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"Needs not Labels, Services not Places, Names not Numbers"
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Announcements & Opportunities
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Awesome Achievements!
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Team Teaching
James Lick Middle School
Airika Castaneda, Mild/Moderate Teacher
Elise Dicharry, Humanities
At James Lick, special education teachers and general educators are teaming up to provide instruction to students using the co-teaching method. The team shares the responsibility of delivering instruction and supporting students who may need additional help. Students benefit from accommodations and/or modifications that are individualized based on student needs. According to Bita Nazarian, Lick's Principal, students who receive special education services are experiencing greater success in the general ed environment and all students are benefiting from the additional support.
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Parents' Nights
Everett Middle School & Alamo Elementary School
During October, Everett Middle School's Special Education Department held an "Information Night" for parents of students who receive Special Education Services. The night provided an opportunity for parents to ask teachers questions, share concerns and discuss ideas for the upcoming year. In April, the team is planning for the 2nd annual Spring Celebration of Exceptional Students.
Alamo Elementary staff hosted the first Inclusive Parents Meeting to discuss how parents and teachers can work together to support the success of all students. The team plans to meet monthly throughout the 2012-13 school year.
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Brian Friedman
Special Olympics "Teacher of the Season"
 Brian was selected by Special Olympics Northern California as the "Teacher of the Season." Brian is a Special Education teacher at R.L. Stevenson Elementary. He has been involved in the Schools Partnership Program for 5 years. The award letter states, "year after year Brian utilizes the program to teach not only sports, but educational lessons and social skills to his students. He is supportive of every aspect of the program and goes above and beyond, giving his students the opportunity to experience all that Special Olympics has to offer. "
Way to go Brian! If you are interested in participating in the upcoming basketball season contact Paul Zager.
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Updates
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 CDE Verification Review File Pull #2 Donna DiMartini, our Monitor from the California Department of Education will be reviewing student records for compliance November 13th-16th. She and her team will be looking for changes in practice based on our training in April. Content Specialists will be picking up files November 8th and 9th. Thank you in advance for your cooperation. -Kristen Devine, Special Education Supervisor |
iPad Pilot
Speech Language Pathologists
In October the Pilot Team focused on productivity Apps such as Super Duper Data Tracker, QuickOffice Pro, Pages, and Dropbox. Greater efficiency administratively allows for increased time providing high quality therapy to students. Already there are reports of gains from the field. Apps such as My PlayHome are being used to elicit language samples, to ask wh-questions, to model following directions, and to build rapport with students.
-Geri, iPad Pilot Journalist
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Inclusive Practice Highlight
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November's Interesting Article
Teachers' Expectations Can Influence How Students Perform
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 Response to Intervention with Diana Browning Wright
Twenty-six schools are participating in the Response to Intervention Premier Cohort. The Cohort is discussing believe surveys with staff, conducting universal screenings and collecting data regarding the referral process. These schools are paving the road for the district's commitment to support all students.
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Restorative Practices
The whole-school implementation of Restorative Practices has begun. 2,500 SFUSD employees have attended the Introduction to Restorative Practices Workshop over the past year and a half. Trainings began on September 14th and have been ongoing throughout the fall. For more information, read the Restorative Practice Definition,
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Thank you for reading this month's Special Education Newsletter. If there is something you would like to submit for the next newsletter please email Sarah Ashton (ashtons@sfusd.edu).
Sincerely,
Dr. Elizabeth Blanco
Special Education Services, SFUSD
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Community
Advisory
Committee
(CAC)
The CAC advocates for effective Special Education programs and services.
Meetings are held on the fourth Thursday of every month. Please come!
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______________________
For additional information on
People First Language
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Happy Halloween
From Central Office!
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"Tell me and I'll forget; show me and I may remember; involve me and I'll understand"
Chinese Proverb
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