Growing Times - January '20

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Confidence Breeds Success
Boost-Up Plus is a 3-week multisensory summer camp for children ages 5-11 that focuses on stimulating physical and cognitive development through fun and challenging gross motor, fine motor, vision and auditory activities. Incorporating elements of A Chance To Grow’s S.M.A.R.T. approach, the program is able to influence a child’s ability to learn, think and remember, ultimately giving them the confidence they need to achieve success in and out of the classroom.

“It’s a holistic approach to help children reach their full potential,” says Patrick Dreher, a Developmental Adaptive Physical Education Teacher in the Robbinsdale district and instructor of the Boost-Up Plus program. “We work on building automatic responses in the brain, like balance, hand-eye coordination and cross-lateral skills through our ever-changing course of activities. As these abilities become more automatic, students are more likely to absorb and retain the information being taught in the classroom, because they are more prepared to learn.”

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S.M.A.R.T. Boost-Up Plus Summer 2020
Now Accepting Inquiries! Click the button to get started!

Inquiry Form

Boost your child’s body and brain at our multisensory summer camp. The program incorporates developmentally appropriate gross and fine motor, auditory and vision work through a fun and challenging set of physical activities designed for healthy brain development!
​> Click here to learn more about the program!

S.M.A.R.T. Boost-Up Plus
Monday, June 22 - Friday, July 10
Ages: 7-11 (9:30 am - 12 pm)
Ages: 5-6 (12:30 pm - 1:30 pm)

If you are interested in having your child attend this program, please call our Clinic Services at (612) 440-0047 or fill out and submit an inquiry form online. A staff member will contact you for complete intake information.

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Social Motor Works Summer Camp
Social Motor Works is a 3-week summer camp (14 days total) for children ages 5-11 that addresses concerns related to social skills, executive functioning, motor skills and reflexes, reading environmental cues, problem solving and time management. This program provides participants with tools to use in a variety of social situations as well as ways to manage one’s resources to achieve a goal. Participants will work in small groups led by a certified Speech-Language Pathologist. > Click here to learn more about the program!

Monday, June 22 - Friday, July 10
Ages 7-11 (12:30 pm - 1:15 pm)
Ages 5-6 (1:30 pm - 2:15 pm)

We request that all those interested please fill out and submit an inquiry form. A staff member will review your submission and follow up with you to discuss your child’s participation in the program. 

For more information, including costs or questions, please contact Katie Hansen at (612) 706-5519 or email katie.hansen@actg.org.

Social Motor Works and Boost-Up Plus are being offered during the same 3-week period. If you would like your child to have an all-day experience, please let us know by selecting both programs on the inquiry form.

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Advanced-Brain Seminar Series
School Anxiety: Calming the Hijacked Brain
Wednesday, January 15, 2020 from 6:30-8:00 pm

Register

Control school anxiety and help your child to manage fear and calm the mind. In this seminar, you’ll learn the factors most common in children who struggle with school anxiety and discover what is happening within the brain. Click here to learn more about the seminar!

Also learn about possible environmental causes for stress. Holistic strategies and brain-training interventions will also be discussed to help you empower your child to ovecome their fear. For more information or to register, please visit ACTG.org or contact our Director of Neurofeedback, Kelly Pittman at (612) 706-5551 or email neuro@actg.org.

Neurofeedback rentals are now available!
Combat school anxiety with this effective brain-training system. Our home system is easy to use. Hook up the entire family this winter! Call (612)706-5551 to learn more 
​or click here request more information!

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2020 S.M.A.R.T. Workshops
​Space is still available for several of our upcoming S.M.A.R.T. and S.M.A.R.T. Pre-K Workshops! Sign-up two weeks in advance of any workshop and receive a $25 discount! Click here to view full calendar of workshop dates.

S.M.A.R.T. Workshop
Minneapolis: February 25-27, 2020

S.M.A.R.T. Pre-K Workshop
Minneapolis: March 3-5, 2020

Bridging The Gap Workshop
Milwaukee: April 14, 2020

That’s One S.M.A.R.T. Teacher!

Karla, from Heavenly Sunshine Preschool in Isanti, has her students Alligator Crawl under the pews in church to get their daily dose of S.M.A.R.T. time. Alligator crawling under the pews provides a physical boundary to keep them in the right form and active inside during the winter! Doing S.M.A.R.T. in a different space helps her keep her course fresh and interesting.

Click here to subscribe to our S.M.A.R.T. newsletter for helpful tips to implement the program in any setting!

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30th Annual Golf Classic at The Wilds Golf Club
We’re excited to announce the date for our 30th annual Golf Classic event!

Mark your calendars for:
Golf Classic at The Wilds on Monday, June 29, 2020

The date for the Race for the Children at Canterbury Park will be announced soon. Check back soon for updates, registration information and sponsorship details!

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Thank you to our supporters!
We would like to thank the Northeast Minneapolis Lions Club, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul and Second Harvest Heartland for helping us host our Socks for Santa and Family Fun Night events in December. ​

Because of their generosity, the Socks for Santa event provided 260 pairs of socks and 60 lbs. of food to NE families in need. On Family Fun Night, we were able to provide our Turnquist families with presents, meals, household items and holiday essentials. We are very grateful for the support of our partners and their commitment to supporting the health and happiness of our community.

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Personal Care Assistants - Hire a Family Member or a Friend!
Are you struggling to care for a loved one with special needs? If so, we invite you to consider our Home-Based Services programs, featuring personal care assistants (PCA), homemaking and respite care. ACTG’s experienced team is dedicated to helping families achieve positive outcomes by providing custom plans tailored to each situation. Even better, our services allow clients to hire a family member or a friend to serve as the PCA, so that your loved ones are cared for by someone they know. To see if you qualify, please call us at (612) 789-1236  to find the right program for your family!

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Turnquist Child Enrichment Center Now Hiring
Do you have a passion for helping children? Become part of a hard-working, highly dedicated team of teachers taking care of toddlers and infants in the Turnquist Childcare Enrichment Center!  Working for A Chance To Grow offers competitve pay starting at $14/hour, PTO, paid holidays, medical and dental benefits. We are currently hiring for two positions:

• Toddler Assistant Teacher
• Infant Assistant Teacher

Applicants should have minimum 1 year of experience in an early childhood education setting, ability to work the hours between 6:30 am - 5:30 pm, and be trained in CPR and first aid. To apply, please complete an online application. For questions regarding the positions, please contact Liz Ruzek at elizabeth.ruzek@actg.org.