Where to Find Local School Board Minutes?

Local School Board Minutes Matter!!

School board minutes are one area of monitoring for special education programs. The school board minutes can give you insight on what is important to the school board members along with upcoming changes to programs and services.  

Orange County Schools 

Paoli Community Schools

Orleans Community Schools   

3rd Tuesday of each month at the time of 5:00 for Executive Sessions, 5:30 for Board Meeting.

Springs Valley Community Schools

Lawrance County Schools

Mitchell Community Schools  

Regular Session Meetings for the second Monday of each month at 6:00p.m. in the Emerson Administration Office.

North Lawrance Community Schools 

___________________________________________________________________________________

By: Patrick Underwood ( Special Education Advocate)

E-mail: PatrickU@ourcia.org

Phone: (812) 329-0216

Written: 1/18/21

Sensory Santa 2020 is a wrap

This year Sensory Santa was one of the most challenging so far. 

We where able to visit with 10 families this year at our two events this year. This years sensory santa we used 15 minute visit slots where the families meet Santa, Mrs. Cluas, and the Grinch. During part of the visit the children done a craft with Santa's crew making a ornament to take home. 

One of the amazing parts of Sensory Santa has been seeing how some of the children have started to be a friend of santa from their first visit's 3 years ago. This year we did meet a few new families and was reminded of why we started sensory santa.

Special Thank you to 

Paoli Friends Meeting, River's Edge Fellowship Church 

Hoosier Hills Credit Union, Caufield's Novelty, Walmart Paoli,

Oriental Trading, and Community Support.

 Photographer: Ralph Carter

 

Our First Giving Tuesday

 

Today is our first Giveing Tuesday. 

As we look back over 2020 we can be proud of how we have grown, But as we look to 2021 we know their is much work still to be done in our communities. 

Over 2020 we have

• Incorporated into a non-profit charity from being a informal parent group. 
• Obtained IRS Non-Profit Status. 
• Developing local partnerships. 
• Started Grant reseach and recived our first grant. 
• Monitoring of local special education programs. 
• Hosting Sensory Santa for our third year but first as a non-profit.
• Our Santa going out in the community to help children be able see santa this year. Since some local santa visits being cancled. 

Looking to 2021 We look forward to 

• Developing more family support activites and events as in-person events become safe. 
• Contunie special education advocacy efforts to improve services for students
• Working towards opening our first physical office or center. 

If you would like to help us as we move foward please consided to making a donation. 

   DONATE NOW  

Please Self Check for Symptoms of Coronavirus before coming to sensory santa.

The CDC has a Symptoms Checker on their website along with a list of covid symptoms. Please do a self check for your family before coming to sensory santa.

 If your family cant come to sensory santa due to covid please reach out to Community Inclusion Ambassadors Inc at (812) 329-0216. We do have the ability todo virtual santa visits by video call if needed. 

CDC Covid 19 symptom checker:

 https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/symptoms-testing/symptoms.html

Dont wait to signup for Sensory Santa

 

Sensory Santa is starting to fill up.

So dont wait or it may be to late. 

Click Here to Sign-up for Sensory Santa

We do require signing up so that we can ensure that families do not have to wait in lines and have time to transtion into meeting santa with out being rushed.  This also helps Santa and volunteers to plan on how to meet special needs so that visiting Santa is a fun time for families.  

December 12th (8 Openings )

River's Edge Fellowship Church, 

Bedford Indiana 

Special Thank You to:

 Paoli Friends Meeting, River's Edge Fellowship Church

Hoosier Hills Credit Union, Caufield's Novelty, Walmart Paoli,  

Oriental Trading, Our Volunteers and Board Members.

Last updated 12/8/2020

Santa's New Suite

 Santa's New Suite

This weekend Santa's new suite came in. 

Santa's new suit allows santa to have a special suit for when he comes to visit during sensory Santa. This suit will help to make sure that the sensory visits will have a clean suit that wont be going down any chimneys and should not pick up any of the reindeer smells. 

We would like to give a special thank you to 

Hoosier Hills Credit Union  and Caufield’s

 for helping Santa find an amazing suit for Sensory Santa. 

To learn about Signing up for Sensory Santa please visit: 

 https://www.ourcia.org/2020/10/sensory-santa-2020.html

Sensory Santa 2020

 Sensory Santa has now opened registration.

Sensory Santa is a time for  individuals with special needs to meet Santa in a calm sensory friendly setting. Family's are scheduled to meet with Santa and are able to  meet Santa at their comfort level. 

New this year will be our 

Covid Safety Measures

( Subject to change as needed)

• Hand Sanitizer and face mask will be available.  

• Families will be scheduled for a 15-minute visit slot. 

• Time within 6 ft of event volunteers will be kept below 15 minutes.  

( 15 - 20 minutes is normal for the Santa visits, but to allow for reduced crowds and lower risk of exposure we will try to stay at or below 15 minutes.)  

• Reduced number of people in the event area to ensure social distancing can be met even with individual needs of the children. ( 1 to 2 families in the event area at a time.)

• Families will receive a reminder text with a link to a covid checker to self check before coming. 

 

Orange County 

December  5th 2020

   Paoli Friends Meeting -  301 N Gospel St, Paoli, IN 47454

Lawrence County 

December 12th 2020 

River's Edge Fellowship Church - 2900 35th St, Bedford, IN 47421

 

Photographer for both Lawrance and Orange County events will be 

Ralph Carter

Virtual Santa Visit

This will be a video call with santa. 

Volunteers will work with families to set the call time.

Santa Home Visit 

Reserved for children that can't safely come to a visit site. 

Volunteers will work with families to schedule a visit with Santa.

 

For more information or questions please contact us at 

(812) 329-0216 or Info@ourcia.org

( Sign Up Here )

Special Thank You to:

Hoosier Hills Credit Union

Paoli Friends Meeting 

River's Edge Fellowship Church

Walmart Paoli

Oriental Trading

And 

Our Volunteers and Board Members.