Newsletter for November 30, 2010
Photo by weheartit.com
“The holiest of holidays are those
Kept by ourselves in silence and apart;
The secret anniversaries of the heart.”
~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Announcement
Student Parent Study Groups
Interested in forming a study group for a difficult subject? Physics, Language, Biology,
Psychology, you name it and we will gather e-mails and names of other student parents
interested so you can form a study group. Please e-mail Gwen at hell0238@umn.edu if you are
interested. In the e-mail, please name the subject, that you are ok with your name and e-mail
being released to other student parents interested in the same subject, and title the e-mail
“Student Parent Study Group.” The next newsletter will ask for more people to join certain study
groups depending on the areas of interest you all come up with. If needed, SPHC staff can also
help with setting up a Google calendar for each group member in order to share access between
calendars and find open times for the groups to meet.
Share with each other
SPHC Facebook Group
The SPHC is on Facebook! Search for "Student Parent HELP Center" to join the SPHC group, or
for a larger group of student parents that includes graduate students and others not registered
with the SPHC, search for "University of Minnesota Student Parents". Being a part of the
“Student Parent HELP Center” group is another great way to stay connected with the SPHC and
other student parents as well as to share tips and resources, ask questions of SPHC staff and
other parents, and stay updated on SPHC events!
Student Parent Success Stories and Announcements
We would like to continue featuring personal success stories and announcements in our biweekly newsletter. If you will be graduating this fall, having a baby, buying a home, getting
married, or are experiencing a related event, please let us know. You can send the
announcements or stories to the SPHC e-mail address (sphc@umn.edu). We are proud of all of
your accomplishments and upcoming events, and would love to share them with others.
Student Parent Pictures
Have any great family photos that you want to share with others? If so, please send them to us
so that we can feature them in the newsletter. Please send us any pictures you want included
in a newsletter to sphc@umn.edu as an e-mail attachment.
PASS Group (Parents as Students Support Group)
Wednesdays 12:00 PM–2:00 PM
The Student Parent HELP Center PASS Group meets
weekly on Wednesdays from 12:00-2:00 p.m. 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 welcome!!).
UPCOMING GROUP TOPICS:
Wednesday, 12/1/10 from 12-2PM
Geoff Bullock from Lutheran Financial Services will be joining us for the third year to talk about
finances and budgeting. Come prepared with questions to make the most of Geoff's time and
expertise! We will also be signing up for massage time slots for next week during this group.
Penne pasta with homemade bread and a salad are on the menu for lunch.
Wednesday, 12/8/10 from 12-2PM
We are planning on having end of semester chair massages during this group! Join us for a
chance to relax, chat with fellow student parents, and enjoy a 15 minute massage. Students
can sign up for a time slot during group on December 1st; any spots left over will be first come,
first served the day of group. We will have minestrone soup and homemade bread for lunch.
Wednesday, 12/15/10 from 12-2PM
This is our last group for the semester, so please join us for discussion and reflection. Lunch
TBD.
Note: Please know that the SPHC staff does not want student parents to skip class in
order to attend the weekly group meetings. Academics are considered a student
parent’s priority at the U. If there is a specific topic you are interested in and you are
unable to attend group, please inform a staff member and we will be happy to provide
information to you afterwards.
If you have suggestions for a specific topic or program, contact Melanie Soland or Kara Fahey at
sphc@umn.edu.
Please remember that the center is closed during group on Wednesdays from 12-2 p.m. for all
other resource use and studying spaces. Please come back in around 2 p.m. and we will re-open
the doors. If you are going to join us for lunch, please stay at least 1/2 hour and join in the
group in order to respect the food budget of the HELP Center.
What Student Parents say about group:
“I feel like I do better because I feel like I am not the only person with these stresses. I
feel it makes my life a little bit better.”
“Group keeps me positive and feel like I’m a part of the U, even though I’m different
because of my parenthood status.”
“A place I can come where other people understand the stress and challenges that come
with being a student parent.”
“I’ve gained confidence as a parent and have friends that are in similar situations.”
“Just a place you can relax—be with other people who can relate to you because they have
to balance school and kids, too.”
“It’s like being able to go home in between classes.”
Scholarships
Chrysalis Scholarship Fund
The Chrysalis Scholarship provides degree-completion funding for women geosciences graduate
students whose education has been significantly interrupted by life circumstances. The awards
are intended to cover costs associated with completion of her thesis/dissertation, beyond what is
traditionally covered by primary research funding. Such costs can include drafting expenses,
child-care, defense travel, late-stage research and analyses, or anything necessary to assist a
degree candidate during those critical, final days.
