EC Newsletter: December 2017
Exceptional Supports for Literacy & Learning
Welcome to the EC Department's Monthly Newsletter!
Do you have ideas for future newsletter topics, teachers/service providers who should be featured, or general feedback? Let us know by emailing ashley1.kogutkiewicz@cms.k12.nc.us.
Our staff is EXCEPTIONAL!
BEST. DAY. EVER!
EC and GenEd teachers from Beverly Woods Elementary pictured below (left to right):
Marleny Hernandez, Laura Sachs, Kara Culp, Cindy Lickert, Michelle Jiles, Barbara Putnam, Lisa Levinson, Kathleen Talbert, Beth Buddo, Claire Ache.
In mid-November, Levinson sent home a message to the families of her students, describing the day:
Good evening! Hopefully by now your child has come home and shared today's special event!
Our class was asked to participate with Mrs. Kulp's SAC class in a Paidiea Seminar focusing on inclusion. Mrs. Kulp's class is a self-contained special needs class made up of 2nd and 3rd graders. Some of the 3rd graders from Mrs. Kulp's class join our class daily for Specials.
We went to their class and spent a few minutes sharing and getting to know each other. Mrs. Kulp, along with Mrs. Putnam helped to make us all feel welcomed and comfortable. The children shared some of their favorite things. Then Mrs. Kulp read the book, What Kyle Can Do to the group. Upon completion of the book, all the students participated in an insightful seminar led by Mrs. Kulp and assisted by Mrs. Putnam. Children from both classes shared their thoughts about what inclusion means to them, how they can include others, and what it feels like to be included. I have to say, my heart was bursting with pride watching both classes interact and share!
Our class has been asked to create a seminar based on a book shared with us from Mrs. Culp.
At the end of the day, I asked your children what I should share in this email tonight, below are a few of their thoughts:
- "fun time"
- " we got to be a part of a special needs seminar"
- "we learned how some students in the SAC class communicate"
- "we experienced a seminar in another class"
- " I know I want to be a teacher when I grow up but now I want to teach children with special needs"
I hope my sharing helped to give you all a glimpse into our day and to see why I truly believe it's the BEST DAY EVER!
Team Beverly Woods, we are thrilled with the work that you are doing!! Keep it up!!
We know all of you are doing exceptional work in your buildings! Tell us why you and your school are exceptional- email stories and photos to ashley1.kogutkiewicz@cms.k12.nc.us to be featured in our next newsletter!
Literacy Strategy of the Month
Conversation is Key to Improving Comprehension!
For all students, classroom discussion, dialogue, and discourse are the principal means of exchanging ideas, evaluating mastery, developing thinking processes, and reflecting on content and shared thoughts (Jabari, J., 2014). The term classroom discourse refers to the language that teachers and students use to communicate with each other in the classroom. Talking, or conversation, is the medium through which most teaching takes place, so effective classroom conversation is a powerful tool to improving student comprehension. Check out the ILT Academic Conversations Toolkits below for tips and ideas on how to incorporate Academic Conversations into your classroom!
Compliance Tip of the Month
Did you know that you can see a list of events for a student’s history in EdPlan by clicking the compliance symbol on the left side next to the student’s name in the student menu? You will be able to see all events for that student from the referral to the current date. If there are many events, use the scroll bar on the right side to see all the events. The current IEP and eligibility will be highlighted according to the legend below. You can click the details button for each event to see more information.
Did you know...
ACTIVE KIDS LEARN BETTER
A 2013 report from the Institute of Medicine concluded that children who are more active “show greater attention, have faster cognitive processing speed and perform better on standardized academic tests than children who are less active.” - From New York Times "Why Kids Shouldn't Sit Still in Class"
Resources you can use to incorporated movement in your classroom:
Professional Development Opportunities
Did you know that the EC Department regularly offers in-person, virtual, or blended Professional Development as well as role-specific Support Groups? Click the link below to see upcoming opportunities and join us for one soon!
Upcoming EC Department Events
Tuesday, December 5th
4:00PM-5:00PM
South Mecklenburg High School Media Center
Topic: Uncovering the "Whirlwind"
EC Parent Round Table #3
Tuesday, January 16th
6:30PM-7:30PM
West Mecklenburg High School
To learn more information about future Round Tables, please click HERE.
Archived Communication
Too many emails and not enough time to read all of them? Take a quick look at our consolidated EC Department Communication Archive to see recent messages that may have come your way from the EC Department and make sure you didn't miss anything important!
Happenings in the broader Special Education Community
Considerations for Specially Designed Instruction from NC DPI Division of Exceptional Children:
The design and delivery of specially designed instruction is the core of special education. This document serves as guidance for IEP teams, administrators, educators and practitioners as they determine the need for, plan, and implement specially designed instruction (SDI) for students with disabilities who require an Individualized Education Program (IEP). Click here: SDI Guidance
Dyslexia & Dyscalculia:
For more information on Dyslexia and Dyscalculia "Click Here"
Social Media
Important Contacts
Need help but not sure who to ask?
Our teams are here to give you the support you need! Click HERE to see who from the EC Department supports your school.
Don't forget about the EC HelpDesk who can also answer any questions that you may have!
980-343-2724