Special Education Scoop
PfISD's Special Education Parent Newsletter - May 2020
Welcome to the May 2020 Newsletter
We are excited to roll out the May edition of Pflugerville Independent School District's Special Education Scoop. The current COVID-19 crisis has created a situation in our educational system no one could have predicted. We are proud of our students, staff, and families! We are all working very hard to support our students and families. It has been hard, but we are overcoming. We are in this together! For information regarding remote learning, grading guidelines, food distribution, and other COVID-19 information click here.
This issue is chock-full of important information such as the transition from elementary to middle school, middle school to high school, and transition to life. Check out important links about summer camps and job opportunities as well. We have also included a link to "How to Write a Social Narrative". Writing a social narrative is important to help the student know what to do during different situations they may come across in daily life.
We want to ensure that we provide information that is beneficial to you. For that reason, we are asking you to tell us about the topics that matter to you most. Submit your suggestions or questions here.
We are in this together!
The Pflugerville Special Education Team
In This Issue
Special Olympics Recognition
Starting Early with Pre-Vocational Skills at Home
Early Childhood Special Education
Kindergarten Advancement
Transition and Community Connections-Developing a Strong Sense of Responsibility
Elementary to Middle School Transition
Middle School to High School Transition
Transition to Life
Important Dates
Important Links
Frequently Asked Questions
Parent Handbook
Summer Camps
Contact Us
Hendrickson High School Receives National Recognition from Special Olympics
Pflugerville ISD's Hendrickson High School received a Unified Champions National Banner from ESPN and Special Olympics Texas for the campus's ongoing inclusion efforts for students with and without disabilities. ESPN and Special Olympics Texas awarded Hendrickson its banner on March 9th in a special ceremony hosted in the gym.
Please visit the Special Olympics website for the complete article.
Starting Early with Pre-Vocational Skills at Home
Pre-vocational skills are designed to teach and enhance personal independence. Skills include:
- Responsibility and integrity
- Distinction between work and relaxation
- Time management
- Personal appearance
- Problem solving
- Critical thinking
- Positive attitude
See the link below for ideas you can do in the home:
https://www.pinterest.com/parko/prevocational-activities/
For more information, please contact Ashley Peay, M.Ed, Special Education Coordinator
Early Childhood Special Education
Reading Aloud to a Young Child
Did you know that reading aloud to a young child is the best thing you can do to help them learn to read? The Ohio State University Department of Education has developed a program called STAR (Sit Together and Read). STAR utilizes intentional read-aloud practices and mindful scaffolding strategies to encourage and strengthen young children’s knowledge and awareness of print. Visit their website to learn more and download free resources you can use at home. https://star.ehe.osu.edu/about-star/
Kindergarten Advancement
Kindergarten registration is happening in May with a contactless process. Check the district website for details. If you miss registration in May, make sure you register
prior to the first day of school.
Kindergarten Advancement Presentation (Video)
Kindergarten Advancement Presentation (PDF)
Questions about Kindergarten advancement? Please submit on the Google Form and we will get back with you OR ask your child’s current ECSE teacher. Kindergarten advancement questions form
Transition and Community Connections - Developing a Strong Sense of Responsibility
The more experiences our students have, the more they develop a sense of themselves within the world. First, determine whether that experience will be risk worthy. What kind of success could they experience, what failures could they experience, and what problems will they have to solve? If they fail, will they blame the world around them or will they take responsibility themselves? Will they work harder to complete the task the next time or will they give up?
As Special Educators, we are to develop goals that will challenge our students to gain skills over a period of a year. We monitor their progress for the dips and the rises, hoping to work with the student to meet and maintain that goal successfully. We must celebrate these successes with our students. We also must include the student when goals aren’t met. Ask questions like, “What do we need to do differently”, “What might I need to meet that goal” and “How can I ask for help or feedback if I am not making progress”.
These experiences will lead to the development of self-management skills. There are two characteristics that are important when developing self-management skills. One is the student has an “internal focus of control”. This means that the student believes “they have control over outcomes important to their life” vs. “the outside world causes all good and bad”. This leads to a sense of responsibility as the student blames the outside world less often and looks within themselves and their resources for answers to the problem. The second characteristic is the conviction that one can successfully execute a behavior required for success. This comes from experience, practice, and taking on tasks that are hard.
I wish you the best as you experience and develop these skills in your students. Remember, it is never too late or too early to start!
Christopher Visness Sped Coordinator (Transition Designee)
512-594-0177
Elementary and Middle School Transition
Middle School and High School Transition
Transition to Life
Important Dates
May 25th – Staff and Student Holiday
May 28th – Last Day of School (Early Release)
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between an accommodation and a modification?
An accommodation is a tool that provides equal access to students. It is intended to remove barriers to learning or help the student work around the effects of his or her disability but does not reduce learning expectations. Accommodations often indicate how something is taught. Example: Large print might be used to accommodate a student’s visual impairment while his or her learning expectation does not differ from that of other students. A modification changes the nature of the task or target skill by changing or reducing the concept to be learned.
Modifications often indicate what is being taught. Examples: In a science class where the grade-level curriculum requires students to describe the function of the parts of a plant, a modification might set the learning expectation for a student with an IEP at identifying the parts without describing the function. Or, where grade-level curriculum might provide for 10 vocabulary words in a unit of study, a modified curriculum might provide for five, thus reducing the depth of content. For more information.
Please submit your questions to Dria Davis.
~C.S. Lewis
Parent Handbook
Summer Camps
About Us
Email: alexandria.davis@pfisd.net
Website: http://www.pfisd.net/Page/791
Location: 1401 West Pecan Street, Pflugerville, TX, USA
Phone: (512) 594-0169
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pfisd/
Twitter: @pfisd