Princeton House Charter School
October 1, 2008
Parent Newsletter

MediPass
  Parent Alert!  If your child has MediPass you will be receiving a letter from the MediPass office asking you to choose your carrier HMO or MediPass.  I highly advise that you choose MediPass not HMO.  You will need to call the MediPass office to give them your choice.  If you have MediPass now, it will not automatically stay as MediPass. 

Portraits
  October 14th is the PreK-Elementary campus pictures.  You do not need to send your child in their uniforms for picture day.  October 15th is the Middle/High School picture day.  Again, no uniforms are necessary for that day.

Futures/Vision Planning
  On Thursday, October 23rd at 11:30AM there will be a Board of Directors Committee Meeting to work on developing a new five year plan for PHCS.  If you would like to make input to the committee you are welcome to make a five minute presentation on your ideas as to how we should proceed.  In order to be put on the agenda, you will need to contact Carol in advance.  If you are not on the agenda, you will not be allowed to speak but you may attend. Your input as a parent is crucial in planning for our children's future. 

Thanks
  Many thanks to the PAC parents for the luncheon on Friday.  There was great food and great parent participation.  Our staff looks forward to the PAC luncheons.

Special Olympics
  If your child is 8 years old or older, he or she is eligible to participate in Special Olympics through your local county.  You will need to contact Special Olympics for your county to get a schedule of events.  Many of our children are participating in bowling, softball, basketball, swimming, golf, etc.  If you are interested, be sure to contact Special Olympics in your county.

Board of Directors Meeting
  There will be a Board of Director's Meeting on Monday, November 17th at 11:00AM.

Happy Hour
  Our School Advisory Committee (SAC) met last week and decided that they want to focus on one particular area this year.  We have decided that a mentorship program is not the best way to go since we want to be inclusive of all parents.  Mark your calendars, for Tuesday, October 21st at 6:00PM.  This will be our first Positive Parent Exchange.  All parents are invited to come and bring an hors derve.  We will begin with hors derves and social time and move into a parent panel to discuss our children and their needs.  Childcare will be provided at a cost of $10.00 per child (scholarships are available).  More information will be coming to you in a special invitation.  We want all of our parents to join together and share ideas, joys, heartbreaks and to come together as a unified team.

Parent Corner
  Dear Princeton House....Nine years ago we were in an awful state.  Our son Giles didn't speak.  He didn't play with other kids.  He tantrumed easily, with no warning or reason.  If he started crying, we had no idea whether he was hurt, sad or upset.  He was completely dependent on us.  He threw things.  He rarely slept through the night.  We were devastated, exhausted and at the end of our rope.  We didn't dare to even dream about what the future might hold.  Then, a miracle occurred.  We were introduced to Princeton House.
  Thanks to the years of hard work and caring persistence of the PHCS teachers, therapists, aides, coaches, staff and administrators, Giles, who's almost 12 years old, can now speak some full sentences without prompting.  He can let us know when he's sad or upset.  He plans happily with his classmates and says "Hi!" to everyone he meets.
  He loves to ride and read about horses.  He's a cheerful competitor in all sorts of sports, with lots of ribbons, medals and trophies to prove it.  He loves working on the computer and playing advanced video games.  He's an expert shopper, helps with the wash, household trash and recycling duties and loves to cook eggs and invent new smoothie flavors.  His tantrums and sleepless nights are a distant memory.
  We're no longer afraid to have high hopes for Giles' future, and thanks to Princeton House working in partnership with our family, our dreams continue to come true every day.  Thanks, Princeton House!
Love, Niall &Julia Connolly

If you would like to submit a personal story about your child or family, please send them to Carol at ctucker@princeton-house.org