ACS Green Press August 2012

ACS Green Press

Army Community Service (ACS) Fort Drum, August 2012

Leaving Children

Alone in Your Car-

Never a Good Idea

2,3

Back to School For Kids-What Does it Mean For Mom

3,4

Regarding Resilience: Communication and

5

Saving Money on

Hotel Rooms When

6

The Facebook Phe-

nomenon

7

Spouse in the Spot-light

8,9

Tips for Enrolling Your Military Child in School

9

ACS Events and Con- 10,

ACS Contacts 11

Inside this issue:

~A tree free newsletter Direct questions / feedback To: Sarah Lynch : 772-5374 [email protected]

The Army Community Service

Financial Readiness Program is

excited to announce that the

Thrift Savings Plan will soon be

offering active duty service

members the option to desig-

nate some or all of their contri-

butions as Roth contributions.

The TSP Roth feature will give

participants flexibility in the tax

treatment of their contributions

now and in the future.

You may be wondering how

does Roth TSP compare to Tra-

ditional TSP? Roth contribu-

tions are taken out of your pay-

check after your income is

taxed. When you withdraw

funds from your Roth balance

you will receive your Roth Con-

tributions tax free since you

have already paid taxes on any

contributions. You also won’t

pay taxes on any earnings, as

Financial Readiness to Bring Thrift Savings Plan Training to the Units!

long as you’re at least age 59 1/2

or disabled and your withdrawal is

made at least 5 years after the be-

ginning of the year in which you

made your first Roth contribution.

With the introduction of Roth, you

will potentially have two types of

balances in your TSP account. A

traditional (non-Roth) TSP balance

and a Roth TSP balance. Any

agency contributions you receive

will always be a part of your tradi-

tional (non Roth) balance. How-

ever, you may designate your own

contributions any way you like de-

pending on your individual tax cir-

cumstances. It is important to note

that money already in your account

when you begin making Roth con-

tributions will remain part of your

traditional balance. You will not

be able to convert it to Roth.

Financial Readiness would like to

start taking their Managing Your

Thrift Savings Plan training to the

units upon request as they believe

the Soldiers need to be educated

on how to take advantage of this

great opportunity. Financial Readi-

ness will teach the difference be-

tween Roth and Traditional TSP as

well as how to manage your

TSP account.

In addition to the TSP class,

Financial Readiness offers

classes on budget manage-

ment, home buying, car buy-

ing, investing and more. The

Financial Readiness team

also works one on one with

individuals and case specific

financial needs. Financial

Readiness also provides sub-

ject matter expertise for the

Chaplain’As Financial Peace

University Seminars. The

next one starts 19 September

2012. Register at

www.daveramsey.com

If you would like TSP train-

ing brought to your unit or

any other training for that

matter or if you would like a

one on one appointment,

contact Financial Readiness

at 772-0050/772-5196.

Remember think ACS First!

ACS Green Press August 2012

You're just running

into a store to grab pay for your gas,

dropping something off to a friend,

grabbing a coffee. Your baby is asleep

so there is nothing wrong with leaving

them for just a minute...right? Wrong!

The truth is, Each year, hundreds of

kids each year are involved in poten-

tially fatal accidents when left unat-

tended in a vehicle.

Whether it's from gear-shifted crashes,

sweltering temperatures, locking par-

ents out of a car, trunk entrapments, or

playing with windows and getting limbs

(or necks even) caught, horrific acci-

dents can and do happen in the sec-

onds you are away from your vehicle.

It's easy to understand why parents feel

it is okay to leave a child alone in a car

for a very small amount of time to per-

form a quick errand. These parents

would never intentionally their child in

harm's way. Waking a sleeping baby

and taking your child out of their seat

in freezing cold, rain or snow, is some-

times such a hassle, when the errand

can be done single-handedly within a

minute or two. But, while the actions

can be explained, the consequences

could never ever be undone if the un-

thinkable does occur. As a result, sound

parenting advice remains the same:

don't ever leave a child in a car alone,

even for a second.

While the laws vary from state to state

regarding supervision of children, the

regulations on Fort Drum remain clearly

defined and are as follow:

Children in 4th grade and under

will not be left alone in cars, trucks,

or vans for any period of time re-

gardless of line of sight supervision

Children in 5th and 6th grades

may be left unattended in a vehicle

only when the keys have been re-

moved by the driver and the hand-

brake applied.

