Newsletter for November 13, 2007
QUOTE OF THE DAY:
There are two lasting bequests we can give our children. One is roots. The other is wings.
HELP Center Announcements
Student Parent Visibility Day – A Huge Success!!
Thanks to all of you who gave so generously of your time to participate in the third annual SPV Day. We had nearly twice as many teen parents at this year’s event and provided them with resources, encouragement and free food! This could not have happened without the contributions of our volunteers. Thanks to the Student Parent Association for collaborating on and jointly hosting this special event. Check out the November 7th edition of the The Minnesota Daily for a write-up and an adorable picture of Baby Goldy, Lillian Xiong. Naomi Mjelde’s son Dylan was also a Baby Goldy for us and was equally adorable and patient while in his Gopher suit!
Changes to Our Computer System
As many of you have likely noticed we are currently undergoing some changes to our computer policies and procedures in the center. We hope to have this worked out very soon, but in the meantime please contact a staff member if you need assistance logging on to our computers as we are no longer able to post the SPHC username and password. Eventually you will all be logging on with your individual X500 username and password and will be able to save documents directly to your own desktop. This will be a more efficient and useful system, but it may take awhile before it is fully implemented. We realize that these changes are causing some delays and inconveniences and for that we apologize. We ask for your patience and understanding as we continue to work with the technology staff to develop the best practices with regard to our computers. Thanks!
New Sign-In Policy
Thanks to everyone for adapting to our new sign in policy. This will provide us with useful information as to the amount of student traffic we have in the center on a daily basis, which is necessary for future funding requests. Remember that if you come in more than once a day, you can simply put a check mark by your name each time you’re here. Thanks for your continued cooperation!
Save the Dates: Wednesdays 12:00 PM–2:00 PM
The Student Parent HELP Center meets weekly on Wednesdays from 12:00-2:00 in Room 24, Appleby Hall. The group provides the opportunity to connect with other student parents, discuss the challenges and joys surrounding academic studies and parenthood and share a FREE lunch with your fellow SPHC friends. The direction of the group will be determined in large part by your needs and ideas. Your willingness to share experiences and personal challenges will undoubtedly help others, so we hope you will join us as often as you can. Feel free to come for all or part of the group and remember that you are not obligated to come every week. Simply come as often as your schedule allows. (Your little ones are welcomeJ). See below for upcoming group topics.
November 14, 2007: Jan Merrell from the University of Minnesota Child Care Center will be here to talk about sleep.
November 21, 2006: Check in Questions/Social Time
November 28, 2007: Lutheran Social Services will be here to present on how to get out of debt and manage budgets.
December 5, 2007: Linda Aaker from University of Minnesota Legal Services will present on current child custody and support guidelines for MN. She will answer questions related to health care directives.
December 12, 2007: Last group of the semester!
If you have suggestions for a specific topic or program, contact Jerri Wagner or Rebecca Hassett at sphc@umn.edu.
We Need You…
The Student Parent Association (SPA) is a University student group specifically designed to address the issues facing student parents on campus. As the new academic year gets underway, SPA is looking to enroll new members and officers. Membership and officer application forms are available on their website under the “Links” tab. Complete applications can be returned to Susan Warfield, via email attachment sent to her direct email address. We will also have applications available at the HELP Center and you can attend a meeting and sign up then as well. Meetings are held each Friday from 12:30 PM to 1:00 PM in the Student Parent HELP Center. This type of engagement looks wonderful on a resume and goes a long way toward increasing the visibility of student parents at the U of MN. Please visit their website to learn more: www.tc.umn.edu/~umspa/
Thoughts on Fathers and Fatherhood
It is not flesh and blood but the heart which makes us fathers and sons. Johann Schiller
Fatherhood is such a complex concept in our diverse and complicated world. Depending on our life experience it conjures up ideas and feelings that span a broad continuum. Being a father means much more than a biological connection to a child. Fathers can be dads, stepdads, brothers, father-in-laws, grandpas, spiritual leaders, teachers, friends and the list goes on. More important than the “who” is the “what’. What does a father do and what does it mean to be a father?
Here is one perspective from an anonymous poet:
A Dad is a person
who is loving and kind,
And often he knows
what you have on your mind.
He's someone who listens,
suggests, and defends
A dad can be one
of your very best friends!
He's proud of your triumphs
but when things go wrong
A dad can be patient
and helpful and strong.
In all that you do,
a dad's love plays a part
There's always a place for him
deep in your heart.
And each year that passes
you're even more glad,
More grateful and proud
just to call him your dad!
