.sqs-block.image-block .image-caption-wrapper p{ font-size: 14px !important; }

DS Achieve 2020 - our year so far...

We’re only nine weeks into the new year and it has been BUSY!  Here is a roundup for you of everything that has been going on.

TRAINING

On 14th and 21st January, we held our two-day training course Developing Number Sense for Children with Down Syndrome, delivered by Anne Gullick (Education Advisor for children with Down Syndrome) for parents/carers and professionals.  The poll we ran last year identified that numeracy training was in high demand and we were delighted to see high numbers in attendance - both on day one, which focused on infant school level numeracy, and day two, which focused on junior school level numeracy.  Feedback from the training was excellent, with most wishing they had longer with Anne to learn even more!  On that basis, we hope to run the course again.

IMG_2959.jpg
IMG_2962.jpg
 

LITTLE ACHIEVERS

After a few weeks away over Christmas and New Year, we were very excited to see our Little Achievers back at class this term on 16th January!  I wondered how the children would feel coming back into the setting and how quickly they would want to get involved, and we were very pleasantly surprised as they got stuck straight in.

We have had a ‘full house’ of 12 children and their parents enrolled last term and this term for the teaching groups.  We’ve also been thrilled to have a couple of new joiners to the Stay and Play group in January.  Such lovely additions to the ‘Little Achievers family’. 

The teaching classes with Sandra Redman have been going well with notable progress being seen across the groups.  Sandra sets new individual targets for each child each term, which are reviewed over the weeks and updated if needed.  We can always tell if a child has done something particularly amazing or surprising during a class as Sandra’s smile becomes similar to that of a Cheshire cat!  I think across the parent group (myself included), we all wish we could adopt Sandra and have her at our own homes!

The theme for the first half of the term in the Stay and Play session has been ‘I like…’ with activities, Sing & Sign and crafts loosely based on the fantastic book ‘I Like It When…’ by Mary Murphy starring a little penguin.

I like it when.jpg
thumbnail_IMG_3412.jpg

We had our sensory den turn into a penguin’s igloo with polar bears and ‘snow’, we shared things from home that each of the children like, there were little penguins frozen in ice for the children to see melting and to touch for a sensory experience, and we counted fish as we fed them to a penguin.  Then in the last couple of sessions of the half term we realised a lot of us actually like things that are warm rather than cold, so we focused on songs about sandcastles and jungles, we painted spring pictures, and we took our small world people to see the farm animals 😊 A lovely, fun half term to kick off the year.

Next term will look at springtime and Easter-themed activities, so lots to do and lots of fun to be had!

 

YOUNG ACHIEVERS

Our first social development activity of the year with our Young Achievers took place on Sunday 26th January at Pizza Express in WGC, with children ranging between 5 and 13 years old making their own pizzas and then getting to eat them too!

001.jpg

With 21 children at the session (including siblings), it was a fantastic atmosphere with lots of chat and laughter.  It was great to see the children get stuck in with the dough and different topping choices, and to see the parents have a chance for a hot drink and some socialising too. 

We have had fantastic feedback about the day, which makes us even more excited about our next Young Achievers events.

YOUNG ACHIEVERS DATES:

  • 1st March (today!) in Hitchin with our creative dance session being run by Imagination Arts

  • 29th March at Little Gym for physical movement and gym based activities (this will open for booking shortly). This event will be funded by a grant from Localgiving and Postcode  Community Trust, a grant-giving charity funded entirely by players of People’s Postcode Lottery. 

And the following dates for your diary…  activities to be confirmed:

  • 17th May

  • 14th June

  • 19th July


EMPOWERMENT GROUP

This is our brand new offering for parents and carers.  You know what they say about putting your own oxygen mask on first…  Well DS Achieve believes that if we as parents and carers feel better in and about ourselves, the better we will deal with the challenges life can throw at us. 

We can find it difficult to have time for and focus on ourselves, so we wanted to create opportunities to step outside of our usual routines and think of ourselves as something other than ‘mummy’ or ‘daddy’ and have some fun, relax, and focus on our wellbeing. 

Our first Empowerment Group get-together took place on Tuesday 11th February, when nine women took over Pots of Art in St Albans for an evening…  and had a wonderful time!  There was wine, chat, lots of painting and oodles of creativity.  Who knew we had it in us?!  A wonderful (and pretty therapeutic) way to spend an evening, and we got to create some beautiful things to boot. 

Here are some pictures of the fabulous artwork we created, and the ladies who took part.  

We plan to organise one event every half term.

The next one is on Friday 13th March, 11am-1pm, and will be a Mindfulness Session delivered by Jodie Smart of Sunny Kids Shine. Book your place here if you’d like to join us!

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/ds-achieve-empowerment-group-mindfulness-session-tickets-97096015797

The third Empowerment Group session will be an evening event on 21st May with a wonderful Spa Experience with Temple Spa. Booking is already open, so book your place here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/empowerment-group-spa-experience-tickets-97161517715

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY!

So many things are happening at the moment, so make sure to book a place or keep the date free if you would like to join us:

Don’t forget to check our website and follow us on Facebook to make sure you are the first to know about our new events, and hopefully we will see you at one soon!

Michelle xx

DS Achieve



Before you go...

Please consider making a small donation to support DS Achieve.