Fort Drum further imposes the following

requirements with regard to child super-

vision and safety:

Newborns to three years of age

require close supervision and will be

under direct visual contact. The su-

pervisor must be able to respond to

any emergency or threatening situa-

tion. Sleeping/napping children will

be checked every 30 minutes (exempt

during night sleeping hours), Chil-

dren in this age group will not be

left alone at any time

Children through 1st grade (six

years of age) may play in an appro-

priately designated safe area in the

child’s neighborhood. This is al-

lowed only if the child can under-

stand and follow rules and restric-

tions that are set. A age appropriate

child supervisor must check the des-

ignated area a minimum of every 20

minutes to ensure safety and where-

abouts of the child. The child must

have immediate access to a supervi-

sor. Immediate access is defined as

within eyesight or hearing distance

with the ability to respond within 30

seconds

Children in 2nd-4th grade (seven

to nine years of age) can be al-

lowed to explore their environment,

but must also be afforded protec-

tion and, therefore, must have ac-

cess to adult supervision. Note that

access is defined as having the abil-

ity to contact a verifiable, prear-

ranged, responsible adult in case of

emergency and an adult supervisor

knowing the location of the child

Children in 5th - 9th grade (10-14

years of age) must be in a desig-

nated neighborhood area estab-

lished by their parent or caregiver.

This area should be convenient for

the caregiver to make regular checks

on the child. Designated area

should be convenient for the super-

visor to make regular checks on the

child. Caregivers should have the

child check-in if the child is chang-

ing locations. If the child is not

mature enough to check-in with a

supervisor, the standards for

younger children will apply

Youth in 10th-12th grade (15 to 18

years of age) may supervise them-

selves. They must be mature

enough to notify the contact person

in case of an emergency situation.

Parents are responsible for ensuring

the child knows proper emergency

procedures, to include contact per-

sons, telephone numbers, fire

evacuation, etc.

Children in 5th grade (11 years

Leaving Your Children Alone in Your Car– Never a Good Idea, Not Even for a Second!


Summer, in the North Country, seems

to pass by in a blink of an eye. Before

we know it, the long hot days of August

dissolve into a sense of urgency. The

fun filled, care free days of summer will

soon lend way to fall. And with fall

comes back to school planning. Aban-

doned routines of early bedtimes,

homework and morning bustle to catch

the bus are just around the bend. Au-

gust is when the students get their new

classroom assignments, school supply

lists and fall sports practice schedules.

Parents spend the next few weeks pre-

paring children for reentry to school or

for their first day of school by shopping

for clothes, uniforms, notebooks, sched-

uling extracurricular, arranging before

and after school care and carpools.

While this time can prove stressful, ex-

pensive and overwhelming, it is what we

as parents do to provide the best possi-

ble opportunities for our children.

Many people view this as a time for

Moms to focus on themselves. This new

found “time” can be viewed as a double

Back to School for the Kids-What Does it Mean For Mom?

edged sword. To those of us who are

“organizationally challenged” the busy

new routines caused by school can in-

crease disorganization and stress leav-

ing us overwhelmed and feeling more

short of time than ever.

If you are one of the organizationally

challenged” one of the biggest chal-

lenges for busy moms is not having

enough time in the day to get things

done. Adding busy school morning

routines to the mix makes the challenge

seem to large too conquer.

Leaving Your Children Alone in Your Car... Continued from page 2

aware in order to protect those we hold

dear to our hearts.

If you would like further details you can

access the Fort Drum’s Policy Memo at

http://www.drum.army.mil/

and younger) must be supervised

by a parent, guardian, a sibling at

least in 7th grade (for a maximum of

two hours), or a person outside the

Family in 8th grade or higher. Teen

caregivers in 8th or 9th grade must

have completed an approved baby-

sitting course

Children Left alone in quarters re-

gardless of age, must have access to

a parental designated adult who is

available in the event of emergencies.