General Information:
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Award Amount: Amount varies up to $2,000
Application Deadline: March 31
The applicant must be a student who has contributed and will continue to contribute to
both the geosciences and the larger world community through her academic and
personal strengths.
Required Application Materials:
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A letter of application, in which the applicant describes her background, career goals and
objectives, how the scholarship will be used, and the nature and length of the
interruption to her education.
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Letters of reference from the applicant’s thesis advisor and another scientist of her
choice. Both letters should specifically address the criteria in #1 above.
All application materials should be clearly labeled with the applicant’s name, address, and phone
number and should be sent to chrysalis@awg.org. Please note: e-mailed application materials
should have “Chrysalis Scholarship” in the subject line.
Source: http://www.awg.org/AWGFoundation/chrysalis.html
50 Best Scholarships for Women
Browse through this list of 50 scholarships and read the brief descriptions to see if you qualify. If
the links do not work, the scholarship will still be searchable online.
http://www.guidetoonlineschools.com/financial-aid/scholarships/women
Parenting Information and Resources
Starting Family Traditions
Family traditions or rituals are our link to the past, to our family present enjoyments, and to the
hope that this special family will continue on in the future. Patterns of the way we do things
simplify life. Many of these are the ways we celebrate certain holidays. But these traditions can
be the way you spend certain “family nights” together or just the ritual we always put the kids
to bed every night. You probably have noticed your children enjoy the repetition of the same
bedtime story over and over, the same video, or the same game they like to play.
Keep these rituals simple and centered on people or values that are long lasting. If they are too
elaborate or expensive, you will not continue them for very long. Be sure you have everyone’s
agreement (or most everyone) because if only one person wants to do it, it will not be
continued. Ask your kids what ideas they might have. And be sure to be flexible for there may
be some years where you just cannot do the usual tradition. Be sure to take pictures or videos
of these traditions because they will be cherished later, and they will linger longer than the
memories. Traditions and rituals will make us richer from having celebrated them together.
Preserving Your Family Traditions
You’ve probably already thought to document some of those traditions by taking pictures of family
gatherings at holidays and festive times but what about the food at those gatherings? Are there
traditional dishes? What about the way in which those gatherings and holidays unfold? Often traditions
are simple things that no one remembers to document. Think about weddings. Is there something the
family always does, something unique, some tradition that isn’t usually part of the ceremony and
therefore goes undocumented? If a certain person has a particular role in the tradition, document that
too. If you know how and when the tradition began write it down in your heritage album.
Here are some great ways to preserve your family traditions:
1. Pictures are a great way to document your family’s traditions. You could include a family recipe next to
a picture of the dish or someone preparing it. Stories of family traditions can take up a page of a photo
album or scrapbook, or a picture and the story behind it can share a page.
2. Record in a journal your memories of the traditions, even the small ones that the family used to have.
They’ll thank you for writing them down.
Taking pictures of your kids in the act of their traditions not only is great fun but it preserves them for
future generations. Write about the traditions or let the children jot down an explanation themselves in an
album next to the picture. They’ll love it and some day so will their great-grandchildren.
Family Night
Family night sounds like a lot of work. Sometimes it is. It requires commitment, careful planning
and a focus on building good memories. In a time when many families are feeling fractured and
find themselves running in all sorts of directions, family night can make a big difference in
building family unity and strengthening relationships. Here are a few ideas for activities:
Board Game Night
The purpose of a family fun night is to have 'fun'! So, don't choose a board game that is too
hard for your kid's age, or one that you hate playing. Choosing a game for family game night
can be a little tricky if you have children at different developmental stages. Start by playing one
that your youngest child definitely can play.
After you've all played the easiest game, let your youngest team up with someone for a bit more
challenging game. If you're just starting with board games, pull out some of your kids' favorites
and let them teach you how to play. After a few evenings of board game play, you'll enjoy
finding new games to learn and play together. The classics such as Scrabble and Monopoly
might seem safe choices, but you may find that the newer-generation games are even more fun.
Board game nights are fun to plan and anticipate; but, it's easy to pull out a game whenever
you're family seems bored, or you want to turn off the TV for a while. Keep a stash of great
board games for these times, and you're sure to find a taker when you ask, "Does anyone want
to play a game?"
