Friday, October 17, 2008

Presentation and Parent Forum

On Wednesday, October 22, 2008 CHSEPTA will be hosting a Special Education Presentation with a Parent Forum. It will be held at the Malberg Administration Building, Cyber Cafe/Tech room, 45 Ranaldo Terrace in Cherry Hill.

At 7:00 pm the Special Education Department will be giving a Power Point Presentation titled, “Interpretation and Implementation of IEP’s”. This will be followed with a discussion period and question/ answer session.

There will also be a Parent Forum immediately following this presentation. You may go to the CHSEPTA website for additional information by clicking here.

CHSEPTA will be accepting questions in advance of this event by e-mail and phone, along with accepting them in writing and from the floor at the event. You can email questions in advance to: Naomi Weiss, capjanstar@comcast.net or call 856 428 2360 by 4:00PM Wed. 10/22/08.

Wednesday, October 8, 2008

Day After Day, Just 2 Moms Increase Autism Awareness

On Saturday, November 15, 2008 a very special show is coming to Cherry Hill. "Day After Day" is a rock opera that you surely will not want to miss!

Just 2 Moms, a non-profit organization that is focused on autism awareness, will be sponsoring this event. The show has received rave reviews from parents, caregivers, teachers and even those previously unfamiliar with autism spectrum disorders.

According to Debbie Schmidt, co-founder of Just 2 Moms, "When I saw Day After Day last spring with my family in Central Jersey, I only knew that it was the story of three families with a loved one on the Autism Spectrum. I did not realize what a terrific show it would be." Schmidt was so moved by the show that she took her business partner and co-founder of Just 2 Moms, Christy Carlson to the next performance. "At times during the show, everyone around us was either wiping tears from their eyes or blowing their nose. It touched upon so many emotions that we have all experienced in raising our children on the spectrum," said Schmidt, "but most importantly, it gave me great hope."

Day After Day was written and directed by Steven Allen. It is a a rock opera about the challenges that many families face raising a child on the autism spectrum. From the despair and anguish of first hearing the word "autism" to describe your child -- to the daily struggle our children endure; from the tremendous effort put forth by parents and caregivers -- to the joy and sense of accomplishment in celebrating the little moments in life; Day After Day has captured it all!

This show offers something for everyone. It will explain what it is like to be a child with autism and what it is like to love a child on the spectrum. Parents will realize they are not alone in their experience, while those unfamiliar with autism will learn a great deal about the disorder and the family dynamics involved. As the play details three families, whose lives intersect while confronting the challenges of autism; the audience is taken on a journey that will raise their awareness, change their views, and leave them with great admiration and hope for the future.

After seeing the performance, Carlson agreed with Schmidt and said, "What an incredible show! Day After Day illuminates the challenges of Autism." The two women decided that they had to find a way to bring this performance to South Jersey. Carlson and Schmidt have been instrumental in raising autism awareness in our community and felt that this wonderfully written rock opera was a great way to explain autism and all that goes along with it. "We are absolutely thrilled to sponsor this event!"

Day After Day will be performed at the Kingsway Assembly of God Church, located at 2701 Chapel Ave in Cherry Hill on Saturday, November 15, 2008 at 2:00 pm. This is the first time this performance will be in South Jersey. The show is being presented by Parents of Autistic Children (POAC), a NJ nonprofit organization that provides free autism-education training programs for parents, care providers, teachers and emergency responders and it is being sponsored by Just 2 Moms.

The show is appropriate for children and adults. Tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for children and attendees on the autism spectrum will receive free admittance. Tickets go on sale Friday, October 10th. You may purchase your tickets by calling 856-429-1400.