October is...
Disability History Month!
In honor of disability history month, please consider checking out this awesome, inspirational video about appreciation of people with disabilities!
Physical Therapist Appreciation Month
Auburn has the best PTs anywhere! And since there are only three of them, let's get to know them all individually!
My name is Elise Ostrander and I have been a PT for 32 years. After graduating from Duke University I have had the opportunity to work at Mary Bridge Children's Hospital, Seattle Childrens Hospital, Tacoma General and at Auburn School District. My husband and I have two wonderful kids, a daughter who is a professional ballerina and is married to her husband Ryan, and a son who works in Financial Services. We love spending our time with them whenever we get the chance! Boating, paddleboarding, biking, and baking are some of my favorite hobbies! I feel blessed to work in ASD with such talented people who are passionate in our work together, to achieve the best outcomes for our students!
My name is Kelly Phillips. My husband and I have two amazing kids, one girl and one boy. I went to Eastern Washington University for undergraduate school and the University of Washington for my doctorate degree in physical therapy. I have been a PT for 6 years, all of which have been spent working in the Auburn School District. On the weekends you can catch me boating, fishing, going on family bike rides, enjoying the outdoors (especially in the hot weather), or watching football. I love working with kids and truly enjoy working for the Auburn School District.
I am Christina Bock! I have been a Physical Therapist for 12 years, 10 of which, I have worked with pediatric populations at Auburn School District and Seattle Children's Hospital. I went to Western Washington University for undergrad and my Doctorate through Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. My true passion in my field is durable medical equipment prescription and wheelchair management. Seeing a child move themself (in a wheelchair), stand, or walk for the first time brings me great joy in life! I am
married to my best friend and we have two energetic boys. In my free time, I love reading, playing nerf wars with my boys, lifting weights, cooking, and gardening. We are all built to move!
FAQ: How Much Do I Write Before a Meeting?
From our Department Manual:
Although no IEP or evaluation decisions are complete until the in-person discussion, you should still fully-draft your IEP or evaluation proposal prior to the meeting (all sections except the PWN). Clearly label it as a draft, and send parents a copy ahead of time. This allows them the time and opportunity to fully consider any questions or changes they'd like to discuss. This is also important so that team members working on the same document can collaborate and see each other's ideas ahead of time, to improve teamwork and fit, for situations where services may overlap.
The reason we say to draft all sections except the PWN, is that the PWN typically acts as a final summary of decisions made in a meeting, and those final decisions are not made until the meeting itself. The name, "prior" notice, refers to a notice that is given to parents before the final decisions are implemented, not to a notice that is given prior to the meeting starting.
A Reminder From APSF...
Auburn Public Schools Foundation grant applications are due next Tuesday at midnight! This year, the goal of the APSF is to provide $100,000 to ASD schools and classrooms through $1,000 grants (which means we are funding a TON of grants! 100 of them, to be exact). The application is open for any ASD staff to apply.
Things we do not fund:
-shirts for trips/classes (if you have a student that needs a shirt/clothing in general, please connect with your FEL our health tech to access our pantry project funds)
-ipads or other technology that doesn't work with district systems
-anything that does not align with district priorities/strategic plan/the 7 CRPs
Here is the link to the application: https://app.smarterselect.com/programs/90877
Where Do New Special Educators Come From?
Congratulations to our new parents!
Congratulations to Randi Nelson, ECE teacher at Bowman!
Congratulations to Allison Rise, School Psychologist at Hazelwood!
Congratulations to Angelica Inman, Teacher of Students with Visual Impairments!
Congratulations to Nikki Clemons, Director of Early Learning
Congratulations to Brooke Fox, Occupational Therapist at Bowman and Ilalko!
Helpful Information
Progress reports will be due soon!
We report progress on all IEP goals to parents at the same time as we send grades, so now is the time to be sure you are collecting clear data on goal progress to make that process easy.
Link to a Fall Training Series session on gathering progress data using Goalbook resources
The Fall Training Series ends on 11/5, so you're not too late! Be sure to take a look at the many opportunities developed by SSS staff. You can get paid extra to listen to us talk! Also, if you missed the Inclusionary Practices Institute, we have some recordings of the phenomenal Shelley Moore, which are HIGHLY recommended. We also have sessions on:
The incomparable, Dr. Shelley Moore!