Back to School......

Hi everyone, it's Micheal here.  It is with great sadness I'm here to report today is the LAST DAY of summer vacation.  Bright and early tomorrow morning, students all across Rowan County and surrounding counties will be heading back to school.  

For some of those students it will be their first day of school.  Now I have to tell you, there is nothing to cry about!!  (I'm talking about the mommas.)  I know none of you new kindergarteners are going to cry on your first day of school.  Right?

I hope everyone has a great first day of school, followed by a great school year.  If you are out and about in the morning early, be careful.  There will be students waiting at bus stops, students driving to, or being driven to school.  Also, those big, slow, yellow school buses will be out too!  Please,  leave a little early, and be especially careful in the morning.  

Here are a few "Back to School" images from the web for you to 
"enjoy?"......

Thanks for checking by today.  Enjoy your last day of freedom if you are a student, and check back soon.  -Michael.

Knights To The Rescue.....

Happy Friday everyone.  The Arc of Rowan had some special visitors recently.  They were Sir William Shaver, Knight Almoner and his merry band from the Knightly Order of the Fiat Lux .  

They came by the office to present Shela Sapp, The Arc of Rowan's Assistant Director with a check for $650.00 to fund two scholarships for the Summer Day Program.  This is the third year they have done this.  Everyone at The Arc of Rowan wants to send out a great big THANKS.  While I didn't get to be in the picture, I was there when it all happened.  

Here's a picture for you to enjoy....

That's it for today!   Have a great weekend everyone. -Michael

Lending a Helping Hand......

Hey there everyone, Mr. Rob here today.  Michael wanted me to pass along some pictures of the 2012 Summer Food Drive.  

Here is a report of the action from Mrs. Jane.....

The Summit Civitans and RHA teamed up for a Summer Food Drive. They have been providing food for needy families (with I/DD) at Thanksgiving and Christmas for several years.  This year they realized the need was great and pulled together a tremendous  amount of food for The Arc  of Rowan to distribute to needy families this summer.  The food donations have included many chickens to give away. Canned food and bottled water was included. Pictured is the unloading of the van full of food to The Arc of Rowan office.

Thank-you to our Community Guides for helping to distribute the food to families that could use some extra help during these hot days of summer.

Here are some pictures of our volunteers hard at work......

Once again thanks to everyone for all their help!!  -Michael

A Special Thanks......

Hey there, it's Michael here.  Hope your week is off to a good start. This is my last week of summer vacation. School starts for me next Monday. UGH!  

Mr. Rob said I should make a special post to give a great big THANKS to the three wonderful site managers who looked after everyone at this years Summer Day Camp.  

A special thanks for sure to Ms. Wanda, Ms. Carolyn, and Ms. Sandra.  You are the best site managers ever.  

Thanks for checking in today.  More Summer Day pictures to come. 

-Michael.

The Hat Lady Visits Summer Day......

Hey there, Michael here.  Here are some pictures from the day the Hat Lady visited the Landis Elementary site of Summer Day Camp.  We sure did have fun trying on all the neat hats.  The Hat Lady told us all about the hats too!  

Thanks for checking by today.  Mr. Rob says there are more pictures coming from Summer Day, so check back soon. 
-Michael.

Summer Day Camp Fun......

Hey everyone it's Michael!!  I've not been blogging for awhile, but I've been having a great summer.  Mr. Rob just got a batch of pictures, so here's a few from the Summer Day Program.  One of my Kids on the Block buddies went to hang-out with the Kids from the Camp! 

Today is the last day of Summer Day for this year.  Soon we will all be back to school.  UGH!  I want to thank everyone who made this wonderful camp possible this year.


Until next time, Michael.

April is Autism Awareness Month.....

Happy Monday everyone.  Mr. Rob here, I hope no-one had an April Fools prank played on you yesterday!! Autism is no prank, and April is Autism Awareness Month.  I asked Michael if I could post today to pass on some of the latest information about Autism or Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).  

Be sure to check out the autism NOW website for lots more information.  


Here are just a few of the newest facts:

• CDC estimates 1 in 88 children has been identified with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
• ASDs are almost 5 times more common among boys (1 in 54) than among girls (1 in 252).
• More children are being diagnosed at earlier ages—a growing number of them by age 3.
• The "Learn the Signs. Act Early." program aims to change perceptions about the importance of identifying developmental concerns early and gives parents and professionals the tools to help.

These are just a few of the new data presented in the CDC's latest report on Austim Spectrum Disorders (ASD).  Be sure to check out all the latest news at the autism NOW website.


Thanks for checking in today and Michael will be back with a post soon.  -Mr. Rob