greater gulf coast cooperative star

WHERE ALL OF OUR STUDENTS ARE SHINING STARS
GREATER GULF COAST
COOPERATIVE STAR
SPECIAL KIDS’ DAY AT THE
GALVESTON COUNTY FAIR & RODEO
BY: BETSY PARENT, HOME INTERVENTION SPECIALIST
Way to go Galveston
County Fair for hosting
Special Kids’ Day on
April 15, 2008! If you
don’t know what Special
Kids’ Day is, it is a day
set aside during the Galveston County Fair and
Rodeo to honor children
and adults with disabilities.
Students attend
from various school districts and organizations.
Those students in attendance from GGCC were
The morning started off
with the rodeo in the
Participants in Rodeo
main arena. The events
included Bull Riding, Girls
Breakaway Roping, Calf
Roping, Team Roping
and of course, my favorite, the Cowgirls’ Barrel
Race. Everyone cheered
for the cowboys and cowgirls.
With the conclusion of
the rodeo, students migrated around the fairgrounds.
There were
other activities that included face painting, an
Stewart Elementary
from Hitchcock ISD and
Needville ISD.
As students arrived on
the fairgrounds, they
were greeted by many
volunteers. Each student
received a goody bag
and bandana, compliments of BP. There was
so much to do.
Goat in a Coat
animal exhibit, hayrides,
carnival rides, wheelchair
accessible
covered
wagon rides, shows, mechanical bull riding and
tractor pulls.
There
music
lunch
with
Lunch
was also lots of
provided during
in the tent along
some dancing.
was provided to
May, 2008
Volume 1, Issue 8
Inside this
issue:
Child Find
3
Special Kids’ Day
4
Needville Elem
5
GGCC Awards
6
What is a LSSP?
7
Language Develop- 9
ment
Damon ISD
10
Needville Elem
11
Needville Elem
12
A Look Back
13
Stewart Elem
14
Needville Elem
15
Summer Activities
16
Needville MS
18
Needville MS
19
Ten Commandments
20
From The Desk Of
21
Booker Brown & Erica Baugh
Hitchcock HS
each and everyone in
attendance.
The Greater Gulf Coast
Cooperative provided
picture taking and also
had employee volunteers
stationed all around the
fair. Way to go GGCC!!!
I would like once again to
thank Barbara Cesari for
all her hard work and
dedication for coordinating this event. We are
very proud to have her as
part of our team at
Greater Gulf Coast Cooperative and are looking
forward to helping out
again next year.
Susan Bowles
Page 2
GREATER GULF COAST
PICTURES FROM SPECIAL KIDS’ DAY
BY: AMY YOUNG, STACIE HENKE, ANN BERGEN, BETSY PARENT, STACY HOFF
Jordan Glass (NMS)
Eriana Copeland & Isaiah Faust (SES)
Heather Hutson (Volunteer NHS)
Kenneth Harrison & Jorge Rodriguez (HHS)
Eliza Skinner and Stewart Elem.
Spencer Glass (NMS)
Cameron Evans (NHS)
Brandon Sauceda (SES)
Jacob Laskokie (HHS)
Covered Wagon Rides
Sterling Robinson (SES)
Logan Stratman (NJHS)
Jordan Glass (NMS)
Travis Lutz & Ramon Barron (NJHS)
Volume 1, Issue 8
Page 3
CHILD FIND
If you suspect an infant, child, or young adult of having a developmental delay or disability, your school
district can open a window of hope for a brighter future. Services, at no cost to the family, are available
to all eligible individuals from birth through 21 years of age. Special services are available to eligible
infants, children and young adults identified with a disability who may be experiencing difficulties in one
or more of the following areas:
Specific Learning Disability
Auditory Impairment
Visual Impairment
Deaf-Blind
Mental Retardation
Emotional Disturbance
Orthopedic Impairment
Speech and/or Language Impairment
Autism
Other Health Impairment
Traumatic Brain Injury
Multiple Disabilities
Non Categorical Early Childhood
Greater Gulf Coast Cooperative
8117 Highway 6
Hitchcock, TX 77563
409-986-6331
281-337-7565
409-986-5485 Fax
Page 4
GREATER GULF COAST
PICTURES FROM SPECIAL KIDS’ DAY
BY: BETSY PARENT, AMY YOUNG, STACY HOFF, ANN BERGEN, STACIE HENKE
Stewart Elementary
Jacob Laskoskie (HHS)
Booker Brown & Kay Sanchez
Needville Middle School
American Flag-Rodeo
Hitchcock High School
Stacy Hoff & the Cowboys
Barbara Cesari during a break
Eliza Skinner and Stewart Elem.
