Dessecker's Dispatch

Progress Reports on Goals and Objectives

Parents:  By the end of next week, you need to begin looking for your nine week progress report on goals and objectives .  These should come to you via your child's caseload manager.  Progress is noted by an October 2008 date under each IEP objective. 

Progress reports on goals and objectives will come home either every nine weeks around the time of report cards or with every annual IEP review.

Parent Night for the Lassiter Cluster

Parents:  Save the date:  February 5th   Lassiter High School    6:00 - 7:30

This will be an informational meeting with a variety of presenters on a number of topics directly related to special education.  We will bring in a number of speakers to address issues such as:  transition, IEP preparation, high school diploma options, accommodations and modifications in an IEP.  More information will be coming on this event.  Stay tuned

Welcome Back

Parents:  Welcome back to the 2008-2009 school year.  By now, you should have met or had a phone call from your child's special education caseload manager.  Please keep in close contact with this individual as they will know all of your child's current teachers as well as all of the IEP information pertaining to your child.  Teachers can be reached through email, blogs or phone calls.  Teacher emails can be obtained through the Simpson website. 

Meet our team:

6th grade inter related resource

Kay Earle:  cotaught social studies

Amanda Crain:  cotaught and small group language arts

Tonya Grimmke:  cotaught and small group math

Carla Haack:  cotaught science

*********7th grade inter related resource:

Karen Stiltz:  cotaught language arts

Mary Babcock:  cotaught and small group math

Donna Brown:  cotaught social studies

Crystal Wyatt:  cotaught science

******** 8th grade inter related resource

Jean Desvernine:  inclusion social studies and language arts

Bhavna Chokshi:  inclusion science, cotaught and small group  math

******** Deaf and Hard of Hearing

Julie Pearson-Clarke and Susan Ridgeway

******** Severe/Profound Intellectual Disabilities

Lori Lanser and Jessica Cain

******** Emotional/Behavior Disability / Autism

Gail Judkins

******** Speech/Language Disabilities

Merritt Green

Welcome Back

Parents:  Welcome back to the 2008-2009 school year.  By now, you should have met or had a phone call from your child's special education caseload manager.  Please keep in close contact with this individual as they will know all of your child's current teachers as well as all of the IEP information pertaining to your child.  Teachers can be reached through email, blogs or phone calls.  Teacher emails can be obtained through the Simpson website. 

Meet our team:

6th grade inter related resource

Kay Earle:  cotaught social studies

Amanda Crain:  cotaught and small group language arts

Tonya Grimmke:  cotaught and small group math

Carla Haack:  cotaught science

*********7th grade inter related resource:

Karen Stiltz:  cotaught language arts

Mary Babcock:  cotaught and small group math

Donna Brown:  cotaught social studies

Crystal Wyatt:  cotaught science

******** 8th grade inter related resource

Jean Desvernine:  inclusion social studies and language arts

Bhavna Chokshi:  inclusion science, cotaught and small group  math

******** Deaf and Hard of Hearing

Julie Pearson-Clarke and Susan Ridgeway

******** Severe/Profound Intellectual Disabilities

Lori Lanser and Jessica Cain

******** Emotional/Behavior Disability / Autism

Gail Judkins

******** Speech/Language Disabilities

Merritt Green

Summer Reading

Parents of returning students:  stay tuned for information pertaining to required summer reading.  It will be posted on our school website.

For parents of rising high school students, please check the high school websites for required summer reading for your child's registered English course.

Miracle League of Marietta

"Every child deserves a chance to play baseball." The Miracle League of Marietta is looking for kids to play baseball in the inaugural season at Custer Field beginning the week of April19th. If you have a child 4 to 19 years of age with a disability and the desire to play baseball, please register on the website. There is no cost to participate and all games are held on the weekends. www.miracleleagueofmarietta.com

Your Parent Rights:  Confidentiality

Over the years, I have had many parents ask about confidentiality of records.  All special education records are strictly confidential and are housed in a secure location within the school building.  Once your child turns 18, rights to that information are turned over to him/her and a decision can be made to destroy those records.  As a basic rule of thumb, here are some of the people in the following positions and from the following agencies who have access to student records:

• Federal, state and education officials of authority
• Agents connected with student's application for, or receipt of, financial aid
• Accreditation organizations in order to carry out their accrediting function
• Authorized officers of the court
• Parents or legal guardians of a dependent child
• The 18 year old student
• Student's administrators
• Student's regular education teachers
• Student's special education teachers and any related support personnel working with the student
• Student's school psychologist
• Other Cobb School officials who have been determined to have a legitimate educational interest
• Others may have access only by approval of the director of special education or with written authorization by parent or guardian.

