Guest guest Posted April 22, 2008 Report Share Posted April 22, 2008 This may all change after my IEP on Thursday <g> but as it stands right now.....So far my school has truly been the best of both worlds for her. She has her SPED teacher who runs the class like a typical class in that she expects the same social behavior as the gen ed room, and also expects the kids to the work hard and learn. She does not teach down to anyone, though she does allow students to feel good about where they are at, and helps them build from there.In that room she has learned- counting to 100, skip counting, all the basic science curriculum the typical 1st-2nd graders learn ( right now they are all learning about the eggs and chicks including every day they draw a new picture of the developing chick! I love that she uses all the correct classroom vocabulary with the kids too, and because of that , she has quite the great vocab. They are waiting for the eggs they are incubating to hatch right now. She is learning reading comprehension skills and how to answer all the "w' questions, spelling, addition, how to treat other people, how to move through a large building independently, how to take care of herself with regards to getting to the bathroom and all that involves, getting her school work out, handing it in, doing homework, playing at recess with LOTS of people, doing all those little jobs kids in school do. It has improved her independence a 1000 fold. Listening skills and how to follow directions. Socializing with other kids and being part of the community to the point where she is well known and others not only feel comfortable with her, but go out of their way to greet her outside of school. She works very hard to be understood and I think it has helped her speech to be in that environment. How to roller skate, square dance, play typical group games, sing, give a singing performance and be in front of a lot of people, be involved in a play and other school performances. Work within a group and with other kids- cooperation. She as moved forward with her physical skills as well and the OT that works in the room comes up with all kinds of crazy and fun things for them to do that stretches them. She is big in to yoga and always has them doing poses that works on balance along with focusing their thinking.Just her constant exposure to all the learning that goes on there all day is worth it's weight it's gold at the moment. So far it's been very, very good for us. I homeschooled for 8 years or so, but there is no way that I could have done all this for her at home. They are able to do so much more with and for her simply because there are so many MORE of them ( teachers, therapists, supports etc) then there are of me. :-) If one of them is missing or having an off day, there are still many others not having a bad day so the consistency of her learning and moving forward is better then what I could do at home while also managing the family and her health. I have only run into a few people directly involved with her that I didn't think really cared, over all everyone is very vested and truly cares about ALL those kids. They go above and beyond the call the duty for many of them who do not have family support-things like making them Halloween costumes to wear at school and supplying them with show and tell items... even I am not exempt as I forgot to send in an 'invention' for the letter i last week and They used her gel ICEPACK from her lunch!!! :-) I do feel we are a team and it's been great the past couple of years. Carol in IL AIM doihavtasay1 GigaTribe doihavtasayMom to seven including , 7 with TOF, AVcanal, GERD, LS, Asthma, subglottal stenosis, and DS.My problem is not how I look. It's how you see me. Join our Down Syndrome information group - http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/DownSyndromeInfoExchange/ Listen to oldest dd's music http://www.myspace.com/vennamusic----- Original Message ----To: downsyndromeinfoexchange Sent: Tuesday, April 22, 2008 9:53:02 AMSubject: [DownSyndromeInfoExchange] Share the good thingsI have heard all the negative things about Public Schools. I want to hear from everyone with success stories !! Why you love your school ?What are they doing you like best ? Thanks ! Carol P. Hugs, Carol P. Be a better friend, newshound, and know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile. Try it now. Be a better friend, newshound, and know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile. Try it now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 22, 2008 Report Share Posted April 22, 2008 This may all change after my IEP on Thursday <g> but as it stands right now.....So far my school has truly been the best of both worlds for her. She has her SPED teacher who runs the class like a typical class in that she expects the same social behavior as the gen ed room, and also expects the kids to the work hard and learn. She does not teach down to anyone, though she does allow students to feel good about where they are at, and helps them build from there.In that room she has learned- counting to 100, skip counting, all the basic science curriculum the typical 1st-2nd graders learn ( right now they are all learning about the eggs and chicks including every day they draw a new picture of the developing chick! I love that she uses all the correct classroom vocabulary with the kids too, and because of that , she has quite the great vocab. They are waiting for the eggs they are incubating to hatch right now. She is learning reading comprehension skills and how to answer all the "w' questions, spelling, addition, how to treat other people, how to move through a large building independently, how to take care of herself with regards to getting to the bathroom and all that involves, getting her school work out, handing it in, doing homework, playing at recess with LOTS of people, doing all those little jobs kids in school do. It has improved her independence a 1000 fold. Listening skills and how to follow directions. Socializing with other kids and being part of the community to the point where she is well known and others not only feel comfortable with her, but go out of their way to greet her outside of school. She works very hard to be understood and I think it has helped her speech to be in that environment. How