Daniel Alvarado (NMS)
Travis Lutz & Ramon Barron (NJHS)
Volume 1, Issue 8
Page 5
NEEDVILLE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL NEWS
MRS. MUND’S CLASS
BY: MRS. PEGGY MUND, SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHER
Mrs. Mund’s class at Needville
Elementary came back from the
Christmas break ready for their
classroom Spelling Bees. The
school wide Spelling Bee was
held at the end of January.
We celebrated 100 days of
school on February 7th.
We
counted items the students
brought by 1’s, 5’s and 10’s. We
tossed a quarter 100 times to see
if it would land heads or tails. The
students wanted heads to win, but
tails won. We wrote 100 nouns
and we guessed which jar had
100 M & M’s. We wore black and
white for Zebra Day to help the
kindergarten class learn the letter
Z. The students wore red, pink
and white on Valentine’s Day and
celebrated by exchanging valentines at their parties. At the end
of the month everyone dressed in
boots and jeans for Western Day.
We had many parents visit the
school during Public School Week
in March. During the week the
students and parents shopped at
the Book Fair. We ended the
week by watching the 3rd and 4th
graders fly kites. The students
and the teachers were looking
forward to Spring Break.
ryone had fun. We dressed western for our annual Needville
Youth Fair. Some students entered projects. The students and
teachers both enjoyed the Friday
off before the fair. Many people
watched the parade on Main
Street on Saturday morning.
Summer is in the air and the
end of school is near. Students
and teachers are looking forward
to the summer break. Soon it will
be another school year.
To celebrate April Fools Day,
the teachers dressed like students and the students dressed
like teachers.
Some students
dressed like our principals. Eve-
TIPS FOR PARENTS
BY: BETSY PARENT, HOME INTERVENTION SPECIALIST
•
Love and play with your child
as you would a child without
a disability. Take your child
places, read together, and
have fun.
•
Praise your child when he or
she does well.
•
No means No.
•
Let your child help
household chores.
•
Be clear, consistent, positive.
•
Sit down at the dinner table to
eat as a family and discuss
the day.
•
Practice table manners, eating with mouth closed and
holding silverware properly.
•
Read to your child every night
before bed.
•
The daily routine provides a
with
framework of support for children as they pursue their interests and engage in various
problem solving activities.
•
Find out what skills your child
is learning at school and apply them at home.
•
Involve your child in community events.
•
Do as I say AND as I do.
Page 6
GREATER GULF COAST
GGCC AWARDS 2007-2008
BY: BETSY PARENT, HOME INTERVENTION SPECIALIST
Each year the Greater Gulf Coast Cooperative votes on their peers for Professional, Paraprofessional, Contracted Professional and Contracted Paraprofessional of the year.
This year’s winners are:
Professional of the Year
Amy Young, Speech Language Pathologist. Amy has 16 years experience and serves Needville Elementary
School in Needville ISD. She is married and has two children. Her hobbies include photography, cooking
and gardening.
Paraprofessional of the Year
Jolie Suire, Secretary for the Special Education Director. Jolie has 4 years experience with the Cooperative.
She has 3 beautiful girls, ages 16, 9 and 7. Her hobbies, besides her children, are reading and being outdoors.
