Special Education Connections

Dear Parents and Families,

My name is Lissan Wipfli, and I am excited to share our first Parent and Family Newsletter with you. We value the importance of fostering a strong partnership among our educators and parents, especially when supporting the unique needs of our students on IEPs. As such, we are excited to introduce our newsletter, established to maintain a meaningful connection with you throughout the school year.

Our unwavering dedication to student achievement and providing inclusive opportunities is at the core of our work. We believe your partnership is invaluable, and we greatly appreciate the vital role parents and families plan to play in supporting our students. Together, we can continue to create a nurturing and enriching environment for all. Thank you for your ongoing support and collaboration.

Warm regards,

Lissan Wipfli

To provide high-quality, individualized, equitable, inclusive education to all students. All students will learn academic and work-life skills.

• We currently serve 485 students in Special Education from the ages of 3-21
• 18% of students in Lakewood School District receive special education services
• 57% of Individualized Education Programs (IEP) students spend 80-100% of the day in general education.

• 32 Certificated Staff
• 21 Special Education Teachers
• 4 Psychologists
• 3.5 Speech & Language Pathologists
• 1 Occupational Therapist
• .4 Physical Therapist
• 1 Administrator
• 59 Classified Staff
• 1 Administrative Assistant

Through a grant received through the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, Lakewood has been able to access training through the UW Haring Center that will focus on developing a community that is a safe space to share experiences, offer support to one another, and provide opportunities to strategize together to support challenging behavior at home.

Please see the flyer for more information and to learn how to sign up for this series of workshops.

https://www.lwsd.wednet.edu/departments/special-education

We are always open to your feedback and suggestions. If you have any questions or ideas about how we can improve our outstanding special education programs, please get in touch with your child’s IEP case manager at school.