| Congratulations to our new FAIR Board Member, Robin MCloskey
who was elected at FAIR’s Annual Meeting during the FAIR on ICE
Party in March. The following Board Members were reelected to
another term: Bill Fitler, Anne Hall, Mollie McLeod, Kathy Metz,
Nancy Ng, Lansing and Kingsley Wood. Continuing Board members are:
Minji Enemark, Tasha Parrett, Amy Klatzkin, Wilma Chu and Beckett Haight.
Katey Casab is ending her Board Membership. FAIR would like to thank
Katey for her many years of service to FAIR, particularly in the
database and membership areas.
If you would like to join the FAIR Board or volunteer to help FAIR, please contact any Board Member. We always need new folks to get involved to continue FAIR’s work and to make it relevant for today’s adoptive families! |
Understanding Our Stories, a group for children and parents is scheduled for the following dates: Sundays, June 6 and 13, 1-5pm and Sunday June 27, 1-6pm, including a closing ceremony and potluck. FAIR is trying a new intensive weekend format instead of weekday evenings in order to make it possible for working parents or those who come from greater distances to participate. Attendance at all sessions is required! Children meet with Nancy Ng and other experienced facilitators for a hands-on group designed to help them understand their unique adoption story while learning more about adoption in general. The children find many commonalities in their diverse stories and become more comfortable communicating about adoption with their parents and others. At the same time the parents separately to follow a similar “curriculum,” learning and practicing ways to talk about adoption with their children. In the past this has been a very popular and meaningful group for all of the participants. Please contact Nancy for more information about the group. nancycng@gmail.com. There will be a charge to cover materials, snacks, etc but as always FAIR will work out scholarships if needed.
Annual FAIR Family Campout: Thurs-Sun. August 5-8. Del
Valle Regional Park, Livermore. Come for 2 or 3 nights. FAIR will
reserve campsites close to one another. Families bring their own supplies
but share a potluck dinner on Saturday. This is a low-key weekend at a
beautiful park. Lake swimming with lifeguards, hiking, wild turkeys, stars –
and even showers and toilets! Save the date and check the online calendar
for more details after May 15. To save your place, send an email to
lansingw@earthlink.net with your
family members names, address, phone, and ages of kids. You will be assigned
a site and sent registration papers and other information. The cost is
$25.00 per family for FAIR members payable to FAIR, PO Box 51436, Palo Alto
94303.
Wednesdays. May 5, June 2, 7-9pm. FAIR “Moving On.” Saratoga. A
support and networking group for parents of teens and young adults. Share
the ups and downs of parenting kids who have extra challenging behaviors or
tasks at this stage of development. Facilitated by experienced adoptive
parents. Please contact Lansing
lansingw@earthlink.net or Kathy
katherine.metz@comcast.net
before coming for the first time.
Fridays. May 7, June 4, 7-9pm. FAIR Adoption Support Group. San Francisco. All are welcome. Meet other parents for networking, support, and information. Please double check dates with Amy Klatzkin. For directions and to RSVP, contact amyk@stanfordalumni.org
Mondays, May 17, June 21, 7-9pm. FAIR Parents of Young Children Support and Networking Group. Mountain View. This group is for adoptive parents of infants and young children through elementary school. Pre-adopt parents will also find this group helpful. Thanks to BAAS for the meeting space! 465 Fairchild Dr. Ste 215. For information and to RSVP lansingw@earthlink.net
Sundays, June 6, 13, and 27. Understanding Our Stories Group. Palo Alto. See above for details or Nancycng@gmail.com.
AdopTalk: Talking with Kids About Adoption. Saturday, May 22. 9am-4pm. Oakland. Presented by Pact. AdopTalk is a workshop for adoptive and pre-adoptive families. We will discuss the developmental stages that children go through and how each stage changes their understanding and questions about being adopted. We will also work with you on how to help your kids handle questions about adoption from others outside of your family. We will spend the morning discussing approaches to help adopted children explore their feelings about family, connections and origins. In the afternoon we will focus on specific scenarios and responses to questions from children and talk about tools like books and lifebooks, to help children claim and understand their adoption story. For more information and to register visit Pact’s website at www.pactadopt.org
Pact Camp – A gathering of adoptive families with children of color. July 26-20. Asilomar Conference Center, Pacific Grove, CA. Register: 510-243-9460. www.pactadopt.org
NACAC’s 36th Annual Training Conference. August 5-7, Connecticut, For parents and professionals http://www.nacac.org/conference/conference.html This conference is worth saving for! There are many, many practical workshops. Make contacts, learn, be inspired. Go if you can.
FAIR Annual Campout. Thurs-Sun. August 5-8. Del Valle Regional Park, Livermore. Save the dates. Contact lansingw@earthlink.net or check the online calendar for details after May 15.
ATTACh Conference: The Loving Connection: Wired for Attachment. Burlingame. Sept. 22-25. For parents and professionals. Contact questions@attach.org FAIR may provide scholarships!
