Owatonna Public Schools
Special Services Family Newsletter ~ Spring 2019
"When you do learn these things, when you understand what inclusion is,
then we can accomplish greater things together." ~ Aldis Hodge
We All Play Owatonna
The mission of We All Play Owatonna is to create an intergenerational place for our community, of all abilities, to play. They want babies to be safe, toddlers to explore, children and teens to be challenged, and adults to have opportunities to interact with youth. An inclusive playground is a playground for all. It is different from a regular playground because it has a surface that allows people of all abilities to maneuver the playground and access all of the playground equipment. Another thing that makes an inclusive playground different is the equipment itself. The equipment is made to guide children’s' play through sensory experiences, gross motor play, cognitive play, and social/emotional interactions. Additionally, the miracle field will allow children with disabilities to buddy up with their able-bodied peers to play a game of baseball and have the same experiences that able-bodied children have. The miracle field will not only give children with disabilities the opportunity to play but it will give able bodied children the chance to be leaders and to give back to their community. The field has a similar surface as the playground, allowing people of all abilities to maneuver around the field.
The playground will be located where the current playground is at Manthey Park. That equipment, which is fairly new, will be relocated to Morehouse Park, as the equipment at Morehouse Park needs to be replaced. The inclusive playground will be added to the current baseball fields at Manthey Park to create an inclusive “spoke of fields". The plan also includes a unisex bathroom/concession stand in that same area. Committee members have worked hard with the City of Owatonna to ensure that nothing that is used at Manthey will go away. Things will be moved around to accommodate for all.
We All Play Owatonna has been met with a strong wave of community support from businesses, organizations, and individuals. If you would like to learn more about We All Play Owatonna, please visit their website at http://www.weallplayowatonna.com/ or Facebook page at We All Play Owatonna. Amanda Gislason and her Co-Chair, Missy Ahrens, will be presenting at the Special Education Advisory Council meeting to be held on May 7, 2019.
Special Education Advisory Council Meeting
5:30-5:45pm We All Play Owatonna presentation, Q&A: Amanda Gislason, Missy Ahrens
Superintendent Jeff Elstad:
5:45-6:00pm Bond Referendum Presentation (Special Services Focus)
6:00-6:30pm Bond Referendum Q&A
Superintendent Jeff Elstad will be presenting on the upcoming Bond Referendum. This presentation will differ from others, as it will examine the Owatonna Senior High School building through a Special Services lens. Following a brief presentation, Superintendent Elstad will be available for a question and answer session.
Tuesday, May 7, 2019, 05:30 PM
Owatonna Senior High School ~ Small Group Forum
Building For Excellence: May 14, 2019
On May 14, 2019, Owatonna School District residents will be able to vote on a request to provide funding for a new high school.
During the past four years, the community task force on facilities - a group of community members, parents, teachers, staff and students - has been studying our facilities to recommend the most effective ways to handle school and student needs within Owatonna Public Schools. In 2015, the community task force recommendation was to address K-8 needs and to reconvene at a later date for the needs of the high school.
The community task force was reconvened in 2018 to evaluate needs at the high school. After a comprehensive analysis by the community task force, a professional community survey and other community input, the Owatonna School Board unanimously decided to adopt the task force recommendation to build a new high school to replace the existing 100-year-old building through a $116 million* bond referendum.
Facility deficiencies at the high school are still an issue, and with a 100-year-old building, will not improve over time. A new high school on a new site provides a long-term strategic solution and is the most fiscally responsible option. The community task force identified several needs at the high school, including:
On-going maintenance needs for which existing budgets cannot keep up (*Over the past nine years, $3 million has been spent on high school maintenance.)
Safety and security concerns for students, staff and visitors
High School site size is currently on 19 acres of land (Current site of 19 acres is only ¼ the site size recommended for a high school of 1,700 students.)
Inadequate learning spaces that are outdated and do not meet current or future educational and industry practices.
*While the project cost is $138 million, donations from local businesses have brought the referendum amount down to $116 million.
Voting Information:
Ballot Request: New High School ($116 million)
Monthly Tax Increase*: $23
Annual Tax Increase*: $273
*Tax increase estimates are based on the $175,000 median value home in the District. To find out the tax impact on our property go to www.owatonna.k12.mn.us and click on Referendum.
For more information
Email: referendum@isd761.org
Call: 507-444-8650
For information on High School Tours, please go to www.owatonna.k12.mn.us
Special Education Advisory Council Meeting Summary
The McKinley co-teaching team presented first. Justin Kiel, McKinley Principal, and Shari Mensink, Special Services Supervisor, spoke to the motivation behind trialing the co-teaching model. Inclusion, collaboration, and improved programming were key factors in deciding to move forward with co-teaching at McKinley. Timing was critical in pursuing this model, as funding, staffing, and culture needed to be properly aligned.
Justin Lang, 4th grade Special Education Teacher, and Danielle Nystrom, 2nd & 3rd grade Special Education Teacher, explained what the co-teaching model looks like on a daily basis. A major focus of the McKinley co-teaching model is having an "all hands on deck" approach to student needs, whether academic or social emotional. Staff spoke to the benefit of being able to teach skills and support students in real time.
Following their presentation, the McKinley team addressed attendees questions. Participants wanted to know how the co-teaching model is affecting due process paperwork and attainment of student goals. Danielle Nystrom stated that she feels more connected to the content level and it is helping her in writing IEP goals. Justin Lang believes that with delivering services and supports in the learning environment, all students are gaining confidence in their capabilities and are more comfortable in the classroom. Additional questions regarding transitions to secondary schools and possibly expanding the co-teaching model were addressed by Shari Mensink and Wendy Cirksena. Justin Kiel spoke about opportunities for data tracking.
Next, Wendy Cirksena gave a brief department update followed by attendee questions. Wendy spoke to funding challenges and noted that she would be traveling to the state capital in March to address special education issues. In addition, she stated that we have extremely talented special services staff at Owatonna Public Schools. Attendees expressed an interest in learning more about assistive technology and special services programming at OHS. Wendy thanked everyone for attending and confirmed there would be one additional SEAC meeting for the year.