Panther Corporation Newsletter
April 2020 Edition 4
Early Childhood Program for School Year 2020/21
Griffith Public Schools is proud to offer a full day Early Childhood Program during the 2020-2021 school year. The preschool program will be housed at Wadsworth Elementary. Students will be offered: P.E., Music, Art, Library, and STEAM classes in addition to their daily classroom instruction. Please note that this program is for students who have qualified for a liability in accordance with Article 7. A student must take part in a formal special education evaluation to determine eligibility into the program. Special transportation will be provided as outlined in student IEP.
A returning ECD student will need to register as a returning student when the portal opens over the Summer.
If you are a new family and wish to have your student evaluated, you must complete the on-line registration and the in person registration. One registration and residency is verified, you may submit an evaluation request in writing to the building principal. A record review will be held within ten instructional days to determine if an evaluation is warranted. Parent must sign consent for a special education evaluation. The school has 50 school days to complete the evaluation in accordance with Article 7.
If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to the Director of Special Education, ldumezich@griffith.k12.in.us.
From Our Athletic Office Regarding School Year 2020/21 Athletes...
I hope everyone is doing well both mentally and physically. The IHSAA just released the following guidelines for their 2020-2021 pre-participation physicals in response to COVID-19. In short, student-athletes may use their completed physical from 2019.
1) For returning high school/middle school student-athletes-You will not need to complete a new physical. Most physicals have been scanned in this past school year, so we already have a copy of your physical on file. Coaches will still need to double check with us to confirm, before any participation. Your athletes will still need to update their Final Forms for the 2020-2021 school year. Information for Final Forms can be found on our website under the more tab or just click this link Final Forms . The athletic office can also help until social distancing guidelines allow us to begin operating from the office.
2)Incoming 8th graders -they may use the completed physical form from your middle school but will also need to complete page 5 of the attached physical form. They will also need to complete Final Forms and bring the completed physical forms to the high school athletic office when social distancing guidelines allow us to begin operating. When in doubt, do not let them participate until you are 100% positive they have a physical on record in the athletic office.
3) New students or students without a valid 2019 physical-Must complete the entire attached physical packet and Final Forms for the 2020-2021 school year. Once Final Forms and a physical have been completed you will need to bring your physical to the GHS athletic office when social distancing guidelines allow us to begin operating.
The Griffith Athletic Office is not currently available to accept visitors. I will send an email announcement when we are able to start accepting physicals and completing this process for their eligibility to participate. They may complete their Final Forms information now. You will also see the pre-participation physical packet attached in this link. Please let me know if you have any questions. As always please pass this information on to your assistants.
Stay safe. Stay healthy. Stay home. Please please please…….please keep washing your hands.
Mental Health Resources for Schools and Families...
HOW BOWEN CENTER CAN HELP
If your school corporation is in need of immediatel mental health supports in the coming months, please feel free to contact us in regards to our: Student Assistant Programs, Employee Assistance Programs, Stress Debriefing, and Skills Coaching counseling services. We can provide these statewide through telephone or by video software. For more information on what a Student Assistance Program may look like for your school, please visit this Bowen Center link. https://www.bowencenter.org/student-assistance
WHO ARE WE? WHAT HAVE WE BEEN DOING FOR INDIANA COMMUNITIES?
For those of you that are unfamiliar with the Bowen Center, Indiana’s largest Community Mental Health Center, and what we have been doing to help Hoosiers across the State of Indiana during the COVID-19 outbreak, please visit this link https://youtu.be/JkNh4Nms8JE for recent news reporting from WRTV (RTV6 – Indianapolis) on how we are helping schools and communities.
TOOL AND SKILLS THAT CAN HELP
Attached in today’s email are examples of Bowen Center’s Mental Health Moments that you are free to share with your students, families and staff. Feel free to post digitally. We hope that these pieces of information are helpful many families and students are searching for mental health tips and skills they can practice now. One of the situations most families are encountering is how to manage the stress of a pandemic and how to talk to our children about COVID-19.
WANT TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT HOW BOWEN CENTER CAN HELP YOUR SCHOOLS?
If your school corporation would like more help in the coming months, please feel free to contact me in regards to our counseling services and we can begin the discussion to find out how we can assist you. For more information on what a Student Assistance Program may look like for your school and seeing a list of the schools we serve, please visit this link: https://www.bowencenter.org/student-assistance
Simply reach out to me if you would need more information or have any questions about our Bowen Center Statewide Counseling Services.