All children must have the super-

vising adult’s work, home and

necessary emergency phone

numbers, and the sponsor must

be within the local area. Children

who are not in direct supervision

should know, at a minimum what to

do in case of an emergency. The

local area is defined as an area or

location that is no more than one

hour away by car

Children in 5th and 6th grade (10

-11 years of age) may be left alone

for no more than three hours during

the day or evening

Youth in 7th –9th grade (12 to 14

years of age) may be left alone for

no more than six hours during the

day or evening

Youth in 10th grade and above

(15 years of age and older) may be

left alone overnight

As loving parents, sometimes we don’t

always consider how quickly accidents

can change our lives. Sometimes we are

unaware of the laws from state to state.

We need to be vigilant in becoming

“Children are not casual guests in our home. They have been loaned to us temporarily for the purpose of loving them and instilling a foundation of values on which their future lives will be built.” -Dr. James Dobson

http://www.drum.army.mil/


Back To School For Kids-What Does it Mean For Mom? …

Continued from pg 3

Jacquie Ross Maven suggests the following tips to help ease the chal-lenges of the new back to school rou-tine and help your mornings run a whole lot smoother.

Just Ten More Minutes...Waking up a few minutes earlier is one of the most under utilized time management tips today. Set your alarm clock 10-15 min-utes earlier before you go to bed, when your child asks for ten more minutes-he or she will actually be getting up on time.

I’ve Got Nothing to Wear! For each child, select up to 5 outfits for each day of the week while taking into considera-tion the forecast. You can do this on weekends. You can include your child in the process giving them a sense of choice and independence. Remind yourself to do this the first few weeks and it will soon become habit.

Can I Take Your Order Please? Set the breakfast table the night before, involve your children. Setting the table can be their chore. Set it on a rotating schedule. By involving your children, you will be teaching them organizational

and time management skills.

What’s for Lunch? If your child

brings in a packed lunch to school,

you can prepare it the night before.

Sandwiches can be made ahead of

time and sealed in plastic wrap or

sandwich bags. If you are making the

sandwich more than one day ahead,

double bag it into a zippered bag be-

fore refrigerating

I’m Starving! If your child comes

home immediately after school, have

some snacks ready. You can prepare

your own or purchase items from

your local supermarket

My Mom Forgot to Put My

Homework in My Backpack!!

Have each child place completed

homework assignments into their

backpack. Remind them that it’s their

responsibility! 2. Check to see if you

have any forms to sign and give to

your child to place into their back-

pack.

By taking care of routine tasks the

night before, your mornings will be

less stressed and you will be far more

productive for the remainder of the

day.

Once the routines have been estab-

lished, then what? Your new found

time might be the ideal time for self

development. Maybe you want to

join a club, take a class or even go to

work. Whatever your endeavourer,

Army Community Service has a pro-

gram to help you be all you can be!

For instance, if you plan to get involved

but are not interested in joining the

workforce, we have volunteer opportu-

nities, book clubs, spousal groups and

classes that promote community, net-

working and friendships.

On the other hand, if you are planning

to enter the workforce, we have pro-

grams to build computer skills, resume

and interviewing skills, job searching

techniques as well as one on one job

searching assistance.

Maybe you would just like to explore the

latest parenting techniques and philoso-

phies or take a class in communication,

stress management or resilience. ACS is

the ideal place to start.

ACS is constantly adjusting our curricu-

lum, programming and services to meet

the ever changing needs of our commu-

nity. Stop by and see what we have to

offer you.

Remember -

Think ACS First!


Regarding Resilience: Tips, tools and techniques for practicing resilience

everyday!

By Jenn Eichner, MRT 772-2848

When you meet new people, what do you lead with? Do you openly tell them what is good about you, what talents you have and what you have to offer them? Or do you feel like you shouldn’t be too forward in leading with your personal good stuff? I am guessing many of you hold back. It seems that if we talk about ourselves in a positive way, we can be seen as arro-gant or annoying. It goes back to that negativity bias we discussed earlier. We are drawn to imperfection and calamity. Perhaps it is the broad scope iceberg belief that, “the squeaky wheel, gets the grease”. But what if we could look at the more positive side and flip that be-lief to think more along the lines of, “I am ok, and you are ok , but together we are terrific.” We all have unique talents and strengths that we need to recognize in ourselves so that we can share with others. This is especially true within our military community. You see, one day you may need to connect with someone to help you through a chal-lenge. Often that is your spouse or another family member and often they are not readily available due the mission requirements or distance apart. You need to have a little strengths bank stowed away in your memory so you

