What's Happening at ATP?
January 19-22, 2021
Dear Students, Families, and Staff
This week was a short week but it was full of new beginnings! We started the week with honoring Martin Luther King, Jr. and his work with the civil rights movement. When I think of Dr. King's work, I often parallel his work with my passion and advocacy for students with disabilities. As I advocate for equitable access to all our students, I think of how the work that Dr. King started still continues today. We must continuously grapple with what it truly means to be anti-racist. Educators who advocate for anti-racism must also intersect this work with advocating for students with disabilities. I have been hearing more and more that the work we do as educators with anti-racism is linked to how we believe in LOVE. When we think of love, we often think of how we share and express it for people we care about. As I expand my learning about equity, l am also learning that love goes beyond expressing how we care for those close to us. Justice is what LOVE looks like in public, especially in our public education system. In order for us to address oppression of race and culture, we also have to remember all those who are part of this work, especially for our students with disabilities. I can go on and on about my passion to improve outcomes for our students at ATP, but I hope the work that my staff and I have done the last couple of months are actions to demonstrate our compassion and our LOVE for our students.
As our country celebrates the inauguration of our new president, along with it comes new hopes and dreams for what may come. President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris were sworn in at the US Capitol last Wednesday, January 20, 2021. Harris made history as the first female, first Black and first South Asian vice president. Whatever your political beliefs may be, let's honor and celebrate what this means for our students, especially for students with disabilities and to all students of color, race, and sexual orientation. "When day comes we step out of the shade, aflame and unafraid. The new dawn blooms as we free it. For there is always light, if only we're brave enough to see it. If only we're brave enough to be it." ---Amanda Gorman, Poet. My hope for the future is to expand our lenses so we can see the light in our students and may we continue to pave the pathway for them to become who they want to be and have the freedom to dream the impossible.
Reopening Updates - there are no updates this week. Stay tuned...
Take care,
Grace Ridgeway
Let's celebrate Dr. Vitale
Our superintendent, Dr. Vitale was honored with the 2021 Equity Champion award from the San Diego County Office of Ed. An award she accepts on behalf of our entire district recognizing the work we have accomplished together and the work we still have ahead of us. You can learn more about the lighthouse award by checking out the press release.
Sharing some positivity on Wednesday Wisdom! Each Wednesday, join us in wearing and sharing positivity around our school and community. We will take pictures each week.
Be creative, make your own shirt to share!
This week was Kindness Week. Thank you to our teachers, staff, and students who shared and spread kindness this week in their homes and community. I know we are not able to spread our words of kindness as easily through our masks, but our gestures and actions speak for themselves!
People with COVID-19 have had a wide range of symptoms reported – ranging from mild symptoms to severe illness. Symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure to the virus.
Core Word of the Week: Need
Resources for Students, Staff, and Families
Social Emotional Resources (SEL):
- https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCo0zW6kLPq2Ns_51AaZN0lQ/videos As we start focusing on social-emotional learning and support, here are some fun videos to check out during the break.
- Care Solace Flyer - resource for students, staff, and families
Upcoming Trainings for Families:
- Special Education Parent Panel: Topic is Behavior Support - January 27, 2021 9:00-11:00am
- AAC implementation For Parents - February 16, 2021 1:00-3:30pm (register online)
- Coffee with Assistive Tech - February 25, 2021 10:00-11:30am (flyer)
OUSD Adult Transition Program (OATP)
The adult transition program (ATP) serves students with disabilities who are between the ages of 18 and 22. ATP prepares students to participate in educational, employment, and community-based activities. Daily instruction focuses on activities of daily living and includes opportunities to practice these skills within the classroom and their community. ATP provides a bridge to support students in accessing post-secondary options including courses at local colleges, obtaining competitive integrated employment, and participating in regionalized programs. The primary goal for ATP is to promote opportunities for students to become more independent and become contributing members of their communities.
Email: marygrace.ridgeway@oside.us
Website: https://atp-ousd-ca.schoolloop.com/
Location: 707 Carey Road, Oceanside, CA, USA
Phone: (760) 901-7174
Twitter: @DitmarATP1