Notes From the Supervisor
Department of Special Education
September 2019
Happy New SCHOOL Year!
Welcome Back! We are off to a great start!
We have missed all of our students this summer and are so excited to have
everyone back in the buildings.
Connecting With Your Case Manager
Mrs. Patricia Levinson- 609-926-6700 ext. 6713
Mrs. Mary Beth Atwood- 609-926-6700 ext. 6785
Ms. Elizabeth Provenzano-609-926-6700 ext. 6712
Community Resources
HOT OFF THE PRESS: Updated Resource
This guide is a comprehensive resource identifying the various programs and services the Department of Human Services offers to New Jersey residents, caregivers and advocates. In this guide, a family can find out more information on how to apply for food, income and employment assistance, as well as health care and much more. A caregiver can get information on support programs and services to assist them in caring for their loved ones. In addition, individuals with disabilities and their families can get information on various services that include in-home supports, vocational rehabilitation, and education.
Get Fit Kids
Stockton is starting a program called Get FIT Kids. It is a cooking and exercise class for kids with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), ages 8-12. The first hour the kids will make a healthy snack and eat it together. The second hour they will engage in fun exercise. It is run by an occupational therapist and OT & PT graduate students will be assisting. It runs every Saturday from October 5-November 23. They will run it again next semester starting in February. It is held on Stockton's Galloway campus. There is no cost as it is a grant funded program. If parents are interested this program, here is the contact information:
Mary Kientz, OTD, MS, OTR
Associate Professor Occupational Therapy
Program Director
Stockton University
Student Support Parent Advisory Committee-SSPAC of Linwood
The SSPAC meets 4 times per year and our first meeting is October 29th, 2019 in the Belhaven Library, from 6-8pm. At this meeting, you will have the opportunity to meet members of the Special Education Department and gain an understanding of the special education programs offered in the Linwood School District. For more information please contact, Mrs. Melissa Duffy, SSPAC President at MelKit716@aol.com.
You can also check out the newly created websitehere: https://linwoodsspac.weebly.com/.
Click on the links below for great webinars from ADDitude magazine!
These come highly recommended:
https://www.additudemag.com/webinar/what-is-adhd/
Free Webinar Replay: Time to Unplug? How Screen Time Impacts the ADHD Brain
ADHD and Anxiety
Think about what a typical day for a child with ADHD could be like. He struggles to get to school on time and then realizes he left his homework on his bed. He can’t stay focused in class and is terrified he’ll be called on. He comes home to study for a test but doesn’t know where to begin. He turns on the TV and dreads what the next school day will bring.
Some of the challenges that come along with ADHD (also known as ADD) can make kids anxious. It can be hard to tell whether a child has ADHD or an anxiety disorder because there’s so much overlap in how they look in kids. It’s also not unusual for kids to have both an anxiety disorder and ADHD.
Here’s what you need to know about ADHD and anxiety—and what you can do to help your child.
Seaview School Loves SILAS!
Seaview School Sensory Paths are a Hit!
Seaview’s Sensory Motor Paths are up and running! This summer, we installed two paths – one in the kindergarten hallway, and one in the third grade hallway – for all our students to use and enjoy. These paths are a series of lines and pictures for children to move along. Our students are challenged to engage in whole body movements like walking toe to toe along a zigzag line, jumping from one spot to another, and pressing their hands and feet onto hand and footprints.
All of these actions encourage visual coordination with parts of the body (eye/hand or eye/foot) as well as the development of spatial and body awareness as they navigate through the different aspects of the path. They also provide an opportunity for proprioceptive (feedback to the skin, muscles and joints through weight bearing and pressure) and vestibular (movement forward/backward/around) sensory input. These activities can have a calming effect for some children and can also help some children to be more alert, with the end goal of having students return to the classroom in a better frame of mind to learn. Classes have already been rotating through to learn how to properly perform the movements associated with the paths, and our students have loved trying them (and wearing themselves) out!
Important Dates to Remember: Check the district website for more information.
October 9th-School Closed
October 7th-11th- Week of Respect
October 14th- School Closed for Students: Staff In-Service
October 21st-25th-Red Ribbon Week/School Safety Week
October 23rd- Parent University Night-Student Information System: OnCourse Training
October 29th- SSPAC Meet and Greet night with the Special Education Department
October 31st- Early Dismissal: Staff In-Service
Project Child Find
Stay tuned for more newsletters throughout the 19-20 school year!
Susann Tahsin, Supervisor of Special Education
Email: susanntahsin@linwoodschools.org
Website: http://www.linwoodschools.org/
Location: 51 Belhaven Avenue, Linwood, NJ, USA
Phone: 609-926-6700