can know who to call on. Maybe your challenge is sewing a child’s costume for a school play. If you are like me, the needle and thread are not part of our character strengths – but no doubt it is for someone you know from work, the neighborhood or your FRG. The great things about strengths are that people are normally eager to use them. And don’t worry - you can easily return the favor by sharing one of your strengths with them. Maybe you can bake some wonderful homemade brownies and drop them off to say – thanks! But none of this happens if you aren’t willing to share your strengths and be open to learning about the strengths that other hold. This, you see, is a key ingredient to remaining resilient.

Your resilience factor has a lot to do with the connections you have. Knowing and using your strengths and the strengths of others will reinforce your relationships in many positive ways. Let people know how you can help them by advertising your strengths and be willing to get to know others in that way as well. Re-member, resilience is not about going it alone and doing for yourself. It’s more about recognizing when you need to reach out to others and accept the strength of their support.

Want to learn more about your character

Owning Your Strengths and Recognizing Others strengths? The following are instructions to the online Strengths in Action survey. The site also provides more insights on resilience and your personal resilience fac-tor.

Take the online Values In Action (VIA) Survey of Character Strengths to find out : go to http://www.authentichappiness.sas.upen.edu/default.aspx In the blue box under Engagement Ques-tionnaires choose: -VIA Survey of Charac-ter Strengths So, this month, please make a point to

learn your strengths and about the

strengths of others and take note on how

doing so increases your energy, motivation

and success!

Have a great month – good luck and good thoughts!

Upcoming Master Resilience Training Dates:

August 20 Module 5 9:30am-12:30 pm at ACS

FALL MARATHON 17-20 SEPTEMBER

Workforce Development Bldg 2-19 Nash blvd

Time includes 1 hour lunch break

Refrigerators available for use.

(The event formerly known as Super Sign-Up)

6

2 0 1 2

9


One of the biggest expenses

when traveling is staying in

a hotel room.

For Soldiers and Families PCSing,

traveling from one post to the next,

can go one of two ways; it can either be

a costly expense or a great way to save

some of your per diem. The good news

is you can avoid the expensive option

by becoming educated on ways to save

money along the way.

Rather than leaving you wondering and

making you do the research, Relocation

Readiness thought we would share

what we found. The Travel Channel’s

Hotel Impossible host Anthony Mel-

chiorri recently offered these money

saving tips.

Follow the 14/3 rule. Reserve

your room more than 14 days in

advance, when the hotel has plenty

of rooms, or within 3 days of your

trip, when they need to fill vacant

rooms

Don’t look just online – call. The

lowest prices are typically found on

the web, but call the hotel anyway-

you might still get in on a reward

program, plus you can ask whether

it offers special rates (for military

or AAA for example) or has deals

on certain dates

Be flexible. While not always pos-

sible for PCSing, shifting your trip

by one or two days can result in

real savings

Save on last minute travel. If you

can’t follow the 14/3 rule you can

still travel without breaking the

bank. Hotel managers often

dump empty rooms on sites like

Hotwire and Priceline. Deals of

60-75% off can be had but reser-

vation might be nonrefundable

Remember, for other tips on having a

smooth move, contact your Reloca-

tion Readiness Program at 772-

6566/6902.

Saving Money on Hotel Rooms When PCS’ing

Looking for what the North Country

has to offer you?

Local Chambers

Tourism Councils

Employers

Clubs

Volunteer Opportunities

September 6, 2012

9 am - 2 pm

The Commons


Hello Jobseekers! The staff of Army

Community Service Employment

Readiness Program (ERP) hopes you

have been enjoying your summer.

ERP has many exciting things

planned for you this August.

Besides the monthly classes ERP

regularly offers such as the two Em-

ployment 101 classes (the 9th and

23rd from 0930-1130 this month) we

are excited to offer Facebook for

Marketing Development on August

15 as this months professional devel-

opment seminar. Facebook is a great

way to promote your business and

gain customer satisfaction. Knowing

how to utilize this powerful tool will

make you a valuable employee or

business owner.

