SPecial EDition
SWEETWATER UNION HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT - Special Services
MESSAGE FROM THE DIRECTOR
Welcome back, Special Educators! I hope the start to your year has gone well. We have many new special education teachers throughout the district. The best of luck to each of you!
Over the years I’ve come to realize that the selection of staff is the most critical decision I make. Without the right personnel, all else fails. I’m pleased to announce that this has been a vintage year! Allow me to introduce you to some of the new talented members of Special Services:
Carlos Saucedo – Program Manager
Carlos was a district school psychologist for four years, then took a position as Assistant Principal at SOH. He returns home to special education after three years in this position. Carlos’ chief responsibilities include psychological services, compliance, and Chargers booster.
Ericka Stephenson – Speech and Language Pathologist
Ericka completed a successful year at Chula Vista Elementary before we cleverly stole her away. She was an outstanding student at CSU San Marcos and we are fortunate to have her on staff. Ericka is providing services to RDR and MOM.
Jason Schmidt – Assistive Technology Specialist
Advancements in technology and the introduction of student iPads highlighted our need to hire a second AT Specialist. Jason was most recently a Moderate teacher at ELH but has had experience at several sites and programs, giving him keen insight into the needs of students at differing levels.
Dr. Tim Glover – Interim Superintendent
Okay, he didn’t actually return to Special Services, but he’s back in Sweetwater! It is encouraging to know that our district leader has a sincere interest in the students we serve and the programs we provide.
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In the next issue I will highlight the work of our three new school psychologists, Tanya Blackwell, Karla Hermosillo-Alcala, and Ruben Sanchez.
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Remember that you are never alone! Special Services staff is available to provide support in virtually all areas, including curriculum, behavior plans, IEP development and the rest of our alphabet soup—AT, OT, VI, LSH, APE, SEIS, etc.
Here’s to a great school year!
Ron
SEIS Updates
By C. Fax-Huckaby, S. Fernandez and K. Kinslow
Statewide Assessments Page:
Soon we will see improvements in our SEIS forms on the “Statewide Assessments” page as forms are adjusted from the CST/CMA to SBAC and from the CAPA to the NCSC accommodations. IEP’s written between April 2014-September 2014 will likely need amendments to update state assessment SBAC/NCSC accommodations. More information to follow soon.
Special Services Calculator Revised (Mild/Moderate Program):
Click on the link below:
SERVICES CALCULATOR REVISED 2014.xlsx
IEP Meeting Flowcharts:
Flowcharts explaining steps for parent attendance or absence at an IEP meeting are available. Click on the link below:
IEP Meeting (Parent in Attendance/Not in Attendance) Flowcharts
These resources can also be found on the SUHSD Special Services Canvas page and in the SEIS Document Library.
SPEECH CORNER
Voice Disorders
By Jenna Kalfayan M.A., CCC-SLP
When questioned about what speech therapists do in their profession, common responses usually consist of, “Oh, they help people who can’t produce their sounds” or, “Oh, they help people who have problems with stuttering.” While both of those ideas are true, the scope of speech therapy is much larger than that. The expertise of speech therapists covers four main domains: articulation, language (receptive/expressive/pragmatics), fluency, and voice. One of these areas, voice, is an area that many people don’t realize falls within the realm of speech therapy.
When we produce sound, the two vocal cords in our larynx, or voicebox, vibrate together. Vocal disorders can occur when there is an issue with one or both of your vocal cords. One of the most common voice disorders is vocal nodules, which occurs when small, soft bumps grow on your vocal cords. These usually occur in pairs, one on each vocal cord. Vocal polyps are another common voice disorder, which occur when small growths appear on your vocal cords. These usually occur on only one vocal cord. When disorders such as these occur, your vocal folds are unable to adequately close together, which leads to many different symptoms and problems. Symptoms from voice disorders such as these can include a breathy voice, hoarse voice, scratchy voice, a decreased pitch range, harshness, or shooting pain from ear to ear. Voice disorders can develop for many reasons, such as excessive yelling or screaming, allergies, smoking, or from poor voice habits.
To avoid problems with your voice, you can practice healthy voice habits, such as drinking plenty of water, avoiding excessive yelling, talking at a normal volume, and avoiding caffeine and alcohol. If you notice that you or your student is producing a breathy, hoarse voice, is expressing discomfort when speaking, or is losing their voice quickly when talking, you should refer to your doctor or Ear, Nose, and Throat Specialist (ENT) for a check- up. Talk your speech therapist about available treatments to ensure that the student’s voice issues are not perpetuated at school and do not inhibit their classroom participation.
