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Fonzie Times
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November 2008
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Storm News
We have been so busy ... Many people are calling & of course asking about storms- We feel so fortunate that the storms have once again avoided us! However we do have families that live in Texas - please say a special prayer that they will all be able to rebuild soon!
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Recent Therapy Photographs Please take a moment to enjoy some recent photographs taken of the children and families at Island Dolphin Care.
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Message From the Director
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Deena Hoagland LCSW
Director
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Wow! What an exciting season we have had! We have 2 new babies in town! Sarah our beautiful princess dolphin, gave birth to an adorable little girl on July 11th It was about 3am when my phone rang and Art Cooper was saying we had a baby dolphin I looked at the clock thinking it was almost 6am & I decided to go to work a little early. I was so excited I threw on some clothes and drove right to work- when I was driving I thought to myself how strange it was so dark & not many people out yet - then once I arrived I realized quickly that it was not 6am but just 3am! Art &Nancy & I stood in the dark waiting to see our new baby! Every once in awhile we would hear a splash & see a flash of white and our hearts would jump! Morning could not come soon enough for us to see our darling! We named her Grace - and as you must imagine she is beautiful! Then on August 27th I arrived at work in the morning to find that Squirt had delivered her calf just minutes before! For a number of weeks, the baby was growing strong but remained a bit elusive for us to tell you the sex! We just confirmed the calf is another girl! Please take a moment to view a few photographs of our new additions. On November 15thIsland Dolphin Care will host our annual open house.This year we will include a baby naming ceremony! We will have a silent auction of a few of the very best first baby photos beautifully framed. If you are in town join in the fun from 4pm - 7pm! Dave Feder will be playing music in the garden overlooking the dolphin lagoon where our dolphin friends will frolic & dance celebrating along with us! We have worked very hard over the last few years to write grants, fund raise & pay down debt while providing as many scholarships to our programs as possible. It is because of you & your response to the Batchelor joy challenges and all of the foundations that support our programs that we have been able to accomplish this. As I watch the news every evening I have concerns for all of our families facing greater expense and increasing medical costs. I know families are already struggling just to get by. This year our goals are to provide more scholarships than ever before. Every donation this year will go toward assisting families in need of scholarships. Please know that whatever amount you choose to give will count & that no donation is too small. We certainly appreciate all that you do! Love Deena Spreading the word around the globe! Would you like us to come to your child's school, town, or therapy program to make a presentation about IDC? Click here to contact us. We are planning programs during January and February.
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Island Dolphin Care Annual Open House
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Island Dolphin Care's Annual Open House will be held on November 15 from 4:00- 7:00pm. Please join us! RSVP today.
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Therapy News
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Greetings from the therapy team! Summer has come to an end, and it is hard to believe that there are only six weeks left in the 2008 therapy season. ‘Back to school' time can be very stressful for everyone; between transitioning from summer vacation to school, IEP meetings, and meeting new teachers, therapists and students. Please refer to the resources links included in the "In the News" section of this newsletter. We hope these additional resources will provide helpful tips and tricks to add to your toolbox. In addition, please feel free to contact us with questions and concerns. We are always here to help you in any way possible. There is nothing better than hearing from our families after they have returned home, and we always welcome your feedback, updates and stories. We love sharing positive experiences with our children and their families here at the center. We also strive to send families home with new ideas, techniques, strategies and the motivation to help their children continue to progress. As you may have already heard, we have two new adorable dolphin baby additions to our therapy team. As the children interact with Sarah and Squirt, it's not uncommon to see the babies swim right along side you. It is incredible how quickly the new mom's have resumed working therapy. With only a short maternity leave, they could hardly wait to get back to their other passion. The classroom sessions have been very eventful as well. Bookmaking has been a popular class activity this season. Children have created books about their experiences at IDC while learning their ABC's, counting, learning vocabulary, etc. We continue to utilize assisted technology devices and strategies with children. This has promoted all types of choice making and expression which allows classroom and swim sessions to become more personalized. Please visit the link to the recent Exceptional Parent article for a great example of the benefits of assisted technology and a heartwarming story. Interested in sponsoring a 1/2 day Dolphin Talk Program or Scholarships for our 5-day programs in 2009? Call us to find out more! If you have attened a program at IDC this season and have not filled out a survey you can click here. We would be so pleased if you would take a few minutes of your time to fill it out. All of your responses will be anonymous as your name is not required on the form. Please click here and follow the instructions (The survey is automatically submitted once each page is completed). Best wishes to everyone, and we hope to hear from you soon. Happy Halloween! Sincerely, Your IDC Therapy Team (Deena, Gretchen, Eli and Jack)
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Internship Corner
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Thank you to all of the hard working 2008 interns that have traveled from around the world and taken time to volunteer at Island Dolphin Care. We have had 44 interns this season. Some of our interns this year came from the USA, UK, Ireland, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Poland, Mexico, Canada and Australia! Deena recently shared with me how excited she is that many of the children that have been coming to the center for several years now have siblings who are old enough or almost old enough to intern with us. She has watched these siblings grow into wonderful young adults and is always so thrilled when they contact her to express interest in becoming an Island Dolphin Care intern. We encourage all interested siblings to apply for an internship position with us. What a wonderful addition to the program this could be! Remember you must be 21! Anyone that is interested in completing an internship with us, please submit an application and two letters of recommendation. We are currently accepting internship applications for the 2010 therapy season. Positions are available from March through November. Our 2009 internship schedule is fully booked at this time. However, if you are only able to come in 2009, you are welcome to still submit your application materials. If you are accepted into the program, we would be happy to put you on the waitlist, as it is not uncommon for us to have last minute cancellations. Please visit the internship page of our website for additional information or contact Gretchen if you have any questions. There is a great FAQ's link on the internship page that provides specific information on housing, internship expenses and responsibilities. Best wishes to everyone!
