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A message from
Dr. Hartseil
Hello and welcome to a new school year,
Inclusive practices- We have
implemented the return home of several students at the start
of this year. We have begun the second phase of implementing
for the 2010-11 school year. We will keep working with
school staff and designing training for people to be able to
support students in their home schools, as appropriate. If
you have questions or are not sure that your child is
getting his/her needs met, please talk to your child’s case
manager. You can request an IEP meeting to discuss needs and
changes to assure that he/she is getting the appropriate
services needed.
Finances- As you know, the state is in
a financial mess. We have also experienced the shortfall of
monies that are related to this. The State has not provided
the funding as obligated to school districts. This means
that the district(s) are not getting the money needed to
provide special education programming- a shortfall of about
$3.5 million dollars from last year. The State is only
giving money to the district from 2009-10 even though we are
in 2010-11. As a result of these severe financial cuts, we
have reduced both special education teachers and para-educators
(teaching assistant). We have assured that we are within
State guidelines for providing services to students and have
taken an approach that assures we are meeting the minutes
outlined in your child’s IEP for para-educator support. We
will keep you updated on the finances and would ask that you
contact your State representative or senator and let them
know of the need to finance services needed for your child.
Para-educators (teaching assistants)-
Based upon the new contract with teaching assistants we now
have a new title for them. All assistants are now referred
to as para-educators. As well, you should be aware that we
have instituted an approach referred to as bell-to-bell for
defining the para-educator support that your child receives
within school. We have been working on this for the past two
years and we now have it fully in place. Agaiun, we used the
following guidelines to implement this approach:
Needs
are determined based on the following procedures: 1. State
guidelines will be followed for the provision of para-educators
to programs. 2. Minutes outlined in IEP’s will be used to
determine the number of para-educators that a building needs
to meet IEP minutes for students. 3.
Any increased need for assistance for a student with
an IEP must be done through a comprehensive reevaluation,
addressing all domains. We have been providing this
information people over this time period and I wanted to
restate it here. Buildings have this set procedure and
should respond to any request you may have about your
child’s needs.
RtI-
(Response to Intervention) This is a new approach for
evaluation that is mandated to be in effect in school
districts in 2010-11. We have been working with staff to
complete training, design interventions and change
operations to address this new system. We will continue to
implement this new process this year and make adjustments as
needed.
We hope your year has started well and
look forward to meeting the challenges of the upcoming year.
Hope things are going well in the education of your child
and please feel free to contact me with any questions or
concerns.
"Send Your Child to
Summer Camp"
"Easter Seals Timber Pointe Outdoor
Center, on Lake Bloomington is offering week long camping
opportunities for children and adults with disabilities. For
more than 20 years the camp has proven to be a safe and fun
place for any individual with disabilities to experience the
outdoors with activities specifically designed for them.
We offer horseback riding, swimming, boating,
fishing, field sports, archery, arts/crafts, and nature
walks among our 170 wooded acres. Campers stay in air
conditioned cabins with a trained counselor assigned to at
least every three campers."
"Weekly activities include a cookout
with a pontoon boat ride around Lake Bloomington, music, fun
games, and a full camp dance and even the chance to sleep in
the outdoors and cook over an open fire if they want."
"As cost is always a factor, we have
reduced the Easter Seals camps by 20% this summer. The
total cost per camper is $490 for the five night camp.
We know even this is difficult for many of our campers, so
we have increased our scholarship money this summer as well.
The scholarship funds are limited and
“on an as available basis”.
We really do want children with special needs to have a
chance to experience camp like others do each summer."
"If your child enjoys the performing
arts, then have them and any non-disabled friend join us for
the three day Penguin Project Camp (August 5 – 8). This fully
inclusive camp combines our traditional camp activities with
fun theatrical workshops in singing and dancing.
The young artists and their mentor friends will then
get to participate in a musical review for the parents on
check out day."
Click here to check out the
Camper Brochure
All applications and
further information is available on line, just click on
these links:
Timber Pointe Outdoor Center Information
Timber Pointe
Camper Application
Penguin Project Application
Time to Lose Those
Training Wheels!
