Special Services Department

Two of our Special Services team members were recognized this month for their hard work and commitment to School Psychology.

• Elizabeth Torres, School Psychologist, has been recognized by the Washington State Association of School Psychologists (WSASP) as the 2023 recipient of the first ever Best Practices Award for Leadership.
• Maria Anguiano Rivera, School Psychologist Assistant, received the Diversity Scholarship and Award from WSASP.

Please join us in congratulating them both for these honors. Great job, Beth & Maria!

The search to find more awesome individuals for our Speech & Language Pathology (SLP) team is in full force! Three of our current SLP team members attended a career fair in Spokane to meet some soon to be graduates from some of our local universities. We not only were able to share with them some of the opportunities we have here within our SLP Team, but also got to connect with them in person. Thank you to Carly Jackson, Leigh Ann Meade and RaeAnn Fleming for representing MLSD!

This month’s Special Services Superhero nominations are in! It is clear we have some dedicated and amazing staff in our children’s lives!

Please note that depending on the response we may want to share more than one of these amazing stories each month, although everyone will receive personal recognition from SEPAC.

Karrie was nominated by the mother of an MLHS student for her kindness and stepping up to help a student new to the district after a difficult transition. His family has seen him grow and flourish under her care.

Emily is always helpful to this student in any way she can be. She always puts a smile on her face. This family is grateful for all the ways she has helped!

Mrs. Henson is nominated for her continued support and enthusiasm and her ability to help their son be included in all aspects of his school. She is greatly appreciated.

This family nominated him because of his extreme dedication to their son’s education. He comes after school and coaching to help this student, is always positive and truly believes in their son. This student loves to see his Mr. D every day!

Is there someone who has helped in your child’s education, going above and beyond to see your child for who they really are? Has someone gone the extra mile to include your child and brighten their day?

You and your child can nominate them for the monthly Special Services Superhero! Fill out this NOMINATION FORM and a Superhero will be featured in our newsletter.

The mission of the Moses Lake School District SEPAC is to facilitate collaboration between students, parents, staff, the Board of Education, and the community at large. The SEPAC will promote training and resources, inclusive practices, understanding of, respect for, and support of all children with special needs in our community.

Whether you have a student on an IEP or 504, or just want to learn more about the process, we encourage all parents to attend and get involved.

November 14, 2023, 4:30-5:30 pm

Back to Basics IEP Training for Parents

All meetings will be held at The Moses Lake School District, Learning Services Center (McConihe Meeting Room),

1620 S. Pioneer Way, Moses Lake

A local Special Education Parent Advisory Council, or SEPAC (sea-pack) is a district-level, parent-driven group that provides input to the local school district on system-level challenges in special education. As we look at our systems as a whole, we want to hear from you! To provide input please email: sepac@mlsd161.org. Emails will not be able to be reviewed if they contain school, staff or student-identifying information. Emails will not be replied to individually, you will receive an automated response. All emails will be reviewed and action taken by the SEPAC.

School Psychologists are a key member of a child's IEP team. At MLSD, we are lucky enough to have not only some stellar School Psychologists, but also School Psychologist Interns, Assessment Specialists and Psychology Assistants. Click on this LINK to see where you can find these team members around the district and how to get a hold of them if needed.

Back by popular demand, our Occupational and Physical Therapists have provided another great resource focusing on our Motor Skills. Take time to incorporate some of these movements and skills into your routine to help prepare or strengthen our bodies and minds for learning.