Spring Has Sprung at JC!
Mr. Redmond's preschool class at Julian Curtiss School is learning about planting seeds. They cannot wait to get outside and start gardening!
Reading Instruction at Parkway
Mr. Catalono's kindergarten class at Parkway School is engaged in a Fundations lesson. Students tapped out sounds and read words containing both long and short vowel sounds.
Northeast Woodland Native Americans at North Street
North Street School third graders experienced and celebrated the culture of the Northeast Woodland Native Americans, which are native to Connecticut and New York. Within this experience, the students familiarized themselves with many artifacts related to Native American clothing (moccasins), instruments (a horn rattle), and items for preparing food, such as a corn pounder, which pounds corn into flour. Students also used the artifact of a Talking Stick to support the interactions taken within experiences of conflict resolution and engaged in traditional dances, games, and stories. The conceptual ideas of being kind, humble, peaceful, and demonstrating respect were integrated throughout the entire experience.
Identifying and Understanding Feelings at Old Greenwich
Ms. Hickey, school psychologist from Old Greenwich School, is working on supporting a student with identifying and understanding the characteristics of different feelings.
Writing at Julian Curtiss
In Ms. Tartaglia’s room at Julian Curtiss, students are practicing formatting and organizing their writing.
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Academic Lab at GHS
Students in Ms. Jagel’s class work hard during Academic Lab at Greenwich High School. They are making sure that everything is done as the semester starts to wind down!
Community Connections
Students at Community Connections are getting ready for Mother's Day. They are making hand made crafts, but shhh, it is a surprise for Mom!
Greenwich Special Education Advisory Council (SEAC) Spring Enrichment
Dr. Jenna Rufo did a virtual presentation to help parents understand how to partner in the IEP process, particularly as it pertains to inclusion and belonging, and securing the least restrictive environment. She introduced the principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and how they can support students in the classroom.
Inclusion Corner with Rachel Rubin
In this week’s Inclusion Corner, I am going to share some information and resources on a topic that impacts us all: Executive Functioning (EF). According to our partners at PINE, Executive Functioning is “a set of cognitive skills that act together to help you achieve a goal.” We use EF to meet deadlines at work, to plan and pack for a vacation, we even use them at our weekly trips to the grocery store. When there is a “breakdown” or someone struggles with EF, it may impact their ability to complete certain tasks or accomplish certain goals.
Did you know there are actually five parts of executive functioning? (See PINE’s EF arrow below). They are:
Planning
Starting
Sustaining
Coping
Monitoring
If there is a breakdown in one of those parts, it may impede one’s ability to complete a task or stay organized. Factors like working memory, having ADHD, or even getting bored or stressed can create a breakdown in one of these parts of executive functioning. So, people who may be categorized as impulsive, unorganized, or unmotivated might actually be struggling with their executive functioning skills or perhaps their brain has not yet developed those particular EF skills yet. Check out this video to learn more about executive functioning and the brain.
The good news is EF skills can be taught and practiced and therefore improved! Our friends at PINE offer six supports to help those that struggle with EF:
Prime: prepare for potential challenges
Time: make time visible
Lists: break down complex tasks into steps
Scales: devise concrete levels for vague concepts
Tidy-up: create systems for thoughts and things
Check-in: think back to plan ahead
Here are some great resources to learn more about strategies to build EF:
Judy Willis’ “Three Brain-Based Teaching Strategies to Build Executive Function in Students”
The Office of Special Education and Student Supports