Easter Seals of
Peoria-Bloomington is teaming up with Lose the Training
Wheels™, a program that teaches
individuals with disabilities to independently ride a
conventional two wheel bicycle and they are now taking
applications for participants, volunteers and sponsors.
Five-day camp sessions will take place in Normal June
28-July 2 at Kingsley Jr. High, and in
Peoria August 2-6 at Finish Line Ford’s
Indoor
Used Car
Center.
Lose the Training Wheels, Inc.
is a national organization that uses adapted equipment,
trained professionals and volunteers. With 75 minutes of
instruction each day for five days, approximately 85 percent
of participants learn to ride a conventional bicycle
independently.
Click here to download the Registration Form
Click here to download the Volunteer Form
FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO REGISTER, CONTACT:
Jessica Brack, Easter Seals Peoria-Bloomington 309-686-7755
x.2301or
jbrack@ci.easterseals.com
Check out The Penguin
Project!!
The Penguin Project is a group of children performing a
modified version of a well-known Broadway musical this June.
All main cast members are children with disabilities.
The project uses mentors to help the actors learn their
lines. Currently the project needs additional High
School age students to serve as mentors. All rehearsals are
held on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6:00 to 7:30 pm at the
First Christian Church in Bloomington. Rehearsals
begin March 2nd.
The website contains information on when the play will be
held, how to obtain tickets, and rehearsal information.
You can also check out last years performance of Annie.
The website is currently being updated so if you have
questions that the website doesn't answer, contact Donna and
Tricia.
www.penguinprojectmcleancounty.org
Producer - Donna Anhalt
donnaanhalt@hotmail.com
(309) 838-2923
Director - Tricia Stiller
triciastiller@msn.com
(309) 242-0290
Special Education Rights
Guide Update
The 2009 Special Education Rights
Guide, Educational Rights and Responsibilities:
Understanding Special Education in Illinois, is now
available. This document is a major rewrite of the
2001 A Parents’ Guide: The Educational Rights of
Students with Disabilities. The guide was
collaboratively developed and reviewed by the Parent Task
Force on Accessible Special Education Materials, parent
leaders, special education administrators, parent and
advocacy organizations, and the Illinois State Board of
Education.
The 2009 edition has been designed to
serve as a useful resource to both parents and school
personnel. The guide includes a comprehensive
narrative outlining the principal rights and procedures for
special education. To maximize user-friendliness, the
guide allows the reader to obtain a detailed overview of
special education as a whole, or to research a specific
topic.
Click here for
a PDF version of the Guide. Questions may be
directed to Special Education Services staff at 217-782-5589
or via the agency toll-free number at 866-262-6663.
McLean County Diversity
Project
Click here to read about the latest information at the
Diversity Project. The Project takes on many themes,
including The Diversity of Disability.
Family Support Network
Members
Click here
to read about the Network's current projects and news.
Be sure to check out
www.lifemyway.org.
Click on and check out
the April 2010 edition of:
"Bits About Autism"
Bits About Autism is a newsletter developed by Unit 5's Department of Special
Education Autism Team. Each issue will offer a
specific topic; in this issue that topic is Serving Students
in All Settings.
You can read all about what this topic is, why it is
important, what strategies help and where to get additional information.
Check back here for future newsletters. Click above on
"Bits About Autism" to read the current newsletter.
Illinois
Prioritization of Urgency of Need for Services - Illinois
PUNS
The Illinois PUNS is a waiting list of
individuals with developmental delays that have unmet needs.
These individuals are looking for supports or services
within the next 5 years. Supports include in-home or
home based supports, developmental training ("workshop") and
residential services. It focuses on what an individual is
receiving currently, what supports they would like or need
and how soon they are looking for these supports.
Individuals can be added to the waiting list starting at 3
years old, again if supports are needed within the next 5
years. For more information on PUNS, such as how to
complete an application and PUNS criteria please
click here.
New Inclusive Practices in
Unit 5
Click on the link below to view Unit 5's plan to provide
inclusive practices District wide.
Unit 5
Inclusive Practices Plan
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