On many occasions, parents want us to send records to or correspond with a psychiatrist, psychologist or medical professional working with their child.  In order to do this, we will ask you to sign a release of confidential information.  This also works the other way!  In planning educationally for your child, the IEP committee may agree that information from outside sources would be beneficial for assessment or planning purposes.  Again, a release would need to be signed by you authorizing the school to receive this information.  It is important for you to know that it is  your right as a parent to restrict access to records by withholding consent.

Take a minute to review your parent rights regarding confidentiality of information.   If you would like further explanation of any of these rights, you may contact the Cobb County School District Special Education Department  at 770-426-3320.  The GLRS direction service can also answer questions.  Visit their website at www.glrs.org.

Your Parent Rights:  Confidentiality

Over the years, I have had many parents ask about confidentiality of records.  All special education records are strictly confidential and are housed in a secure location within the school building.  Once your child turns 18, rights to that information are turned over to him/her and a decision can be made to destroy those records.  As a basic rule of thumb, here are some of the people in the following positions and from the following agencies who have access to student records:

• Federal, state and education officials of authority
• Agents connected with student's application for, or receipt of, financial aid
• Accreditation organizations in order to carry out their accrediting function
• Authorized officers of the court
• Parents or legal guardians of a dependent child
• The 18 year old student
• Student's administrators
• Student's regular education teachers
• Student's special education teachers and any related support personnel working with the student
• Student's school psychologist
• Other Cobb School officials who have been determined to have a legitimate educational interest
• Others may have access only by approval of the director of special education or with written authorization by parent or guardian.

On many occasions, parents want us to send records to or correspond with a psychiatrist, psychologist or medical professional working with their child.  In order to do this, we will ask you to sign a release of confidential information.  This also works the other way!  In planning educationally for your child, the IEP committee may agree that information from outside sources would be beneficial for assessment or planning purposes.  Again, a release would need to be signed by you authorizing the school to receive this information.  It is important for you to know that it is  your right as a parent to restrict access to records by withholding consent.

Take a minute to review your parent rights regarding confidentiality of information.   If you would like further explanation of any of these rights, you may contact the Cobb County School District Special Education Department  at 770-426-3320.  The GLRS direction service can also answer questions.  Visit their website at www.glrs.org.

Transition Information in Accessing Benefits for Students With Disabilities

As part of transition planning for students with moderate to severe intellectual disabilities, parents should receive a packet of information on applying for Supplemental Security Income, Deeming Waivers, Respite Services, Medicaid Waivers and Guardianship.  It is critical that even in middle school, parents begin planning for what their child will need when they turn 21 and exit the public school system.  Many resources contain waiting lists stretching to several years.  Parents can access this important information by contacting Cobb County Parent Mentors or by requesting a transition packet from the special education caseload manager.  The following things can be started when your child is in middle school:

Applying for SSI:    1-800-772-1213       Call for an appointment and have your child's SSI # available

Guidance with SSI Benefits:  404-350-7598    Contact Curtis Rogers or Sally Atwell

Guardianship:   770-528-1900    Probate Court on Waddell Street in Marietta.  Full or limited guardianship issues

As part of transition planning for students with moderate to severe intellectual disabilities, parents should receive a packet of information on applying for Supplemental Security Income, Deeming Waivers, Respite Services, Medicaid Waivers and Guardianship.  It is critical that even in middle school, parents begin planning for what their child will need when they turn 21 and exit the public school system.  Many resources contain waiting lists stretching to several years.  Parents can access this important information by contacting Cobb County Parent Mentors or by requesting a transition packet from the special education caseload manager.  The following things can be started when your child is in middle school:

Applying for SSI:    1-800-772-1213       Call for an appointment and have your child's SSI # available

Guidance with SSI Benefits:  404-350-7598    Contact Curtis Rogers or Sally Atwell

Guardianship:   770-528-1900    Probate Court on Waddell Street in Marietta.  Full or limited guardianship issues

Parent Mentor Seminar

Kennesaw

Charter

School

PTA Present…

The ABCs of Student Interventions & IEP 101

Guest Speakers Judith Steuber & Ijeoma Ajoku

Cobb

County

School District

Special Education Parent Mentors

The Cobb

County

Parent

Mentors will be providing an overview of student interventions, from Early Intervention (EIP) to special education placement including the new RTI (Response To Intervention) model. 

Monday, March 10, 2008

7:00 – 8:30 PM

Northstar

Church

3413 Blue Springs Road

Kennesaw

,

GA

30144

Open to parents and professionals in the community at no charge.

RSVP to Brian Freeman with the number attending: freeman@bluewavecomputing.com

………………….

Sponsored by Kennesaw Charter School PTA

Special Student Services Committee

High School Registration Reminders

Parents:  High school registration forms for both Sprayberry and Lassiter High School were due on Friday.  If you have not turned these forms in to the guidance counselor, you need to do so immediately.  Once they are delivered to the high school setting, it will be your responsibility to register your child directly with the high school if you have not already done so.

Processing Systems in the Brain

Memory

The advantage of a bad memory is that one enjoys several times the same good things for the first time.  Friedrich Nietzsche  German Philosopher 1844 - 1900

Your brain utilizes three types of memory: short term memory, active working memory, long term memory.  The short term memory is a brief retention of information ....about 2 seconds.  Without repetition or active use, information that is stored here is never transferred to your long term memory for retrieval.  Think of your short term memory as a funnel:  Large amounts of information are received within a very short time period.  Information that is actively used, funnels into the long term memory.  Information that is not used begins to overflow.  It is never funneled into long term and is therefore lost.    Active working memory holds several facts or ideas in mind long enough to complete a task.  Information that needs to be stored permanently is filed in the long term memory.  Think of the long term memory as an intricate filing system for housing and recalling important information. 

Children with memory processing deficits may exhibit the following behaviors in the school setting:

Short Term Memory Deficit

• difficulty learning letter names and numbers
• difficulty memorizing math facts
• difficulty learning vocabulary definitions
• decodes well but does not comprehend or retain information read

Active Working Memory Deficit

• difficulty writing in context
• difficulty with math procedures
• difficulty following directions

Long Term Memory Deficits

• understands, but does not retrieve information needed for tests
• doesn't retain information
• slow copying from the board

Posted at 11:41 AM | Permalink

Memory

The advantage of a bad memory is that one enjoys several times the same good things for the first time.  Friedrich Nietzsche  German Philosopher 1844 - 1900

Your brain utilizes three types of memory: short term memory, active working memory, long term memory.  The short term memory is a brief retention of information ....about 2 seconds.  Without repetition or active use, information that is stored here is never transferred to your long term memory for retrieval.  Think of your short term memory as a funnel:  Large amounts of information are received within a very short time period.  Information that is actively used, funnels into the long term memory.  Information that is not used begins to overflow.  It is never funneled into long term and is therefore lost.    Active working memory holds several facts or ideas in mind long enough to complete a task.  Information that needs to be stored permanently is filed in the long term memory.  Think of the long term memory as an intricate filing system for housing and recalling important information. 

Children with memory processing deficits may exhibit the following behaviors in the school setting:

Short Term Memory Deficit

• difficulty learning letter names and numbers
• difficulty memorizing math facts
• difficulty learning vocabulary definitions
• decodes well but does not comprehend or retain information read

Active Working Memory Deficit

• difficulty writing in context
• difficulty with math procedures
• difficulty following directions

Long Term Memory Deficits

• understands, but does not retrieve information needed for tests
• doesn't retain information
• slow copying from the board