Around The Bend February 2015
(L-R): George Patterson, Texana CEO, JoAnna Jones, Asst. Manager Children’s Center for Autism, Kate Johnson-Patagoc , Director Specialized Children’s Services and Rhonda Albright and Nell Ciancarelli from Ecolab.
TEXANA’S AUTISM PROGRAM RECEIVES $5,000 DONATION - Texana has been awarded a $5,000 Community Grant from the Ecolab Foundation. The funds will be applied to the purchase of a playground structure for the Children’s Center for Autism in Sugar Land. The Children’s Center for Autism has included specific activities and design elements in the new play structure that will target specific learning objectives for the children:
Playground skills - how to climb, slide, swing, jump, twist, spin, explore, and interact with the playground equipment.
Social skills with peers - how to play, share, take turns, and play hide and seek, cooperation, teamwork, etc. with others.
Imaginative Play - Children typically love the magical world of make-believe, but children with autism or other developmental disabilities often need to be specifically taught how to pretend play.
Natural Environment training within the context of a playground - Such as counting rungs on a ladder, learning words up and down, long and short, naming items, following instructions.
Promote fitness and wellness through play to promote physical health, self-confidence and socialization - Children with autism are more likely to be overweight, putting them at an increased risk for numerous health problems, both in childhood and as adults, including diabetes, cardiovascular disease, bone and joint problems, and even depression.
Kate Johnson-Patagoc, Director Specialized Children’s Services at Texana said, “We are delighted to have been awarded this grant by Ecolab as we so desperately need a playground for the children in our program in Sugar Land. Every day, we are closer to making this a reality.”
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Mister Rodgers, the popular butler character from Houston Public Media’s “Manor of Speaking,” poses with costume contest winner, Sarah Aaron, at the Richmond Downton Abbey premiere.
DOWNTON ABBEY SEASON 5 PREMIERE ADVANCE SCREENING IN RICHMOND
Downton Abbey enthusiasts anxious to see the season premiere didn’t have to wait. Houston Public Media hosted free screenings of the Season 5 premiere at three theaters across Houston, including the Santikos Palladium AVX in Richmond. Downton Abbey fans in the Houston area were able to see the season premiere a full month before it debuted in the U.S. Attendees were invited to dress for the occasion in Downton attire for a “Dress for Downton” contest that was held at each screening.
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100-year-old Janet Unger (front right) and her daughter Joan Davis visit Kushan Biswas (far left) and Tonima Paul and their baby girl Utsa Biswas to commemorate Janet’s centennial birthday.
100-YEAR-OLD WOMAN COMMEMORATES BIRTHDAY WITH VISIT TO NEWBORN
Memorial area resident Janet Unger was born at 7:25 a.m. on Nov. 25, 1914. To commemorate her birthday, the 100-year-old woman and her daughter Joan Davis visited Memorial Hermann Memorial City Medical Center to meet and give a gift to a newborn who shared her birthday. Unger presented baby girl Utsa and her family, who reside in Sugar Land, with a hand-written card about life’s blessings, as well as a photo of herself as a centenarian and a $100 bill.
