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Spring Break Camps in El Paso

Tags: Community, El Paso Mama

Spring Break is less than 3 weeks away for El Paso's kids. Our kiddos can't wait for a chance to relax and take a break from school.  As parents, we might not want our kids sitting around watching tv all day.  After about 2 days of that, they usually get bored anyway!  So you might want to look into a Spring Break Camp.  We're used to Summer camps, but these Spring camps seem to be growing in popularity.  El Paso has quite a few going on this year.
 
So how do you know if you're choosing a good one?  What kinds of questions do you ask, what do you look for?  We've searched and asked around for some helpful tips to help you feel good about the camp you choose for your kids.  We hope you find it helpful and informative.
 
1.  What interest does my child have?  What does he/she like?
 
2.  Do you want a full day or half day camp?  You need to keep in mind what your work schedule is and if you'll need someone to pick your child up after the camp.
 
3.  What is your budget?  Be sure to ask about pricing.
 
4.  How many children will be able to enroll?  What will be the ratio of employees to children?
 
5.  Do the employees get background checks before they are hired?
 
6.  What activities will the children be participating in?
 
7.  Will they be going on field trips?  Not all camps go on field trips and you may or may not feel comfortable with that.  
 
8.  How structured is the program?  You don't want your child getting bored.  You want him/her to be challenged and engaged.
 
9.  Do they have accomodations for children with special needs if your child will need them?
 
10.  How does the staff ensure safety and security?  What is the discipline plan?
 
There are so many things to think about, these are just a few things we came up with to help you get started.  Below you'll find a list of Spring Break Camps in the El Paso area.
 
- Multimedia Arts Spring Break Camp: For Girls grades 4th-8th, Monday thru Friday 9 a.m.-5p.m., latinitaselpaso@yahoo.com or 915-219-8554, laslatinitas.com Girls will exlpore multimedia arts.
 
- Motor Skills Soccer Camp: Kids ages 6 and 7 years, Mondays and Wednesdays from 4:30 p.m. to 5:50 p.m., 915-587-1623, Don Haskins Recreation Center, registration now open, camp runs from March 5th thru April 25th, registration open until March 3rd
 
- Spring Break Zoo Camp: Kids ages 7-14 years, March 12-16, 9 a.m.-12 p.m., 915-521-1894 or montacernj@elpasotexas.gov, Kids will enjoy a different nature theme each day with hands-on activities and live animals.  Registration open until March 2.  elpasozoo.org
 
- Spring Break Camps at the El Paso Museum of Art:  Kids ages 6-12 years, March 13-16, various times, 915-532-1707.  There are a variety of differ ...

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Disability Support in El Paso

Tag: Community

So many times, families who have children with disabilbities, struggle to find support.  There is so much to think about and worry about and all parents need sometimes is some extra guidance and/or assistance.  
 
The Children's Disabilbities Information Coalition (CDIC) is one place families can find that support in El Paso.  CDIC strives to help children reach their fullest potential and become valuable members of their community.  They accomplish this through providing families with the education and support they need.  CDIC offers workshops on parenting a child with special needs, educational rights, ARD's and IEP's, No Child Left Behind (NCLB) and many more important issues.  They also offer individualized assistance to families that have children receiving special education services in the public school system and coordinate an annual symposium. 
 
They work hard to promote partnerships between parents, professionals, and various community agencies to work together to combine resources and to find solutions to problems within the community that may be affecting your children with disabilities.
 
Some of the services they offer include:
 
 - Educational training, information and support to parents of children with any disability ages 0-25.
 
 - One on one help with preparing for an ARD meeting, understanding your child's records, communicating with school personnel, etc.
 
- An annual symposium
 
Their workshops focus on:
 
 - Parenting a child with special needs.
 
 - Educational rights, ARD's, IEP's.
 
 - IDEA 2004 and NCLB and many more
 
The annual CDIC symposium is coming up soon!  This year's symposium ""Finding the Missing Link: Genetic Screening to Enhance the Education & Management of Children with Disabilities" will provide families, educators and other professionals with information on Special Education, Transition, ADD/ADHD, Bullying,Positive Parenting, Legal Information, Advocacy, Family/School Partnerships, Discipline, Autism, Sensory Integration and many more.  You cannot miss out.  
 
