Twitter!

We now have 226 people following our Twitter account! www.twitter.com/Joseph_Greget

Taylor County Adult Literacy Council

We held our monthly Taylor County Adult Literacy Council meeting this past monday. Our next meeting is scheduled for Monday April 25 at 7:00 pm at NTC. All are welcome.

School Health Advisory Council

We held our annual School Health Advisory Council on Tuesday. We discussed the referendum, PEP Grant, Taher Food Service, School Health Action Plan, Drug Free Mentoring Partnership Grant, and Youth Risk Behavior Survey for Grades 7 to 12.

Youth Risk Behavior Survey

We will be administering the Youth Risk Behavior Survey to students in Grades 7 to 12 in April. Taylor County Health Department will provide the data tabulation and review.

Speech and Language and Significant Development Delay Impairment Labels

Speech and Language and Significant Developmental Delay Impairment Labels
From DPI: We have had several requests for clarification regarding the question can young children identified with an SL impairment also be found eligible by an IEP team for the SDD label?

The answer to this is yes....

The SDD label/service is ruled out if the child is identified with another impairment except for speech and language. In 1997 the Wisconsin statutes were amended to so that a preschooler whose primary disability is significant developmental delay (SDD) could also be identified with a speech and language impairment/disability. This has never been changed so it is still in effect and means that it possible for an IEP team to determine SDD and Speech and language impairment together.

We cite this in a document online from a 1997 update, question #2 located at:

http://www.dpi.state.wi.us/sped/pdf/bul97-01att2.pdf

Week of The Young Child Activities April 10-16

Week of the Young Child is April 10 to April 16

Here are events happening throughout the week:

Sunday April 10
Gnomeo and Juliet Movie
Broadway Theatre
11:00 am
Ticket, soda, and popcorn all for $6.00

Monday April 11
Hairy and Company (www.hairyandcompany.net)
MAES Gym
9:30 to 10:30

Tuesday April 12
Hairy and Company (www.hairyandcompany.net)
MAES Gym
9:30 to 10:30

Thursday April 14
Beach Party Potluck Dinner and Dance
5:00 to 6:00 for Dinner (bring dish to pass and bring along a beach blanket to sit on!)
6:00 to 7:00 for Dance for children and parents by Woller Productions!

Friday April 15
Story Time!
Frances Simek Library in Medford
10:30

Dress Up Days:
Monday = Inside Out Day!
Tuesday = Sports Day!
Wednesday = Pajamas Day!
Thursday = Beach Wear Day!
Friday = Colors Day!

Medford Lions Club

Thanks to the Medford Lions Club for visiting our MAMS special education classroom taught by Carol Wieman. Lions Club members learned about iPads with our students. Medford Lions Club earlier this year donated an iPad and money towards purchase of applications. Check out our Medford Area Public School District Special Education and Student Services Facebook page for all the photos!

Taylor County Adult Literacy Council on March 28

We will be meeting at 7:00 pm at NTC for our monthly Taylor County Adult Literacy Council.  We will be starting to offer the Wilson Just Words program for adults starting soon. This will be run through our CLC Adult Education Program.
 

CESA 10 Costs for Special Education in Medford

CESA 10 Anticipated Costs for Special Education for 11-12
HI Services:  306 units X $47.57 per unit = $14,556.42.
Audiology Services: 52 X $81.80 unit rate = $4,254 plus $4983 for base services.
VI Services: 411 units at $50.31/unit for a total cost of $20,676.

Human Services Funding for our Senior Students with Disabilities

Human Services will see a 35% reduction in funding for their programs due to Gov Walker’s budget.  As such the funding anticipated for helping support our senior high school students with disabilities will not be in place upon graduation.  As such our higher need students may be returning to MASH for 11-12.  This will increase the number of pullout sections and funding needs for job placement through special education funds.
 

Lions Club and iPads at MAMS

Lions Club at MAMS on March 30
The Medford Lions Club recently donated an iPad to MAMS Special Education.  Lions Club members will be coming to MAMS to see our students use the iPads on Wednesday March 30 at 9:15 am.

