June 2021 Newsletter
 
Learning Support Teacher Newsletter

 

 

 

Rest and Restore
Collective big sigh - June is here. We have survived a difficult year and can look ahead to summer and some time to re-charge! No one can deny that there have been great challenges throughout our COVID experiences in the realm of education, but neither can they deny the learnings we take away and the resilience that so many of us have demonstrated.  We thank you, we value your work and we wish you a summer filled with your best re-charge activities - whether that is long awaited visits with loved ones, time in nature, a quiet space and a book, or the social buzz of a bbq with friends and family!  May everyone‘s bucket be filled! 

Between Stimulus and Response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our Freedom (origin unknown)
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Ten Tips for Building Teacher Resiliency
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Ten Tips for Building Teacher Resiliency

10 ways to deal with stress and build resiliency for educators.

Can You Build Your Resilience Muscles?

Can You Build Your Resilience Muscles? Podcast with Rick Hanson

Rick Hanson is a psychologist, Senior Fellow at the Greater Good Science Centre at UC Berkeley, New York Times bestselling author and Founder of the Wellspring Institute for Neuroscience and Contemplative Wisdom.

The topic of this episode is how to develop the traits of resilience to help people manage their levels of anxiety and stress in the workplace.

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Resource/Strategies
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Onward: Cultivating Resilience in Educators (2018)

In her book, Onward: Cultivating Resilience in Educators (2018), Elena Aguilar tackles the problem of educator stress, and provides a practical framework for taking the burnout out of teaching. This book offers a path to resiliency to help teachers weather the storms and bounce back—and work toward banishing the rain for good.

 

 

 

12 Ways Teachers Can Build Resilience So They Can Make Systemic Change

Elena Aguilar, like many educators, sees real issues in the systems and structures of education. But she also knows teachers are too overwhelmed and tired to pick their eyes up and see the bigger issues. Aguilar believes that building personal resilience leads to action.

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Year End Info   Reminders
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IEPs
 - Remember to print a hard copy of each designated student‘s IEP and place it in their blue IEP folder before the end of June

MyEd
- The District will be running a centralized mass MyEd update of active IEPs in preparation for the “flip” to Competency Based IEPs. Please ensure that you have entered accurate end dates for each of the IEPs in your caseload before you leave at the end of June

Digital PSR Cards
- Follow the link to review PSR Support Documentation
- Deadline for updating PSR cards is June 25, 2021
- Inclusion 01: Remove this inclusion for any students who have been de-designated and where an IEP is no longer in place
- Inclusion 02: Only Psych Ed assessments need to be included here. Other assessments (e.g. KTEA-III, OLSAT, etc) do not need to be entered under Inclusion 2

Referrals for 2021/22
As you are wrapping up this year and planning for next year, please hold on to any referrals for SLP, OT, PT and Psych until September

SLP Year-End
To complete all reports and department year-end tasks, SLPs
- will be stopping regular services to students after June 4 (or soon thereafter)
- may not be in schools in June during regularly schedule times 

 

 

 

Thinking Ahead
The Importance of Visuals
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As you begin to think about student supports for September, remember that Visuals are an important tool in how we connect and communicate. Visuals can be particularly beneficial during September transitions by promoting consistency, predictability and structure for all students.  This in turn, reduces anxiety and fosters trusting relationships. 
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9 Reasons to Use Visuals from Kristin Wiens at NorthstarPaths

1 .Visuals are Permanent (Words Disappear) 
2. Allow time for Language Processing
3. Prepare students for Transitions 
4. Help Kids See What You Mean 
5. Help ALL Students 
6. Build Independence 
7. Transferable between Environments and People 
8. Visuals have No Attitude 
9. Help Reduce Anxiety
There are many ways to visually represent an activity, schedule or first/then strategy. Videos, photographs, comic strips, graphics, words or even the actual objects themselves can be used to represent what is going to happen. Students often love to see themselves in the pictures, so whenever possible use them to help create your visuals.
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Compiling all visuals in a central school-based folder can make it even easier to create a visual schedule and can allow teams and schools to efficiently share their ideas.  The websites Able2Learn and Accessible Chef are amazing resources for visuals and more are available on our Support for Learning website.

 

 

 

SD61 LST Meetings
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NEXT MEETING:

Date: June 10th
Time: 9:00am
Zoom Link

 

 

 

Resources and Opportunities
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Virtual Caring For You Workshop by Dalai Lama Center for Peace and Education

Self-care encompasses and nourishes our whole beings (heart, mind, body, and spirit).  It's good for others, too. It's much easier to help grow someone else’s Heart-Mind well-being (social and emotional skills) if you also take care of your own well-being. 
Date: Tuesday, June 15, 2021, 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM (PDT)  

 

 

 

14th Annual Social Thinking Global Providers’ Online Conference

Important Topics of Our Time: Diversity, Resilience, Tenacity, Social Competencies & Hope! Attendees from around the world will gather to be inspired and walk away with practical strategies, knowledge, and a plan.

Spanning three days with 3.5 hours each day of illuminating instruction and discussion, this year’s annual conference will address topics important for the times: Diversity, Resilience, Tenacity, Social Competencies, and Hope!
Dates: June 25-27, 2021 (replay through July 9) 
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Equine Assisted Learning (EAL) Program

Heart Lake Farm is hosting a free 8 week Equine Assisted Learning program. This is an experiential learning program that teaches essential life skills such as communication, compassion, teamwork and leadership through group activities with horses.
Dates: Thursday's at 1pm-2:30pm from July 8th - August 26th.
For more info and to register visit www.heartlakefarm.eventbrite.com