ACT Down Syndrome Association

The Confident Speaker’s Program 2011

The ACT DSA Confident Speaker’s Program has been operating since 1994 as an informal learning activity meeting on a regular basis. It has now been revamped into a formal development program based on the Unit: Make Presentations (CUSGEN05A) which is a component of the nationally endorsed CUS01 Music Training Package. This unit includes the skills and knowledge required to make effective presentations for many different purposes using a range of media and is highly relevant to the group. It will continue to be friendly, participative and supportive.

Who is this program for?
This program is designed for anyone above the age of 15 and is tailored to suit people with an intellectual disability. However, there are a lot of smart people out there who are terrified of getting up in front of an audience and the competencies addressed here are generic and can apply to anyone. Suitability for the program is based on the ability of an individual to gain benefit from the program. Participation by parents or siblings participate is most welcome.

What does it cost?
There is no cost, but participants take it in turn to provide supper.

What’s involved?
Confident Speakers meets on the last Thursday of the Month at 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm at the Pearce Community Centre, Building 1 and the program is advertised here. Families, friends and prospective participants are welcome to come along and see how the program operates. RSVP to David Williams is preferred, but not mandatory.

What will I get out of it?
Participants will get a workbook to plan and track their progress and will earn a certificate on successful completion of the program. But more importantly, you will have overcome the number one fear that the average person has. In doing so, you will have developed the skills, knowledge and experience to get up and speak in front of a group of people. How well you can use the skills you develop from this program, is up to you.

Contacts for enquiries:
ACT DSA Office
02 6290 0656
Email: admindsa@actdsa.asn.au 

Welcome to the ACT Down Syndrome Association.

On our site you will find news and information for members of the Association, as well as information about Down syndrome and links to other useful sites.

Ours is a small but active Association, which is making lots of changes in 2011. Please be sure to return to this site regularly to see what’s happening!

Our General Committee Meetings are open for any member to attend – please come along whenever you want to and feel free to contribute ideas and thoughts about events you would like to see happen and the direction you would like to see the ACT DSA go.

The next meeting is the AGM, which will be held on Wednesday 21st September at the Southern Cross Club- details above.

The next general meeting is  Wednesday 26th October, 2011 at the SHOUT Building in Pearce, over the road from the Pearce shops. It starts around 7:30pm and usually finishes around 9:30pm (if we stop chatting and scoffing timtams!). Hope to see you there!

Nadia

Attention: Confident Speakers

It’s nearly time for our Christmas Party- here are the details!

Event: Christmas Lawn Bowls and Dinner
Date: Tuesday 13 December
Time: 5:30 for Bowls, 7:15 for Dinner
Location: Queanbeyan Bowling Club
Campbell Street Queanbeyan

Cost: Bowls is free – Dinner is about $15 – $20

If you wish to bowl, please wear flat-soled shoes

To Download the Flyer, Please click here:  CS Xmas Party 2011

The Program for the remainder of 2011 is as follows:

• 29th September – Grand Final Fever
• 27th October – What I Did During Floriade
• 24th November – Summer in Canberra
• 13th December – TBA, Lawn Bowls and Dinner

Members of the ACT DSA are respectfully reminded that the Association’s Annual General Meeting is to be held on Wednesday 21^st September at 7.30pm in the Orion Room of the Southern Cross Club in Woden.

A pay-your-own-way family dinner will be held in the downstairs Bistro of the Southern Cross Club from 6.00pm.

Please RSVP as soon as possible (if you have not already done so) for both the dinner and the AGM.

Hello,

As Director of Down’s Heart Group, I am supporting the Down Syndrome International initiative to ask the United Nations to officially recognise March 21st as World Down Syndrome Day. You may already be aware of this, but I thought I would make sure by drawing your attention to it and asking you to do what ever you can to ensure as many people as possible know about it and have the opportunity to sign the petition.

Please consider:

• adding a link on your business or personal website
• promoting on social media sites
• emailing your members / friends / relatives
• including in newsletters

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/worlddownsyndromeday is the link which takes you straight to the petition, scroll down to signature box. Sign in with email or Facebook, leave a comment if you like (when you click the ‘sign now’ link you will be taken to page that asks if you would like to donate to keep the website running but you can just leave at that point and your signature will be registered).

