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Family Connections
November 2023
A MESSAGE FROM OUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF SPECIAL SERVICES, DR. STALEY
November is an important time for us all to reflect on the many blessings for which we are grateful. I am certainly thankful for the many blessings in my life, including working with our amazing Special Services staff, parents/caregivers, teachers, and support staff. I am also thankful to have great collaboration from the educators and staff that support our students. When you take on an endeavor like this you need to know that you have the support of your staff and community! For this I am blessed!
Thank you to everyone who continues to utilize the Parent Resource Center. We are so grateful that we are able to offer you this support! Make sure that you are checking out our Calendar of Events listed at https://www.ccisd.net/specialservices for trainings and special events. More events will be added as we continue to collaborate with you and find out what your needs are. Thanks for all that you do to help us grow and for your continued support! Remember that We Are Here For You!!!
As always, if we can be of service to you, please reach out via the link in the newsletter, by emailing sped@ccisd.net, or contacting us through our Parent Resource Center Specialist (Penny Sweeney) at 281-284-0751. We are here for you!
***The information provided in this newsletter is gathered from a variety of sources and is not sponsored by, nor affiliated with CCISD. The information is provided for your information and review.
If translation is needed for the Newsletter:
On the right-hand column under Accessibility, click on Translate and choose desired language.
Si se necesita traducción para el Boletín:
En la columna de la derecha, abajo en donde dice Accessibility, haga clic en Traducir y elija el idioma deseado
Dr. Michele Staley
CCISD Executive Director of Special Services
Coffee Chats, Power Hours and Family Nights
Coffee Chat & Power Hour
2023-2024
Coffee Chats: All sessions held on specified Thursday mornings: See below for topic and date
Time: 9 am-10 am
Please enter through the main front entrance
Follow signs to the Parent Resource Center Rm. 1038
Power Hour: All sessions held on specified Monday evenings: See below for topic and date
Time: 5 pm-6 pm
Please park in the side parking area by the tennis courts and enter through the side or front entrance. These sessions will be held in the Parent Resource Center
follow the signs to the sessions.
Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE) Family Nights
ECSE Family Nights: All sessions held on specified Thursday evenings
See below for topic and date
Time: 5 pm-6 pm
Please park in the rear parking area and enter through the back entrance. These sessions will be held in the Commons.
Where:
CCISD Learner Support Center
2903 Falcon Pass
Houston, Texas 77062
Register at https://www.ccisd.net/specialservices#parent-resource-center
Coffee Chats: Special Olympics
The Clear Creek ISD Challengers Special Olympics team is a district wide sports team for CCISD students. The Challengers participate in 5 sports throughout the school year: swimming, bowling, basketball, track & field, and soccer. To compete in Special Olympics with the CCISD Challengers, students must be at least eight years old and identified as having one of the following: Intellectual Disabilities or closely related development disability, which means having functional limitations in both general learning and in adaptive skills such as recreation, work, independent living, self-direction, or self-care. Presenter: Ashley Burges, Clear Creek ISD Challengers Special Olympics, Head Coach.
Thursday, Nov 2, 2023, 09:00 AM
Learner Support Center CCISD, Falcon Pass, Houston, TX, Rm. 1038 Parent Resource Center
RSVPs are enabled for this event.
Power Hour: Special Olympics
The Clear Creek ISD Challengers Special Olympics team is a district wide sports team for CCISD students. The Challengers participate in 5 sports throughout the school year: swimming, bowling, basketball, track & field, and soccer. To compete in Special Olympics with the CCISD Challengers, students must be at least eight years old and identified as having one of the following: Intellectual Disabilities or closely related development disability, which means having functional limitations in both general learning and in adaptive skills such as recreation, work, independent living, self- direction, or self-care. Presenter: Ashley Burges, Clear Creek ISD Challengers Special Olympics, Head Coach.
Monday, Nov 6, 2023, 05:00 PM
Learner Support Center CCISD, Falcon Pass, Houston, TX, Rm. 1038 Parent Resource Center
RSVPs are enabled for this event.
Coffee Chat: Parental Anxiety
We all worry about our kids, but what is a “normal” level of worry? And what can we do about it? Post-COVID, almost a third of all adults report feeling symptoms of anxiety and/or depression. We want to recognize, normalize, and validate this quite common parenting experience, and give you tools to cope. Presenter: Julia Strait PhD (Lead Assessment Specialist, School Psychologist)
Thursday, Nov 9, 2023, 09:00 AM
Learner Support Center CCISD, Falcon Pass, Houston, TX, Parent Resource Center Rm.1038
RSVPs are enabled for this event.