Being a father is no doubt a great privilege and a great challenge. So how should it be approached? There is no simple answer and every child has different needs and unique circumstances. Fortunately there are resources out there which can provide valuable information and support to all kinds of different fathers. Check out the following websites:
http://www.acfc.org/site/PageServer
*Please also visit the HELP Center for more resources for fathers*
Opportunities to Share
Student Parent Success Stories
We would like to continue featuring announcements of student and family successes as regular newsletter items. If you will be graduating at the end of fall term, are welcoming a new child, purchasing a home, getting married or experiencing any related event that you would like to have us post in the newsletter, please send the details to the SPHC email address, spch@umn.edu. We would be proud and honored to share in celebrating these wonderful life transitions with you and your families.
Photo Gallery
Sharing photos of our children and families is a great way to get to know each other. If you have a photo of your child(ren) or family and would like to see it featured in one of our upcoming newsletters, send it as an e-mail attachment to sphc@umn.edu.
Parenting Information and Resources
Parent Warmline 612-813-6336
The Parent Warmline is a free consultation service for parents provided by Children’s Hospital. If you have questions or concerns about behavioral or developmental issues such as toilet training, discipline, sleep patterns, temper tantrums, fears, etc., call this free hotline (612-813-6336) and leave your name, telephone number and a brief description of your concern. Within 24 hours a professionally trained volunteer will call you back to offer practical advice, encouragement or community resource referrals. Please note that the Parent Warmline is a non-crisis, non-medical service. This service is free to parents who live in the Twin Cities metro area.
Postpartum Support International
The mission of this organization is: “To promote awareness, prevention and treatment of mental health issues related to childbearing in every country worldwide”. If you or a family member or partner is struggling with postpartum depression or anxiety call their warmline at 1-800-944-4PPD for emotional support and resource referral. For more detailed information visit the Postpartum Support International website www.postpartum.net.
University of Minnesota Extension Service
The University of Minnesota Extension Service offers a host of resources for Minnesota parents. Please bookmark the following website for access to answers and advice regarding a number of common parenting questions. http://www.extension.umn.edu
Energy Assistance
Whether we like it or not the cold is coming! Many Minnesotans will see significant increases in their energy bills, sometimes beyond the ability of some to pay. The Energy Assistance Program provides grants for individuals in need. Please visit the following link for more information: http://www.state.mn.us/portal/mn/jsp/content.do?id=-
Mom Talk!
Looking for a place to learn from other moms, share resources, recipes and experiences? Visit www.momtalk.com. This is a great online forum with information on health and wellness, upcoming events, pregnancy and just about anything related to being a mom in the Twin Cities.
Community Events and Activities
Guthrie in the Parks: Saturday, November 10th, 10:00 AM-11:30 AM
This free 90 minute class is offered to children ages 7-12 and introduces kids the exciting world of improvisation! The class encourages kids to think imaginatively and work cooperatively with others. For more information and to register call 612-370-4917. The class will be held at Folwell Park, 1615 Dowling Avenue North, Minneapolis.
Toddler Tuesday: Tuesday, November 13th, 10:00 AM-12:00 PM
Bring your toddler to the Mall of America Rotunda for a morning of characters, storytime, crafts and more! This free event takes place each week at this time. For more information, visit MOA.com.
Tom Turkey Skate: Thursday, November 22nd, 9:00 AM-10:30 AM
Kick off your Thanksgiving with a morning ice skate! This event takes place at the Brooklyn Park Community Activity Center, 5600 85th Avenue North in Brooklyn Park. A costumed Tom Turkey will make the rounds on the ice as families twist and twirl (or slip and fallJ) around him. The cost of admission is $4.00 for adults and $3.00 for kids. Bring a canned good and get a $1.00 discount. For more information call 763-493-8333 or visit BrooklynPark.org.
Wells Fargo WinterSkate: Saturday, November 24th, 4:00 PM-6:00 PM
Kick off the holiday season with this fun and festive outdoor event. Be the first to skate at Wells Fargo WinterSkate, St. Paul’s brand new, outdoor, artificially chilled ice rink, and then stay to watch Rice Park’s holiday tree light up with over 60,000 lights. This event is free and takes place at Rice Park, between 4th and 5th Streets and Washington and Market Avenues in St. Paul. For more information call 651-291-5608. Don’t miss it!
Minneapolis Institute of Arts
Ten Sundays each year the Art Institute hosts Family Days. These events feature music, art, dance performance and hands-on activities for kids. November’s event is “’Round and ‘Round Georgia O’Keeffe” and will focus on the circle, spiral, oval, and other rounded forms in art and nature. Kids will create their own still life painting in the style of Georgia O’Keeffe and will enjoy watching circle dances from cultures around the world. This event is free and takes place on Sunday, November 11th between 11:00 am and 5:00 pm. There is no pre-registration required-simply show up anytime between 11 and 5.
