VT Route 15W, Johnson, Vermont. <br />
To learn more about the project and/or to RSVP, contact Katherine Stamper at kstamper@Laraway.org or Jessica Bickford at Jessica@HealthyLamoilleValley.org<br />
This project is underwritten by a grant from Healthy Lamoille Valley.<br />
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Photo Credit: GDLaraway Youth & Family Serviceshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13317917369697917904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4849783043675103856.post-83634306981032188072018-01-10T12:22:00.003-08:002018-01-10T12:23:54.506-08:00Laraway Program Seeking Mentors<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"> Are you interested in mentoring a Laraway youth? We received a grant from Mobius Mentoring to launch an after school mentoring program. </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">We are seeking at least six
volunteer mentors.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Mentors should be over the age of
18 and able to pass a background check.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"> We are looking for people to commit
to an entire school year, one day a week, on Thursday afternoons from 2:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">The program will be held at our Laraway School campus in Johnson, with support and training from our staff.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"> Mentoring is a wonderful opportunity for our students, many of whom don't participate in other after school programming. Mentoring provides positive experiences and social time, which is
extremely healthy and important for all of us, but especially our students who experience significant challenges. Mentors
can look forward to engaging in games, music, snacks, cooking, outdoor
adventures, arts and, most importantly, building relationships with great kids.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"> For more information, contact Jessica McCoy, Laraway's Mentoring Coordinator at Jmccoy@Laraway.org or (802) 635-2805.</span></div>
Laraway Youth & Family Serviceshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13317917369697917904noreply@blogger.com0