SECAC Office Closed Due to Katrina

SEDL’s Southeast Comprehensive Assistance Center (SECAC) office in Metairie, Louisiana, is currently closed due to Hurricane Katrina. Thankfully, we have heard from all staff members, and everyone is safe and sound. Some staff lost most of their possessions, including cars and houses, while others were more fortunate. In the upcoming weeks, SEDL managers will be sharing a list of specific needs with staff who wish to make donations to help out their colleagues.

Thank you to everyone who contributed to the food drive. The generosity of SEDL staff is, once again, much appreciated.

Food, Glorious Food

Anecdotal evidence (not scientifically based research, mind you) has shown that a little sugar can help you out when your brain starts to feel overloaded. That’s why OIC—with some nudging from Wes—has been holding weekly snack breaks to help SEDL staff as we work on proposals. These breaks will continue through the end of September.

And We Meet Again

We will have a quarterly institutional all-staff recognition session on Friday, September 23, from 8:30–11 a.m. in the Southeast Conference Room. Please make plans to attend. Wes will present service awards as well as update us on competitions and other information staff needs to know (although probably not the location of the new building, but hey, you never know).

Bring on the pigskin! Yes, it’s that time of year already. Will it finally happen? Will the Longhorns beat the Sooners and live up to their ranking? You tell us! E-mail  your predicted winner and final score of this year’s UT-OU football game to dritenou@sedl.org for your chance to win two gift certificates good for a complimentary lunch or dinner at Texadelphia. The first person who comes the closest will win. Only responses e-mailed to dritenou@sedl.org will be considered.

Answer to last month’s contest: Apparently last month’s questions were too taxing for everyone’s mind, as only one person answered. Luckily, Joe Parker got them all correct (see answers below). Congratulations, Joe! 1. How many disability research publications are available for sale in the online SEDL store? Eight 2. Name the four members of SEDL’s Board of Directors from Oklahoma. Sandy Garrett, Gloria Griffin, Jo Arnold Pettigrew, and Serafin Ramon 3. What percentage of SEDL’s funding is related to family and community? 11 percent 4. What is the per-person cost of the next professional development session offered by SEDL? $350

Amazing Aanyah

Meet Aanyah Sarah, who was born to Muhammad and Shaila Abdullah on September 13, 2003. A quick learner, Aanyah was already able to point to her favorite books, including The Foot Book, Goodnight Moon, Counting Kisses, and Wynken, Blynken, and Nod, when asked at 7 months of age. Aanyah loves nursery rhymes and sings “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” like a pro. She also loves imitating others, a fact her parents discovered way before she started talking when one day she mimicked her grandpa clearing his throat.

All tied up

Aanyah has been introduced to three languages: Urdu, English, and a little bit of Gujrati. She often experiments with sentence construction, clumsily making a mish-mash of all three languages combined. She loves going to the mall and eating Auntie Anne’s soft pretzels. She enjoys building blocks and stacking rings. Her newest toy is a shiny red battery-operated car that she got for her birthday. Aanyah loves her 1-year-old cousin Sophia, whom she affectionately calls “Sepia.”

What’s your favorite way to get some exercise?

“My favorite way of getting exercise is keeping up with the three 2-year-old boys that are now in my care. It’s like having triplets at almost 50 years old. Whew!”
—Loretta King, ES

“I go for swimming for overall exercise, raising and lowering a full wine glass for arm exercise (if you attempt this exercise, you must switch arms periodically to avoid lopsideditus), whistling to exercise my lungs, reading to exercise my brain, and sleeping to exercise my dreams. What I’ve had the most difficulty with is pushing away from the table to exercise my self-control!”
—Cyndi Herring, OFTS

“When I was in my mid-teens I did some manual labor at a hospital for a few weeks one summer. There was a sign on the wall next to the elevator that said ‘Up One Down Two.’ I asked what that meant, and they said it was recommended that anyone who is only going up one floor or down two floors should walk the stairs. That has always stuck with me. My favorite way to get exercise, though, is racquetball.”
—Sean Claes, NCDDR

Next month’s question: What’s the one snack you can’t live without? Please submit your responses to Debbie Ritenour at dritenou@sedl.org.

SEDL has two internal job postings in the IFCSL program. To review the notices (Program Associate and Information Specialist) go to http://www.sedl.org/staff/.

A well-known friendly face in the Austin office, Artie Stockton is indispensable to her colleagues with the REL Task 2 and the National Partnership for Quality Afterschool Learning. I think we’re all curious to see what lies beneath that quiet, professional demeanor.

Q. How did you first come to SEDL?
A. The company I worked for for 23 years was sold, and I was left unemployed. After a 6-month sabbatical I answered SEDL’s employment ad, and David Williams Jr. hired me. It must have been the red dress.

Q. If you could tell your 10-year-old self one thing, what would it be?
A. It’s cliché, but I would tell her to be more aware and appreciative of the things of beauty around us—music, nature, art.

Q. Do you have any unusual hobbies?
A. I’m a dreamer so I always have a plot or idea percolating in my head to turn into a draft. Right now I’m working on a fiction piece about an old woman. Well, they always say, ‘Write what you know.’

Q. What’s your guilty pleasure?
A. Sneaking Ghirardelli baking chocolate out of the pantry.

Q. What’s something a lot of your coworkers don’t know about you?
A. I was recently quoted in Quotable Texas Women. However, I have trouble remembering what I said.

Q. What do you like best about your job?
A. First, the people. Second, I like the pace and variety of my responsibilities, which address my ADD tendency. Plus, I get to aggravate Sue Liberty.

Lupe Medina’s last day at SEDL was August 12.

Peggy Brown’s last day at SEDL was August 31.

Tom McVey of the REL was promoted to communications associate. Congratulations, Tom!

Happy anniversary to the following loyal SEDL employees: