The breezes taste
     Of apple peel.
The air is full
     Of smells to feel-
Ripe fruit, old footballs,
     Burning brush,
New books, erasers,
     Chalk, and such.
The bee, his hive,
     Well-honeyed hum,
And Mother cuts
     Chrysanthemums.
Like plates washed clean
     With suds, the days
Are polished with
     A morning haze.

September by John Updike

Hello everyone!

We hope you and your families had as lovely a summer as we all have.  With so much going on here in our lovely city we were all kept really busy as we are sure you were too. 

But, autumn is now here with the days getting shorter, the nights colder, and the kids back in school.  So, here we are back to work filling you in on what is going on in Brighton and Hove that affects all of us and our families.

Welcome to our September E-Newsletter!

Latest News

Fancy a Change?

The Community Skills and Learning Team have listed their courses for this term and are there to support you in learning or in helping you get back to work.

Moving On Course

This is a free course that may help you back into the workplace after bringing up your children.

Books for all!

October is a big month for reading with National Children's Book Week and National Bookstart Day.  There will be lots of fun-filled events going on celebrating reading as a fantastic pastime.

Time to Think About Secondary School?

The kids have barely gotten back to school and some of us have to start looking at where they will be going to school next September.  You don't have long to check out and decide which school will be best for your child so we hope you find our advice helpful.

Swine Flu Update

All the news shows have been saying that Swine Flu cases will go through the roof this autumn and with schools now back in session many of us are worried about how bad it will get.  We have brought together a list of links with the latest information for you.

The Family Room Coming to Brighton

The Family and Parenting Institute has brought together 12 of the UK's leading family charities to highlight family issues at the three upcoming Party conferences.  There will be three events here in Brighton and Hove to coincide with this year's Labour Conference that you can attend.

Blogs

This month Bad Dad ponders the question of having two children and whether he should be Treating them just the same?

Not a Supermum serves up An Interesting Menu for September for her children's friend, while her youngest starts school and takes A Step Away from her.

Wheeliemumma tells us all about her Simple Pleasures.

While we have been off enjoying the summer our lovely Development Worker has been busy doing everything those of us that took the summer off should have been doing, so this month she has taken a break from doing her blog.  Keep an eye out for her blog next month when she has had a chance to catch up.

Website of the Month

This month we would like to tell you about Freecycle.

The news may be saying that the recession looks to be getting better, but we all know things are still a bit tight. Through this site you can give away things you don't want anymore or get things you need from others for free. A few of us have been members of Freecycle for years and love using it, so give it a try!

Discussion of the Month

It has been on the news recently about four parents from Brighton and Hove that have been Prosecuted for their childrens' non-attendance at school.  We want to know what you think about that.

Did You Know.....

that free swimming in Brighton and Hove is for adults over 60, as well as children under 16. 

Could This Be A Great Opportunity For You?

Are you concerned about the importance of Parenting in Brighton and Hove, or the services offered to parents across the city?

Do you sometimes wonder how on earth you manage to bring up your children?

Would you like to get your message heard by those in a position to do something about it?

If so, you're just like us, and we're currently looking to invite more mums and dads to join our friendly, informal and welcoming group, either at board level or on a more practical side, we have all sorts of volunteering opportunities.

Even a couple of hours a month would be a valuable contribution (board meetings usually take place monthly on weekday evenings between 7 and 9pm, and events are usually weekend-based family affairs staffed entirely by volunteers).

Better still, all expenses (including child care and travel) are paid for, so you won't be out of pocket. If this could be you, please ring either Tasha Barefield (01273 294391) or Andrew Jeffrey (07758008628) to find out more.

You won't be press-ganged into anything - they're both very nice!

Next Month

Parents Week 2009 is October 19 - 25.  Keep an eye on our Events Calendar, as we will put any events we hear about on it as quickly as possible.            

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Thanks for reading!  See you again soon.

The Parents' Forum Team