Family Movie Night
Family movie nights are just a bit more structured than simply renting a movie and letting the
kids watch it. Remember, the point of a family fun night is to make it a simple, but special event
that involves all the family.
Set a movie start time and take care of all chores before you settle in for the movie. Movies are
an escape, and you can't escape when you're so close to all those household tasks that need to
be done. A darkened room and plenty of comfy seating are the prerequisites to family movie
night. The nice thing about watching movies at home is that you are in control. Schedule an
intermission for bathroom and snack break. Or, make it a double feature with the second
showing after the youngest have gone to bed.
Featured Book
The Family Dinner by Laurie David (available in the SPHC Library)
A practical, inspirational, fun- and, of course, green- guide to the most important hour in any
parent’s day. It’s chock-full of: kid-approved recipes, tips on teaching green values,
conversation starters, games to play at the table, ways to express gratitude, and much more!
Community Resources
Resources for Fathers
Visit http://www.resourcesforfathers.org/resources.html for programs designed to create and
enhance the role of fathers in full parenthood and partnership in parenting their children. Parent
education classes, family law seminars, support groups, relationship classes, and more
information can be found in this local resource list.
Online Help with Calculus
Tutorials, problems, interactive “cheat sheet” for memorizing formulas, and more available
online at: http://www.calculus-help.com/
Featured Campus Events and Resources
Schedulizer
Welcome to a better way to plan your schedule.
Schedulizer is a resource for students that shows you all the possible schedules you may have
with the classes you want to take next semester. Just plug in the course numbers and list any
other commitments you have, and the program will show you all of your possible schedules!
Free to sign up.
Check it out: http://www.schedulizer.com/#welcome
Holiday Concerts
Attend a holiday concert with your family! Many ensembles play in December for free. Check out
the December schedule and click on any concert you’re interested in for more information about
repertoire, parking, location, etc.:
https://events.umn.edu/List/index.htm
Here are just a few examples:
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Symphonic Band and University Band
o December 1st at 7:30 PM. Free. Ted Mann Concert Hall.
Campus Bands
o December 2nd at 7:30 PM. Free. Ted Mann Concert Hall.
Guitar Ensemble
o December 3rd at 4:30 PM. Free. Ferguson Hall.
University Choirs: Sounds of the Season.
o December 3rd at 7:30 PM. Free. Ted Mann Concert Hall.
University Symphony Orchestra
o December 13th at 7:30 PM. Free. Ted Mann Concert Hall.
Featured Website of the Week
Values Parenting.com
A website that has some great ideas for family night:
http://www.valuesparenting.com/familynight/
Community Events and Activities
Grand Meander
Location: Grand Avenue Business Association, 867 Grand Avenue, St. Paul, MN 55105
December 4th, Activities from 8:30am-5:00pm
Breakfast with Santa, Holiday shopping, art fair, see Santa and his reindeer, trolley rides,
community tree lighting, and more!
Saint Paul, Minnesota, has a stretch of street that holds discoveries for visitors and residents
alike. Rich in local character and tree-lined charm, Grand Avenue invites you to meander down
its sidewalks and take in the historic and the hip, the small-town and the urbane, the engaging
contradictions that are Grand Avenue.
It's a long meander: Grand Avenue spans 30 blocks from the Mississippi River to downtown
Saint Paul, passing the halls of academia, old homes burnished more beautiful by time, service
storefronts that make a neighborhood hum, and shops - lots of original shops - all with decidedly
unmall-like appeal.
See the flyer for times of activities: http://www.grandave.com/
Landmark Center's Old Fashioned Holiday Bazaar
Landmark Center75 West 5th Street, Saint Paul, MN
Location: Musser Cortile, 3rd Floor
December 2nd-3rd 10am-8pm
December 4th 10am-5pm
Cost: $3
Get in the holiday mood – stroll through a marketplace of over 70 exhibits featuring beautiful
and unique gift items, all handcrafted by the area’s finest artist.
For more information call 651-292-3230.
3rd Annual Holiday Gift Stroll
Landmark Center75 West 5th Street, Saint Paul, MN
Location: Downtown Saint Paul/Landmarket Gift Shop
December 2nd-3rd 10am-8pm
December 4th 10am-5pm
FREE
Gift Shops of Rice Park will join together for the 3rd Annual Holiday Gift Stroll December 2nd,
3rd, and 4th. Artist Mercantile, Sophist-A-Gifts, Landmark Jewelers (all located within the Hamm
Building) and Landmarket Gift Shop (located inside Landmark Center) will host this fun annual
event which coincides with Landmark Center's 32nd Annual Holiday Bazaar.