Contracted Professional of the Year
Barbara Cesari, Occupational Therapist/Assistive Technology Coordinator. Barbara has 26 years experience and serves all districts. She is married and has 4 children. Her hobbies include riding horses and
scrapbooking.
Contracted Paraprofessional of the Year
Theresa Goebel, ARD Specialist. Theresa has 3 years experience and serves Danbury ISD. She is married,
has five children and 16 grandchildren. Her hobbies include watching sporting events, reading, cross stitching and riding horses.
Volume 1, Issue 8
Page 7
WHAT IS A LICENSED SPECIALIST IN
SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGY?
SUBMITTED BY: MYRON DIANISKA, MS, LSSP
A LSSP:
Teams with educators, parents and other mental health professionals to provide services in public school
setting
Has specialized training in psychology and education
Understands school systems, effective teaching and successful learning
Areas Of Training:
Mental Health
Child Development
School Organization
Learning
Behavior Modification
Assessment
Training Requirements:
Masters or Specialist Degree requires 60+ hours
Doctoral Degree requires 90+ hours
One year, school-based internship
Licensure/Certification
Licensed by the Texas State Board of Examiners of Psychologists
Formal title in Texas is Licensed Specialist in School Psychology (LSSP)
12 hours of professional development required each year
WHAT DO LSSP’S DO?
Tailor services to the needs of the individual child
Consultation
Provide ideas to parents, teachers and administrators to improve student progress
Participate in student-centered meetings before there is a need for special education services
Help others understand child development and its interaction with learning strategies
Serves as a resource regarding federal and state special education law for staff members
Strengthen working relationships between parents, educators and community services
Page 8
GREATER GULF COAST
(Continued from Page 7)
Assessment
Academic Skills
Learning Aptitudes
Personality and Emotional Development
Social Skills
Learning Environments and School Climate
Eligibility for Special Education
Crisis-Violence/Suicide Risk
Intervention
Conflicts and problems in learning and adjustment
Counseling (for children and families)
Social Skills Training and Behavior Management
Crisis
Prevention
Identification of learning difficulties
Design programs for “at-risk” children
Provide coping skills for disruptive behavior
Foster appreciation and understanding of diversity
Develop school-wide safety initiatives
Education/Trainings Provided To School Staff And Parents
Teaching and Learning Strategies
Classroom Management Techniques
Working with Exceptional Children
Substance Abuse
Crisis Management
Research and Planning
Evaluate effectiveness of academic programs and behavior management systems
Generate knowledge about learning and behavior
Contribute to planning and evaluating school-wide reform and restructuring
For Further Information:
www.nasponline.org
www.txasp.org
Volume 1, Issue 8
Page 9
9 WAYS TO HELP YOUR CHILD’S
LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT
BY: COLLEEN DAVIS GARDEPHE
SUBMITTED BY: SUZY MCCUSKER, M.A., CCC-SLP
Parents play a critical role in a child’s language development. Studies have shown that children who are
read to and spoken with a great deal during early childhood will have larger vocabularies and better grammar
than those who aren’t. Here are some simple ways to nurture your baby’s language development.
1.
Talk, talk, talk. Narrate the day as it evolves. Tell your child, for instance, “Now we’re going to take a
bath. Can you feel the warm water on your belly? When we dry off, we’ll get dressed and take a walk.”
2.
Read, read, read. It’s never too early to read to your baby. One good predictor of future reading success is the amount of time parents spend reading with their child. Parents can start with simple board
books and graduate to picture books and longer stories as their child gets older. Story times at the local
library or bookstore can also help a preschooler develop a love of books.
3.
Enjoy music together. Young children love music and movement. When they listen to lively songs, like
“Old McDonald Had a Farm,” they learn about the world around them and the rhythm of language.
4.
Tell stories. Make up elaborate stories with characters, conflict, adventure, and a happy ending. Be
sure that the stories fit your child’s interests and aren’t too scary for his/her liking.
5.
Follow your child’s lead. If your little one seems interested in a particular picture in a book, keep talking about it. If he/she seems intrigued by a boat, show him/her more boats and talk about them, too.