The Minneapolis Institute of Arts is located at 2400 Third Avenue South, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55404. Visit http://www.artsmia.org/ for more information.
The Bell Museum of Natural History
The Bell Museum of Natural History located right on our own U of M, East Bank campus offers two fun family events. Visit their website for more details: http://www.bellmuseum.org/calendar.html
Nature Play
A drop-in family program from 1-3 p.m. on the 2nd Saturday of each month. Free with museum admission. For families with kids ages 4 and older.
Nature Tots
A program for toddlers and preschoolers with their parents, held the first Thursday of every month from 9:30 to 11:00 a.m. Free with museum admission, but registration is required. Call 612-624-9050.
MN Science Museum
Did you know…families who receive any assistance in the form of WIC, MFIP, GA, MA, MN Care, SSI, FS, or Section 8 qualify for reduced admission rates at the MN Science Museum. Just bring along current proof that you receive any of the assistance forms listed above, and you and your family can enjoy the Science Museum for the following prices:
Exhibits: $1.00
Exhibits + Omni Theater: $3.00
Please contact the museum with any further questions: (651) 221-9444, www.smm.org
Hours: Tuesday-Wednesday 9:30 am-5:00 pm, Thursday-Saturday 9:30 am-9:00 pm, Sunday 11:00 am-5:00 pm CLOSED MONDAY
Hot Tip
Do you get frustrated talking to automated voice messages when you want help with your phone bill, utilities, banking, etc.? There is nothing more frustrating that trying to get a human on the phone and getting routed through numerous voice recordings first. Here are some helpful hints for getting a human pronto:
PHONE
Qwest:1-800-491-0118 – Press 1, then say “operator” repeatedly until you are transferred to a person.
AT&T: 1-800-288-2747 – Press 1. Enter phone number, hit 1, then hit 0 three times.
T-Mobile: 1-800-937-8997 – Say “English,” “I Don’t Have One,” “Representative,” in that order.
Verizon: 1-800-922-0204 – Press 0 at each prompt, ignoring messages.
UTILITIES
Xcel Energy: 1-800-895-4999 – Ignore the automated woman. Hit 0 until you’re transferred.
CenterPoint Energy: 612-372-4727 – Press 0 twice, ignoring prompts.
City of Minneapolis Utilities: 612-673-1114 – Press 0, then 4.
City of St. Paul Water Services: 651-266-6350 – Press 1, 1, 0, in that order.
BANKS
US Bank: 612-872-2657 – Press 0 right away, ignoring prompts. Press 0 again, then 1.
Wells Fargo: 1-800-869-3557 – Press 0 twice, ignoring prompts.
T.V./INTERNET
Comcast: 1-800-266-2278 – Enter your phone number (or just make one up). Then press 1 four times in a row.
Dish Network: 1-888-284-7116 – Press 0 at each prompt.
OTHER
Hennepin County Court: 612-348-6000 – Don’t press anything. Your call will be transferred after a menu of selections.
Minneapolis Impound Lot: 612-673-5777 – Press 0 three times, ignoring prompts.
For a comprehensive database of customer service numbers and directions to human operators, check out gethuman.com.
Grants Update
The list for the CCAMPIS Grant is closed at this time.
Post Secondary Child Care Grant: First tier students who have already submitted applications have been processed and you should check your student accounts for an entry labeled, “MN State Child Care Grant” (same thing as Post Secondary CC Grant). When you see that hit your account the grant has been disbursed. At this point in time we do not know whether there will be enough money to cover the second tier students, but we will keep you posted.
Please contact us if you need further information. If you do not already have an application that means that you were not eligible to apply when we mailed applications in August. If you are an on-going student who registered late or filed a FAFSA late, you should contact us immediately to update your status if you have not done so all ready. That number is: 612-626-6015. New students registering with the SPHC will be waitlisted for grants dependent on availability of funds at the time of intake.
All programs of the SPHC are available to undergraduates only
COOL WEB LINKS:
http://www.mediafamily.org/facts/tips_tametube.shtml
Featured Books
*Note* All of the books/CD’s listed below are available for check-out at the Student Parent Help Center
- I Can Draw Dinosaurs by Terry Longhurst
- Mario Andretti, The Complete Record by Mike O’Leary
- Night-Night, Settle-Down Activities for Easy Bedtimes by Cynthia MacGregor
- We Can Get Along, A Child’s Book of Choices by Lauren Murphy Payne, M.S.W.