Shoppers may pick up a Gift Stroll Postcard at any of the shops, beginning November 15th, and
then bring them to each of the shops during the dates and times listed. Shoppers will receive a
sticker on their card from each location. Completed cards will be entered into a drawing for great
prizes! Last year, prizes included theater tickets, restaurant gift cards, gift certificates and
more. Holiday Stroll hours are Thursday, Dec. 2nd and Friday, Dec. 3rd: 10am to 8pm;
Saturday, Dec. 4th: 10am to 5pm. Winners need not be present. No purchase is necessary to
win.
Ballet Tuesday
December 14th at 12 pm
Landmark Center75 West 5th Street, Saint Paul, MN
Location: Musser Cortile
FREE
Join St. Paul City Ballet as they perform excerpts from their holiday show, The Enchanted Toy
Shop.
Toy Making Workshop
Oliver H. Kelley Farm, Elk River MN
Dates: Dec. 4, 2010
Time: 10 a.m. to noon
Fee: $5 per person for materials.
Reservations: required, call 763-441-6896
In this workshop held in the visitor center, visitors can discover and make the kinds of toys
children made themselves long ago. Visitors will have the option of making several 19th-century
toys, including a ball-and-cup game, buzz saws, pick-up sticks and corn husk dolls. All tools and
materials are provided. Reservations are required.
Barnes and Noble Kids’ Club
Join for FREE!
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30% off list price on any one kids' book or toy for your children
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$5 reward for every $100 you spend on kids’ stuff online and in stores
Celebrate Kids' Birthdays!
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Free cupcake from our café for all your children's birthdays
Free digital book created by your child on Tikatok.com
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Monthly email newsletter featuring even more savings
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25% off every day on books created by your child on Tikatok.com
Learn more at: https://kids.barnesandnoble.com/kidsclub/
Fun Crafts for Kids
Homemade Window Art
Supplies:
Dimensional or "puffy" fabric paint: In a variety of colors. Look for the paints with "fine tip"
applicators.
Plastic page protectors: Like the ones you used for your high school reports.
Pictures: Unless you or your kids are stellar artists, you'll probably want to trace your clings
from pictures.
Directions:
1. Have the kids scour the Web and their coloring books for pictures of what they want their
clings to look like. The best pictures don't have a lot of detail, so it might be best to go for
simpler designs.
2. Get them to print or tear their chosen pictures out and slip them into the page protectors.
3. Now, have the kids use the puffy paints to trace their pictures. They'll need to trace the
outline first. Show them how to drag the bead of paint behind the bottle as they go, rather
than "pushing it," to make a cleaner outline.
4. Let the outline dry for 4 or 5 hours.
5. Next they'll need to fill in their outlines with paint. Have them work from the inside out,
so they don't smudge the design with their hand. The paint needs to be thick enough that
there aren't unfilled spaces, but not too thick or it'll take ages to dry!
6. When the design is all filled in, let it dry completely—anywhere between 12 and 24 hours,
depending on how thick the paint is. Brace yourself for the question, "Is it dry yet?"
7. When the design is completely dry, have your kid carefully peel it off the page protector.
8. Stick it on the window for a visual treat from both sides or put it on the mirror and let
your kids admire their handiwork!
Quick and Easy Family Recipes
Easy Swedish Meatballs
(Serves 6)
Ingredients:
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Bag frozen meatballs (or make your own, most require ground beef and crumbled bread
or crackers)
3 cans cream of chicken (or mushroom) soup
1-3 soup cans of milk
1-2 lbs egg noodles
Directions:
1. Bring a pot of water to boil. Cook pasta to al dente.
2. While pasta is cooking, defrost meatballs in the microwave.
3. In a large pot, brown the meatballs. Remove meatballs from pot and pour out any grease.
4. In same pot, pour in the cream of chicken soup and milk, whisk together. You want sauce to
be creamy, not too thick or too thin.
5. Heat soup mixture and add meatballs. Cook until heated through. Serve over pasta.
*Tip: Great served with garlic bread and salad or steamed vegetables!
