November 2023 Connector
from the Wisconsin Statewide Educator Initiative
In This Month's Edition
We have new workshops and dates for winter learning opportunities from WSPEI. Also look for respite resources, Communication Options for Families, offerings from the Supporting Neurodiverse Students System and much more....
NEW WORKSHOPS and DATES FOR THE WINTER MONTHS!
Navigating Special Education Resources Workshop
This workshop will help participants gain basic information about special education, learn about resources and specific tools and strategies to use when working with school staff to support their child.
Session 1 Topics: Acronyms/Terms; Birth-3; Pre-School; Communication Session 2 Topics: Evaluation Reports; IEPs; Transition(PTP); General Information.
Session dates: 12/1/23 & 12/8/23 Registration closes November 17!
Information Flyers for details and registration links:
Navigating Special Education Resources Workshop
Navigating Special Education Resources - Spanish (Conozca los Recursos para la Educación Especial)
Families As Partners is a five-session education and leadership opportunity for families focused on building relationships with school staff and others that can improve student outcomes. The first session for 2024 begins on January 16th!
Information Flyers for details and registration links:
Families As Partners - Winter 2024
Families As Partners - Winter 2024 Spanish (Las familias como aliados)
Join families and educators from throughout the state of Wisconsin to take a deeper dive into the book "Powerful Partnerships" the work of Karen Mapp, Ilene Carver and Jessica Lander. Discussions are held bi-weekly on Thursdays beginning January 4, 2024.
Flyers with additional details and links to registration:
Powerful Partnership Book Study - Winter 2024
Powerful Partnerships - Winter 2024 Spanish (Alianzas poderosas: una guía para maestros para involucrar a las familias para el éxito estudiantil)
ONGOING CONNECTIONS - ALL ARE WELCOME!
The Family Support Community is a monthly learning opportunity offered to families and other caregivers supporting a child(ren) with a disability. Meetings are held on the first Wednesday of the month.
Additional information and registration links can be found on these flyers:
Family Support Community Spanish (Comunidad de Apoyo Familiar)
The Family Engagement Community of Practice is a learning community for educators, administrators, statewide agencies, community partners, and families focusing on family-engagement-specific topics.
Meetings occur on the second Wednesday of the month.
For more information and registration details click link below:
WI FACETS November Newsletter with Information, Resources and Upcoming Events
Family Engagement November 2023 Newsletter
This month's topic covers Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports(PBIS)
Wisconsin Training Calendar | WI FACETS
Calendar with all Training Events for 2023
🍎👩🏽🌾🍏
Circles of Life is Wisconsin’s annual conference for families who have children with disabilities and the professionals who support them.
May 16-17, 2023
Holiday Inn
Stevens Point, WI
Dates: April 25-27, 2024
Location: Kalahari Convention Center, Wisconsin Dells, WI
Call For Proposals
The deadline to submit a proposal is November 17th, 2023.
End of Quarter Report Cards and Progress Reports will be coming home soon!
If your child has an IEP, you know how important it is to advocate for your child’s needs. If you have questions about your child's current progress toward their goals, this resources provides some questions to ask and possible conversation starters for talking with your child's teacher:
Your child’s IEP includes annual goals. While the school is required to update you on progress toward the goals, you may want to keep track on your own, too.
Do you have questions about the services and specialized instruction your child receives and don’t know who you can talk to? This document provides options available for you.
Communications Options for Families - English
Opciones de comunicación para familias
Families and schools have a “built-in” partnership with the child as the focus. This partnership will grow when parents and school staff work together. Disagreements may happen, but working together improves your child’s education:
🐿November is National Family Caregivers Month
10 consejos para cuidadoras familiares
From Parent To Parent of Wisconsin:
To locate a Respite Care Provider Visit:
This Learning System provides adults with the learning needed to implement strategies that support students with significantly divergent social and emotional learning needs.
Here are two learning opportunities we are featuring this month:
Statewide Learning Cohort: Come join a learning community around topics connected to students with neurodiverse needs. This cohort will meet monthly from 3:30-4:30 to learn with and from each other. You do not need to attend all events, join when you can or for the subjects that interest you.
Meeting details and dates: Supporting Neurodiverse Students Cohort
NO COST Monthly Virtual Learning Events: Virtual learning opportunities with a focus on regulation, social communication, flexibility, resilience, sensory processing, and executive functioning. These learning opportunities aim to support educators and families serving students with disability-related needs in the area of social and emotional learning.
Topics and meeting dates: Supporting Neurodiverse Students Virtual Learning Events
PROJECT SEARCH WISCONSIN
Project SEARCH is a business led collaboration that enables young adults with disabilities to gain and maintain employment through training and career exploration.
A 9-12 month program, Project SEARCH provides total immersion in a large community business. Students with disabilities are offered a workforce alternative for their last year of high school. All participants must be eligible for services with the Wisconsin Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR). At some sites, young adults who have completed high school may be eligible to participate in Project SEARCH.
To find a Project Search Location in your area click on this link for the interactive map:
Open Applications(so far, more to come) for 2024:
Project SEARCH - Children’s Wisconsin Tour and Application Material Information
Project SEARCH - Milwaukee County Zoo Tour and Application Material Information
Information from Attendance Works
As the ripple effects of the pandemic continue to rattle the nation, paying attention to attendance is more crucial than ever. Recovering from the pandemic depends upon students being present and actively engaged in learning.
America has an attendance crisis. Based upon emerging data, we estimate chronic absence has doubled. Chronic absence (missing 10% or more of school) is an early warning sign that students are at risk of not reading proficiently by the end of third grade, struggling academically in middle school and dropping out of high school.
Help your child succeed:
en la preescuela y en kindergarten
Connect with WSPEI!
Not on our mailing list? Click the button below to subscribe.
Share with families and others you know!
Email: wspei@cesa12.org
Website: www.wspei.org
Location: Wisconsin, USA
Phone: 833-879-7734
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WisconsinStatewideParentEducatorInitiative
The Wisconsin Statewide Parent‐Educator Initiative (CFDA #84.027A) acknowledges the support of the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction in the development of all products or publications and for the continued support of this federally‐funded grant project.