We interrupt this newsletter with breaking news . . .
You may have a new Product Consultant!

We moved a few chairs around and if it’s been awhile since you last visited, we’d like to reacquaint you with your Product Consultant. This is your best and fastest route to product and purchase information for 2009.

See the list below to locate your state. Or possibly sitting. Either way, our position is to provide the same excellent service you’ve come to know and expect. We wouldn’t stand for anything less. Unless we are, ahem, sitting.

Alaska, District of Columbia, Maryland, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Dakota, Virginia, Washington
Kristy Diedrich
Kristy.Diedrich@realityworks.com
800.830.1416 ext. 1191

California, Oklahoma, South Dakota
Chris Dorn
Chris.Dorn@realityworks.com
800.830.1416 ext. 1183

Connecticut, Delaware, Idaho, Michigan, Ohio, Oregon
Linda Elwell
Linda.Elwell@realityworks.com
800.830.1416 ext. 1189

Indiana, Nevada, Texas
Joe Frank
Joe.Frank@realityworks.com
800.830.1416 ext. 1149

Illinois, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee
Glenda Hall
Glenda.Hall@realityworks.com
800.830.1416 ext. 1185

Arizona, Hawaii, Minnesota, Montana, New York, West Virginia
Merri Johnson
Merri.Johnson@realityworks.com
800.830.1416 ext. 1171

Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina
Terri Marsh
Terri.Marsh@realityworks.com
800.830.1416 ext. 1186

Colorado, Georgia, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Wyoming
Cory Peterson
Cory.Peterson@realityworks.com
800.830.1416 ext. 1169

Arkansas, Florida, Massachusetts, Utah, Wisconsin
Libby Vaughn
Libby.Vaughn@realityworks.com
800.830.1416 ext. 1178

Each Product Consultant has a partner in National Sales Support to assist with your account and ensure that your inquiries are handled in the most efficient manner. National Sales Support provides superior customer service and can help you with the details of processing your order or reordering supplies. Contact them at 800.830.1416 or information@realityworks.com.

For technical assistance with software or simulators, please contact Product Support at 800.830.1416 or productsupport@realityworks.com.

Greetings from your long-lost newsletter friends!

Did you miss us? Besides digging out from snow banks, and then digging out bulky sweaters, we were digging out from Baby trade-ins! The “double-the discount” offer was too good for many of you to resist. Congratulations on using the most convenient and effective model infant simulator available. You’re saving time, money and the environment. Bye-bye batteries.

We’d show you the pile of old infant simulators in our warehouse but it just looks wrong. (We’ll give you a moment to pause here and imagine the Babies, arms and legs askance and askew, flopped atop a shipping pallet. Not pretty, is it?)

Let’s all take a moment to shake off the winter doldrums and the nightly news blues. What will it be tonight . . . the economy? The stock market? Rod Blagojevich’s haircut? The dress Streep will wear to the Academy Awards? Distract us, please!

Here’s some national news on the brighter, albeit less-sequined, side . . .

1. According to the Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE), February is National CTE month and many of our customers are CTE teachers. We wish our FACS, early childhood and health occupations instructors a happy month! Career and Technical Education prepares our youth for the world beyond high school and is leading the way in teaching 21st Century skills. Technology and technical skills are only part of a diverse program that promotes active learning, problem-solving, academic integration, and personal and career development. Hmmm . . . sounds like the building blocks for a stronger economy, doesn’t it? Learn more at www.acteonline.org.
   
   
2. According to www.whitehouse.gov, the president used the three “R’s” when announcing his education agenda: “recruit,” “retain,” and “reward” teachers. Let’s hope an important fourth letter is added to that plan—“resources” to get this accomplished. We’ll be watching what our nation’s governors are doing about education as well. Lots of hot topics to follow and surely some good news should come out of all this discussion.
   
   
3. According to the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) and lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, Arne Duncan is a positive choice for heading up the U.S. Department of Education. May “our man in Washington” remember whence he came (and his high school English teacher). You can read more about this appointment at www.ed.gov.
   
   
4. On a related note, the AFT launched its Fight for America’s Future campaign, promoting support for the federal economic stimulus package. “I'm taking the fight to the very people who can prevent devastating cuts that would have punishing effects for years to come,” says Randi Weingarten, president of AFT. “This campaign will decide our country's future.”
   
   
5. According to the blogosphere, the all-knowing and omnipresent Oprah, and hot dog vendors near Capitol Hill, a spirit of bipartisanship lingers in Washington (ketchup and mustard, please). We sure hope so. Wouldn’t it be great if Hannity and Colmes would reunite and sing “I Got You, Babe?” Wouldn’t it be great if we could stop using the phrase “both sides of the aisle” when referring to the behavior of our representatives?