The thought of free advertising seems

to good to be true! Utilizing the inter-

net as a place to display your prod-

ucts, services and websites for free in

a world where most sites are charging

seems like an impossible feat – Face-

book has made this a reality.

With half a billion Facebook users

comprised of thousands of online

communities, Facebook has brought

potential customers much closer to

you and opened up a wide market of

possibilities.

It is no big secret that Facebook

brings people closer together and is

used in online marketing. However,

just registering for a Facebook ac-

count is not enough. If that is all you

think it takes, your Facebook success

story will end before it even begins!

There is much more to marketing on

Facebook than just creating a profile.

Keeping your fans engaged is the key.

Marketing through Facebook makes

you more than a brand. Facebook

breathes life into your business mak-

ing you into a community friends and

fans love being a part of. In this

The Facebook Phenomenon and the Job Market

months seminar, you will learn

how you can use Facebook to

increase your customer base, re-

tain them and use them to gain

access to other potential markets.

As a marketing tool, Facebook is

here to stay. If you are new to

Facebook, take this seminar to

become educated so you are not

left behind through the social me-

dia revolution. Many people give

up as they do not get the desired

result immediately, i.e. a huge in-

crease in sales. However, consider

marketing on Facebook as a sys-

tematic process: you first build

trust, traffic and eventually – sales.

Even if you do not own a busi-

ness, please come and join us on

August 15, it will benefit you as a

jobseeker and you can gain more

knowledge about marketing.

http://www.socialmaximizer.com/

http://www.socialmaximizer.com/


Janie Diggs is

a proud

mother of 2

daughters,

Mary (6) and

Sarah (4). Her

husband,

Shawn, is an

aviator with

Task Force

Six Shooters

2-10 and has just moved to Fort Drum in

July 2012.

Janie learned the challenges and the bene-

fits of ARMY early in life as her father

served 14 years. They lived in the Fort

Stewart, Georgia area for over 20 years,

where Janie received her Bachelor’s in

Business Administration, Associate Bro-

ker and Instructors License with the

Georgia Real Estate Commission, be-

came a Certified Paralegal, and worked

her way up to Office Manager over four

departments at Southern Star Group,

Inc., as well as Head Instructor for The

Executive School of Real Estate.

Janie believes education is the lifeline

of humanity and essential for the pros-

perity of mankind. “Never stop learn-

ing.” and “It’s all about you!” became

her motto as she educated over 1500

people in financial success , relocation,

and real estate, as well as closing over

400 real estate transactions, where over

75% were referred by past clients.

She volunteered for many organiza-

tions such as Relocation Educator for

the City of Hinesville and Fort Stewart

ACS, Red Cross, Sunday School

teacher, Super Yard Sales, Masonic

Children’s hospital, and Habitat for

Humanity. Janie also served as Presi-

dent of several organizations such as

the Hinesville Area Board of RELA-

TORS and Habitat for Humanity. This

lead to the community voting her for

such honors as the Hinesville Areas

2006 REALTOR of the year, Georgia

State REALTOR of the year in 2007,

and Liberty County’s Top 10 under 30

Business Leaders in 2010.

Currently, Janie is looking for employ-

ment while volunteering at ACS. She

says she is excited to see the snow,

and is trying to stay optimistic about

the colder climate.

Janie has certainly “bloomed where

she is planted”. She is an example of

how special military spouses are. She

has made many significant contribu-

tions to the communities she has lived

in. We are happy to welcome Janie

and her Family to Fort Drum.

Building Community: Spouse in the Spotlight

ACS welcomes Janie Diggs to Our Fort Drum Community

“What we have done for ourselves alone dies with us; what

we have done for others and the world remains and is

immortal” ~Albert Pike


Gabriella has recently been volunteer-

ing at ACS while she is spending time

with her soon to be spouse 2nd Lieu-

tenant Robert Malloy who is stationed

at Fort Drum as the Battalion Medical

Officer with 25th Field Artillery Regi-

ment.

She and Second Lieutenant Malloy got

engaged February 17 of this year. Sec-

ond Lieutenant Malloy has been sta-

tioned at Fort Drum for three months.

They plan to marry on September 14th

of 2014.

Gabriella is currently studying commu-

nication with a concentration in jour-

nalism at George Mason University.

