We will have a presentation from teens in our Performance Troupe, a testimonial from a parent in our program as well as a wonderful Captured Memories video of children from the program.
Here are the details:

Circle of Thanks Breakfast, Tuesday, November 18, 2008
8 am to 9 am at the Newton Marriott Hotel
2345 Commonwealth Avenue
Newton, Massachusetts
On Route 30 (exit 15 off of the Mass Pike OR exit 24 off of 128/95).

The program will start at 8:00 am sharp, and end promptly by 9:00 am.

There is no cost to attend, no minimum or maximum donation.

The Children’s Room is proud to to support Lesley University.  Many of our staff and volunteers are alumni, and we are pleased that they are supporting such important work.

Our mission is to support grieving children, teens and families.  Families that have been the victims of violence need our extra attention and support.  We are honored to work with the Louis D. Brown Peace Institute and promote Survivors of Homicide Victims Awareness Month from November 20 to December 20.

The Children’s Room has several resources that may help during this time.

Parenting Through Grief Workshop
Sunday, November 9, 2008 from 4 pm to 5:30 pm at The Children’s Room Arlington location
Join us for a parent to parent workshop where alumni parents will share their strategies and ideas for ways to cope with these challenging times.  Admission is free.  We have a summary of key ideas that you can download in a PDF.  This is the first of four parent to parent workshops this program year.  Mark your calendars now to join us.  We are honored to have the support and commitment of alumni parents to provide this valuable resources to the community.

Key things to remember:
1) The anticipation of the event is almost always worse than the actual day.
2) Take care of yourself - make it a priority.  Don’t think about what you “should” do.
3) There are many, many people who want to help you.  Helping you makes them feel better, too.

Have ideas to share?  Please post a comment here.

Nancy managed our program at our Framingham location for several years.  Nancy is participating in a two year fellowship at Cambridge Health Alliance in their program for psychotherapy which provides a great training opportunity for her to extend her training in psychotherapy.  She received her Masters in Social Work at Simmons College in 2008.

Nancy holds a Masters in Education in special education from Boston University. She worked for many years in a day treatment program for children with emotional problems.  Nancy was widowed over a decade ago while pregnant with her third child and her other children were 4 and 6 years old.

The Children’s Room is honored to have such a caring, supporting and accomplished member of our community join our Board of Directors.

Day of the Dead, or Dia de los Muertos, is a traditional Mexican celebration where friends and families gather to celebrate, remember and prepare special foods in honor of those who have died.  Last November members of The Children’s Room staff attended a traditional Day of the Dead celebration at The Forest Hills Educational Trust. Read on to learn more about this year’s festival.

For more information about the history, rituals and celebrations related to the Day of the Dead please visit their website:

Day of the Dead Sunday, November 2nd @ 4:00-6:00 pm at Forest Hills Cemetery, Jamaica Plain, MA

Join members of your community for a traditional Mexican celebration of remembrance co-sponsored by Latin American folkloric performance group La Pinata a program of Spontaneous Celebrations. Based on the ancient traditions of Mexico’s indigenous peoples who believed that the souls of the dead return each year to visit their families, the Day of the Dead celebrates the continuous cycle of life and death, embracing cultures from all throughout the Americas. Enjoy a program of music and dance as individuals bring offerings of flowers, copies of photos, mementos, and traditional skull-shaped sugar candies to leave on a decorated candle-lit altar for those departed loved ones.

Dress warmly. Bring a flashlight. Bilingual: English/Spanish.

Admission: Free!

Co-sponsored by La Piñata and Spontaneous Celebrations.

Visit them at http://www.spontaneouscelebrations.org.

The Chicago Tribune recently posted a letter to the editor requesting that people think before they decorate.  “I don’t think that people want to go around hurting grieving people. It just takes a little education and a gentle reminder and most people are going to respond positively.”

This was in particular response to some of the suicide-related imagery that crops up at this time of year.  So, if you are grieving and having a hard time, sharing how you feel with your neighbors is a good idea.

• The new slate of officers of the Board of Directors will be presented.
• Board president Judy Zabin will present an overview of key initiatives from the past year, including the implementation of our Strategic Plan.
• Executive Director Barbara Clarke will report on the progress made on the new fundraising initiatives and strategic plans for the upcoming year.
• Program Director Donna Sharff will share an overview of the growth of the program and describe important program elements.

We will conclude our program promptly by 7:30 pm when all guests will be invited to stay and socialize or to attend the business portion of the regular, monthly meeting of the Board of Directors.

RSVPs are essential, as space is limited, and we want to plan to accommodate all attendees.  So please call (781) 641-4741 or email us.

A summary of the Annual Meeting will be posted on the website later in the coming weeks.

October 14, 2008

Medford Boat Club
P.O. Box 6
Medford, MA 02155

Dear Medford Boat Club,

When you decided to let The Children’s Room come to the boat club for the Annual Memories Walk, your decision had a positive impact on many families. I’d like to tell you about mine.

My husband George grew up in a house near the boat club, and spent many hours swimming and sailing there with his three brothers. I have heard happy stories about sailing races and summer fun with cousins and friends, and countless hours of diving to see who could get the most bottles from the bottom of the lake!

Sadly, along with the normal happy childhood stories, my husband’s family suffered a tragic loss when my husband’s brother Frank was killed in a car accident shortly after the boys finished high school. That was 30 years ago. My husband’s family remembers and honors Frank in many ways. We now walk with other grieving families at the Annual Memory Walk.

Anne Favaloro and her mother-in-law Sylvia Favaloro

When we found out the walk would leave from the Medford Boat Club this year, it had special meaning for our family. George’s parents drove out from Easthampton Mass to take part in memory of their son Frank. So all of us walked around the lake and shared memories of Frank and looked at the lake that had been a place of life and fun for him as a boy. We are forever grateful to The Boat Club for making a difference by being a welcoming and caring place where our family, and other grieving families, could come together and support each other.

My own association with The Children’s Room extends back to many years volunteering with families, and I am now on the staff as well. So I want to thank you for relating to the difficult situation of all the families we are trying to help, and for supporting our compelling mission.

With warm regards,

Anne Favaloro
Communications Director

Open Studios @ Arlington Center for the Arts - featuring 80 artists and fine crafters
41 Foster Street, Arlington (free parking)
Saturday and Sunday, October 18 and 19 from noon to 5 pm each day.

Arlington Center for the Arts and The Children’s Room collaborate on many projects.  ACA holds art classes at our Arlington HQ (conveniently located near the middle school); they have hosted our art work in their galleries; and our Teen Performance Troupe loves their theater.  Every community should be so lucky to have a program like the ACA!

Sneak preview of some of the art is available here.

The program will include:

• Appreciation and goodbyes to some board members who have served our program well and whose terms are over.
• Presentation of the slate of officers for the upcoming term.
• Updates on the program, financial health and strategic plan.

The public is welcome to attend.  RSVPs are essential, as space is limited. RSVP by email or by calling (781) 641-4741.

The annual meeting will take place at our headquarters at 1210 Massachusetts Avenue, Arlington, MA.

A report of the Annual Meeting will be posted on the website following the meeting.