Repeat him/her babbles back to him/her, ask questions, and interact with him/her. You can even try recording your child on a tape recorder and playing it back.
6.
Never criticize your child’s articulation or speech patterns. Instead, repeat his statements back to
him/her with the correct pronunciation or word usage. Give your child lots of praise for his/her efforts.
7.
Use television and computers sparingly. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children younger than 2 not watch television at all, and that children 2 and older view no more than two
hours of quality programming a day. While some educational programs can be beneficial to kids, TV
shows don’t interact with or respond to children, which are the two catalysts kids need to learn language.
Computer games are interactive, but they aren’t responsive to a child’s ideas.
8.
Treat ear infections thoroughly. Children in group child-care situations are more prone to ear infections, which can put them at risk for hearing loss and, consequently, language delays. If your pediatrician prescribes an antibiotic to treat an infection, make sure your child takes the correct dosage each
day and uses it for the full prescribed time. When your child finishes the prescription, schedule a followup visit with your pediatrician to make sure the infection has cleared.
Page 10
GREATER GULF COAST
(Continued from page 9)
9.
Go on field trips. A trip to the zoo, the aquarium, or a children’s museum will open up a whole new
world for your child. As an added bonus, he/she will want to learn the names of all those fascinating
creatures and fun activities he/she experienced.
Sources: American Academy of Pediatrics; Kathy Hirsh-Pasek, coauthor of How Babies Talk; John Bonvillian, PhD; Karla Stovall, speech and language pathologist
DAMON ISD NEWS
MRS. JONES’ CLASS
BY: MRS. LORRIE JONES, SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHER
setting has provided all students
and teachers an insight into Special Education. Many students
have reached many goals that
were not possible in a “resource
setting”. The teachers have enjoyed getting to know all of our
children and seeing the strides of
success we are having.
The 7th graders at Damon ISD
participated in a class project
about the history of early settlers
of Texas.
The students were required to
give an oral report, bring a food
native to their country and design
an original art project.
Brandon Irvin created a diorama
about Irish settlers.
Cody Brautigam made a piñata
out of a balloon and newspapers
to represent the settlers from
Mexico. After all the presentations were complete, the students
went outside to break the piñata.
Cody did such a great job, that
many students had to “whack” the
piñata before it broke.
Being in a full inclusion classroom
PICTURES FROM DAMON ISD
Mrs. Boaz & Cody Kettler
Mrs. Cesari & Dallas Ramirez
Jasmine Villaloboz
Volume 1, Issue 8
Page 11
NEEDVILLE ELEMENTARY NEWS
MRS. B’S CLASS
BY: MRS. BARANOWSKI, SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHER
In February, Mrs. B’s class took their annual fieldtrip to the El Campo Bowling Center. Mrs. B’s
Buddies all enjoyed two games of bowling and a
wonderful lunch which was provided by the Bowling Center.
and the general education teachers for their hard
work and dedication to our students. Last but not
least, “THANK YOU PARENTS” for staying involved and being so supportive. Have a safe and
wonderful summer!
As always, I would like to personally thank Mrs.
Buzek, Mrs. Pasteka, and Mrs. Zurovec, for making this year so successful. I would also like to
thank our administration, all related service staff,
PICTURES OF MRS. B’S CLASS IN ACTION
Page 12
GREATER GULF COAST
(Continued from page 11)
MORE PICTURES FROM MRS. B’S CLASS
HAVE A GREAT SUMMER!!
Volume 1, Issue 8
Page 13
A LOOK BACK INTO 2007-2008
BY: BETSY PARENT, HOME INTERVENTION SPECIALIST
CONGRATULATIONS ON A JOB WELL DONE!!
