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Student Services

Becoming ONE Waltham

Student Services Becoming ONE Waltham

Increase in Student Services

At the end of 2017, plans were confirmed for our new building with the following student services in place:

  • 1 full-time special education teacher;
    • 13 special education students
  • 1 half-time social worker
  • 1 half-time speech therapist
  • No Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) personnel/interventionist


As of September 2024, we have the following student services in place:

  • 4 full-time special education teachers;
    • 51 special education students

  • 1 full-time social worker

  • 1 full-time speech therapist

  • 1 full-time MTSS interventionist

Maximizing Space within the Building Due to Student Need

The original building plans included:

  • Small Group Spaces
    • 4 small group rooms were included in building plans
      • 1 small group space for Instructional Coach
      • 3 small group spaces for part-time personnel
    • Currently small group rooms are being used for
      • 1 full-time speech therapist
      • 1 full-time social worker
      • 1 full-time MTSS interventionist
      • as needed by physical therapist, occupational therapist, psychologist, special education coordinator, and additional MTSS interventions
  • Flex Spaces Between Classrooms
    • 2 flex spaces between classrooms were included in building plans
      • Both rooms were utilized for their intended purpose of being classroom extensions for larger numbers
    • Currently 2 flex spaces are being used for
      • special education resource rooms

  • Special Education Classroom

    • One special education classroom was included in building plans for 13 students
    • Currently special education classroom is used for a full-time sensory room
      • Special education classrooms are now located in the flex spaces and in the teacher workroom in the trailer for 51 special education students
  • Media Center/Stage
    • Media center/stage was built to house student library materials and to be a place of creativity, play and exploration. Furniture was mobile to allow for easy use of stage area.

    • Currently media center/stage houses instructional coach office space, student library materials. Furniture is not all mobile; instead instructional coach works around the movement. Our Scholastic Book Fair is also housed here two times per year.

  • Common Areas
    • Three common areas were included in the building plans to have flexible eating/collaborative spaces for students throughout the day. These spaces also held Board of Education meetings, staff meetings, indoor recess, and trainings.
    • During 2023-2024, one common area was used as a junior high classroom, one was used first as a special education classroom and then transitioned into an extension of the second grade classroom. We used one common area for all students lunches which meant that we had 3 back-to-back-to-back lunch periods.
    • Currently all three common areas are used as flexible eating/collaborative spaces for students throughout the day. These spaces also held Board of Education meetings, staff meetings, indoor recess, and trainings. This is due to the trailers provided additional space.
Waltham Elementary School
www.wesd185.org