Thank you for any support you can give

Penny Green

Director
Down’s Heart Group
www.dhg.org.uk

Please find the following information below:

1. Reminder – Alderson Awards
2. Peter Rix Article
3. Building Relationship Workshop with Janet Klees
4. ‘GLEE’ Performance Tour
5. The 2011 ACT Chief Minister’s Inclusion Awards

Kind regards,

Rossi Young

Office Manager

1. Reminder – Alderson Awards

Members and friends of the ACT DSA are reminded that nominations are now open for the following two awards, to be presented at our AGM:

Kate Louise Alderson Award

This award is to be presented to an individual, appropriate group or business for actions the Association considers to be a significant contribution to people with Down syndrome and/or their families in the ACT.

Alderson Family Award for Achievement

The winner of this award will be a person with Down syndrome who has achieved a significant milestone in his or her life over the past year. The recipient need not be a member of ACT DSA and nominees may be any age. The achievement must be significant in the context of the nominee’s life, not necessarily the wider community. Examples may be getting a driver’s licence, finishing Year 10 or HSC, confidently catching public transport, working, or learning how to play a new sport or instrument.

Please find attached information sheets which further explain the guidelines and details of the nomination process. Nominations should be received at the ACT DSA Office no later than Monday 29th August 2011.

2. Peter Rix Article

This article was in the June Australian Women’s Weekly.

3. Building Relationship Workshop with Janet Klees

For your information, please download the flyer for the Building Relationship Workshop with Janet Klees.

4. ‘GLEE’ Performance Tour

My name is Stef Dawson. I am an Australian actress and singer originally from Canberra and ex Radford College Student, currently living and working in LA. I came across your details as I see you are organizing a disco for students with special needs at my old school! (that is awesome btw, I wish that was happening when I went there). As I said I am now a professional actress but used to work in Sydney for DADHC, Pegasus and Windgap as a Carer for those with special needs, working the majority of the time at Post School Programs in Botany NSW. My favorite part of the years I spent in that job was teaching the acting/singing/dancing program which brought so much joy to everyone involved. I always thought it would be amazing if there were more opportunities out there for some of the guys to take their talent further.

I was wanting to contact you on behalf of the Australian Institute for Performing Arts, in order to pass on some information to young adults who may be interested in a unique opportunity to perform. I was involved in a six-week intensive scene study training programme with an AIPA last year and can highly recommend them.

AIPA currently runs ‘Glee Club’, a series of classes inspired by ‘GLEE’, a phenomenon sweeping the world and exciting teenagers everywhere. This class is for students with intellectual or physical disabilities to learn basic movements and the joy of dance to fun music all whilst belting out a tune. Designed to build self confidence in a caring, safe environment, develop gross motor skills and understand beats and rhythm of music. Taught by staff experienced in working with adults and children with special needs. Any interested students are welcome to try 2 classes for free to see if it suits them.

As well as the classes, AIPA is also enabling students to rehearse a show in Sydney Australia then travel to LA to perform at various exciting venues such as Disneyland, Universal Studios, Hollywood Boulevard and Knott’s Berry Farm. Students will also be taught to express their own unique voice and style and ideas and will be able to take part in classes taught by top industry professionals and also be involved in writing and recording an original song with the help of an award winning songwriter.

This is a fantastic opportunity for many dedicated young adults out there who may not have had the chance to travel overseas and express their love of performing.

All the information can be downloaded from the links following and if anyone has any questions please contact any of the numbers listed below or myself at this email address. I have been blessed enough to pursue my dreams of performing in the states and I am excited to help get the word out there so that others get that chance too. If I am not booked in a film or television project during the Glee project I have been invited to join the staff and work with the group which I am very much looking forward to.

If you could pass this along to any members of The ACT Down Syndrome Association or anyone else who might benefit from this information that would be great! Any questions or feedback you may have regarding the Tour or classes are very welcome,

Kindest Regards

Stef Dawson, on behalf of

Marg Haynes

The Australian Institute for Performing Arts (AIPA) Inc

 The Australian Institute for Performing Arts (AIPA) Pty Ltd

5. The 2011 ACT Chief Minister’s Inclusion Awards

Calling for Nominations!

Do you know of a business, government department, agency or individual that actively engages with and includes people with disability? Or maybe you know of an organisation or individual who is worthy of recognition for their efforts in or outside of the workplace ensuring people with disabilities are provided with the opportunities many take for granted?

If so – make a nomination for the ACT Chief Ministers Inclusion Awards now!

Go to: www.blits.org.au to download a form. Nomination only takes a few minutes.

You can help us show others the importance and value of inclusion in our community!

May I request that you please promote through your newsletters and/or other contacts.

Many thanks

Laura Dalle

Information Officer

Please find the following information below:

• L’Arche-Radford College Disco
• Dance Classes for Children with Special Needs
• Events Open for International Day of People with Disability (3 Dec)
• Next FREE Behaviour Matters Course Information from CIT
• Sports Scholarships for Teenagers with a Disability

Kind regards,

Rossi Young

1. L’Arche-Radford College Disco

Hello everyone,

Once again, L’Arche Genesaret and Radford College are joining to host a disco for people with a disability on Saturday Sept 10, 5-8pm at Radford College, Bruce. The discos have been building in success over the past two years, so if you haven’t come along yet this is a great opportunity for a night of fun and dancing.

Please find the invitation attached and kindly distribute within your networks to those who may be interested.

Radford College provides a fabulous, fully accessible venue and a wonderful team of Year 11 students & staff who join the fun & the catering.

Please RSVP for catering and contact information to the L’Arche office (6282 9066) by Wednesday Sept 7.

Hope you can join us,

Annie

2. Dance Classes for Children with Special Needs

Canberra Dance Theatre is teaching a range of age appropriate dance classes for students with special needs. These are fun and active classes that provide a range of movement and dance activities. Classes involve warm-up/fitness/co-ordination tasks, creative dance activities and learning a variety of dances and dance styles. Tween Moves and CDTeens class for older students also involve problem solving and improvisation, with a relaxing cool down to finish. All the classes offer opportunities for the students to work with each other and in the case of Jumping Juniors, with their parent/carer.

SATURDAYS (during school terms)

CDTeens: aged 13 – 18 years, 9.00-10.00am, $10.

An energetic and dynamic class drawing on various dance styles.

Tween Moves: aged 8 – 12 years, 10.10 -10.50am, $10.

A fun and funky class with cool moves.

Jumping Juniors: aged 5 – 7 years and their parent/s or carer, 11.10 – 11.50am, $10

An energetic, fun and creative class.

NB This class is recommencing at the beginning of term 2, 2011

Location: Canberra Dance Theatre Studio, Childers Street, next to the Street Theatre Canberra City West. Parking in front of the studio.

Contact: www.canberradancetheatre.org Email: canberradancetheatre@gmail.com Phone: 0435 025 365

Elizabeth Rainbow

3. Events Open for International Day of People with Disability (3 Dec)

Hi everyone

3 December is the UN International Day of People with Disability and event registrations are now open. A good opportunity to recognise efforts for inclusion and to break down the barriers and you may also be interested to know about events in your local communities.

You can register your events online here:

http://www.idpwd.com.au/events/registration/

and check out events as they grow here:

 http://www.idpwd.com.au/events/

Please feel free to get in touch with us to discuss ideas and how we can help. You can also follow IDPwD on Facebook and Twitter (links below). The Facebook page and Twitter feed keeps you up to speed with lots of information about events, programs, announcements and awareness weeks throughout the year, not just December, so check it out.

Cheers

Craig Wallace

4. Next FREE Behaviour Matters Course Information from CIT

Please find attached a flyer promoting the next Behaviour Matters courses being run by the CIT. These are free 8 hour workshops for Carers being run under the Skills for Carers program. Can you please pass the flyer on to anyone you think may be interested.

Thank you

Louise Amos

5. Sports Scholarships for Teenagers with a Disability

Hi all,

This scholarship possibility came through today and I thought I’d share it around as I feel it’s important to help each other. You may have contact with someone who would benefit from this funding.

Regards

Jenny Eagle