Special Education

Students Take Charge in The Studio!

All kids learn at a different pace, thrive in different ways, and may benefit from support beyond the classroom teacher. Once it has been decided that the next step in a student’s education regime would include the Special Education team, all stakeholders (parents, teachers, administrators, members of the SPED team, and, when appropriate, the student) come together to write an Individual Education Plan. The plan includes goals, accommodations, and modifications, based on data, designed to close gaps in learning. Research-based interventions are consistently implemented and data is collected through formal and informal assessments to ensure growth. This practice is one that is in place at elementary schools nation-wide.

At Heritage, our Special Education team has taken programming to another level, involving students! The ultimate goal is around transfer. It is truly evident that gaps in learning have shrunk when we see a transfer of skills from The Studio, where intensive intervention takes place, into the classroom and beyond! Our Take Charge! initiative has allowed students to understand not only what their goals are but why they’ve been selected. From there, students have a say in how they will have opportunities to practice toward their goals and show growth beyond the intervention practice and formal assessing. Through our Take Charge! initiative, students are encouraged to recognize when a task or activity in the classroom or at home while completing homework is connected to an IEP goal and to take charge and share this realization with members of their learning team. In addition, this initiative encourages students to realize their learning styles and, with support, incorporate additional ways to practice toward goals Playing games, playing school, and watching videos are a few of the most popular Take Charge! independent practice methods!

The more students are involved in their learning, whether in the classroom, in The Studio, or at home, the more powerful the learning becomes. Once groups begin in The Studio in August, watch for your child to come home talking about his or her IEP goals (the what, the why, and the how) and watch for correspondence from The Studio around our Take Charge! Initiative and its continued implementation for the upcoming school year!

Carolyn Bettner

TBD- Occupational Therapist

Lucy McGraw

Meg O'Donnell

Pam Paulsen- Speech Pathologist

Mary Senkosky -Psychologist 

Dustin Silverlake