All workshops are held in Spanish and English.  Many of the presenters are parents themselves of sons/daughters with disabiltiies.  You'll hear about their successes, their struggles and everything in between.  Not only is it a place to get information, but it is a place you can connect with other families that have gone and continue to go through similar experiences.  
 
Please make plans to attend if you feel that you can benefit.  Follow the link to find out more information.
 
Children's Disability Symposium
 
 

ChromaGen Lenses: Kid-Tested, Parent ...

Tag: Community

As parents, we naturally want what’s best for our children. One of the most important parts of our role in shaping their lives is to equip them with the knowledge and skills they need to be successful. As such, building literacy and cultivating a love for reading at an early age is often the first step toward ensuring a bright future for your child. Of course, learning how to read does not come without its challenges for many children. Some learn more slowly than their peers; others may simply not like to read.  But for a number of kids, a visual reading disorder such as dyslexia may be at the heart of their troubles. ChromaGen lenses are glasses or contacts that reduce symptoms of visual reading disorders. They are helping children of all ages who have conditions such as dyslexia read more easily, quickly and accurately.   Decoding reading challenges More than 1 in 10 people have a disorder that impacts their ability to read, write and spell.  The symptoms that children who have such a disorder may experience when they read include:  Double vision, text becomes blurry or comes in and out of focus, words move or float around the page, letters and words scrunch together or pull apart, spaces in between lines and words move and shift. 
These symptoms can impact not just a child’s ability to read, but also how he or she remembers and understands information.  Children with these symptoms often report that they get headaches, nausea and fatigue when reading as well. Their grades can be negatively impacted by their reading struggles and their self-esteem and confidence in the classroom compromised.   How can ChromaGen lenses help? Some visual reading disorders occur because light enters the eyes at different speeds, preventing the eyes from working properly. ChromaGen technology features filtered lenses that change the wavelength of light going into each eye, allowing the speed of the information traveling along the brain’s pathways to become balanced. This means that when a child is wearing ChromaGen glasses or contacts, words that once wiggled, blurred or moved now remain still, and the headaches, nausea, and fatigue the child may have experienced goes away.  Research has shown that over half of people with visual reading disorders can benefit from ChromaGen technology.  ChromaGen lenses are only available through a specially certified eye doctor. The testing process is simple.  An eye doctor asks the child seven questions about his or her reading challenges.  If the child’s responses to these questions indicate that ChromaGen may work for him or her, the doctor conducts a short examination to find the best combination of lenses.  The lenses work instantly, so a parent will know right away if ChromaGen can help their child.   ChromaGen technology is not a cure for visual reading disorders, but is a life-changing aid in re ...

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Valentines Day Crafts

Tags: Do It Yourself, El Paso Mama

Valentines Day is just a week away!  I've been thinking about it, but haven't done much to prepare.  My son is in pre-school and they'll be having a party to celebrate.  He'll be taking a treat for each classmate.  Now, I know I can go and buy the Valentines cards at the store, write his classmates' names on them and we'll be ready to go.  But, being the artsy crafty person that I am, I think we're going to be making some.  I also like the idea of involving him in the process, plus he really enjoys all of the artsy crafty stuff too.
 
I've searched the internet for some ideas that are manageable for a 4 year old, yet fun for any age, and can be completed over the weekend.  Considering that he has 24 classmates, we need something that won't be too pricey or complicated.
 
Melted Crayon Hearts from Flickr.com : I really like what the little card says "Happy Valentine's Day for Crayon Out Loud!"
 

 
Valentine Handprint Cards from Rosy~Posy: These are super cute, but may take some time especially if you have lots to make. 
 

 
Butterfly Valentine from skiptomylou.org: These are free butterfly printables.
 

 
Super Hero Valentine from zakkalife.blogspot.com: These are so fun and also have free printables to make it easier on you.
 

 
Photo Valentines from designmom.com: These are great and oh so personal.  Your kids will love seeing themselves this way. 
 

 
I really love these ideas because they involve the kiddos and it makes it more personalized for them.  They get to be a part of creating these special gifts for their friends.  
 
If you have any ideas that you'd like to share, please comment below.  We'd love to hear your great ideas.
 
Also, if you're looking for some great materials and supplies to make these lovely little valentines, look no further than El Paso's own Pizazz.  They have tons of pretty paper, cutting tools and other fun stuff to make your cards extra special.
 
Click here to visit their website: Pizazz 
 
Written by Itze Bernal, proud epMama and website coordinator for epParent.com