FAIR ON ICEFAIR FAMILY FUN – YOU ARE
INVITED! RAIN or SHINE. Saturday, March 20, 5:30-7:30pm What: The last FAIR on ICE party of the season will take place at the Winter Lodge in Palo Alto. Join other FAIR families for a wonderful evening at this cozy outdoor rink. FAIR HAS EXCLUSIVE USE OF THE RINK AND BARBECUE AREA. Non-skaters are welcome to watch, encourage, and chat. Please invite extended family members and friends. Waiting parents are welcome. Teens are encouraged to come. Wheelchairs and strollers glide beautifully on the ice, so bring the little ones! There is a covered area in case of rain. See you there! Where: Winter Lodge, 3009 Middlefield Rd., Palo Alto From 101, take the Oregon Expswy exit then left onto Middlefield. From 280 take the Page Mill exit. This becomes Oregon. Turn right onto Middlefield. After you pass Safeway turn left into the Winter Lodge parking lot. What to bring: A simple dinner for your family: sandwiches, hamburgers, hot dogs, etc. Gas barbecues and picnic tables will be ready. (There is a Safeway with a deli and a Round Table almost next to the rink.) FAIR will provide hot chocolate, cookies, cups, plates, utensils, mustard, catsup, and relish. No alcohol, please. What to expect: Fun, good company, a great time! This is one of our most popular events, definitely worth a drive. Since FAIR has the whole rink, it will be a relaxed, comfortable evening for all. Del Valle campers, video stars, play group members – reunite on the ice! Cost: $5.00 per skater, collected for the Winter Lodge at the door. Cash or checks to FAIR. This includes skate rental, even if you own skates. No RSVP necessary. Just come!!! Questions? Lansing@fairfamilies.org |
Wednesdays. March 3, April 14, 7-9pm. FAIR “Moving On.” Saratoga. A support and networking group for parents of teens and young adults. Share the ups and downs of parenting kids who have extra challenging behaviors or tasks at this stage of development. Facilitated by experienced adoptive parents. Please contact Lansing lansingw@earthlink.net or Kathy katherine.metz@comcast.net before coming for the first time.
Fridays. March 5, April 2, 7-9pm. FAIR Adoption Support Group. San Francisco. All are welcome. Meet other parents for networking, support, and information. Please double check dates with Amy Klatzkin. For directions and to RSVP, contact amyk@stanfordalumni.org
Sunday. March 7, 2-4pm. FAIR Board Meeting. Woods’s home in Palo Alto. Open to all interested FAIR members. RSVP Lansingw@earthlink.net
Mondays, March. 15, April 19, 7-9pm. FAIR Parents of Young Children Support and Networking Group. Mountain View. This group is for adoptive parents of infants and young children through elementary school. Pre-adopt parents will also find this group helpful. Thanks to BAAS for the meeting space! 465 Fairchild Dr. Ste 215. For information and to RSVP lansingw@earthlink.net
Saturday, March 20. 5:30-7:30pm. FAIR on ICE Party and Annual Meeting and
Elections at the Winter Lodge in Palo Alto. Save the date. Rain or
shine. For everyone! The following Board Members will be reelected in March:
Bill Fitler, Anne Hall, Mollie McLeod, Kathy Metz, Nancy Ng, Lansing and
Kingsley Wood. If you would like to join the FAIR Board please try to attend
the March 7th meeting and or contact any Board Member for information. We
need new folks to get involved to continue FAIR’s work and to make it
relevant for today’s adoptive families!
Saturday, March 6. Pact’s Spring Training Conference.
www.pactadopt.org Highly
recommended.
NACAC Training Conference. Summer, 2010. For parents and professionals.
www.nacac.org
FAIR Annual Campout. Thurs-Sun. August 5-8. Save the dates. More info later.
| Announcements and News:
FAIR Members, we need your input. Please send an email
to info@fairfamilies.org
to let us know what your ideas are for this organization. Would
you like to volunteer your talents, organize a program or
activity, or serve on the Board?? Understanding Our Stories is a popular program offered by FAIR. Children, ages 7-11 meet for six hands-on sessions to learn more about what adoption means in their lives. Parents meet separately to learn and share, all with the goal of better communication between parent and child and greater understanding of adoption in a personal and general way. Experienced adult adoptees and adoptive parents will guide children and parents. If you are interested, please email Nancy Ng Nancycng@gmail.com to let her know. She will find out if participants are interested in Saturday day time sessions (longer but fewer) or weekday early evening sessions, probably in March/April. Lunar New Year Party?? FAIR may have a party on Sunday, February 28 with activities, food and fun. Save the date and check the online calendar later. FAIR on ICE Party and Annual Meeting and Elections. 5:30-7:30pm, Saturday, March 20 at the Winter Lodge in Palo Alto. Save the Date. Details later. |
Wednesdays. Jan. 6, Feb. 3, 7-9pm. FAIR “Moving On.” Saratoga. A support and networking group for parents of teens and young adults. Share the ups and downs of parenting kids who have extra challenging behaviors or tasks at this stage of development. Facilitated by experienced adoptive parents. Please contact Lansing lansingw@earthlink.net or Kathy katherine.metz@comcast.net before coming for the first time.
Fridays. Jan. 8, Feb. 5, 7-9pm. FAIR Adoption Support Group. San Francisco. All are welcome. Meet other parents for networking, support, and information. Please double check dates with Amy Klatzkin. For directions and to RSVP, contact amyk@stanfordalumni.org
Mondays, Jan. 18, Feb. 15, 7-9pm. FAIR Parents of Young Children Support and Networking Group. Mountain View. This group is for adoptive parents of infants and young children through elementary school. Pre-adopt parents will also find this group helpful. Thanks to BAAS for the meeting space! 465 Fairchild Dr. Ste 215. For information and to RSVP lansingw@earthlink.net
Sunday, February 28, 2-5pm. FAIR’s Lunar New Year Party. Date and place to be confirmed.
Sunday, March 7. 2-4pm. FAIR Board Meeting. Wood’s. Open to all interested FAIR members.
Saturday, March 20. 5:30-7:30pm. FAIR on ICE Party at the Winter Lodge in Palo Alto. Save the date. Rain or shine. For everyone!