Special Education Department
Proud to Teach Amazing Kids
January 29, 2016 Volume 3 Issue 20
Mark your Calendar
- 2/3/16 Reading Disabilities Advisory Committee Meeting
- 2/3/16 Interims issued for Shaner, Hess; Report Cards issued for Davies
- 2/5/16 Give Kids a Smile Day
- 2/8/16 Hess Special Education Meeting
- 2/8/16 PTA Meeting
- 2/9/16 Shaner Special Education Meeting
- 2/11/16 Autism Committee Meeting; Early Dismissal for Students
- 2/11/16 SPAN Meeting- Mays Landing Libray
- 2/12/16 Professional Development Day
- 2/15/16 Presidents' Day- No School
- 2/17/16 Davies Special Education Meeting
- 2/18/16 Books in Your Backyard- Oakcrest Estates Community Center
- 2/22/16 Board of Education Meeting
- 2/26/16 Complete on-line suicide training
- 2/26/16 Davies Dodgeball Tournament!
- 3/14/16 Ricky McAvaddy Blood Drive
Upcoming Events
March will be Developmental Disabilities Month
Register now to be an Autism Ambassador
Special Education Week will be celebrated in May
The Statewide Parent Advocacy Network (SPAN) START Project
The Statewide Parent Advocacy Network START Project and the Office of Special Education Programs, NJ Department of Education are developing a manual to support New Jersey’s Special Education Parent Advisory Groups. This manual will be based on best practices for developing and implementing an effective collaborative SEPAG and utilized as a resource by parents and educators throughout New Jersey.
We would like to invite you to attend one of the 6 statewide sessions where stakeholders will have the opportunity to provide input on the development of the Special Education Parent Advisory Group (SEPAG) Manual. If you are unable to attend one of the sessions, please click on the survey link on the flyer and complete the short survey to share your input.
Special Education Parent Advisory Groups are required for all school districts in New Jersey. The purpose of these groups is to provide opportunities for parents and community members to provide input to their district on critical issues relating to students with disabilities. Input from parents and professionals and other stakeholders with experience in starting and running groups is essential to insure that the manual meets the needs of New Jersey’s Parent Advisory Groups.
Thank you!
Sincerely,
START project at the Statewide Parent Advocacy Network (SPAN)
Gives Kids a Smile Day
Give Kids a Smile Day is scheduled on Friday, February 5, 2016 so let’s do our part in promoting this event to ensure that families can reap the benefit of this service. Give Kids a Smile Day (GKAS) New Jersey is the largest, single-day program in the state providing free dental care to children ages 12 and younger. GKAS is meant to provide services to children who could not otherwise afford dental treatment and do not have a “dental home.”
In Atlantic County parents can contact the following agencies:
Rutgers University Dental Center, Galloway - 609-652-0501
Rutgers SDM, Northfield - 609-645-5814
Congratulations
Rachel Husta, Laura Veisz and Sarah Platt have received Teacher to Teacher grants from the XI Chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma, an International Society for key women educators. These grants total over $800 and will greatly benefit our students! Nice job!
Sad News
Staffing
Kevon Reynolds has moved from Shaner to Hess. He is working in Lori Bernard/Anna Miller's class. Welcome to Hess, Kevon!
Child Study Team
Ellen Wetzel is retiring today! Ellen, we will miss you terribly. Congratulations on your retirement and make sure you visit us!
Ellen's replacement is Revae Burton. Revae has been working with Ellen this week. Welcome to Hamilton Township, Revae!
Student Services Snippets
Critical Information for ALL staff is contained in these short screencasts. They run from 4.5 to 8 minutes. Please refer to them as needed. Two new screencasts have been added.
Working with Paraprofessionals NEW!
Critical Information for Paraprofessionals NEW!
If there is other information you feel it would be helpful for us to share via screencast, please let us know.
Learning Ally
Learning Ally provides audiobooks for students with a print disability, visual impairment or medical issue. All three of our schools have received a FREE subscription to Learning Ally this year. If you have a student who might benefit from access to audiobooks and textbooks, click on the link for a brief screencast (7 minutes) about Learning Ally. https://youtu.be/6nyj0ZL_xRs
Jessica Ward and Joe Gorgo have done a lot of research on using Learning Ally with the Chromebooks. If you have any difficulty, please call one of them. Thanks, Jessica and Joe!
Free webinars
Making Positive Behavior Support Work in the Middle Level
Presented by Roddran Grimes and Helen Panos
Wednesday, Feb 3, 2016, 4:00 PM
How to make an effective PBS (Positive Behavior Support) system work in the middle grades.
Thursday, February 4, 2016 3:00 PM - 3:45 PM
Project Based Learning for Every Classroom
Thursday, February 4, 2016 5:00 pm - 6:00 pm
Grants and Contests
The Arc of NJ Developmental Disability Awareness Bulletin Board Contest
The Arc of NJ sponsors a Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month contest to raise awareness about the abilities of people with developmental disabilities. The theme of this year’s contest is “We Can - Just Like You!”. Classes in grades 3 - 8 can design a bulletin board that incorporates this year’s theme and illustrates acceptance of all people, regardless of a person’s level of ability or challenge. Today is the last day!
The Ultimate Cool School Sweepstakes is now open! Enter daily to win free access to Discovery Education Science for your school for a whole year! Deadline: 2/25/16
Nominate an exceptional special educator!
The New Jersey Council for Exceptional Children Daniel Ringelheim Memorial Award is presented to individuals who make outstanding contributions to the field of special education in New Jersey. Nomination Deadline 2/1/16
Nominate a deserving volunteer!
We are thankful for those who are so dedicated to giving of themselves. Consider nominating one of our wonderful volunteers for the New Jersey State Governor’s Jefferson Award. The nomination form is brief and relatively painless! Nomination Deadline 1/31/16
Dollar General Literacy Grants
NJCIE’s 7th Annual INCLUSION WORKS! Poster Contest
The New Jersey Coalition for Inclusive Education is hosting its 7th Annual Inclusion Works Poster Contest. The contest is sponsored by the New Jersey Principals and Supervisors Association, and open to NJ public school students in grades 2-12. The poster contest will kick off on December 7th as a way to celebrate National Inclusive Schools Week. The contest will run from December 7th,2015 – April 1st, 2016. Each year the poster contest has a similar goal; to teach students the importance of inclusive education. For NJCIE’s 7th Annual Poster Contest, we want poster contest participants to illustrate how INCLUSION WORKS. 2016 Theme-When ALL students are included everyone SHINES!
Healthy Playground Makeover Sweepstakes
Mr. Browne’s January Precept:
“No man is an island, entire of itself.” -John Donne
A Message from the Supervisor
If you are a paraprofessional or you work with a paraprofessional, please check out the new Student Services Snippets listed above. All feedback is welcome!
Marylynn
Special Education Department
Email: stecherm@hamiltonschools.org
Website: http://www.hamiltonschools.org/cst.html
Phone: (609)476-6314
Facebook: facebook.com/HTSDspecialed
Twitter: @HTSDspecialed