Reading Assistant at MAES and SES

We will be purchasing the unlimited site license for Reading Assistant Program at MAES for use in 11-12.  We will be purchasing 4 slots for use at SES in 11-12.

Day Treatment Services in Schools

Day Treatment Services in the Schools meeting on April 6
I am meeting with Kristi King Nelson from Northwest Passage.  We are looking at Wednesday April 6th at 1:00 pm to review the potential of outpatient or day treatment services within a school setting.  I believe that we have enough students that would be eligible for this type of treatment at the elementary level.

Week of the Young Child

We are starting to finalize the plans for Week of the Young Child April 10 to 16.  On April 10 at 11:00 am the Broadway Theatre will show Gnomeo and Juliet for $6 which will include the cost of the movie/small popcorn/small soda. I hope that you and your families will be able to come.

Section 504 Updates

The Office of Civil Rights (OCR) has updated Section 504 FAQs to reflect the changes that became effective on March 15, 2011.  You will find the document at http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/504faq.html.

Taylor County Reality Fair on April 6

Our Spring Taylor County Reality Fair will be held on April 6 in the MASH gym.  Thanks for Lou Stanton, Kathy Danen, and Mary Houle along with the Taylor County Transition Advisory Council for sponsoring this event for our seniors in Taylor County.
 

School Health Advisory Council meeting on March 29

Our annual School Health Advisory Council will be held on Tuesday March 29 from 4:00 to 5:00 pm at the DO. Agenda will include:
1. Referendum for Pool and Gymnasiums update
2. Physical Education Program Grant activities update
3. Taher Food Service update
4. Breakfast and Lunch Participation update
5. School Health Action Plan
6. $75,000 Drug Free Mentoring Partnership grant
7. Any other updates

Spelling Mastery

We are currently using SRA Direct Instruction Spelling Mastery Curriculum at SES for our students with disabilities.  I will be sending copies of this teacher guide and student workbooks for MAES special education teacher review.  I would like us to start using this curriculum with some of our students with disabilities in Grades 2 through 4 starting in 11-12

Karen Lach Recognition

I would like to recognize and thank Karen Lach for her many years of excellent service for our students with disabilities here in the Medford Area Public School District.  Karen has announced her retirement at the end of the 10-11 school year.  Karen has taught in several of our buildings across the school district and has always been a great representative of our special education department and for her peers.

Retirement and Social Security Seminar

Retirement and Social Security Seminar presented by Alton Multhauf and his investment team will be held at Old Hickory Golf Course, Hwy 33, Tuesday, March 29th from 5:30 to 7:00 pm. Free meal included. If interested e-mail Alton at alton.multhauf@mssb.com or call 608-829-4591. 

Free iPad for Child with Special Needs

@A4CWSN Educational Apps for Children with Special Needs! Very helpful site! http://a4cwsn.com/

Apps for Children with Special Needs would like to provide iPads to as many families dealing with Special Needs as we possibly can. We will be starting a campaign to raise money as well as contributing money from the site in order to do this.

All you have to do to be eligible is register with A4cwsn, follow us on Twitter and / or Facebook then send us a letter detailing why your family needs an iPad and how it will help you. There will be a list compiled and the ones we feel could benefit most will be moved to the top. The more information you give us, the more we can determine your situation, photos, videos, school reports, what ever you feel comfortable telling us. Simple and easy to do.

Week of the Young Child Gnomeo and Juliet on April 10

As part of Week of the Young Child Broadway Theatre in Medford will be having a special showing of Gnomeo and Juliet on April 10th at 11am. $6 price will include movie/small popcorn/small soda. 

iPad Overview training in Medford on March 28

Agenda for March 28 from 3:30 to 5:00 at the District Office
1. Update your applications on your iPad
2. Download photos onto your iPad
3. The World According to Facebook video
4. Medford Area Public School District Special Education and Student Services Facebook Page
5. David Letterman Top Ten Reasons to Buy the iPad 2
6. iPad List of Special Needs Applications
7. iPad List of Apps from Speech Language
8. 20 Best Speech Therapy Blogs
9. A List of Educational Blogs by Discipline
10. Review of Favorite Links to Resources on Twitter
11. Help to sign up for a twitter account
12. Schedule time to meet to work on Wilson cards through iCardsort
13. Share your favorite applications and uses of iPad in your classroom or with a student
14. Search the app store for purchasing free applications to download onto your iPad
15. Code for Elementary Staff to access the wireless at MAES

Special Education Dance!

