Monday Message
WLWV Student Services 9-4-2018
Improving Instructional Practices, Creating Inclusive Cultures, Increasing Student Voice
And Here We Go!
We also know that the first day brings unexpected challenges. From students moving in to students in new levels needing more support than anticipated to broken arms, these things happened as well. It can take time to make sure we have the structures, schedules, visuals and communication options in place to ensure all students are engaged and finding a voice. There's no getting around it, it is tough when we are not sure what to do for a student. In these moments, sometimes thinking through a few high leverage places to start can ground us:
- Does the student have a place and feel welcome in their classes (general education)?
- Does the student have a clear schedule in words or pictures?
- Where can we invest in a positive peer connection?
- Are there clear tasks for the student to engage with in the classroom?
- Does the student have a way to communicate?
For any students that had a very difficult first day, starting with these five questions will definitely accelerate getting to a calmer more engaged learning disposition. Sometimes, taking some deep breaths and realizing it does take time for students to transition to new buildings/levels can help us lead our colleagues in believing we will get there.
We are marathoners, not sprinters. Keeping our eye on that long goal, while making sure we are keeping the reality for staff and students in the present as positive as possible with small wins along the way, is our focus.
Dr. Ludwig shared in her start of the year address a quote about the divers who rescued the boys from the cave in Thailand. "When cave diving, teamwork is not just a suggestion, its an unwavering protocol." This is absolutely true in our inclusive way of educating. There will be times that you need to reach out to get more ideas, different perspectives, a new set of eyes to help understand how to engage or support a student. Your building team, your district office team, we are all here to support each other, to learn from each other, and to help create those conditions of learning for each and every child. Encourage each other, build each other up, and when you your team is needing support, don't hesitate to reach out to a colleague in another building, to your specialists, to your ICs, to us.
This morning I saw a student come into the school office I was visiting. He delivered some papers, appropriately greeted the office staff, and then headed back to class. There was a time, not too long ago, where these things would not have happened. But through building his voice and choice, through using clear and effective instructional strategies, and through developing a school culture where he knows that he belongs, a true transformation occurred. The team facilitated this learning through digging in, developing their expertise, celebrating small victories, learning, listening, adjusting, again, and again, and again.
You are the teams that are finding that paths to success for every student in your school. We are Leading For All!
Connecting with Students
Creating Community
Collaborating With Our Teams
Facilitating Learning "In The Zone"
Medicaid Billing "The Letter to Our Families"
One of the greatest factors leading to the overall success of the West Linn-Wilsonville Schools is the tremendous support we receive from our families. We are embarking on a new project which will be beneficial to students in several ways, and we need your help.
Schools provide a tremendous amount of health services, many of these are through the Special Education/IEP process. The federal government has clarified that for any students who have coverage through Medicaid, the federal government has the first responsibility to pay for these services. School districts can track the services that they provide to children and access federal reimbursement for these services. At the West Linn-Wilsonville School District, we take our stewardship of public funds seriously so we are excited to find new ways to better leverage available resources to meet the needs of our students.
In addition to the increased funding that billing for Medicaid will provide, our related service providers (Nurses, Occupational Therapists, Speech Language Pathologists, and Physical Therapists) will have access to an improved record keeping system that will help them track and analyze their services and the impact on the students they are serving.
Here is the where we need your help. We are asking that families of ALL children who receive Special Education services sign a one time consent form for us to bill Medicaid on behalf of their child.
Here are some key facts:
· Asking for consent for ALL children protects the confidentiality of parents and families.
· Children and families may experience changes in their insurance from time to time. So even if your child does not have coverage through the Oregon Health Plan now, they may in the future. Having the consent on file will help this be a seamless process in the future.
· This federal reimbursement program is SEPARATE from the services and care that your child receives outside of school.
· Giving your consent for this billing process will in NO WAY impact the services your child or family can receive from medical or mental health providers outside of school.
· Your child will continue to receive all of the services designated on their IEP regardless of your decision to consent to Medicaid billing.
So please consider signing the Consent for Medicaid Billing form. Your support in this endeavor will help us continue to provide services and supports for all children in the West Linn-Wilsonville District. For more information, feel free to contact me.
Our Three Step Plan for Obtaining Medicaid Billing Consent
The First Day of School 2018-19: Leading for All
Randall to the rescue in the COP parking lot
Danielle grabs an apple from Josh as she welcomes students
Kimberly takes a moment out her busy day with students for a selfie with JSI
AIMSweb Update: A Good Progress Monitoring Tool
The import into AIMSweb Plus should be complete. Teachers can start assessing students next week. It does look like the early literacy probes (K-1) have been updated so new ones may need to be printed out.
They have a new feature that I think some people will be happy about! They have integrated the "Classic AIMSweb Measures" into the system. So, people can give the Written Expression probe and then enter the scores into AIMSweb Plus, which would help to look at progress. I've attached the story starters to this email. This is the one component that people really missed when we moved to AIMSweb Plus.
The online help system is much more user friendly, too! When logged in, click on the "How can we help" in the lower right hand corner. Then you can navigate to where help may be needed. This is also where test materials are located and printed from.
Thanks for a Great Kick-off! (Click the link for a short video)
Upcoming Events
- Evaluation Team, Sept. 6, 11:00-1:00 District Office
- Procedural Guidance Academy, Sept. 6, 4-5:30 District Office
- Speech Path Team, Sept. 14, 7:30-9:30 District Office
- Inclusive School Leadership, Sept. 14, 12:30-3:15 District Office
- Motor Team, Sept. 18, 7:30-9:00 District Office
- All School Counselors, Sept 19, 7:30-9:30 District Office
- Nursing Team, Sept. 19, 2:45-4:00 District Office
- New School Counselors, Sept. 26, 3:00-4:30 District office
- Fall Cycles of Inquiry Session #1, Sept. 28, 7:30-9:00 District office