Welcome to 8A! Looking forward to a great year!!!

Transcription

1 Welcome to 8A! Hello! My name is Ashley Warren and I will be your child s teacher this year! I am excited to be teaching at Oak Ridge School this year and even more excited to get to know you and your child. Joining our class this year as aides will be Troy Lojeski and Cathy Cozzie. In this packet, you will find general information about our classroom. Please contact me if you have any questions or concerns by phone at (708) or awarren@npd177.net. Looking forward to a great year!!!

2 Student Assessment, Grading, Homework, and Curriculum Students will be individually assessed on their goals that they will be working on throughout the year. The goals that each student will be working on are from their individual IEP (Individualized Educational Plan). These assessments will include both informal and formal teacher assessments. The assessments will be conducted to show a student s progress or regression toward a specific goal. Homework will be given upon parent request and as deemed appropriate by the teacher. All homework that will be given will reinforce skills that were learned and practiced at school. For students who are not yet at the paper and pencil level, homework can include things such as routine chores at home; setting the table, folding clothes, putting away silverware, taking dirty clothes to the laundry room, etc. The curriculum is heavily guided by the individual goals of each student, in accordance to each students IEP. Each student will be receiving 4 progress updates a year (one for each quarter). In lieu of report cards, updates on each student s goals will be sent home at report card time.

3 State Assessments Grades 3-5 Students may take the Illinois Alternative Assessment (IAA) as noted on their IEP. Students who do not take the IAA will be taking the Illinois Standards Achievement Test (ISAT) with or without accommodations as noted on their IEP. Please talk to me individually if you have questions regarding either assessment. Information About IAA Assessment is completed in the following areas: Reading, Math, & Writing The Illinois Alternate Assessment (IAA) is the yardstick the state uses to measure the learning of students with significant cognitive disabilities. Students with severe disabilities take the IAA if participation in the state s regular assessments the Illinois Standards Achievement Test or the Prairie State Achievement Examination is not appropriate, even with accommodations. Source: The state assesses (scores) the students for progress. The Alternative Assessment was developed to assess the progress of students in special education who would not receive an honest and accurate score on a state assessment test (pencil and paper test).

4 Classroom Expectations and Procedures Classroom Rules 1. Follow directions. 2. Keep hands and feet to yourself. 3. Raise your hand. 4. Start your work as soon as it is given to you. 5. Be a friend! Classroom Behavior Plan During the course of the day, students have many opportunities to pick a reward and then work for their reward. Each student has a Working for card with 3 steps. As the student completes work they will earn a coin, when they have earned 3 coins they can trade the coins for their reward. We also use a system of First., then When students know what to expect and how to earn items they want, behavior is easily guided. Another behavior system that our classroom uses is receiving mustang money (PBIS). Students may receive a gold ticket at any time during the day for good behavior. Mustang tickets may be turned in for incentives such as, trips to a treasure box, extra recess, computer time and other treats! Student Folders Students have one folder to take home every night. Parents and students should go through this folder every night. Folders should be cleared of all papers before returning it to school. Reading Please spend time each night to read with your child!!

5 PE The students go to PE class Monday, Thursday, and Friday. Students will not be given time to change before PE class. Please dress your son or daughter in appropriate clothes for PE. Your child will need to wear gym shoes for PE class. Please send gym shoes to change into before class if they are not already wearing them for the day. Snack Please send a healthy snack with your child daily, as we will be eating snack as a group each day around 10:00 a.m. Teacher/Parent Communication If you have questions or concerns, I can be reached by phone at (708) or awarren@npd117.net Please call or me with any questions or concerns. I will be happy to talk to you and truly believe that students are more successful when parents and teachers maintain open communication. My classroom phone will not ring when students are present but feel free to leave a voic . I check my messages regularly and will do my best to return calls within 24 hours.

6 Allergy Form Dear Parents, Please list all known allergies to food, medicine, etc, that your child may have. If your child has no allergies, please write none on the line. Thank you, Mrs. Ashley Warren Students name: Known allergies to food, medicine, etc: Parent Signature Date

7 Accidents happen and it is best to be prepared. Please send in an extra set of clothing for your son or daughter including the following: One pair of shorts One pair of pants One t-shirt One set of socks One pair of underwear If your son or daughter wears pull-ups, please send in a package of pull-ups and wipes. At the end of the year all clothing will be returned and sent home with your child. Thank you!

8 Tips for parents: Be consistent. Children have a hard time adapting what they ve learned in one setting (such as the therapist s office or school) to others, including the home. For example, your child may use sign language at school to communicate, but never think to do so at home. Creating consistency in your child s environment is the best way to reinforce learning. Find out what your child s therapists are doing and continue their techniques at home. Explore the possibility of having therapy take place in more than one place in order to encourage your child to transfer what he or she has learned from one environment to another. It s also important to be consistent in the way you interact with your child and deal with challenging behaviors. Stick to a schedule. Children tend to do best when they have a highly-structured schedule or routine. Again, this goes back to the consistency they both need and crave. Set up a schedule for your child, with regular times for meals, therapy, school, and bedtime. Try to keep disruptions to this routine to a minimum. If there is an unavoidable schedule change, prepare your child for it in advance. Reward good behavior. Positive reinforcement can go a long way with children, so make an effort to catch them doing something good. Praise them when they act appropriately or learn a new skill, being very specific about what behavior they re being praised for. Also look for other ways to reward them for good behavior, such as giving them a sticker or letting them play with a favorite toy. Create a home safety zone. Carve out a private space in your home where your child can relax, feel secure, and be safe. This will involve organizing and setting boundaries in ways your child can understand. Visual cues can be helpful (colored tape marking areas that are off limits, labeling items in the house with pictures). You may also need to safety proof the house, particularly if your child is prone to tantrums or other behaviors.