Special Education Dance for students with disabilities in Grades 7 to 12. This will be held on April 29 from 12:30 to 2:30 at MASH.

Medford Morning Rotary Club on Facebook! And Twitter!

Medford Morning Rotary Clb now has a facebook page. They also have a twitter page that you can follow at @MedfordRotary.

We sponsor foreign exchange students to and from Medford, youth leadership, student scholarships, city beautification, nursing home bingo, water purification project in Peru, autism training, project lifesaver, and local and international projects.

World Down Syndrome Day is March 21

World Down Syndrome Day is March 21. Check out our Medford Schools resources https://sites.google.com/a/medford.k12.wi.us/specialed/home/down

Twitter for Medford Special Education and Student Services

I am up to 213 people and organizations following me in Twitter. I tweet about Medford programs, special ed, facebook, social media, twitter in education, 21st century skills, ipads, educational technology, resources, and more. Follow me at www.twitter.com/Joseph_Greget or @Joseph_Greget

Special Education and Student Services Facebook page

Check out and follow our Medford Area Public School District Special Education and Student Services Facebook page. We have 43 followers so far.

Pre-Kindergarten Registration on March 24.

Pre-Kindergarten registration on March 24 at MAES. Bring along copy of immunization and birth certificate. Register anytime between 8:00 am to 6:30 pm

Medford Area Public School District Special Education and Student Services Website

https://sites.google.com/a/medford.k12.wi.us/specialed/home is the link to our Medford Area Public School District Special Education and Student Services Website.

Child Development Day on March 24

Medford Child Development Day will be held on Thursday March 24. Register your 2 1/2 to 4 year old child For a screening by calling Luanne Olson at 715-748-4620.

Preschool Applications of Response to Intervention

Preschool Applications of Response to Intervention: Frameworks and Tools for Practioners Conference sponsored by the Midwest Instructional Leadership Council.

Handouts available at: www.milcleaders.org/events

Sectionals included:
Class wide Interventins for Preschool Teachers
Understanding and Managing Behavior
Assessment of Language and Early Literacy Development
Perspectives from the Field and Lessons Learned
Preschool Math Assessment and Intervention

Medford Area Public School District Pre-Kindergarten staff, Elementary Principal, and Director of Special Education/Student Services were all in attendance.

Taylor County Early Childhood Sub-Committee

We held our quarterly Early Childhood Sub-Committee meeting earlier today. Our agenda and discussion included:

1. Week of the Young Child April 11 to 17
2. Taylor County Child Development Days
3. Child Passenger Safety - Booster Seat Law
4. Preschool Planning Mini-Grant Training for Early Education Providers
5. Early Childhood Outcomes B-6 Information
6. Autism Training for First Responders and Caregivers
7. Pre-Kindergarten Blogs
8. Roundtable Updates

If you would like to know more about any of these topics, please contact me.

Student Records and Confidentiality Publications of Interest

Publications of interest:

Student Records and Confidentiality (now electronically activated)
www.dpi.wi.gov/sspw/srconfid03.html

Sharing Information Across Systems (now electronically activated)
www.dpi.wi.gov/sspw/sharing.html

Safe Schools Legal Resource Manual
www.doj.state.wi.us/docs/SafeSchoolManual.pdf

Forum Guide to Protecting the Privacy of Student Information
http:/nces.Ed.gov/pub search/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2004330

Confidential Services Available to Youth in Wisconsin
www.dpi.wi.gov/sspw/confide.html

Uniform Pupil Transcript
www.dpi.wi.gov/cte/pdf/pupiltrn.pdf

Wisconsin Records Retention Schedule for School Districts
http://dpi.wi.gov/lbstat/pdf/wi-rrsd.pdf

Gov Walker Budget Bill

I have posted on twitter updates and information on Gov Walker's budget bill. You can follow me at www.twitter.com/Joseph_Greget or if you have a twitter account: @Joseph_Greget.