Cheesy Potato Soup
(Serves 8)
Ingredients:
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2 tbsp butter or margarine
1 cup frozen chopped onion
1 (14½-oz) can chicken broth
1 cup low fat milk
1 (1½ to 2-lb) container refrigerated, fully cooked mashed potatoes
1 lb ham steak, diced (optional if you want to make it vegetarian, just add more
vegetables to compensate if you are planning on making the full 8 servings)
1 cup frozen peas
½ tsp pepper
1 cup shredded reduced-fat sharp Cheddar cheese
Directions:
1. In a large saucepan or soup pot over medium-high heat, melt the butter or margarine.
2. Add the onion and cook until tender, about 5 minutes.
3. Add the chicken broth and milk and bring to a boil.
4. Add mashed potatoes, stirring with a wire whisk until smooth.
5. Reduce heat to medium-low and add the ham, peas, and pepper, stirring well to mix. Simmer
for 5 minutes, until heated through.
6. Remove from heat. Add cheese, stirring well until melted.
If you have any healthy quick and easy recipes that you and your family enjoy, please
share! E-mail us at sphc@umn.edu, and we will feature your recipe in an upcoming
newsletter.
The SPHC staff welcomes you!
Here’s who’s who at the center:
Susan Warfield, LICSW
HELP Center Program Director
Brief background:
I began my professional career working in group homes with abused, neglected and later
autistic children and adolescents. Upon completing my MSW I worked for 7 years in the Denver
Public Schools, serving inner city schools with highly diverse populations. Prior to entering
higher education I owned my own private practice as a clinical therapist, also in Denver,
Colorado. It was the work I did with college students as a therapist that led me to do a national
search for higher education positions, a search that led me first to North Carolina and eventually
to my position with the SPHC at the U.
Melanie Soland, MSW, LGSW
Student Parent Counselor
Brief background
I earned my bachelor’s degree in psychology from Augsburg College and my master’s degree in
social work from the University of Minnesota. My professional career began with an internship
with the Campus Kitchens Project at Augsburg College, a program that utilized donated food to
create nutritious meals which volunteers delivered and shared with members of the community.
I’ve also worked with isolated elders through Little Brothers- Friends of the Elderly, as an MFIP
job counselor in Ramsey County, and at a K-8 school in North Minneapolis. I was fortunate
enough to join the SPHC team during the 2008-2009 academic year as the graduate social work
intern/graduate teaching assistant, which is when I discovered my love of working with student
parents and working in a higher education setting. I am thrilled to be rejoining the SPHC team!
Tram Tran
Undergraduate Teaching Assistant
Brief background
I am entering my junior year here at the U, majoring in Psychology. After I earn my bachelor’s
degree, I would like to join the Peace Corps but I have no particular destination in mind;
anywhere I’m needed is where I would go! I do plan on going to graduate school for my MSW
and eventually going back to get a PhD in Clinical Psychology. I love helping others so I
volunteer with Big Brothers, Big Sisters, Crisis Connection, American Red Cross as a blood
services volunteer and I do overnight shifts at a homeless shelter! This is my first job in the
social work/psychology field so I am very excited about it and I look forward to meeting all the
student parents!
Kara Fahey
Graduate Social Work Intern
Brief Background
I earned my BA in Religious Studies from Lewis and Clark College. I recently completed a year
of service with AmeriCorps VISTA, where I was a Homework Center Coordinator for the Saint
Paul Public Library. I have worked with a broad range of students, K-Community College,
assisting them with their educational goals, in order to reduce the educational achievement
gap. Currently, I am pursuing an MSW here at the University of Minnesota. My interests are in
working with children and families in educational settings. I am excited to be working with
student-parents to learn more about pertinent issues, resources, and experiences they have
throughout their educational career.
Gwen Dezelske
Graduate Social Work Intern
Brief Background
I earned my Bachelor of Applied Science degree in Psychology from the University of Minnesota
Duluth. Following graduation I worked as a Direct Support Professional in an in-home foster care
program in Duluth. There I worked with adults with severe mental illness. My work experience
previous to that is in research psychology focused on gerontology. Currently I am pursuing a
Masters degree in Social Work at the University of Minnesota and am interested in gerontology
and hospice social work. I am excited to work with a new age group, learn about how to be a
support and resource for families in the SPHC, and consider myself very fortunate to be here
getting to know all the brave student parents who are also excited to learn and pursue a higher
education.