Friday, September 16, 2011

Special Education and Student Services Newsletter for September 16

Special Education and Student Services Newsletter for September 16

Many staff this year are in a new role whether it is a new position,
program, building, teaching different grade, and/or teaching different
subject. Sometimes this change can be difficult or it can be an
exciting change for the staff member.  If there is a way that I can
help you in your new role, please let me know.  We do appreciate the
flexibility that each of you show in your new roles this year.  I
personally have the utmost confidence that the new roles will be
successful.  I say that because each of you are so skilled, talented,
experienced, and/or eager to learn, but also because you care so much
for the students and their achievement.

Ethan Z
We are very excited to have First Grader Ethan Z - a homebound
medically fragile student attend school for the first time on Friday.
Ethan transferred to Medford last year. Please make him feel welcome.

Tyler T.
We are excited to have Tyler T attend school longer at MASH.  He will
be in Read 180 during 3rd and 4th hours.

Attendant Care Services
Teachers need to complete Attendant Care Services Sheets on students
that receive close to 1:1 support, have attendant care needs, and are
medicaid eligible. Luanne has sent out the medicaid student eligible
list.  This is a great revenue to support our special education
programming and staffing for students.

AIMS Web
1. Try to complete Benchmark Testing for Grades K-8 by October 1
2. Every other week Progress Monitoring will begin week of October 10
3. Teachers will enter Benchmark Scoring into AIMS
4. Early Literacy and Early Numeracy will be used for K-1 special
education students
5. MCAP, MCOMP, and RCBM will be used for Grades 2-4 special education
6. MCAP, MCOMP, RCBM, and MAZE will be used for Grades 5-8 special
education
7. Special education teachers can determine if a student would be
better measured through Math Fact probes then MCOMP probes.
8. AIMS Web Training on Monday September 19 from 3:30 to 4:00 at MAMS.
9. Contact Jessica Martin or myself if you need help entering
benchmark scoring or setting up progress monitoring schedules.
10. I can forward you Benchmark Probes if needed.
11. Benchmark Probes are administered at a child's grade level.
12. Progress Monitoring probes can be administered at a child's grade
level or their instructional level.
13. I have copies of 11-12 Aggregate Norm Tables for each probe.
These norms can be used to set up goals for AIMS Web and IEP goals/
objectives.
14. Students that might be referred for LD evaluation should be
progress monitored on a weekly basis.
15. Special education teachers have the discretion to determine if a
probe is appropriate or not appropriate to use with a student.  Most
sped students should be assessed through a benchmark and/or progress
monitor probe until they have met their goals.

Taylor County Mental Health Coordinator
I am announcing my promotion to Mental Health Coordinator at Taylor
County Human Services on August 29th. I wanted to contact you to let
you know that I would like to continue our contacts and continue
receiving your newsletters in my new position. I feel that
collaboration with the school is essential for Human Services success
in the community. I will continue to focus my counseling career on
youth, so I will likely have contact with you and other school staff
in my new position.

Thank you,
Amber A. Fallos MSE, BSW
Developmental Disabilites Coordinator
715-748-3332

Taylor County Developmental Disabilities Coordinator
The new DD Coordinator will be Cheryl Ketelhut,
cheryl.ketelhut@co.taylor.wi.us. Cheryl is replacing Amber Fallos in
that position.

Positive Reinforcement
Thank you to each of you that go out of the way to positively support
each other through words or actions on a regular basis.  Sometimes
just a little extra support like that can make a world of difference.
Working in special education is hard enough, but having support from
others can make it better.

Temporary Support
Jake Lutkovsky had been working from 6:30 to 8:30 am on our sped bus.
He will now temporarily work until 1:00 pm. This increase in hours is
due to longer days at MASH for Janet Jurgens who is needed to help
Tyler T.

Speech Language RTI
If extra time is needed to train staff (Marla, Kari, Pre-K Assistants,
Tammy) on Speech Language RTI, please let me know.

Kellie Keene
Alternative HS assistant Kellie Keene is working on her special
education and regular education teaching license.  She will need to
complete her regular education teaching license during third quarter
in a Grade K-6 room. Her special education practicum experience will
be at our alternative high school.

Northwest Passage - Mental Health Counseling
Our school based mental health counselor Marjorie Marksteiner will be
in district on Tuesday September 20.  I will take her to the buildings
starting around 9:00 am. We have referred our first student to
Northwest Passage for mental health counseling.

iPad/Educational Technology Training
September 27 at 4:00 pm at the DO

Wilson Reading Level II Certification Online Course
September 28 at 3:30 in MAES Computer Lab

Early Release Day
Don Everhard will present information on safety for staff and students
from 2:15 to 3:30 and 4:00 to 5:00 for staff in the MAES Media Room on
September 29

Sign Language for Educators
This class will begin on Monday October 3rd at 3:30 in the MAES media
room.  This is being taught by NTC and run through our CLC Community
Education Program.  Registration is limited.  Contact Luanne Olson or
I for registration. There is no cost.  Program will run for 6 weeks on
Mondays through November 14.

No comments:

Post a Comment