Special Education Department
Educating Students Academically, Socially and Behaviorally
October 14, 2016 Volume 4 Issue 10
October
Children's Health Month
AAC Awareness Month
Learning Disabilities Awareness Month
National Principals Month #ThankAPrincipal
10/17-10/21 School Violence Awareness Week
10/17 Hess Special Education and CST meetings
10/18 Shaner Special Education and CST meetings
10/19 Davies Special Education Meeting
10/20 Early Dismissal- Staff PD
10/21 Staff PD Day 7:30-1:30
10/24 BOE Meeting
10/29 PTA Trunk or Treat
10/29 Faces 4 Autism Super Hero Walk for Autism
News
Happy News:)
Laura Veisz got engaged last weekend! Congratulations to Laura!
Staffing:
Teachers:
Today is Sandra Liguori's last day. Courtney Foster has been board approved as her replacement. Courtney will be starting in a few weeks. In the meantime Mary Troxel will be the substitute.
Pam Thomas will be leaving next week. Her replacement will be Brittany Loesch. She will be starting on Monday.
Paraprofessionals:
Ashlee Grasso will be leaving shortly. Her replacement will be Kaylie Savannah. Her start date is TBD.
Islay Flynn was approved to replace Enza Lewis. Her start date is 10/24.
Best of luck to all those leaving the district. Welcome to our new staff. We are very happy to have you on board!
Substitutes:
We are always looking for teacher, nurse and paraprofessional substitutes. If you know anyone who is interested, please have that person call the personnel office at 476-6247.
Effective Communication
Effectively communicating is one of our district goals this year. We all communicate with many people in many settings throughout the day- students, co-workers, administrators, parents, community members, etc. All of our relationships will be enhanced by effective communication.
Tip of the Week:
Learn to Listen
"Listening is not the same as hearing; learn to listen not only to the words being spoken but how they are being spoken and the non-verbal messages sent with them. Use the techniques of clarification and reflection to confirm what the other person has said and avoid any confusion. Try not to think about what to say next whilst listening; instead clear your mind and focus on the message being received. Your friends, colleagues and other acquaintances will appreciate good listening skills."
http://www.skillsyouneed.com/ips/improving-communication.html
Mental Health Initiative
Mark your calendars for the SAMI Symposium- Thursday, October 20, 2016. SAMI stands for Suicide, Addiction, and Mental Illness. The SAMI Symposium will be held at Oakcrest High School.
AND information about upcoming Youth Mental Health First Aid classes is below. EVERYONE is encouraged to get certified in Youth Mental Health First Aid. This training could save the life of a student, family member or friend.This training is being provided free of charge thanks to the Spread the Love Foundation. An additional training will be held in our district in January. More info to follow.
Learning Disabilities Awareness Month
Paraprofessionals
We will be participating in professional development next week. On 10/20 all paraprofessionals follow their regular schedules. On 10/21 the hours of professional development are 7:30 to 1:30 for full-time staff. Part-time paraprofessionals will work from 7:30-12:30. There may be a few exceptions to this, but individual paraprofessionals who may have a change to those hours will be contacted by Dana Kozak.
Straight from the Code
In order to provide both general and special education teachers with more knowledge of special education, there will be an excerpt from the code each week to help clarify our processes. http://www.state.nj.us/education/code/current/title6a/chap14.pdf
Over the next few weeks, information will be shared relative to IEPs. Please be sure you have read and are implementing the IEPs for your students.
6A:14-3.7 Individualized education program
(i) Annually, or more often if necessary, the IEP team shall meet to review and revise the IEP and determine placement as specified in this subchapter.
1. The annual review of the IEP for a preschool student with disabilities shall be completed by June 30 of the student's last year of eligibility for a preschool program.
2. The annual review of the IEP for an elementary school student with disabilities shall be completed by June 30 of the student's last year in the elementary school program. The annual review shall include input from the staff of the secondary school.
(j) The IEP team shall review:
1. Any lack of expected progress toward the annual goals and in the general curriculum, where appropriate;
2. The results of any reevaluation conducted according to N.J.A.C. 6A:14-3.8;
3. Information about the student including information provided by the parents, current classroom-based assessments and observations, and the observations of teachers and related services providers;
4. The student's anticipated needs; or
5. Other relevant matters.
Grants, Contests and Free Stuff!
Dash Back-to-School Pinterest Contest
Create a board. Name it “Handwriting Without Tears®Dash Back to School Contest." Pin everything from helpful teaching tips, classroom activities, or downloads. Have a the chance to win $200 WORTH of back-to-school gift cards! The deadline is October 14, 2016.
Attend the Presidential Inauguration Leadership Summit, January 18-22 in D.C. The deadline is November 15, 2016.
A.C. Moore and Kids in Need Foundation Grants
A.C. Moore is funding grants with the purpose of facilitating project based activities or hands-on lessons that incorporate arts & crafts into everyday curriculum. The deadline is January 5, 2017.
Enter daily for more chances to win! The contest ends March 14, 2017.
Healthy Playground Makeover Sweepstakes
Enter once a day, every day for more chances to win! The contest ends March 24, 2017.
Share Your Ed-Tech Innovation and You Could Be a Grand Prize Winner!
FREE Professional Development
*Tip- If there is a webinar you are interested in but you are unavailable at the time listed, register anyway as the company will generally send a link to the recorded webinar after the event.
Free WebBriefs:
Writing With Your Little Ones (K-2)
Tuesday, Nov 1, 2016 @ 4:00 pm - 4:30 pm
Free Webinars:
Making the Leap from Textbooks to Digital Curriculum
Tuesday, October 18, 2016 @ 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Getting Your Year off to a Great Start – Tips for New Teachers
Tuesday, October 18, 2016 @ 5:00 pm - 6:00 pm
Student-Led Game Making and Learning
Wednesday, October 19, 2016 @ 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Empowering Young People to Solve Real World Challenges: Global Projects from Primary to Secondary
Thursday, October 20, 2016 @ 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm
What Every Educator Should Know About Special Education Law
Monday, November 7, 2016 @ 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm
NJ Coalition for Inclusive Education (NJCIE) recorded webinars
Student Services Snippets
Critical Information for ALL staff is contained in these short screencasts. They run from 4.5 to 8 minutes. Please refer to them as needed.
Working with Paraprofessionals
Critical Information for Paraprofessionals
If there is other information you feel it would be helpful for us to share via screencast, please let us know.
Links to Previous 2016-2017 Newsletters
Special Education Department
Email: stecherm@hamiltonschools.org
Website: http://www.hamiltonschools.org/cst.html
Phone: (609)476-6314
Facebook: facebook.com/HTSDspecialed
Twitter: @HTSDspecialed