Monday Message
WLWV Student Services May 4, 2020 We Got This!
Feeling Mega-Awesome-Uber-ation for Our Teachers
WLWV Special Educators, you know your students. You collaborate with your peers. You take data in quantitative and qualitative ways. You craft meaningful goals and find ways to help students reach those. You facilitate student voice. You lead for universally designed lessons. You coach co-curricular activities. You build trust with families. You create inclusive cultures in your schools.
And suddenly, you were asked to do all of the amazing work that you do without seeing your students, being in a different place than your colleagues, managing your own childcare or home situations, learning new technology tools. You have innovated, you have adjusted, you have consulted, you have jumped into the deep end and performed an elegant water ballet.
We always appreciate our teachers at this time of the year....but this year? We need better words for the depth of appreciation we have for your amazing work. So, I'm trying this one out: Mega-awesome-uber-ation! Thank you for all you do!
AND its National Nurse Appreciation Week! We Are So Thankful We Have The BEST!
Meet the New Special Education Director
Leading Together
Lauren Brigsby, Director of Special Education
Stephanie Clawson, Assistant Director
A Letter from Lauren to the WLWV SPED Team
Dear Special Education Colleagues,
As we embark on teacher appreciation week, I wanted to take a moment to introduce myself and thank you for all of the work that you are doing. I am thrilled to be joining West Linn-Wilsonville officially in July. Your commitment to students, growth mindset, and community have been demonstrated through the rigor, heart and collaboration that have been evident in each meeting, conversation and event. These are some of the reasons that I am so excited to join you this next school year.
Professionally, my career has been centered in Portland Public Schools supporting our students who experience disabilities across kindergarten through age 21. I have a particular love and passion for our students who experience Autism Spectrum Disorder. I have been a special education teacher at the primary level, an autism specialist, teacher on special assignment, and special education administrator. It is an incredible opportunity to learn and grow with you in West Linn-Wilsonville with your clear commitment to students, staff, and community. I am particularly invested in the districtwide focus on equity and our students who experience disabilities.
This work is personal work and we connect to it on so many levels, so I want to share a bit about myself. My husband, Dusty, and I live in Portland with our two boys, dog, cats and chickens. We are “fixer uppers,” who re-roof, knock down load bearing walls (with the guidance of a structural engineer, of course, and the support of some neighborhood high schoolers). We garden, reconstruct bathrooms, kitchens and so much more. We have become quite the Do-It-Yourselfers and rely heavily on the collective wisdom of the internet to guide our ways. So far it has generally been successful!
We have two kids, Everett and Alaric (6 and 4, respectively). I share this, because they shape every step I take. They shape the way that I view child development and how I think about the ways that our families engage in learning. Having children, for me, was influential for framing my work and being grounded as a professional and parent. I am amazed to watch and be a part of development from a young age . . . the pointing, sound pairing, joint attention, discovery of digraphs, finding self-regulation, and making friends are a joy to watch and be a part of.
I want to pause to acknowledge that this spring and these last several weeks have brought about new opportunities for growth and resilience for our nation and our world. We have all experienced unexpected shifts in what it means to be a teacher, how to be a parent, partner, and neighbor. I hope that as you have met your students and families in their unexpected journey, that you have also taken time to be kind to yourself. In the last several weeks, I have seen so many educators experience and share beautiful vulnerability and resilience as we are all learning so many new skills. I know that this takes a significant toll on you and your family. I sincerely want to say thank you for the care and value that you have shared with your students and families by modeling a growth mindset that we will need to move this work forward for years to come.
Please do not hesitate to reach out to me this spring. We can find a time to connect. I know that meeting via zoom is not the way we all imagined connecting, but we are adapting and growing in this new virtual front. Your work, right now, is creating stability and hope for a generation who needs aspiration more than ever. I am very excited to learn about the remarkable work that you are doing. I look forward to meeting you soon!
Stay safe and healthy,
Lauren Brigsby
(soon to be) Director of Special Education
A big thank you to all of you who participated in the Medicaid Administrative Claiming survey last week! Your efforts matter, in terms of supporting students' health as well raising revenue in these difficult budget times.
Supporting Behavior During Distance Learning
A Special Thank You to Our SPED IC Team! Thanks for your vision, collaboration, coaching, facilitating, resource gathering, inspiring, district-repping, systems-building! You are the glue that holds us all together and power that moves us forward!
Upcoming Optional Q&A Zooms with JSI
- Primary Learning Specialist Zoom 7:30-8:30 https://wlwv-k12.zoom.us/j/92826676466?
- ParaEducator Zoom 10:30-11:30 https://wlwv-k12.zoom.us/j/96017053050?
- Middle Learning Specialist Zoom 12:00-1:00 https://wlwv-k12.zoom.us/j/92275599529?
- High School Specialist Zoom 1:00-2:00 https://wlwv-k12.zoom.us/j/97809036902?
- School Counselor Zoom 2:00-3:00 https://wlwv-k12.zoom.us/j/94620708064?
Input? Ideas? Concerns? Celebrations? Challenges? Out of the box thinking?
Email: spencerj@wlwv.k12.or.us
Website: https://www.wlwv.k12.or.us/domain/43
Location: 22210 Southwest Stafford Road, Tualatin, OR, USA
Phone: 503-810-5973
Twitter: @jsiiams