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Honey's Dog House
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Honey is disappointed if it is a weekend and she does not have to go to work- she loves her job! Honey gets to sleep in the classroom or in my office more often than not on the couch than in her beautiful bed next to my desk. She has learned to paint with her paws, fetch a toy , jump through a hoola hoop, walk & heel, rest her head on a child's lap , or help a child make a choice for the first time! Honey is everyone's friend! Honey loves the children & families that attend Island Dolphin Care programs. She provides comfort to those in need just by laying next to a person. I have watched her lick tears from a mothers face; help a child take a shower, wave hello to a new visitor to the center. She loves to give tours of the aquarium and can often be found pointing a fish out to a child with sheer delight and a wag. Honey has provided comfort to so many and has added to Island Dolphin Care's programs in so many ways. On a sad day, when the children have left & gone home our staff are often moved to tears - she will often remind us of the wonderful job we have all done - Honey holds hearts in her paws and has a way of helping us all move forward during times of sadness & grief. She only asks for a pat or a hug and sometimes a little treat. Are you interested in having a dog like Honey? We are compiling a list of families interested in obtaining a therapy/companion dog for their children.Please contact us to get your name on the list for a special new addition to your family. Check out Marr-Velous Pet Rescues for information.
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From the Office
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Another great year is almost over. We have had a busy 2008 season. Thank you to all our families for contributing to a successful year. It is always a pleasure to see each and everyone one of you. A new year is already in the planning stages. Have you selected your therapy date for 2009? Make your reservation now. Our program is known throughout the world. Don't get left out, book now. See you soon and Happy Holidays!
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Marine Education Program
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Featured in the Seattle Times
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Fonzie's backyard has welcomed over 156 campers, 211 families, and over 2,300 field trippers, plus countless additional visitors this year alone! Seeing the program grow from a couple hundred visitors during the first year of Fonzie's Backyard in 2001 to over 3,200 7 years later has been just remarkable! And Just recently a wonderful IDC family donated a LCD television for education and presentations in our chickee (not to mention computers, equipment and a new phone system for the building). Sara is now offering outreach programs, as well as day long marine science camps. The possibilities are endless. If you are interested in any of these programs, please give us a call or email Sara. The growth of our marine science education program brings with it the need for more help. We are currently accepting applications for marine science education interns. This internship offers students and young professionals the opportunity to learn about informal education programs, design curriculum, learn about aquarium maintenance and design, and teach. The marine education internships are available throughout our therapy season, with special need between March and July. Visit our website for more information. The 2009 Field Trip Schedule is already starting to fill up! Call now to secure your reservation.
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CEU Course for Teachers, PT's, OT's Social Workers
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Island Dolphin Care now offers a variety of CEU Courses. Scheduled Courses Include: For Physical and Occupational Therapists:
December 6 &7th 2008
This 14 hour (1.4 CEU's) seminar will explore animal assisted therapy outcomes, with emphasis on the use of dolphins as a therapeutic tool. You will have the opportunity to not only learn in the classroom setting, but to experience this interaction on-on-one during your swim with the dolphins.
Instructors: Jack McIntosh, PT, DPT and Cindy Mathena, PhD, OTR/L Limited seating available. Call Susan Lynch at the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences 800-241-1027 for more information or to register. For Teachers:
July 20- 23rd 2009
Come join us for our second, annual professional development program next summer! This wonderful class is hosted in Key Largo, Florida by Dolphins Plus and Island Dolphin Care and is offered to educators from around the world. Dolphins Plus and Island Dolphin Care are committed to the conservation and protection of marine mammals worldwide through education, research, experiential learning, and environmental awareness. Email Sara for more information For Social Workers:
Are you a professor or an instructor that would like to schedule a lecture on dolphin-assisted therapy? Please contact Deena.
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Family Thoughts and Comments
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Some recent thoughts and comments about the Island Dolphin Care experience. "Well, you did it again! You took a years worth of tears: painful medical testing, hours upon hours of doctor's appointments, hospital stays, and therapy appointments...and with the wave of a magic moment made it all disappear...into wonderful memories filled with radiant smiles, dolphin dances, and dolphin song". "Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for following your dream... You are truly wonderful people who will always have a very special place in our hearts." "You guys are amazing because you did this for me and other kids like me" "You mean so much to me because since I'm weak I never thought I would be able to swim with dolphins. I really appreciate that you let my dream come true, now I'm not just Holli; I'm even more a dolphin lover". "We will always remember the experience that we lived while at Island Dolphin Care. Our son is very happy and social; during that marvelous week he was extraordinarily happy and communicative". "We cannot begin to express our amazement at the changes we and others have seen in her in the past few days. She glows when she tells people about the experience". "The work you do and the facility you have established is beautiful!". "We want to start this letter by saying "Thank You Very Much" for making our days fantastic!".
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