School House Rock Anyone?
Wish I found this on 4th of July. The “Preamble”. Amelia, Zoe and I just watched it, thanks to Dean’s World for posting!
A Great Day and More Reasons for Full Inclusion
by admin on March 22, 2010
in down syndrome, education, parenting
Don’t you love a great day? I’d work for many hours on Saturday night, so it was really hard to get up for church, but I decided to take Sunday off. I’m really truly digging the church and the people, so it was not too hard to go since it was a balmy day (75 degrees!) and I’m glad I did. That was followed by picking up Amelia and another awesome birthday party at the Wildlands Conservancy. Amelia was not in a great mood, having a fit during the nature hike and running off to sit in a patch of poison ivy (I kid you not!). Her hands didn’t itch til we got back and the guide had some Dawn dish detergent, which is apparently a miracle worker. Met some lovely moms and had a great time with them, and was happy to see that Dads came too.
The birthday boy, John, saw she had no pizza (she was munching on grapes) and brought her a slice – isn’t that sweet? And even when Amelia was making noise at the pond (in a pissy mood) and scaring away the frogs, the kids didn’t seem to care much. Some moved away to go to the quiet side and see the frogs. But I was psyched, because everyone treated her like, well, everyone else. There was no “Oh it’s Amelia” or “Oh here she comes” like back in kindergarten, where everyone was painfully aware that she was different.
All the parents know (and like) her. But this is it, baby, this is what acceptance looks like. Good Sunday all around, what a great World Down Syndrome Day!
I won’t even entertain my fears for her treatment in the world at large because who knows? Maybe we can change that.
And I thought of another career for her in adulthood: working at the conservancy. Cool.
namaste! g
12yo Girl Arrested for School Desk Graffiti
Are you kidding? Parents, you need to be involved so nonsense like this doesn’t happen to your kid:
Girl’s arrest for doodling raises concerns about zero tolerance
Barnes & Noble Bookfair on 12/9: Support my school!
Ok, yes, shameless plug, but my daughter’s Seven Generations school is hosting a Barnes & Noble Bookfair on Wednesday, 12/9.
Why should you help support this school?
Well, this happens to be the school that I blogged about having a good IEP with – so good I didn’t want to leave.
This is the school that is fully including my daughter who has Down syndrome so she can have something she hasn’t had before: school friends.
This is the school that is working hard with me to find alternative methods of teaching her that suit her abilities and alternative ways of evaluating her.
This is the school that is fostering her passion for nature and playing to her strengths as well as creatively addressing her weaknesses.
This school, simply put, that just opened this year, is nothing short of a miracle and to me, there is no doubt in my mind that it’s one of the primary reasons God moved us here.
IF you happen to go to Barnes & Noble on Wednesday, simply give them the Bookfair ID 494435. I’ve been told it’s valid at ANY Barnes & Noble on that date. Or, download a PDF of the voucher and print it out here to bring it with you.
AND if you live in Lehigh Valley, drop by The Promenade Shops and visit Barnes & Noble. There will be kid activities from 4-8pm EST and a book signing with children’s author Mara Rockliff at 6:00pm.
IEP, Fall, 2009: The Good School-Age IEP
I’m writing this multi-part blog because on Thursday, I had the best IEP I’ve ever had. In the first grade! If you’ve been reading my blog for more than a year, you may know that last year, we had a terrible IEP for Amelia’s first year of kindergarten.
This year, we sent her, as mentioned, to a brand new charter school, and it took a while for them to catch up with all the administrative functions to figure out that Amelia needed a new IEP, because the kindergarten one had recommended her placement in an “autism classroom” and they did not have one. Seven Gen only supports full inclusion at present.
So into the frey we jumped. I admit, jumping first, thinking later is pretty much my M.O. so I didn’t mind at first. Unfortunately, the teacher and I had already mis-communicated while we set up the IEP meeting and I was still burned by last year’s and an equally unsuccessful IEP I had for Zoe in September.
I panicked, but I picked up the phone. Would the behavioral specialist make it? Could I get a hold of the advocate I used last year? What was full inclusion anyway?
I did my homework and spent 5 minutes – that turned into 10 thoughtful, planned minutes – thinking about what I wanted for Amelia for this year, for school, and for her future.
I’m glad I did, because as the 2 co-directors, the 2 teachers, my 2 associates and myself sat around the table last Thursday, I was up first.
“Ms. Badalaty, did you want to start?” Oh yea! I told them that I had 3 major concerns:
- Reading was a top priority (I believe it opens the door to all other kinds of education)
- Math was going to be difficult, as it traditionally is for people with Down syndrome. Here they leaned forward – most didn’t know this. I recommended some literature, and the advocate piped in to say her organization had a library. They were PSYCHED to hear that!
- Strengths-based education is a BIG interest of mine, so given that she is so taken with nature, can we integrate that even more for her?
This was a pretty long discussion, maybe 30 minutes. They were actually thrilled that I was a hands-on parent (later, I even asked for tips on how I can help more with her education since I’m not good with teaching). Then we went through the boring paperwork with all the details and I chimed in where I could, as did the Behavioral Specialist and the Advocate.
It was a TWO hour meeting, but I shouldn’t be surprised. We covered a lot of ground, including oral fixations, getting Amelia comfortable when she’s sitting at the table (she doesn’t have to – at this school, you can stand or sit on the floor too), and putting her closer to the teacher.
The best part? I asked for some advice on toys/games because of Christmas and her birthday approaching. The special ed teacher gave me good ideas, and then I told her that Amelia loved taking photos and was good at it too. After a while, I literally saw the lightbulb go off above her head and she said, “She can be the class photographer! No one takes photos on the hikes, unless a parent is there, and then she is dying to look at the photos!”
Wouldn’t that be fantastic? She’s trying to work it in, I assume I’ll hear something when she does!
I’ll be doing 2 more IEP posts, so watch for my discussion of a bad IEP, and how you can protect yourself and your child before stepping into that meeting.
No School
The buses are on strike and if my kids went to public schools in the district, that would be fine.
Amelia goes to a charter school, where most of the kids DON’T bus in and so they decided to stay open.
Zoe goes to another school district which is NOT striking.
So both my kids are having official absences today. Worse, I have no idea how to get them there if the strike goes on. I’m not so worried about preschool – it’s too far and not as critical as 1st grade, and they do need to get there at the same time.
I’m more worried about Amelia, so I’ll have to research arrangements. With the district closed, I’m hoping this is only a one day thing.
Wish me luck!
UPDATE: Zoe’s bus showed, but she was still asleep. I swear they were on the same system! Banging head on wall…
Another IEP
Amelia’s school has decided there will be a new IEP on October 29th. This is good, but I’m never. My last IEP was a failure (for Zoe), and I don’t know if I can bring the advocate in time. I’m an ass; I should have called her sooner.
The fact is, I’m having doubts now about our decision to put her in this school. I have to think, what do I want for Amelia? I think I can answer these questions. I want her to have the basics of reading down by years’ end. I want her to be able to regularly do homework. I want her to be able to count, understanding the 1-to-1 ration and have a better grip on numbers.
If the school doesn’t have the resources for this, maybe this was a mistake. Maybe instructional learning at the regular school was the best thing. Is she getting anything from daily hikes, weekly trips to the pond? I’m not sure. How can I learn this when she won’t talk to me?
I did a DUMBASS thing too. I missed putting her name & info in the class directory. I’m pretty upset by this because it means she won’t be on lists, like for birthdays and such, and she can’t invite anyone either. I only had a small window and I set a popup reminder but I put it off and blew it.
I wish I didn’t have this lack of security about it all. I still have other things to teach her (responsibility, potty training, faith), but I feel like I’m drowning, especially since I’m terrible at teaching the academics. There is WAY too much going on right now and Zoe is taking up a lot of my resources as well.
As far as academics, look, I did this thing last week on our first math assignment. I had to go over number bonds, which are tough for a kid who can’t really count. I was really creative on this though. I put out 6 pretzels and cut out numbers for each (she gets a numberline just fine). Then I moved one number to the next row and on the back, wrote a corresponding number. So item#6 became item#1 in the next row. By the end, she sort of got it. Great, Gina, that’s wonderful! you’re thinking.
Only it took EVERYTHING I had. So by 5:45pm, I WAS DONE. Yet this is the intense training she needs to get academics, which means I should do this daily. How can I possibly do that?
If you have ideas, resources, tips, or anything, I’d appreciate. Personally, I’m in need of a vacation, and I don’t mean I need to go some place warm. I mean I need some place kid-free. Maybe husband-free too. I’m completely burnt out, and Zoe getting up every night ain’t helped.
Full Inclusion, Charter School and My Kid: Mommy’s Learning
by admin on September 28, 2009
in down syndrome, education, learning disabilities
As you know, my husband and I put our 6 year old, Amelia, into a brand, spanking new charter school for the start of 1st grade. This was not an easy decision to make. Since the school year started, I’ve had mixed feelings about the wisdom of this, but my gut told me it’s worth a shot.
My first opportunity to see the school was a little over a week ago. My insane work schedule didn’t allow me to participate in any of the pre-opening activities, which involved school set up. As I walked into Seven Generations, I had the not-so-nice words of someone from the old school about 7 Gen ringing in my ears. I pooh-poohed that, surely it would be, and I was already skittish about my decision. Adding negativity from someone I didn’t even know wouldn’t help so I put the thought out of my mind.
It was rough. We’re not talking about a shiny new building, the likes of which my community is so fond of, but it was spacious, brightly painted, and had exposed wood flooring. But “shiny” and “new” does not bring happiness, as I discovered.
To be honest, the heart and dedication of all the staff has been great. And the school? It actually brought back fuzzy, warm memories of visiting a kindergarten in my childhood. (I never went, didn’t have to back then, yes, I am THAT old!) It’s not 100%, they only just got computers and TVs in a few days ago, but the subdued lighting and artwork every where gave it a cozy, comfy feeling that is great for learning.
And what they’re learning is cool! Not only art and music, but also drama and Spanish and diversity. The small library was full of books on Green living and President Obama. The art room was ENORMOUS and had a chalk-board paint wall in it.
Every single day the kids go out and explore, which has led Amelia to picking up rocks even in parking lot puddles. She is becoming a little scientist, and I love that.
She gets homework twice a week, and day 1 of homework sent me to my email in tears. But my good friend told me that there is more value to school than just academics, and this school is CHOCK FULL of that more-important stuff. Well, she’ll get it eventually. Right now, I’m working hard on behavior, principles, faith, kindness, and potty training. Life sure is never dull!
Here are some new stories about Seven Gen:
Back to School and Cyber-Bullying: keeping school accountable
Today, I have bullying on the mind as I prepare my special need daughter to enter elementary school. This is a guest post on cyber-bullying featuring Carolyn Reinach Wolf, Esq. is Senior Partner at Abrams, Fensterman, Fensterman, Eisman, Greenberg, Formato & Einiger, LLP – with the only mental health law practice in New York. She is also founder of Campus Behavioral Health Risk Consultants, LLC – a consulting firm that addresses mental health and security legal issues on school campuses. Share your experiences with kids and computers and help me as I foray into this new world.
As August comes to an end, parents and their children can already see a new school year just around the corner. In the past, kids used to be concerned with getting picked-on by bullies in the playground during recess or in the hallways in between classes. But child and adolescent mental health legal expert Carolyn Reinach Wolf sees a disturbing trend in teen violence going from face-to-face confrontations to aggressive attacks via the Internet.
And if schools do not address how to protect students from cyber-bullying and parents do not demand that safeguards are put in place to keep their children out of harm’s way, the consequences will be deadly and the schools may be liable.
In recent years there has been a rash of suicides as a direct result of cyber-bullying.
Fifteen-year old Iain Steele of Western Springs, Illinois hanged himself with a belt after being assaulted by schoolmates in cyberspace, where students posted a video on Facebook making fun of his taste for heavy metal music. Thirteen-year-old Ryan Patrick Halligan of Essex Junction, Vermont hanged himself after he was repeatedly sent instant messages from middle school classmates accusing him of being gay. Thirteen-year-old Megan Meier of Dardenne Prairie, Missouri killed herself after she was taunted through social-networking website Myspace.
In fact, a recent study reveals 45 percent of pre-teens said they have been cyber-bullied at school, and 30 percent of teens say they’ve had the same experience.
According to Ms. Wolf, founder of Campus Behavioral Health Risk Consultants, LLC, school policies are outdated and do not address how to monitor and prevent cyber-bullying attacks on social networking sites like Facebook and Myspace or YouTube.
“Schools have failed to keep up with the newest types of bullying,” said Ms. Wolf, the mother of three. “And as a parent and lawyer, I would hold the schools accountable for anything that happens under its roof.”
According to Ms. Wolf, schools have a myriad of tools at their disposal to combat cyber-bullying, but most are not using them:
- Monitoring computers – Schools have every right to monitor computers being used on their premises and look for keywords that may indicate a cyber-attack and bullying.
- Social Network Sites – Facebook and Myspace should be blocked on school computers. This is the most common area for cyber-bullying.
- Text Messaging – Phones should be turned off during class and texting should be banned by schools. A nuisance to the student? Yes. But we forget they are at school to learn.
- Anti-violence student committee – Similar to New York City’s “If you see something, say something” campaign, students should have an outlet to anonymously report cases of bullying to classmates and administrators without fear of repercussion.
- “Behavioral Intervention Teams” – A multi-disciplined group of administrators, mental health experts, risk management and legal counsel should meet regularly to properly address “red flag” or “at risk” students and act toward preventing specific bullying incidents rather than waiting to go into “reactive” mode.
“Unfortunately, most schools are asleep at the wheel and are not taking proactive steps to prevent an attack,” Ms. Wolf said. “They prefer to say, ‘It won’t happen to us.’ We live in the Digital Age, and schools would be naïve to think that.”
According to Ms. Wolf, before dropping your kids off on the first day of school, parents should talk to administrators about what they are doing to prevent online violence.
“Parents should hold schools accountable for preventing cyber-bullying,” Ms. Wolf says, “On the first day of school, parents should arrange meetings with administrators to discuss what mechanisms they have in place to monitor online activity and how they would address a potential cyber-bullying incident.”
Guest Post: Campus Security & Mental Health Expert Carolyn Wolf Discusses America’s Schools & Columbine
Today is the 10th Anniversary of the tragedy of the shooting at Columbine High School. On April 20th, 1999, two students smuggled in guns, killed 12 students and one teacher before killing themselves. The massacre was one of the deadliest school massacres in U.S. history.
For this special edition of Mom Blog, campus security and mental health expert Carolyn Wolf (see her bio) joins us on to answer some of the tough questions on why she believes American schools and campuses have not improved in safety in the last 10 years. Carolyn works with National Behavioral Intervention Team Association and Campus Risk Consultants and the following are her opinions as an expert in the field of campus security.
1. Ms. Wolf stated that “schools are just as vulnerable to violence as they were 10 years ago.” Ms. Wolf, what has led you to this conclusion?
The Columbine shooting should have been a teachable moment for high schools across the nation. In the months and years after Columbine, schools should have been creating a proactive system to identify ‘at risk’ students. Unfortunately, the majority of schools have adopted an “it won’t happen to us” mentality, and ten years after the Columbine shooting, most are even more vulnerable to violence.
The purpose of the Columbine massacre was to maximize violence in a minimal amount of time. Armed with thousands of bullets and numerous automatic firearms, two students methodically combed Columbine, targeting highly populated areas and killing students with marksmanship accuracy. I fear that given the resources now available to students via the internet, the next attack will be by a “student terrorist” who makes a bomb through online instructions and takes down an entire school in a single push of a button. And while this may not be the next example of school violence, it’s only a matter of time. In the meantime, kids’ heads are being filled with violence through murderous video games that reward them for “head shots” and the accuracy of their shots. Why should we not expect the next Columbine to be eerily similar to one of these games?
2. Has there been difficulty in improving security in high schools and other campuses? If so, what is it? What can be done?
To prevent the next school massacre, school administrators must be more pro-active on the mental health side of the issue, as opposed to solely focusing on campus security, because a secure campus can reduce the number of deaths but not prevent them.
What I help organize and implement are “Behavioral Intervention Teams,” which are multidisciplinary teams generally overseen by a counselor or principal consisting of school administrators, mental health experts, legal counsel and campus security, to serve as a centralized mechanism to properly address “red flag” or “at risk” students and act proactively toward prevention rather than a reactive or crisis mode. The method is called Aggression Management Intervention System or AMIS’s Behavioral Intervention Team. Based on years of research into aggressive behavior and the development of practical tools to identify, measure, and assess emerging human aggression, AMIS’s Behavioral Intervention Team is an effective system for achieving maximum school safety.
3. What recommendations would you have to school security around the nation?
Once the first bullet is fired, security can only minimize the number of deaths. I want to help schools prevent the violence from even happening. This involves training teachers and other administrators – to include security – on how to identify “at risk” students and utilize a wide range of methods to handle such a student.
Columbine should have woken the sleeping giant in America’s school systems of how to identify and to handle ‘at risk’ students and prevent a similar attack from happening again. But it didn’t, and students are just as vulnerable today as they were 10 years ago to another Columbine-style attack. School violence cannot be completely prevented. But training teachers to identify ‘red flag’ students, to discuss policies and protocols and then to intervene is the first step toward preventing another Columbine-style attack.
4. With a new administration in power, do you see any hope for improvements in school security from the federal government, or do you see just the opposite?
There will be lots of money available under the Obama Administration for schools but throwing money at the problem isn’t the answer. And when you really get down to the root of the issue, this is a local need that local superintendents and principals need to deal with immediately.
Schools need to discuss investing in a program that will identify these students early and prevent a Columbine-style attack, not sit on their hands and wait for federal money.
5. How can parents protect their children, or teach their children to protect themselves in a school atmosphere?
Unfortunately, the majority of high schools have not adopted anything resembling a Behavioral Intervention Team, leaving them susceptible to school violence and crippling lawsuits from parents. And with schools being asleep at the wheel over the past decade, parents need to demand accountability and action in the areas of early intervention and prevention.
Parents need to ask their schools what they are doing to identify and handle ‘at risk’ students. If schools are doing nothing, parents need to demand action. If they don’t, I have no doubt violence will continue and even escalate in schools across the country.
And let’s not forget the legal ramifications.
If schools don’t take a more aggressive approach to preventing another Columbine, they are leaving the door open for negligence and wrongful death lawsuits. Parents have every right to sue a school if a shooting or suicide occurs and the school could have prevented it. That said, schools need to be exhausting every option.
