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Monday Message

January 7, 2019 WLWV Student Services We've Got This!

MondayMessageJanuary 7, 2019 WLWV Student Services We've GotThis!

Improving Instructional Practices, Creating Inclusive Cultures, Increasing Student Voice

Teachers Getting Real: Designing Lessons for All Learners

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Language Arts for All Learners

Language Arts teacher Erin Kays from Rosemont Ridge got real with other middle school teachers around the work she has done to make sure that all students in her class are engaged in the learning. Her beliefs that this is her job as a teacher, and her willingness to share what she has tried was inspirational to all.
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Co-Planning: The Value of Two Perspectives

Erin Kays partners with Learning Specialist Alex Sederstrom to think through the learning targets for the unit, and who are the learners in the classroom. What are some things that can be shifted universally to include all students? (i.e. can a graphic organizer be available to all around key concepts?), what accommodations may be necessary (i.e. shortened assignment, same learning target)?, are there any students who truly need modification (i.e. matching pictures of characters to key elements of story)?
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Expertise in Diverse Learners

Alex brings her understanding of students with diverse learning needs, principles of explicit instruction, ideas of out of the box resources, to their unit planning. Co-planning empowers their partnership and uses the expertise of both teachers. One important piece of advice: don’t wait for perfect! Co-plan when you can, start with just one unit, try something.

Guidance for Modifications and Report Cards

Several questions have come forward about how grading and report cards should be completed for the VERY FEW students who are receiving modified curriculum. We have developed some draft guidance which I’m sharing with you now. Please review through the google docs link below, and let me know if you have any suggestions, questions, etc to make this more helpful for teachers.


In the meantime, LEARNING SPECIALISTS, please make a list of students on your caseload who you believe are receiving or should be receiving modified curriculum in one or more subjects. DOUBLE CHECK to make sure it notes this on the MODIFICATIONS section of their IEP. Check in with the gen ed teachers of these classes about the grading practice before grades are due at the end of the semester (MS HS) or next grading period (PS).


SPED ICs will be helping us gather a list of who these students are, so that we can better plan what sort of PD or support is needed for the learning specialists and gen ed teachers and IAs that are working with these students.


Remember, almost all students served by IEPs should be able to access curriculum in a standard way or with accommodations.

https://youtu.be/MGPDqzhjtj0
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Part of the Whole

In true inclusive fashion, the Unified National Champions banner was presented as one part of celebratory and community building ceremony for WHS, that included honoring all fall sports and activities, band performance, school spirit activities, and an epic faculty/student snowball fight.
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National Recognition

To become a Nationally recognized school, schools must show inclusive practices in sports, activities, and leadership, and must show practices that will endure over time.
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Support of All

Faculty, staff, students, parents, the entire WHS community is in support of Unified activities, and just making every part of the Wildcat experience inclusive.


Check out Kyle’s amazing performance of the National Anthem at the Assembly below. If you know Kyle, you will be even more impressed!

https://youtu.be/oMWtRMth8_U

Sharing the Journey: Boones Ferry & RRMS Host Reynolds School District Leaders

The new Superintendent of Reynolds School District reached out to Dr. Ludwig this fall, hearing about the inclusive work in WLWV and the good outcomes for all students. On December 18, the executive leaders from RSD spent the day visiting and learning more about what our teachers, IAs, and most importantly students are doing.


The day started at BFPS where Dr. Freeman and her team shared the innovative ways their specialists are working together for the benefit of all students. Every Friday, Learning Specialists, ELD Specialists, Reading Specialists, and ICs spend time together planning for high leverage strategies and supporting student needs. They all are invested in deepening their practice in The Art of Coaching, and this has positively impacted their work with gen ed teachers and IAs all over the building. After hearing about their work, RSD leaders were invited to enter any classroom and observe what was happening. Even that stance, that every classroom is open and that every classroom is engaged in inclusive practices, is a radical move. Leaders saw kids learning together, adults seamlessly supporting all students, some students getting some support in porches or small group rooms when needed, lots of evidence of visual supports and principles of Universal Design for Learning in place.


Next, we drove our visitors across town to Rosemont Ridge Middle School. There we visited mathematics, language arts, and social studies classrooms. We saw examples of graphic organizers, pre-teaching vocabulary, modified but related curriculum, gen ed teachers conferences with all students, co-teaching, and more. After the visits, Dr. Briggs-Crispin and her team shared stages in their journey, their very real challenging start to this year, and what they are continuing to learn about co-planning, beliefs, the power of peers, and the fact that this journey takes relentless focus and giving ourselves lots of grace.


After these two amazing school site visits, we headed back to the DO and talked about some of the district wide structures, changes, guidance, learning, challenges. We talked about this being both heart work, and head work. We still have such a long journey ahead of us, but it was wonderful to reflect on the hard work that has helped us come so far. RSD staff were so incredibly impressed with you all, with the hard work and expertise that they saw in action, and by the inspiring learning of all students in WLWV!

Upcoming Events

  • Eval & SSOS Team Meeting Thursday, Jan. 10, 11:00-1:00 DO
  • PGA Final Meeting & Celebration Thursday, Jan. 10, 4:00-6:00pm DO (RSVP to Lisa)
  • Transition Team Meeting Monday, Jan. 14, 7:45-9:00am ATHS
  • Health Team Meeting Wednesday, Jan. 16 1:00-2:30 DO
  • Motor Team Meeting Thursday, Jan. 17 7:30-9:00 am DO
  • Parent Night on Understanding Anxiety in Your Child Thursday, Jan. 17 6:00-7:00 Sunset
  • Learning Specialist Cycles of Inquiry (Fall FINAL) Friday, Jan 18 7:30-9:00 DO
  • Speech Path PLC Friday, Jan. 18 7:30-9:30 DO
  • Inclusive & Equitable Classrooms Wrkshp Tuesday, Jan. 22 4:00-5:30 STAFFORD
  • Inclusive Schools Leadership Team Friday, Jan. 25 12:30-3:15 DO
  • Motor Team Meeting Tuesday, Jan. 29 2:00-3:30 DO
  • School Counselors & Psychs Wednesday, Jan. 30 9:30-11:30 DO
  • Health Team Meeting Wednesday, Jan. 30 2:30-3:45 DO
  • Transition to Kinder from ECSE Parent Wrkshp Tuesday, Feb. 5 6:00-7:00 DO
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WLWV Student Services

Email: Spencerj@wlwv.k12.or.us
Website: https://www.wlwv.k12.or.us/domain/43
Location: Jennifer, Josh, and the IC Crew
Phone: 503-673-7026