Keep those happy thoughts going . . . Anything is possible.

New from RealCare!

5-Baby Mobile Storage/Charging Case – save $100 now!

Take your show on the road – and power up! Perfect for smaller programs needing storage and portability. Room for up to 5 infant simulators and supplies. Charge the battery and program RealCare Baby II-plus right from the case! Smooth rolling inline wheels, convenient pull handle, lock and key security. Your entire program in a 2-foot by 4-foot space. On wheels. You better get rolling . . . the introductory offer ends March 31, 2009.

Control Center Software Updates

If you are using RealCare Baby II-plus with Control Center—and why wouldn’t you be?—be sure to periodically check for updates.

This handy-dandy built-in tool ensures that you have the latest, fastest and most convenient software features available. If our engineers so much as make a tweak, it’s yours for the taking. We’ll always alert you here about software updates, but it’s a good idea, particularly if you’ve just purchased your software, to make sure you are up to the minute.

See below. If you have any problems checking or receiving updates, give our friendly folks in Product Support a jingle.

New from the Realityworks curriculum department!

Classroom Packages for CTE

Meet standards and curriculum requirements for pathways in Early Childhood Development, Therapeutic Services, Family and Community Services, Teaching and Training and more. We’ve put it all together for you! Available in several sizes and includes new instructor materials.

Basic Infant Care Curriculum

This extensive curriculum covers a wide range of topics related to infant care and is designed for use with RealCare Baby. Applies active learning methodologies, hands-on activities, demonstrations and simulations—ideal for training day care workers, babysitters and future parents. Covers infant and toddler development, soothing techniques, health and safety and the basics of infant care—feeding, diapering, bathing and holding a baby. A wealth of information in this up-to-date, standards-based resource. Ask about it today!

Curriculum on CD

Save money. Save time. Save the environment. We asked, you responded, and we did it! All Realityworks curricula have moved to CD-ROM. You’ll love the flexibility, portability (and light weight) of digital files. Together we are saving trees. Way to go!

Share Your Story Contest Winner

We collected and shared your wonderful stories this year, and as promised, we pulled out one lucky winner in a random drawing. A RealCare Baby II-plus will be sent to Janet Zimmerman, from Harrison Schools in Pony, Montana. More about the winner.

Thanks to all for letting us hear about your amazing programs. Keep sending your stories and photos and we’ll keep sharing them with the world. Thanks for all you do and including us as you touch lives and shape the future. We’re honored to be working with such dedicated people.

Product Support Tip:
What we have here is a failure to communicate.
Understanding and fixing communication issues between Baby and
Control Center

Symptom #1: You’re programming a simulation with Control Center but one Baby refuses to cooperate (naughty Baby!). You can see that the batteries are fully charged and the green check mark indicates that communication is working. But each time you click “Send to Babies” this particular Baby sends back “fail.”

Symptom #2: You’re downloading simulation data successfully, but one Baby is stuck in "Report Due" mode. Again, you can see that the batteries are fully charged and the green check mark indicates that communication is working. Clicking on "Stop" or "Get Report" brings back the same response—"fail."

Diagnosis: "Communication block," a non-fatal disorder where Baby cannot finalize its transmission to the Control Center. The good news is this doesn’t happen very often and if it should occur to you, the fix is very simple. The only tool you need is your battery cover key.

Cure: Please see the obligatory disclaimer in bold below. We don’t want anyone to void their warranty while attempting to follow these instructions.

Lay the Baby face down and use the key to unlock and remove the battery cover. Look inside the Baby's battery compartment and you will see a black "Reset" button located just underneath the Baby's charging outlet. Using your finger or thumb, press down and HOLD the black reset button for five seconds. Baby will not make any sound, but may make a quick "pop" when you release the button. After a few seconds you should be able to program Baby or retrieve the simulation data as usual. Be sure to close and lock the battery cover as soon as possible.

If Baby does not communicate after completing this procedure, please contact Product Support for further assistance.

Important note: when removing the battery cover, do not touch anything else inside the battery compartment except for the "Reset" button. Doing so without the assistance of Product Support may void the product warranty.

Product Support hours: Monday through Friday 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Central Time. Call 800.830.1416 or email productsupport@realityworks.com or refer to the list of Frequently Asked Questions.

On the road again...

Here’s a partial list of where we are headed next. Please come and visit us at these conferences, or call ahead to reserve some time with a Realityworks representative while we’re in your area.