- Communication Miracles for Couples, Easy and Effective Tools to Create More Love and Less Conflict by Jonathan Robinson
- 31 Words to Create an Organized Life, Simple Strategies and Expert Advice to Win the Battle Against Chaos and Clutter by Marcia Zina Mager, 2 copies
- Why Do They Act That Way? A Survival Guide to the Adolescent Brain for You and Your Teen by David Walsh, Ph.D.
- NO-Why Kids-of All Ages-Need to Hear It and Ways Parents Can Say It by David Walsh, Ph.D
- Brain Tools: Say NO! to Frustration & Distraction by Dr. Gary Johnson (This is a stress relief CD for adults and teens)
COMING IN THE NEXT NEWSLETTER:
Career Planning and Prep Resources: Resume tips and resources, job search sites, nifty websites.
Who’s Who at SPHC
Susan Warfield, MSW, LICSW
As the Director of the SPHC, I am responsible for overseeing all programs of the Student Parent HELP Center and supervising SPHC staff. This has meant that I have had to step back from having the degree of direct contact with students I have always enjoyed having. This has been a difficult but necessary step for me to take in order to meet the needs of our growing program. If you have an issue that absolutely cannot be addressed by another SPHC staff member, you may schedule an appointment with me. These appointments should be booked throughthe SPHC front desk. Intakes and basic questions about services offered should be directed toJerri Wagner, Rebecca Hassett, Katie Schoeppner, or Zer Xiong. I am entering my 8th year with the HELP Center and during this journey have moved from on-line staff, to Coordinator and now Director. With this evolution has come an increase in responsibilities and duties. Please know that even though you may not see as much of me in the actual Center as you may have in the past, I continue to work each and every day to bring you the programming, funding and visibility on campus that student parents need to have a successful experience at the U of MN. We are experiencing a bit of a crisis on the private child care funding side and I really need to devote most of my attention this year to finding more child care assistance and emergency grant funding in order to keep up with demand. Have no fear; you will continue to hear my raucous laughter echoing through the SPHC!
Jerri Wagner, MSW, LGSW
I am the Direct Service Program Coordinator for the Student Parent HELP Center. Originally from New York State, I graduated from Syracuse University in 2000 with an undergraduate degree in theatre, with minors in sociology and women’s studies. After undergrad, I was an AmeriCorps volunteer for one year in Chicago, teaching arts integration on the west side in a Chicago Public School. In June of 2003, I graduated with my Master’s in Social Work from the University of Chicago. While in graduate school, I served as a therapist with Chicago’s Metropolitan YWCA, working with survivors of sexual assault and their families. From 2003-2006, I coordinated two statewide youth violence prevention programs for the Illinois Center for Violence Prevention in Chicago. Prior to relocating to Minneapolis, I spent March-June of 2006 traveling and learning abroad in Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, and Rwanda. I would love to talk about any of these varied experiences with you and really look forward to working with such an amazing and resilient population at the SPHC!
Rebecca Hassett
Hello! I am one of the new Graduate Social Work Interns this year. This is my first year in the MSW program and my first year at the U of M. I studied Political Science and Spanish at Concordia College in Moorhead, MN. I am very excited to be working at the Student Parent HELP center; I think it is an amazing program with much to offer students. I will be helping Jerri out with group during fall semester and I can’t wait to get started. I’m looking forward to meeting all of you!!
Katie Schoeppner
Hello student parents! I am so excited to meet all of you and get to know you over the course of the school year. I am in my first year of the Masters of Social Work program at the U of M and will be interning here for the entire school year. It has been five years since I graduated from Gustavus Adolphus College with a degree in Psychology and Scandinavian Studies. Since graduating I have worked as a nanny in Sweden, as a program manager at an agency for adults with traumatic brain injuries, as a legal assistant at a small personal injury law firm and in the publisher’s office at the Duluth News Tribune in Duluth, MN. It is sure to be an eventful and exciting year!
Zer Xiong
I am the Undergraduate Teaching Assistant (UGTA) for the Student Parent HELP Center. This is my second year as the UGTA. Part of my responsibilities is to assist you in the Center so feel free to ask me for help. Like you, I am also a student parent. My son Alexander will be 2 on November 27th, 2007. In May 2008 I will be graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology, Family Social Science, and Public Health from the Inter-College Program. It has been a pleasure and privilegegetting to know all the student parents who use our center and I am looking forward to another great year!
Comments, questions or ideas about useful information for this newsletter can be directed to Katie Schoeppner at Sphc@umn.edu.