The Scoop
The Student Support Weekly Update - November 19, 2021
Happy Thanksgiving
Take this time to relax, enjoy friends and family, rejuvenate and we will see you all after break!
Holiday Respite Event on December 11! Let's Volunteer for our Tomball Families!
If you are interested in working this event, please complete this form. Drop-off will begin at 8:45 AM on December 11th at Tomball Elementary School. Parents will pick up their students at 12:00 PM.
Please share with all families this form to register for this event! We will be accepting registration for this event until the week of December 6th.
Tomball ISD School Resource Officers (SRO) Complete Training
In Home Training Opportunities!
If you are interested in this opportunity, or would like more information, please contact Kalli Wakefield kalliwakefield@tomballisd.net
It's a Boy!
Angela and her husband Paul are expecting a bouncing baby boy, Lincoln Alistair Hodge. They are registered at Babylist.com
We can't wait to celebrate them!
YOU BE THE JUDGE
Do excessive absences trigger duty to conduct IDEA evaluation of 504 student?
During the 2018-19 school year and first half of the 2019-20 school year, a Pennsylvania student with anxiety sometimes missed a few school days a month because of a chronic intestinal condition. In December 2019, the student missed 12 school days for medical reasons. The district revised the student's 504 plan, which was developed to address the intestinal condition, to address the absenteeism and facilitate the student's return to school. In the first half of January 2020, the student missed nine school days for medical reasons and failed to return to school after winter break. The school placed the student on homebound instruction.
In March 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, school buildings closed. As of June 2020, the district still had not evaluated the student.
The parent filed a due process complaint claiming the district violated its child find obligation under the IDEA.
The IDEA requires a district to evaluate a student within a reasonable period of time after it has reason to suspect the student has a disability and needs special education services.
Did district violate child find by not evaluating the student? Click on an answer below to see how the independent hearing officer ruled.
Click HERE to find out.
TAKE SOME TIME FOR SELF CARE THIS BREAK
v Self-care is the act of intentionally engaging in stress reduction activities such as mindfulness practice to lessen the effects of stress or anxiety. Self-care strategies are abundant in this article by Harvard Edcast. TEA’s Educator Wellness document also has many ideas and resources for educator self-care.
Student Support Shout Outs
Kara Haefele - Congratulations on receiving your Certificate of Clinical Competence (CCC's) from ASHA! What an accomplishment, especially doing your Clinical Fellowship Year during the COVID pandemic!
Lynn Deelsnyder, Reasa Briggs, Amy Oliver - all received shout outs this week for their dedication and work in academics, behavior and relationships with their students at NIS. Thank you!
Diana Samson - knows her students and families well and builds great rapport. She also stepped in to help a diagnostician who was out by completing some of the psychological input portion of the FIE. She is a super star!
Donna LaRue - Donna has picked up a large portion of a caseload for an LSSP who is out on leave. She has taken several evaluations, FBA's, staffings, and ARDs. She has been an absolute rock star in supporting her LSSP team! Ubuntu!
More Information
Be sure and check out and read the other Smore Newsletters being produced by Student Support Staff: