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 Greetings colleagues -
This week, we are celebrating our classified professionals who make the public education system tick. Here at NWRESD, these are the professionals who…
- are often the first to greet students and families as they walk in the door of our service centers and schools
- support family and student success beyond the classroom walls by serving as occupational, speech-language pathology and physical therapy assistants; transition specialists; and recruiters for migrant and early learning programs
- process payroll; assist our frontline teachers and specialists in organizing curriculum and supplies
- keep our facilities in excellent condition
- ensure educational access for families and children through interpretation and translation
- … and so, so much more!
It's impossible to fit all the diverse ways they are making a difference into this message. Please join me in showering our classified staff with love and appreciation this week…send a kudos, express your gratitude, bring in treats…whatever your love language.
In this month’s newsletter, we also cover special education advocacy, innovative grantmaking by our foundation, and a visit to the regional training center for guide dogs for the blind. Enjoy your monthly news from the ESD!
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In partnership –
 Dan Goldman
Superintendent
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 The NWRESD Foundation awarded a $2,500 grant to NWRESD's blind and visually impaired program for an end-of-year carnival and community celebration. Children and families like the one pictured above participated in a day of fun, games and connection. Photo by Tracey Goldner.
We know not all kids learn the same way, but education budgets don’t usually include a line item for innovation.
That’s where Northwest Regional Education Service District’s Foundation comes in. The nonprofit distributes about $25,000 every year to educators in northwest Oregon. The funding gives educators a chance to test out ideas, equipment, supplies and curricula with their students. If the project works, that class or concept will grow and become part of the yearly budget.
That’s been the case with a therapeutic learning garden at Levi Anderson Learning Center. What began as a $2,500 grant about 10 years ago has become a mainstay for students at the social emotional learning school located on the St. Mary’s Home for Boys campus in Beaverton.
Congrats to the following regional educators and specialists who received funding (this list doesn’t include NWRESD educators):
- Tori Alderman - Tigard-Tualatin
- Jenna Angelini - Tillamook
- Leah Brushwein - Sherwood
- Casey Coulson - Tillamook
- Autumn Jungling - Tillamook
- Janelle Nelson - St. Helens
- Carrie Palenske - Knappa
- Colleen Paola - Gaston
- Shawn Parker - Beaverton
- Kristi Roberts - Seaside
To thank them for their efforts, NWRESD’s board of directors will recognize the eight members of the foundation grant selection committee. Thank you to the following NWRESD staff and foundation board members:
- Lisa Bates (NWRESD staff member)
- Joe Christy
- Karen Foley
- Nancy Ford
- Cathleen Jensen (NWRESD staff member)
- Grant Lawson
- Andi Miller
- Scott Ryan (NWRESD staff member)
Learn more about how to get involved with the NWRESD Foundation.
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 Ryker Register, an eighth grader, greets a guide dog at the Guide Dogs for the Blind in Boring, Oregon. Ryker says he can’t wait to get a guide dog to help him navigate through the world. Photo by Tracey Goldner.
If you ask a room of blind kids how they spend their free time, you’ll get a predictable response.
Video games. Books. Hanging out with friends. Smartphones. If their parents permit those.
But if you ask a room of blind kids if they want to go through the world with a guide dog or a white cane, the answers are more mixed.
Guide dog says one 14-year-old. I can’t wait.
No. I’ll stick with my cane. I’m a cane guy, says a 17-year-old.
I’m not sure, yet. I have to ask my future self, says another.
The decision to use a cane or a guide dog is a big life decision in any blind person’s life. “When you get a guide dog, you become an unofficial ambassador for the guide dog movement,” says Jake Koch, a community outreach specialist at Guide Dogs for the Blind.
Jake welcomed 10 blind or visually impaired students who receive services from Northwest Regional Education Service District on a rainy Wednesday in February at the Guide Dogs for the Blind campus in Boring, Oregon.
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Our very own Liane Chappell was recently interviewed by The Early Link, a podcast produced by The Children’s Institute, a nonprofit that advocates for children in Oregon. Liane is a principal at our Hillsboro Early Childhood Center, which provides Early Intervention and Early Childhood Special Education services to about 750 children and their families.
Liane talks about why we have drastically restructured our programs in recent years — it’s better for the kids — and how with increased funding from the Student Success Act, we’ve been able to fund these changes.
Historically, children with disabilities only received about 4 hours of instruction a week, and they almost exclusively received that instruction in what are called self-contained classrooms, meaning the only other kids in their classes were also disabled.
For the past few years, NWRESD has been working to redesign our programs so children with disabilities can participate in preschool and play groups with their typically developing peers.
“Kids learn best from other children,” Liane says. “Including kids in their community is what’s best for everybody.”
Now decreased funding from the state is threatening these improvements and forcing us to reconsider more economical programs.
Listen in and learn why inclusion and especially inclusion when children are very young is vital for families, communities and our society as a whole.
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Early Literacy Professional Development for Teachers
March 12 and April 8 | 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. | Hillsboro, Oregon
Literacy expert Anita Archer, Ph.D., will provide two day-long workshops for teachers in our region. Come learn about the science of reading and which instructional approaches for teaching reading are most effective. Participants must attend both sessions. Substitute costs are available. This training is free for K-5 classroom teachers, literacy specialists, special education teachers, and instructional coaches in Clatsop, Columbia, Tillamook and Washington counties. Learn more and register.
Sexual Incident Response Committee Training
March 12 | 8:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. | Hillsboro, Oregon
This one-day comprehensive training will prepare building-level teams to implement the Sexual Incident Response Committee (SIRC). Recommended participants include school and district administrators, counselors, social workers, psychologists, deans of students, mental health specialists, behavior specialists, special education teams, school resource officers, and community partners supporting schools in safety and mental health. Learn more and register.
Early Literacy Professional Development for Administrators and Instructional Coaches
March 13 and April 9 | 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. | Hillsboro, Oregon
Literacy expert Anita Archer, Ph.D., will provide two day-long workshops for administrators and instructional coaches in our region. Come learn about the science of reading and which walkthrough observation tools to use while supporting teachers with literacy instruction. Participants must attend both sessions. Substitute costs are available. This training is free for K-5 administrators and instructional coaches who directly support students in Clatsop, Columbia, Tillamook and Washington counties. Learn more and register.
School Attendance Practices Using an Equity Lens
March 13 | 9:30 - 10:30 a.m. | Virtual
Join us for a one-hour virtual session on building attendance supports in your school while ensuring you focus on equity. Topics for this session will focus on how to use equity-driven attendance supports and effective communication strategies in your work. We’ll also discuss how to make sure your initiatives are meeting the needs of your students and families.
This free virtual session is specifically designed for educators and support staff leading attendance initiatives at school sites and is open to educators working in Columbia, Clatsop, Tillamook, and Washington counties. Learn more and register.
Brain Injury in the School Setting: What You Need to Know
March 15 | 8:30 a.m. - 3 p.m. | Hillsboro, Oregon
Come learn about brain injuries and the associated return-to-play and return-to-school laws. The presentation will cover IEPs, 504s and immediate temporary accommodations plans as they relate to brain injuries. You’ll also learn about the Center on Brain Injury Research and Training (CBIRT) and how the center supports students, families and educators across the state. Presenters will also cover Senate Bill 420, which establishes a new brain injury resource navigation office. This event is free for educators in Clatsop, Columbia, Tillamook and Washington counties. Learn more and register.
Prom Dress Giveaway For Students With Special Needs
Friday, March 15 | 9 - 11 a.m. | Oregon Convention Center
Abby's Closet is hosting a prom dress giveaway for students experiencing disabilities. This event is designed specifically for students with sensory challenges or those who might need additional accommodations while selecting a dress. Special needs groups as well as individuals are encouraged to attend. Be sure to RSVP by March 8. Learn more and register.
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The Monthly Messenger is a monthly update for Northwest Regional Education Service District partners. Would you like to see your team's work featured? Email communications. |
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