If you have been around LifeStriders this summer you have no doubt has the pleasure to meet Jay Moore, as he trained for his NARHA certification to teach therapeutic riding. Jay brings a lifetime of equestrian experience to LifeStriders and we are blessed to have him as a part of our program. Jay has been active in 4H since he was born, and has been working with horses and farm animals ever since.

Last weekend, Jay completed NARHA's rigorous certification and educational process and is now fully certified by the North American Riding for the Handicapped Association(NARHA) to teach therapeutic riding.

Having grown up across the street from LifeStriders , Jay is committed to the LifeStriders community and truly enjoys enabling others to enjoy the pleasures and benefits of equestrian therapeutic lessons. When you see Jay, please congratulate him, and thank him for his dedication to serving his community.

Please Join me in congratulating Amanda Rector on her recent completion of the rigorous NARHA certification program last weekend. She has passed the national tests and is now fully certified as a therapeutic riding instructor.

We first met Amanda in the early spring this year, as she showed interest in Volunteering at LifeStriders. Amanda is an elementary school teacher who grew up around horses in Nebraska, and found herself here in Wisconsin looking to help serve her new community.

After volunteering a few times, Amanda was very quick to catch on to teaching therapeutic riding at LifeStriders and she has quickly become a class favorite among her students. It's obvious that Amanda has excellent skills in teaching riding, but it's her compassion for the riders and giving spirit that make her such a valuable asset at LifeStriders.

The next time you see Amanda, please congratulate her on her achievment and thank her for her commitment to serving her community.

Fall Session Starts September 9th!

LifeStriders Therapeutic Riding Session and will run for 9 weeks starting on Tuesday, September 9th until November 8th. The current schedule is as follows:

Tuesdays- 4pm class & 5pm class (Therapeutic Riding Only)
Wednesdays- 4pm class & 5pm class (Therapeutic Riding Only)
Thursdays- 4pm class & 5pm class (Therapeutic Riding Only)
Saturdays- 9am, 10am, 11 am classes (Therapeutic Riding Only)

If your child was enrolled in the summer session you do not need to register for the summer session as they have the exact same riding days and times assigned to them for the fall session.

In addition to the therapeutic riding program LifeStriders offers additional family support services:

**Low cost & sliding scale counseling services for individuals, children and families offered by Veronica Sosa Agnoli, M.S. School Psychologist and Licensed Professional Counselor (training through UW-Madison)

**Educational counseling and consulting services specializing in special education. Helping parents work in collaboration with schools and representing families in IEP/504 meetings.

**LifeStriders Social Skills Program (will resume in the spring of 2009)
These fun and interactive groups are designed for children ages 6-12 with challenges in the area of social-communication that affects the quality of their interpersonal relationships. The goals of the groups include increasing social awareness, understanding others peoples' perspectives, and understanding the impact of their own behavior on the impressions that other people form of them. It is a fun class for kids to learn the skills they need in building social connections. LifeStriders social skills classes will be held in a small group setting with individualized activities. Classes will be held on Mondays at 4 pm and 5pm. Both groups will be facilitated by Veronica Sosa Agnoli, MS. and Ann Treleven-Carl, LifeStriders social skills trainer. Limited spaces available.

PAYMENT POLICY: LifeStriders is a non-profit organization that is committed to offering accessible therapeutic services to our community. One of the ways we are able to keep our prices significantly below going rates is by minimizing accounting costs. LifeStriders charges $30.00/per therapeutic hour if paid in advance or $65.00/therapeutic hour if paid after September 16th. We ask that the entire therapeutic riding or social skills session ($270.00) be paid for in advance by sending a check (no cash) to our address before September 16, 2008. If your child is enrolled in the federally funded school lunch program (free lunch) they may be eligible to receive scholarship funding for services provided at LifeStriders. We must have the school's verification on file before July 14th in order to qualify.

Please feel free to email me or call us at 262-565-6124 if you would like to inquire about any of the services being offered at LifeStriders.

We thank you and look forward to working with you and your family!

Sincerely,

Veronica Sosa Agnoli, M.S.
Executive Director

Labels: Fall Session 2008

Thank you Bob and Lisa Conley for sponsoring Hazel this year. As you know LifeStriders depends on the generous donations from individuals like you to offer low cost riding lessons, programs, and services to the community. Your donation will be used to support the cost of keeping Hazel in the 2008-2009 season.

Bob and Lisa Conley are some of the original supporters of LifeStriders, generous annual donors to the organization, and often you will see them sidewalking and leading horses during weekly lessons.

On behalf of all the Volunteers, Participants, and Staff at LifeStriders - Thank You for your continued support and for choosing to Sponsor Hazel this year!

If you would like to sponsor a horse this year, please visit this post for instructions on how to do so.