For the Summer, Gabriella is staying

with her Fiancé in Watertown. While

he is working, she is keeping busy tak-

ing online summer classes, volunteer-

ing at Army Community Service and

babysitting.

Gabriella loves to be active. She enjoys

dancing and football. She looks for-

ward to completing her degree and her

marriage to her Fiancé. In the mean-

time she plans to prepare for the life

of a military spouse by attending

Army Family Team Building and con-

tinuing to volunteer for ACS when

she is in the area.

We welcome Second Lieutenant

Malloy and Gabriella to Fort Drum

and congratulate them on their up-

coming nuptials!

ACS Welcomes Gabriella Gayl Future Spouse in the Spotlight

Tips for Enrolling Your Military Child in School

Starting the new school year is difficult

for some children. The transition can

be especially difficult for military stu-

dents. The great news is that the Army

recognizes the challenge as does the

public school system. Area schools

have a large population of military stu-

dents making up their student body.

They are aware of the relevant things

that could affect your child’s school day

such as deployments.

In an online article written by Lissa

McGrath addressing transitioning mili-

tary kids to a new school, pediatric

neuropsychologist, Dr. Jim Olsen

explained displacement of emotion

is completely normal. According to

Dr. Olson, some children may re-

gress, others become clingy or dis-

tant. Some children become angry

while others are overly sensitive.

Know how you would like things han-

dled with your child if he or she is hav-

ing a rough day and discuss the plan

with your child’s teacher

You will find that the schools in the

area are sympathetic to what a military

child goes through. The key to your

child’s success is for you to become

partners, with the school, in their edu-

cation. The more proactive you are in

the beginning of the year the better the

school year will be.

The good news is that children are re-

silient. Their innate ability to adapt

coupled with you and the school hav-

ing their best interests at heart, will be a

recipe for success.

Here are some tips to help ease your

child’s transition:

Contact the Fort Drum School Liaison

Officers at 772-3214 to find out what

the school requirements are for regis-

tering your child

If your child is enrolled in the Excep-

tional Family Member Program and

needs special accommodations in

school, contact your system navigators

at 772-5488 or 772-0664.

Talk to your child’s teacher and keep

them abreast of what changes may af-

fect your child.

Utilize the military resources in your

school such as the Military Family Life

Consultants that are embedded within

many of the local schools.

“All have wishes, many have

dreams, some have ideas, few have

plans” -William Arthur Ward

Army Community Service

P4330 Conway Road

Fort Drum, New York

13602

Army Emergency Relief 772-6560, 772-8873 or 772-2855

Army Family Team Building http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000122037720

772-6710, 772-9229

Army Volunteer Program Coordinator http://www.facebook.com/pages/Fort-Drum-Army-volunteer-Corps/13651504365912

772-2899

Exceptional Family Member Program http://www.facebook.com/pages/Fort-Drum-FMWR-Exceptional-Family-Member-Program /104951319542718

772-5488, 772-0819, 772-0664

Employment Readiness Program http://www.facebook.com/fortdrumemployment

772-9611, 772-2737, 772-1090

Family Advocacy Program (New Parent Support Program) SAPRP

772-4244, 772-6929, 772-2279

772-0596, 772-4070, 772-0748

772-5605, 772-5914

Financial Readiness Program http://www.facebook.com/pages/Fort-Drum-financial-Readiness-ACS/1956662120473

772-0050, 772-5196, 772-8526

Information and Referral 772-6556, 772-6557

Military & Family Life Consultants 212-6919

Mobilization and Deployment http://www.facebook.com/pages/Fort-Drum-Mobiliztion-and-Deployment/178420512193448?ref=ts&v=wall

772-2848, 772-0470, 772-2919

Outreach http://www.facebook.com/pages/Fort-Drum-ACS-Outreach/180373271991692

772-5374

Relocation Readiness http:// www.facebook.com/pages/Fort -Drum -Relocation -Readiness Program/171335822906429

772-5475, 772-6553, 772-6902

772-6566

Soldier Family Assistance Center http://www.facebook.com/Fort.Drum.FMWR/SFAC

772-7781

Survivor Outreach Services http://www.facebook.com/fortdrumsurvivoroutreachservices

772-6357

ACS Green Press August 2012

Economy & Finance

Transcript of ACS Green Press August 2012