Special Education and Student Services Newsletter for January 4, 2012

Special Education and Student Services Newsletter for January 4, 2012

1. Make a Wish Trip to Packers Game
This last weekend was Tyler Toth's Make A Wish trip where he attended the Packer Game.  Here is the link from channel 7's coverage.

http://www.wsaw.com/home/headlines/Wish_Granted_for_Stetsonville_Teen_136444543.html

2. 10th Annual Snoball Dance
10th Annual Snoball Dance will be held on February 1 in Ladysmith. This is a free dance for middle and high school students with severe to moderate disabilities. Music, games, door prizes, meal, and beverages are provided at no cost.  Registration is due by January 20 to Jill Brooks - LD/CDB teacher in Ladysmith at 715-532-5252 ext 209. Jill will also need the shirt sizes for each of the students in attendance.  Numbers and students and chaperones is also needed. A one page flyer was sent to various staff.  If you need one, let me know.

3. AIMS Web Winter Benchmark Testing Window
Winter: Jan 1-Feb 1

Administration of the benchmark probes can be in place of your normal
testing week and administration of a progress monitoring probe.

I will be attaching Winter Benchmark Probes as separate email attachments for staff.
These will be sent out this morning.  If you do not receive and/or do not have
the Winter Benchmark Probe(s), please let me know

4. iPad Updates
If I have not updated the iPads in your classroom, please let me know.  I will be able to update some this week.

5. Reading Class for Adults
Designed to improve the reading remedial skills for adults. Starting Monday January 16 until Thursday March 22 on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays. 5:30 to 7:00 pm at NTC campus in Medford. Instructors are Chuck Prihoda and Beth van der Berg.  Register with Cindy Gibson at 715-748-4620.  Sponsored by the Taylor County Literacy Council and Medford Adult Diploma Academy.

6. Legal Update
I have a legal update entitled: Related to Student Discipline, Bullying and Harrassment; PI 23; Mandatory Reporting for Abuse; and Child Find Obligations During RTI.  This is from Mary S. Gerbig of Davis and Kuelthau.  If interested in a copy, let me know.

7. Mandatory Child Abuse Reporting
As of December 9, 2011 Wisconsin Act 81 went into effect.  One primary change is that all school employees, including Educational Assistants, Bus Drivers, Food Service employees, clerical staff, custodial and maintenance workers, and coaches are now also obligated to report child abuse or neglect if they have reasonable cause to suspect that such abuse has occurred, and any threats of abuse or neglect to Taylor County Human Services or Law Enforcement. This must be within the course of professional duties which is not limited to the classroom, but could if an employee is required to attend a school sponsored event as a monitor or chaperone, that would also constitute a child seen in the course of professional duties. 

Wisconsin Act 81 also states that any school employee who fails to make a required report of child abuse or neglect could be penalized with a fine of not more than $1000 or imprisonment of not more than six months, or both.  School employees are entitled to confidentiality in making any reports of child abuse or neglect. Employers are prohibited from terminating, disciplining, or discriminating against the employee for making a report of child abuse or neglect. 

Every school employee must be trained in mandatory child abuse and neglect reporting once every five years. Any new employee must be trained within six months of working for the school district.

8. Taylor County Transition Advisory Council
We will meet on Thursday January 12 from 12:00 to 1:30.  Diane Messman has been added as a parent representative.

9. Building Special Education meetings
January 10 = MAMS
January 17 = MASH

10. Speech Language Therapist LTS
I have placed several calls into Memorial Health Center about contracting with them for Speech Language Pathologist services during the month of February for Eliza's leave.  They indicated they would check into it, but I have not heard back from them yet.

11. Maintenance of Effort
Director of Business Services Jeff Albers has checked the DPI site and indicated that we are in compliance with our budget 11-12 to our actual 10-11.  So we are eligible to meet our Maintenance of Effort requirements.  He also stated that the final test will be at the end of the year with our actual 11-12 compared to actual 10-11.

12. Occupational Therapy Services Update
Our Certified Occupational Therapist Assistant (COTA) Kelli Elmhorst has resigned and completed her last day on December 16. The school district has posted the COTA position and conducted their interviews.  Laurie Schmitz has been offered and accepted the position pending Board of Education approval.  She will start with the school district on March 1, 2012.

The school district has contracted COTA time from Medford Memorial Health Center to continue to provide services until Laurie starts full time and obtains her full licensure.  Lorie Bernecker will be working several hours per day as a COTA for our school district while continuing to work for Memorial Health Center until this process is complete.

Brittany Leis is an occupational therapist assistant who is completing her first Level 2 fieldwork experience in Medford.  She is currently a student through Western Technical College in La Crosse.  Brittany will do her fieldwork experience in our schools from January 16 through March 9.

In other news, Occupational Therapist Caroline Radlinger needs to have surgery on her knee and this is scheduled for Friday January 6.  She is scheduled to return on January 16th if the recovery goes as planned.  Please contact her with questions to help students work on OT related skills during the time that she is gone.  We will monitor the child’s progress and look to make up some of the missed OT time if needed to work on the child’s skills once she returns.