Resources:
American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA; 2014). Voice disorders. Retrieved from: http://www.asha.org/uploadedFiles/VoiceDisorders.pdf#search=%22voice%22
American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA; 2014). Vocal cord nodules and polyps. Retrieved from: http://www.asha.org/public/speech/disorders/NodulesPolyps/#f
SCEA 471 Employee of the Year
By M. Glithero
Congratulations to our very own Troy Johnson for being named 2014’s Office Technical Business Services Unit Employee of the Year. He received this honor due to the high quality of his work performance, including his professionalism and ability to communicate effectively with the various programs and departments he interacts with on a regular basis. In addition, he works closely with management staff on many levels. His work ethic is best exemplified by the completion of every project or assignment he is tasked with. Special Services is proud to have Troy, as he has proven throughout his 13 years with us that he is committed to the cause of supporting students with disabilities.
Anita Snow Memorial Award winners for 2013-2014
By R. Lopez
Congratulations to the following Anita Snow Memorial Awards winners for 2013 - 2014! The recipients were honored at a dinner sponsored by the Bonita Optimist Club on June 5, 2014. Each were granted a $1,000 scholorship to support their work with students with disabilities!
Lorna McMurray - Special Services
Rebecca Motz - BVM
Susie Robinson - HTM
Jennifer Tamayo - MOH
Griselda Tapia - MVH
Linda Wallace - HTM
Barbara Wood - MVH
Norma Yim - HTM
Visually Impaired Program News
By N. Mathos
Recognizing an Outstanding Community Member
Juan Nieto, a senior at Hilltop High School, deserves recognition for his self-determination to make a difference in his community and within the State of California!
He has earned 234 hours of community service by volunteering for two summers at Camp Bloomfield in Malibu as a Jr. Camp Counselor for visually impaired children. He has also volunteered at Greg Roger’s Elementary School. He is an inspiration to all!
2014-15 Professional Development Plan for M/M Teachers
By S. Fernandez
All mild/moderate teachers should attend Zone meetings for at least one content area per the Office of Curriculum and Instruction. During a portion of the Zone meeting day, Fundamentals teachers may be meeting with Special Services resource teachers. During this time we will discuss strategies for adapting lessons to meet the needs of students with disabilities as well as the Fund. Final Exams and Performance Tasks.
If you haven’t completed the Google Survey regarding which Zone content area(s) you will be attending, please do so at: https://docs.google.com/a/sweetwaterschools.net/forms/d/1wNyn_yfjtQxq88dRSBcaGkWKXWfLDsZM7ureI-G5SVE/viewform?usp=send_form
ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY
By K. Edmonds, J. Schmidt
Assistive Technology can provide students help accessing curriculum when learning gets a little tough. Whether it’s a low tech item like a pencil grip or something that requires a high tech focus such as a word processing tool, SUHSD offers assistance learners as they work towards reaching their potential. Here’s a list of common supports commonly found in the classroom that could be helpful assistive items:
· pencil grips
· specialized pencils/pens
· raised line paper and grid paper
· page overlays
· highlighters
· color coding
· NCR paper
· visual schedules
· reading / writing checklists
· slant boards
· regular dictionary / thesaurus
· calculators
NFAR Grant Application
By L. McMurray
Just a reminder that it is time to submit your NFAR grants again. This is a very simple grant for up to $500.00 that our teachers, speech therapists, and psychologist have had lots of success in getting. The deadline for applications is Wednesday, September 16, 2014 . Here are the steps.
Go to NFAR.org website to download the grant application.
1. Complete the application and send the completed signed application to our grants department at manuel.rubio@sweetwaterschools.org.
It is important that they receive a copy!
2. Follow the directions on the website to submit your application. (Applications are now all done through email).
3. Grant Awards are announced by November 1, 2014 by email. You will then get a letter of acceptance to sign. Once this is submitted they will send a check to you.
4. It is important that you also send a copy of the signed acceptance notification to the grants department, as they will take it to the board for approval.
Checks will come to you. They are no longer cashed and ordered through special services but through your site. You do not need to send a copy to Susie Randle!
I would appreciate being notified when you have submitted and received a grant by email. If you would like help in writing or submitting the grant, please contact me, as I would be happy to assist. I have examples of previous grants that you can look at. lorna.mcmurray@sweetwaterschools.org
Don’t miss out on this opportunity!
Good Luck!!