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Runway News
This year has certainly gotten off to an interesting start. With new plans and strategies put in place to re-enter the new school term at the beginning of 2020, continuing our provision of full services to our Runway community, we suddenly are faced with the challenge of the Covid-19 crisis.
Very quickly our team adapted to a new, unprecedented way of each managing our roles, goals, and services. However, this new challenge to our way of living throughout Levels 3 & 4 of lock down hasn’t meant that we have closed, rather, we have needed to reassess and re-strategise how we facilitate these.
We are pleased to say that we are still operating, while keeping within the lock down regulations. Each member of our team has been working diligently (still with enthusiasm), from their homes - balancing work, and family life in this strange new season, and in doing so, we have implemented online meetings and sessions for our Runway families.
What does this look like? Well we have been running our ADDventurers Kids Clubs (so far via Zoom sessions), providing craft ideas and demonstrations, fellowship amongst the students (still focusing on developing social skills and friendships), plus fun games and other activities, all of which provide continuity of acceptance, support and friendships within the groups. The children eagerly await their sessions, which also serve as ‘boredom busters’.
Our Youth Coach is equally as busy providing continuity for our ADDventurers Youth Coach Programme members, with additional levels of parent support during this challenging time. Again, using online tools to meet ‘live’ with the students continuing to work through their youth action plans, the programme in general, and personal mentoring services. In addition – the school holidays have included some home challenges (just for fun but also adding the competitive element that the youth love) such as the Push Up Challenge and the popular Baking Challenge and other youth age-appropriate activities.
Parent Support Groups have continued with all sessions online and these will continue until we are able to once again meet up in person. Parents have enjoyed the online sessions where they can still come together for support, understanding and share their frustrations of their lock down experience with others that understand and ‘get it’. Friendship, empathy, tips, plus ideas for parenting and online schooling of children with ADHD in our ‘bubbles’ are shared in a ‘safe space’ with confidentiality and compassion at the forefront – what is said in Support Group, stays in Support Group.
Our CEO and Administrator have been working behind the scenes on service continuity, along with our 2020 plans for:
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Fundraising to be able to provide more Youth Coach Support and Kids Clubs by the end of 2020 (donations also welcome via our website).
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Increasing our workshop availability for Teacher Support - Supporting Educators with how to teach students with ADHD
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Beginning workshops for ADHD Students on ADHD self-awareness and self-management
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Providing Community ADHD Information Evenings with great guest speakers
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Assisting families within our district who are in crisis (in whichever way we can).
And, as always, it is a great honour for us all at Runway, to create a place where our amazing ADHD children and youth can walk with their heads held high, discover and work towards their dreams... and fly.
Keep safe and keep well.
Supporting the community
The Runway Foundation
Runway House
58 Glasgow Road, Pukekohe
Auckland
Email:
Registered Charity: CC53293