ECSE Family Night
Play Based Learning
Kids learn best when they are engaged in play. We will talk through ways to interact with your child and teach social skills.
Thursday, Nov 9, 2023, 05:00 PM
Learner Support Center CCISD, Falcon Pass, Houston, TX, USA Commons
RSVPs are enabled for this event.
Power Hour: Parental Anxiety
We all worry about our kids, but what is a “normal” level of worry? And what can we do about it? Post-COVID, almost a third of all adults report feeling symptoms of anxiety and/or depression. We want to recognize, normalize, and validate this quite common parenting experience, and give you tools to cope. Presenter: Julia Strait PhD (Lead Assessment Specialist, School Psychologist)
Monday, Nov 13, 2023, 05:00 PM
Learner Support Center CCISD, Falcon Pass, Houston, TX Parent Resource Center room 1038
RSVPs are enabled for this event.
Coffee Chat: Understanding the Individual Education Program (IEP) Goal Process
In this session, participants will review the required components in your child’s special education Present Levels of Academic Achievement and Functional Performance (PLAAFP) statements and Individualized Education Program (IEP) Goals and discuss techniques for collaborating with school personnel to develop appropriate programming for your child. Presenter: Hailey Schwarz, Special Education Coach/ SLL Content Expert
Thursday, Nov 30, 2023, 09:00 AM
Learner Support Center CCISD, Falcon Pass, Houston, TX, Parent Resource Center room 1038
RSVPs are enabled for this event.
Power Hour: Understanding the Individual Education Program (IEP) Goal Process
In this session, participants will review the required components in your child’s special education Present Levels of Academic Achievement and Functional Performance (PLAAFP) statements and Individualized Education Program (IEP) Goals and discuss techniques for collaborating with school personnel to develop appropriate programming for your child. Presenter: Hailey Schwarz, Special Education Coach/ SLL Content Expert
Monday, Dec 4, 2023, 05:00 PM
Learner Support Center CCISD, Falcon Pass, Houston, TX, USA room 1038 Parent Resource Center
RSVPs are enabled for this event.
Let’s Grow Together This November!
As parents and educators, we share the goal of helping our children grow in school, at home, and in life. This includes recognizing individual growth, bridging differences, celebrating diversity, building positive relationships, providing opportunities to gain new knowledge and skills, and encouraging them to take on challenges and persevere when things get tough. Working together, we can support student growth through these formative years.
To highlight these goals, students, and staff in Clear Creek ISD and across the nation will be recognizing National School Psychology Week, November 6–10, 2023. The theme is “Let’s Grow Together!”
School psychologists, also referred to as LSSPs, are members of the school team who support students’ ability to learn and teachers’ ability to teach. We apply expertise in mental health, learning, and behavior to help children and youth succeed academically, socially, behaviorally, and emotionally. We provide direct support and interventions to students, such as learning assessments, academic and behavioral interventions, counseling, and social skills training. We also work with families, teachers, and other educators to improve school-wide practices and policies that help make our school community a safe, supportive, and welcoming space in which all children can thrive.
Reinforcing children’s natural and learned capacity for resiliency is a primary focus of National School Psychology Week and school psychologists’ role. As parents, you know your children best and are essential to this work. There are many ways to help children take on new challenges, learn new skills, and feel valued so that they can grow as individuals and contribute to a positive school community. You can:
1. Encourage your child to set goals and to map out a plan for achieving them.
2. Help your child internalize a sense that individuals grow in their own ways, often in their own time, through engagement and interaction with their surroundings, and any forward movement is a success.
3. Emphasize that learning and growing requires trying new things and that success comes from small steps to a long-term goal.
4. Help them work through setbacks or lack of self-confidence by helping them identify negative thoughts that may suggest concerns about their ability to be successful. Instead, encourage them to see the small steps they can take to overcome obstacles and succeed.
5. Praise attempts as well as success, and make sure that you focus on the effort put forth by your child.
6. Demonstrate through your own behaviors how to try new, challenging activities as a way to grow while also having fun.
7. Find ways to celebrate diversity and accept others or take steps with your child to actively learn about others that are different from you.
8. Model the joy of learning by reading about a variety of topics with your child and let them know that you, too, are learning new things.
9. Model perseverance and problem solving when faced with challenges or difficulties.
10. Help your child develop positive relationships with peers and adults and model respectful, caring behaviors with others.
A School Psychologist is assigned to each CCISD campus. To reach the School Psychologist for your child’s campus, you may contact the campus special education team leader or email the Director of Special Education Support Services at pmoore1@ccisd.net. We are here to help!