to roller skate, square dance, play typical group games, sing, give a singing performance and be in front of a lot of people, be involved in a play and other school performances. Work within a group and with other kids- cooperation. She as moved forward with her physical skills as well and the OT that works in the room comes up with all kinds of crazy and fun things for them to do that stretches them. She is big in to yoga and always has them doing poses that works on balance along with focusing their thinking.Just her constant exposure to all the learning that goes on there all day is worth it's weight it's gold at the moment. So far it's been very, very good for us. I homeschooled for 8 years or so, but there is no way that I could have done all this for her at home. They are able to do so much more with and for her simply because there are so many MORE of them ( teachers, therapists, supports etc) then there are of me. :-) If one of them is missing or having an off day, there are still many others not having a bad day so the consistency of her learning and moving forward is better then what I could do at home while also managing the family and her health. I have only run into a few people directly involved with her that I didn't think really cared, over all everyone is very vested and truly cares about ALL those kids. They go above and beyond the call the duty for many of them who do not have family support-things like making them Halloween costumes to wear at school and supplying them with show and tell items... even I am not exempt as I forgot to send in an 'invention' for the letter i last week and They used her gel ICEPACK from her lunch!!! :-) I do feel we are a team and it's been great the past couple of years. Carol in IL AIM doihavtasay1 GigaTribe doihavtasayMom to seven including , 7 with TOF, AVcanal, GERD, LS, Asthma, subglottal stenosis, and DS.My problem is not how I look. It's how you see me. Join our Down Syndrome information group - http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/DownSyndromeInfoExchange/ Listen to oldest dd's music http://www.myspace.com/vennamusic----- Original Message ----To: downsyndromeinfoexchange Sent: Tuesday, April 22, 2008 9:53:02 AMSubject: [DownSyndromeInfoExchange] Share the good thingsI have heard all the negative things about Public Schools. I want to hear from everyone with success stories !! Why you love your school ?What are they doing you like best ? Thanks ! Carol P. Hugs, Carol P. Be a better friend, newshound, and know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile. Try it now. Be a better friend, newshound, and know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile. Try it now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 22, 2008 Report Share Posted April 22, 2008 http://www.onetruemedia.com/otm_site/view_shared?p=7f9c84cef53ffc8fd76a1 & skin_id=0 This is the video of 7 WONDERFUL years of elementary school, kindergarten through 6th grade. All public schools aren't aweful, this one was a gem. , Mom to 14, DS, Southern CaliforniaTo succeed in life,you need three things:a wishbone, a backbone and a funny bone.~ Reba McIntyre Diagnosis Down Syndrome: A Site of Hope for New Parents or Parents with a Prenatal Diagnosishttp://www.leeworks.net/DDS/What to Say to Parents of a Child with a Diagnosishttp://www.leeworks.net/DDS/speech.html [DownSyndromeInfoExchange] Share the good things I have heard all the negative things about Public Schools. I want to hear from everyone with success stories !! Why you love your school ? What are they doing you like best ? Thanks ! Carol P. Hugs, Carol P. Be a better friend, newshound, and know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile. Try it now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 22, 2008 Report Share Posted April 22, 2008 http://www.onetruemedia.com/otm_site/view_shared?p=7f9c84cef53ffc8fd76a1 & skin_id=0 This is the video of 7 WONDERFUL years of elementary school, kindergarten through 6th grade. All public schools aren't aweful, this one was a gem. , Mom to 14, DS, Southern CaliforniaTo succeed in life,you need three things:a wishbone, a backbone and a funny bone.~ Reba McIntyre Diagnosis Down Syndrome: A Site of Hope for New Parents or Parents with a Prenatal Diagnosishttp://www.leeworks.net/DDS/What to Say to Parents of a Child with a Diagnosishttp://www.leeworks.net/DDS/speech.html [DownSyndromeInfoExchange] Share the good things I have heard all the negative things about Public Schools. I want to hear from everyone with success stories !! Why you love your school ? What are they doing you like best ? Thanks ! Carol P. Hugs, Carol P. Be a better friend, newshound, and know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile. Try it now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 23, 2008 Report Share Posted April 23, 2008 How many students are in the special ed classroom? Are they all approximately the same age/grade level working on similar things? That is the problem I have with our spec ed program...because our district is so small (600 kids total k-12) the special ed #'s aren't very big. There is a resource room where kids come and go and get instruction 1:1 or in small group, but they usually aren't at the same grade/age level. When Mac is in the resource room there may be 4-5 other kids in there of different grades/ages all working on different things. IF it were a math class or a reading class where a group of students were working together--more like a typical classroom atmosphere--I may be more inclined to let him spend more time in the resource room, but not the way it is set up right now. Jill [DownSyndromeInfoExchange] Share the good things I have heard all the negative things about Public Schools. I want to hear from everyone with success stories !! Why you love your school ? What are they doing you like best ? Thanks ! Carol P. Hugs, Carol P. / font> Be a better friend, newshound, and know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile. Try it now. Be a better friend, newshound, and know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile. Try it now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 23, 2008 Report Share Posted April 23, 2008 I wouldn't like that set up either Jill.The Sped room has 13 full time students this year, all of