Dear Staff,
As we move into the winter break, I want to take a moment to reflect on the past few months. You have shown your commitment to our students by providing high quality instruction and engaging lessons, while maintaining IEP compliance. Many of you participated in professional collaboration sessions to improve systems for our students. I am grateful for all of you, our students and families. I wish you a restful and joyous winter break with your loved ones. Please remember to practice self care and take care of yourselves.
Nereida Gutierrez
Director, Special Education
SPED Supervisors, Kinga Nagorny and Charyn Socket Berg!!
SPED Supervisors, Kinga Nagorny and Charyn Socket Berg!!
Kinga Nagorny has served the Vista Unified School District for over 16 years as an Education Specialist, moderate/severe at elementary and secondary levels. In addition she supported many of our teachers, students and programs as an intern teacher mentor, Induction Mentor as well as a teacher on special assignment in a Learning Loss position.
Kinga Nagorny will be the new elementary mild-moderate Supervisor and Dr. Charyn Socket Berg will be the Supervisor for all secondary mild-moderate programs.
Dr. Charyn Socket Berg currently serves as an intern supervisor with the University of San Diego where she supervises both interns and student teachers in receiving mild/moderate, moderate/severe special education credentials. She has also worked as an assistant professor with Argosy University and holds a Doctorate in Educational Leadership and a Masters in Curriculum and Instruction. Prior to her work with graduate students, she served the Phoenix Union High School District for 26 years as a special education classroom teacher, department chair and administrator.
- Amanda O'hearn- School Psychologist Alamosa and Vista Virtual Academy.
- James Reed - Mod/Severe ED Specialist at Empresa.
- Kelsey Fox- Speech Language Pathologist Foothill Oak and Vista Magnet Middle School
- Lynne Bud- Mild/Mod ED Specialist at Roosevelt Middle School
We are thrilled to have them join our VUSD Special Education team.
Please note: you must get approval from your site administrator to attend any out of district trainings using the following form:
We now required 30 days advanced notice to request out of district training
(FYI: this document is housed in your Cloud Connect under "Forms")
Certificated: If you require a sub, please contact your site office manager for a school business sub. (Due to the shortage of subs, there is no guarantee that a sub will be available. Also, no school business subs are approved on Mondays and Fridays)
If you’d like to attend a webinar, please submit a Webinar Approval Form
A Deep Dive Into Your Procedural Safeguards- Flyer attached with specific details
Committee Advisory Meeting (CAC)
OFFICE HOURS 2022-23
Are you new to VUSD? Do you need a review of VUSD special ed procedures? If so, then please join the Special Ed Department monthly optional office hours.
SpEd Certificated Office Hours (4pm - 5pm via zoom) (Optional, paid hourly rate): The purpose of SpEd office hours is to review IEP compliance and current topics in SpEd. Agenda items will be posted on the invite. The 2022-23 Office Hours agenda is in the SpEd Certificated Office Hours
Please sign up in Vector for all office hours.
Upcoming office hours: January 12th - TK assessment tools and eligibility presented by the Cal Ave staff
SpEd Guidelines Shared Drive
Just a reminder that we have a shared google drive called "SpEd Guidelines" that stores all of our office hour notes and important documents. Please take some time to explore the drive if you haven't already.
Special Education Monthly Collaboration Sessions:
Every month you have the opportunity to collaborate with your colleagues on various topics in special education. These sessions are in person at the multiLingual Center (Room F). You will be paid on a timesheet at the certificated hourly rate.
Topics:
February 9, 2023 -Specialized Programs and Change of Placement
March 23, 2023 - TBD
April 20, 2023 - Transition Collaboration (elem to middle)
May 18, 2022 - Transition Collaboration (middle to high)
Yvonne Fortin Friday Tips
Previously on…Friday Tips:
12/16/22 - Progress Reports - a walkthrough WITH EXAMPLES
12/09/22 - Drag and Drop Attachments
12/02/22 - Updated Procedural Safeguards and Friday Tips LIVE! (?)
11/18/22 - Happy Thanksgiving!
11/15/22 - a Special Tuesday TIP! Do not pre-date IEPs in SEIS
11/04/22 - Numbering IEPs and Adding new students to caseload
10/28/22 - Printing Greyed-Out Forms and Previous DNQ's
10/21/22 - Electronic Signatures (E sign package), Parent Walkthrough, Parent Walkthrough Spanish Version, participant walkthrough, Official SEISSign walkthrough
10/14/22 - Mail Etiquette
10/07/22 - My IEP is NOT overdue!
09/30/22 - IEP document management
09/23/22 - Delay Codes
09/16/22 - Social Services Questionnaires
09/09/22 - the Difference between a DNQ and Exit IEP
09/02/22 - Documenting a Late IEP
08/26/22 - Annual and TRI due in the same school year and How to request an Interpreter
08/19/22 - 60 day Timeline!
08/12/22 - Transfer students from Non SEIS District, Program Setting for Incoming Private/NPS, How to bulk print from SEIS
Orton Gillingham Training:
Eight of our staff members including ed specialists and speech pathologists attended 30-hours of a hands-on, interactive, and personalized coursework that provided a complete understanding of IMSE’s enhanced Orton-Gillingham method, the essential five components to literacy, and the tools necessary to apply it in the classroom.
Please don't hesitate to communicate with our Community Liaison. We are here to facilitate communication between VUSD and families.
If you need assistance please reach out to Doris Cruz.
Phone number: (760) 726-2170 ext. 92914
Email: doriscruz@vistausd.org
Special Education Department
Address: 1234 Arcadia Avenue Vista, CA, 92084
Website: https://www.vistausd.org/departments/special_educationPhone number: (760) 726-2170 ext. 92914