Eight Tips for Introducing Dyslexia to Your Child
https://www.understood.org/en/articles/8-tips-for-introducing-dyslexia-to-your-child
SEPTA NEWS
Does your campus PTA have a SEPTA representative? Contact Sylvia McGurk, SEPTA REP. Coordinator at mcgurk.sylvia@yahoo.com
November Membership Meeting November 14, 2023 at 6:30pm Learner Support Center
CONGRATULATIONS to our VP of Membership, Susan Rogers! Your membership drive & hard work paid off and we achieved the Early Bird Achievement Award for the month of September! This means the Special Education PTA reached 100% or more of last year's total membership in September!
Fun and Engaging Thanksgiving Activities Article from The Elementary Team
Thanksgiving dinner is one of America’s biggest traditions and memories spent with friends and family can last a lifetime. The big meal is a lot to plan in itself, especially for families of children with special needs. Planning in advance is key. Below are some tips to help your child with special needs feel comfortable and part of the family Thanksgiving tradition.
Fun and Engaging Thanksgiving Activities
Try involving your child in some these Thanksgiving activities that will help teach him or her about the traditions and customs that are associated with the holiday:
Turkey Baster Water Transfer
Encourages the development of fine motor skills!
- Set out 2 bowls, one filled with water one empty.
- Teach your child how to use a turkey baster and fill it with water.
- Have them use the baster to transfer water from one bowl to the other.
Thanksgiving Matching
Put your child’s memory to the test with a matching game!
- Print out pictures of Thanksgiving-related images onto index cards, with 2 cards for each image.
- Lay the cards face down and have your child try to match the cards.
- Discuss the names of the images to promote language development.
Turkey Feather Counting
Promote number recognition and one-to-one correspondence!
- Draw images of turkeys without feathers.
- Write a number on the body of each turkey.
- Have your child glue the number of feathers onto the turkey that corresponds to the number.
Dressing for Thanksgiving
Showing off your family at its best dressed can be a little tricky when you have a special needs child. Don’t let fancy outfits make or break your holiday. If your child fusses, just let him or her pick the outfit. Then you can just add some festive accessories!
- Hang a Thanksgiving drawing like a turkey or pilgrim hat around your child’s neck with a piece of yarn.
- String some Thanksgiving colored large beads or pasta on a piece of yarn and your child can wear it as a bracelet or necklace.
- Paint a Thanksgiving design on your child’s cheek or hand.
- Stick a feather into a ponytail or braid, or pin it to the back of a sweatshirt hood.
- Use fabric paints to decorate a plain t-shirt with Thanksgiving designs.
- Re-lace your child’s shoes with Thanksgiving colored or themed shoelaces.
- Use Thanksgiving colored or themed socks.
- Find a lightweight Thanksgiving pin to attach to whatever outift your child agrees to wear.
- If all else fails, be thankful that your child agrees to wear clothes at all!
Planning Thanksgiving Dinner
When planning this yearly get-together, ask around to see which family member has the most accessible home. If you have an accessible, why not be the one to host dinner? This will already make your child feel more comfortable being in a very familiar place with less familiar faces and activities.
Traveling with your special needs is hard enough. To help make things a little easier, try asking a pre-teen or teen family member to travel with you as your helper. Chances are they will jump at the chance to travel to Grandma’s house with your family instead of his or her own. Your child will enjoy traveling and playing with someone closer to his or her own age.
Preparing Thanksgiving Foods
Some kids are on a special diet, which means they can’t eat all the same foods as the rest of the family. If possible, prepare their food in a special way to celebrate Thanksgiving.
For a child fed through a feeding tube, a family dinner can be tough. If relatives are comfortable with your child being fed while everyone else eats, try some thanksgiving tube feeding recipes. You can also feed your child ahead of time, or wait to attend the party until after dinner.
Because your child is eating differently, don’t let that make him or her feel left out. To help your child feel more included, have them help prepare the foods even they aren’t eating (children often want to try foods that they’ve helped make!) and in other productive ways like grocery shopping or setting the table.
Know What to Expect
Don’t expect the entire night to be perfect. Be prepared for at least one tantrum, but more kids at dinner usually means fewer tantrums because they’re having so much fun!
Do your best to prevent tantrums in the first place by making sure your child gets enough sleep the night before Thanksgiving dinner as well as his or her regularly scheduled nap.
https://www.eparent.com/eparent-connect/thanksgiving-celebration-with-your-special-needs-child/