whom go out with their gen ed classrooms for this and that. No one as much as though, and they all are working on the same stuff, just at different levels. Ranges vary widely from ASD to just having trouble keeping up with the gen ed rooms. Only a couple of the kids verge on being non-verbal. They are all doing the same exact curriculum as the gen ed classrooms, and they follow the school year in the same way too.For example- the entire school is doing the chick hatching for science along with life cycles of frogs and butterflies.It looks, sounds and acts like a typical classroom. I have not heard good things about the teacher they are bringing in next year though. I purposely kept her back a year in order to keep her with this teacher, and so now they are bringing the teacher to the students since it seems more then just me had the same idea and NONE of the kids were moving up! LOL plus- she lost all her students....just when you get things planned out. The up side is that the SCHOOL she is in, is fantastic all the way around, so perhaps it will rub off this less than stellar teacher?Or... I just may decide to advance her up to 3rd grade knowing there is NO SPED teacher there at the moment. ;-) Carol in IL AIM doihavtasay1 GigaTribe doihavtasayMom to seven including , 7 with TOF, AVcanal, GERD, LS, Asthma, subglottal stenosis, and DS.My problem is not how I look. It's how you see me. Join our Down Syndrome information group - http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/DownSyndromeInfoExchange/ Listen to oldest dd's music http://www.myspace.com/vennamusic----- Original Message ----To: DownSyndromeInfoExchange Sent: Wednesday, April 23, 2008 2:37:24 PMSubject: Re: [DownSyndromeInfoExchange] Share the good thingsHow many students are in the special ed classroom? Are they all approximately the same age/grade level working on similar things?That is the problem I have with our spec ed program...because our district is so small (600 kids total k-12) the special ed #'s aren't very big. There is a resource room where kids come and go and get instruction 1:1 or in small group, but they usually aren't at the same grade/age level. When Mac is in the resource room there may be 4-5 other kids in there of different grades/ages all working on different things. IF it were a math class or a reading class where a group of students were working together--more like a typical classroom atmosphere-- I may be more inclined to let him spend more time in the resource room, but not the way it is set up right now. Jill [DownSyndromeInfoEx change] Share the good thingsI have heard all the negative things about Public Schools. I want to hear from everyone with success stories !! Why you love your school ?What are they doing you like best ? Thanks ! Carol P. Hugs, Carol P./ font> Be a better friend, newshound, and know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile. Try it now. Be a better friend, newshound, and know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile. Try it now. Be a better friend, newshound, and know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile. Try it now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 24, 2008 Report Share Posted April 24, 2008 Carol, Your situation sounds very good - much better than ours. The make up of the Sped room makes so much difference. We have too wide of a range of students. I did find out that a much better option would exist, but we missed the cutoff date (March 15) and I would have to transport 18 miles one way each day and at the price of gas.....Wow!...Homeschooling is still an option. Marsha > > I wouldn't like that set up either Jill. > > The Sped room has 13 full time students this year, all of whom go out with their gen ed classrooms for this and that. No one as much as though, and they all are working on the same stuff, just at different levels. Ranges vary widely from ASD to just having trouble keeping up with the gen ed rooms. Only a couple of the kids verge on being non-verbal. They are all doing the same exact curriculum as the gen ed classrooms, and they follow the school year in the same way too. > > For example- the entire school is doing the chick hatching for science along with life cycles of frogs and butterflies. > It looks, sounds and acts like a typical classroom. > > I have not heard good things about the teacher they are bringing in next year though. I purposely kept her back a year in order to keep her with this teacher, and so now they are bringing the teacher to the students since it seems more then just me had the same idea and NONE of the kids were moving up! LOL plus- she lost all her students....just when you get things planned out. The up side is that the SCHOOL she is in, is fantastic all the way around, so perhaps it will rub off this less than stellar teacher? > > Or... I just may decide to advance her up to 3rd grade knowing there is NO SPED teacher there at the moment. ;-) > > > > Carol in IL > > AIM doihavtasay1 GigaTribe doihavtasay > Mom to seven including , 7 with TOF, AVcanal, GERD, LS, Asthma, subglottal stenosis, and DS. > > My problem is not how I look. It's how you see me. > > > Join our Down Syndrome information group - > http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/DownSyndromeInfoExchange/ > > Listen to oldest dd's music http://www.myspace.com/vennamusic > > > > [DownSyndromeInfoEx change] Share the good things > > > I have heard all the negative things about Public > Schools. > > I want to hear from everyone with success stories !! > > Why you love your school ? > What are they doing you like best ? > > > > Thanks ! Carol P. > > > > Hugs, Carol P. > / font> > > > ________________________________ > Be a better friend, newshound, and know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile. Try it now. > ________________________________ > Be a better friend, newshound, and know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile. Try it now. > > > ______________________________________________________________________ ______________ > Be a better friend, newshound, and > know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile. Try it now. http://mobile.yahoo.com/;_ylt=Ahu06i62sR8HDtDypao8Wcj9tAcJ > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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