CMS SLP Newsletter
June 2019
LAST. DAY. OF. SCHOOL!!!!!!!
Have a Great Summer! We look forward to seeing you in the fall!
What a wonderful EOY Celebration-thank you to all who attended.
Kathie Moyer
Metro School, SLP
2019 Retirees
Linda McLean
Itinerant SLP serving Piedmont, Randolph, East Meck, and McClintock
Special Thanks
"Thank you guys for the wonderful EOY party and retirement celebration. Thank you to all my co-workers for the sweet gifts. That was so incredibly thoughtful of everyone. I will miss you all, and I’m truly honored to have worked with such an amazing group of SLP’s. Have a wonderful summer and a wonderful continuing career with CMS. You are all the best!!" Linda Busby McLean
"Thank you so much for honoring us yesterday and for the gift card and keepsake responses to the questions. I'm glad I took it seriously:-)" Kathie Moyer
Welcoming BABY BOY
Welcoming TWIN Baby BOYS, Hunter Adam & James Curtis, to Laura Komisarcik and her family!!!
Return your borrowed tests!!!
ECATS is coming!
Although we are still waiting on more information from DPI, it looks like the state will be implementing both the Special Education and Service Documentation (Medicaid) modules in August. The MTSS modules will be available at a later date to be determined by DPI. There will be a “dark period” over the summer where EasyIEP will not be available. The exact dates of this period have not been announced, but staff should plan to have all meetings held and paperwork finalized by the last day of school (6/12/19). All finalized documents will transfer to ECATS. Drafts and information in the work-space will not.
Any meetings held during the “dark period” will need to be done on paper using the forms located on DPI’s website. DPI has 2 sets of forms on their site (the forms currently being used and the new forms that will go into effect in July). Directions for each of these forms are also included on DPI’s website. You may use either set of forms if you are holding meetings during the dark period, but please keep in mind that information from all meetings held during the dark period must be entered in ECATS when the system becomes available.
- Current forms: https://ec.ncpublicschools.gov/policies/forms/statewide-forms
- New forms: https://ec.ncpublicschools.gov/policies/forms/state-forms-directions.
Required training for ECATS for all EC case managers and other pertinent staff will occur during the Professional Learning Symposium. Click HERE for the principal memo with more information.
2019 Learning Symposium
We are looking forward to the 2019 Professional Learning Symposium, which will be held on August 20th and 21st. We will provide ECATS training sessions for EC staff during these days. Keep an eye out for registration information coming soon!
DPI Summer Institutes
The EC Division website Summer Institute page
https://ec.ncpublicschools.gov/conferences-profdev/summer-institutes
has now been updated with the 2019 Summer Institute offerings. If you have any questions, please contact Paula Crawford at paula.crawford@dpi.nc.gov or 919-807-3298.
Progress Reports!!!!!!!!
SLP Positions
- The SLP position at Mallard Creek Elementary has recently been posted. Mallard Creek is a non-Title 1 school, so they can only hire internal candidates through June 9. This position also supports North Mecklenburg High School
- The SLP position at Mallard Creek Elementary has recently been posted. Mallard Creek is a non-Title 1 school, so they can only hire internal candidates through June 9. This position also supports North Mecklenburg High School.
Ethics Training
We are finalizing the plans for our Ethics training on Tuesday, June 11-still tentative. We are planning to watch a recorded webinar, Ethically and Legally Defensible Speech-Language Services in Public Schools, as well as have a discussion about recent CMS due process cases. The group webinar only allows one playing from one computer, so that is why we need to view as a group. We are still waiting on Budget to pay for the webinar, so we are tentative for the training.
If the training happens, it will be at Elizabeth Traditional on Tuesday, June 11 from 9:00-12:00. With the later start time, we are expecting everyone to be on time. The doors will be locked and you will be turned away if you are more than ten minutes late. Elizabeth Traditional has a great auditorium, and the school is working with the local businesses and us to ensure there is adequate parking.
The inservice is not mandatory for CMS SLPs—we just wanted to provide an opportunity for people to get the requirement done without having to pay for it. If you are not able to attend, there may be other ethics trainings to meet the new ASHA requirement in the future, or you can find one on your own. We have to offer workshops on optional days because usually the required workdays are in your buildings. The only exception is one day at the beginning of the school year.
Assistive Technology
We need your help gathering the AT equipment. Please refer to the EC Equipment Inventory to access a complete list of EC equipment at your schools. (To access all information on the inventory, scroll to the right of the sheet. This sheet has tabs and can be sorted by schools/student/staff with the ‘control f’ function.) Please secure items at schools if possible.
