Join Jewelry In Candles NOW FOR FREE!

Jewelry In Candles is so excited to be having our week long FREE REP sign up  for all who want to join us!  Free sign up includes your own free e-commerce site, with back office, NO maintenance fees ever, no quotas to remain as an active rep ever, 30% commission on all your retail sales plus discounts in your own rep store!  Great for stay at home moms, military wives, unemployed, college students, retirees or anyone else who wants to have fun while earning.  This is an excellent time to join Jewelry In Candles.  To have a look for yourself, visit my online store at https://www.jewelryincandles.com/store/pattydeleo  Our gorgeous, deliciously scented 21 oz. beautiful candles and our  generous tart packages are all 100% soy based and 100% Made In The USA!  Each  has a jewelry piece reveal, YOUR CHOICE of necklace, earrings or ring.  Customers even get to choose their ring size!  Soon Jewelry In Candles will be adding charm bracelets to our collection of "reveals."  Take the opportunity, you have nothing to lose but a great opportunity.  There is no pressure to recruit or sell, you run your business your way and grow at your own pace.  Feel free to PM me on facebook, Patty Minter DeLeo, or email me if you have any questions at pattyd272@gmail.com 

Spec. Ed. Testing Policy Accommodations and Common-Core Testing

Spec. Ed. Testing Policy Accommodations and Common-Core Testing

To Homeschool or NOT to homeschool?

Throughout my years of bringing up my son with Asperger syndrome/ADHD, I've often debated whether I should have resorted to homeschooling as a better option due to his lackluster experience putting it mildly, while attending our local public schools.  We live in Staten Island, New York, a sort of overcrowded semi-suburb that lies between New Jersey and Brooklyn.  We are one of the five boroughs, the typically least talked about or noticed one in comparison to the other boroughs.  Our Department of Education in New York City was overtaken by Mayor Bloomberg along with the Chancellor.  Their quest was to raise the bar for students, even those with disabilities.  Stress levels increased as a result, and continue to trend upwards, both in teachers, parents, but especially in our students.  All creativity is being essentially stripped away in favor of having our children "College and Career ready" as early on as pre-kindergarten.  Art and music programs are cut from the budget, and teachers MUST teach to a new set curriculum with little room for flexibility.  Teachers here in NYC are mandated to teach a new common core standard curriculum and must repeatedly see via "testing" where students fall on a continuum of skills learned and to predict outcomes for the all to well know state tests, the culmination of many months of pressure and preparation.   With all this going on, it seems my mind drifts more then ever to homeschooling as an increasingly viable option, especially since many of our special kids learn differently then the rod inflexible system allows for.  Many special kids are hands-on, kinesthetic learners and are also highly visual, and demand multisensory approaches with frequent breaks to regroup.  They need that time out from hours of lame sitting and pen/paper work including note taking and other boring, meaningless mechanics that just slow true brain mechanics of learning down.  The homeschooler has options to teach at a unique pace, in a unique place, and to take as many field trips as it requires to get the child to take it all in and learn in meaningful, memorable, fun ways..projects can be fun with no pressure, books can be read via electronic means, and many websites now promote homeschooling programs and colorful resources and tools at our disposal, when we need them.  I think homeschooling options will continue to rise and be more widespread in direct correlation to the downward spiral of public school programs..the reasons homeschooled children can and do succeed is because they are as exposed as much as public school counterparts, if not more so to the outside world through arts venues, historic and scientific museums, nature centers and other community resources.  Sport teams, or music/art activities allow for the necessary socialization component.  Scouting and other groups or volunteering are always an option as well.  Homeschoolers can and do link up to others that do the same.  Plans for meeting state guidelines must be sent in to have it approved but in the end, it may be worth giving a try, though it isn't for just any parent..having a lot of creativity, patience, energy and organizational skills I'd think are pretty much mandatory to be up to this dedicated task.  It's an option to consider and many do choose this when no other community school program can meet their childs' unique needs..so all in all, it is at least food for thought..It will be interesting to see what the future holds for utilizing homeschooling as the chosen option for special needs kids!

A look at Aspergers and control issues | Autism Support Network

A look at Aspergers and control issues | Autism Support Network

The Gift : Strength

The Gift : Strength: “ During times of great vulnerability and challenge, we are ironically called upon to access tremendous mental strength, hope and faith oft...

The Gift : A Look Inside

The Gift : A Look Inside: A Look inside at been a Special Need Mom This Blog is directed totally at all the special need mom's out there. We go through each d...

And the State Test Scores are in!

Well folks, it really comes as no surprise that New York City schools saw a huge plunge in the ELA and Math State test scores for 2013.  Our children were tested for the first time with the newly implemented common core curriculum standard, that will spread out like an unwelcome alien across the United States, and the results clearly reflect how unprepared our teachers and students were.  Teachers were not trained extensively and in a timely enough manner, but yet were expected to get this common core curriculum down our childrens' throats, and quickly for that matter. At least some moderate degree of success was expected, no?  Or was it common knowledge NYC students would fail in large numbers as has never seen before?  Dismal statistics indicate just a little over 25%  to  30% of students tested this year officially "passed" the state tests maybe reaching a level 2, "approaching standards."  The remaining 70% or more fell "way below" standards. 

This curriculum was not given the due time needed to develop and be adequately taught in order for our children to succeed even modestly.  For parents like myself with learning disabled children, it's a mine field, exploding with the scary truth in how ill versed our Department of Education is when it comes down to actually teaching our children so they can learn, and remain motivated to learn.  Special needs students with disabilities will fall through the system's ever widening cracks, as they are expected to be "college and career ready" according to our "brilliant" Mayor Bloomberg, aka "billionaire who has not a clue about how children learn"businessman in charge of our most precious and vulnerable resources, our children. 

Let's pick ourselves up moms, and realize our children are so much more then a number/score, and go with the flow as it comes.  We need to stay true to how our special kids learn best and foster their unique style of learning, and continue to advocate for them.  We will ride the tide and remain strong and vigilant.  We as moms continue to know our children best and must continue to clearly communicate their learning needs and assure all their mandated services are provided as part of their right to a FAPE.  Wishing you all a strong start to the new school year that is almost upon us!  Don't give up the fight moms!  With mutual support and knowledge, we can and will get through these murky waters together. 

Warm regards,
Patty DeLeo