Return Equipment to Smith if:
- The student is changing schools
- The student is moving out of CMS
- The student is graduating
- The equipment is no longer needed
- The student will receive ESY services at another location
- The items are CMS owned High End AAC device, mobile device, iPads or laptop
Please refer to this link for AT- End of Year Procedures when returning AT equipment, requesting AT equipment for summer loan and for requesting equipment for ESY.
Important dates:
By the end of May
Submit Request for Consideration of the Loan of CMS Property to be Used Off Campus to AT Coordinator. If request is approved by the Program Specialist, AT Coordinator will send a Summer Loan Agreement form to person making request.
By end of June Teacher Workdays
Submit copies of the Summer Loan Agreement form to AT Coordinator with parent/guardian signatures.
6/6/19 – 6/12/19
Return AT equipment to the EC Satellite at Smith between 8:00-4:00. Make sure to attach completed AT End of Year Return Receipt form. Ensure that the equipment left at schools is properly stored (as indicted on End of Year Procedures).
Please email Cindy Monroe (cynthia.monroe@cms.k12.nc.us) if you have any questions about this process. Thank you in advance for your help!
DPI License
NCACA 2019 Summer Workshops Off the Shelf core!
Great summer workshop opportunity available! The North Carolina Augmentative Communication Association (NCACA) in conjunction with the North Carolina Assistive Technology Program (NCATP) will be hosting 3 workshops across this state this summer. This is a great opportunity to collaborate, meet other professionals, and walk away with great materials to begin using with your students and clients! “Off the Shelf Core” is a “make and take” workshop where attendees will generate 4 adapted books with core vocabulary!
Please register soon as space is limited! Follow the links below for the workshop closest to you! Please share with your colleagues and parents/caregivers, as the workshops are open to all.
Make and Take Workshops:
Morganton Area: Friday, June 28
Raleigh Area: Thursday, July 18
Greenville Area: Thursday August 1
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/north-carolina-augmentative-communication-presents-off-the-shelf-greenville-nc-tickets-59083596628Shout outs!!!!!!
To each and every one of you!! Thank you so much for every single thing you every single day for your students, your teams, and your schools.
EC Visuals Support Resources
Have you checked out the EC Visual Support Resources site at bit.ly/ECvisuals? Any ideas for more visuals? If so, please email your suggestions to me! taylor.placek@cms.k12.nc.us
Reminders
- Check out EC updates on the Exceptional Children Homepage.
- Mileage is due on Aug 1st; however, it is recommended you submit by EOY. Submit via Lawson Self-Service with the department code of 2 796801 5210 339. For destinations other than school locations, please include the address. Do not include student specific information.
Beginning Monday, June 17th, CMS will observe a four-day work week. This has brought us significant cost savings by reducing utility consumption during the summer. Summer hours will be Monday-Thursday, 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. with half-hour lunches. For the week of July 4, we will have a regular 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. schedule. Most district offices will be closed on Fridays with a few exceptions to ensure appropriate support. Five-day work weeks will resume on Monday, Aug. 12th.
Tips for SLPs
- For archived SLP Newsletters check out our SLP Resource Library.
- MTSS for SLPs
- Link to EC Contacts including list of SLPs at each school
- Stephanie Dorton, at Metro, is who to contact if you have a student transferring to Metro School. Please contact PRIOR to the IEP meeting.
- Student transitioning to Hospital/Homebound: Contact your Lead.
- Leslie Bass is the contact for English-Language Learners: consultations, intervention questions, screenings, and evaluation referrals.
- Diagnostic Summary and Screening Template
- Requests (Evals/Protocols/Meeting Support/Interpreters)
Check Out our EC Department!
EC updates on the Exceptional Children Homepage
EC Department Blog: http://cmsecdepartment.wordpress.com
Other important contacts
Need help but not sure who to ask?? Our teams are here to give you the support you need! Click HERE to see who from the EC Department supports your school.
Don't forget about the EC HelpDesk who can also answer time-sensitive questions that you may have!
980-343-2724
CMS Exceptional Children
Vision: Programs for Exceptional Children positively impact academic and social outcomes for students with disabilities so they can be productive citizens.
Speech-Language Therapy Services
Email: taylor.placek@cms.k12.nc.us
Website: bit.ly/SLPresourcelibrary
Location: 1600 Tyvola Road, Charlotte, NC, United States
Phone: (980) 343-2728