Page 14
GREATER GULF COAST
STEWART ELEMENTARY NEWS
MRS. SKINNER’S SPEECH CLASS
BY: MRS. SKINNER, MA, CCC-SLP
We have had some very exciting
times lately at Stewart Elementary. This is the first year that the
ARtIC Lab has been implemented
and the students seem to enjoy
coming to speech more than ever
before. Our campus provides an
ARtIC Lab for students with articulation errors who have qualified for speech services. This is a
more intense articulation program
appropriate for students who do
not have severe difficulties and
who can practice independently.
The program involves both direct
teaching and monitoring of the
students as they practice independently.
The students are
given their practice worksheets
which are individualized to their
level (i.e. sound, syllable, word,
phrase, sentence, or reading) and
a tally counter to calculate how
many productions they have
every session.
A prize is
awarded to the student with the
most productions for the day.
The students then rotate through
the different stations spending 5-7
minutes at each one.
The
Speech Pathologist monitors for
correct placement/production and
gives cues when necessary.
Some of our stations include the
ball pit station, trampoline station,
play-doh station, beanbag toss
station, puzzle station, tunnel station, hopping ball station and
rocking chair station. The students practice their targets while
engaging in other activities to promote generalization. In general,
the more a student practices the
better their speech will become.
Using this method, the students
have more opportunities for practice than traditional models of
service delivery.
Volume 1, Issue 8
Page 15
NEEDVILLE ELEMENTARY NEWS
MRS. PAUL’S CLASS
BY: MRS. JOSEPHINE PAUL, PPCD TEACHER
We had a great school year! I am
so proud of my students for learning the letters of the alphabet and
also learning numerals 1 through
20. One of our themes for this
semester was “Things that Grow”.
The students planted bean seeds,
watered them, and watched them
grow. We have also studied
these other themes this last semester: Teddy Bears, Bugs,
Families and Things with Wheels.
We celebrated Texas Public
School Week March 9-14 and
each child had someone visit the
PPCD classroom this year. The
theme was “Lift Off To Learning!”
We all enjoyed watching kites
flying on Friday, March 14th to
end a great week.
Some of my students will be moving to Kindergarten and I will miss
them very much. I hope they will
enjoy their summer and will have
a fantastic school year next year.
PICTURES OF MRS. PAUL’S PPCD CLASS
Ladybug Art
Valentine’s Day
Free Play Outside
Free Play Inside
Art & Work Display
Outdoor Fun
“The Three Bears”
Outdoor Fun
Page 16
GREATER GULF COAST
SUMMER ACTIVITIES FOR CHILDREN WITH
LEARNING DISABILITIES
SUBMITTED BY: KATHRYN HIGGINBOTHAM-JONES,
SPECIAL EDUCATION COORDINATOR, TEACHER OF THE VISUALLY IMPAIRED
When summer vacation arrives, parents are faced with selecting meaningful activities for their child with
learning disabilities. Many parents see summer as a time for catching up on academic skills through tutoring, summer school, or one on one instruction with parents. Other parents view summer as a much
needed time to rest and be free of the stress that is associated with school and learning activities. Still others see summer as time for learning new skills that there isn’t time to learn during the school year. There
is no one correct answer. It all depends on the child and his/her needs.
Summer is a great time for students to do volunteer work. Volunteer opportunities for teens are often listed
in the newspaper. Red Cross has a youth volunteer program as do many hospitals. Other opportunities
exist in nursing homes, senior centers and summer camps. Volunteering has many advantages including
enhancing self esteem, job sampling and experiences that can be listed on resumes or for future job applications. Some schools also recognize distinguished service graduates who contribute a significant number
of volunteer hours.
Swimming lessons, summer camps, summer sports camps and music lessons are also summer options.
These activities focus on areas of development that might be neglected due to the demands of the regular
school year. When selecting summer activities, make sure that the leaders or teachers of the activity have
some understanding of your child’s special needs. If your child has trouble with following directions, for
example, provide information about effective ways to give him/her directions. If he/she needs time to process information, tell the leader how this is handled at school. Summer activities should have a positive
effect on the child. Not everyone is knowledgeable about learning disabilities, so be prepared to share
your knowledge to enable your child to have a successful experience.
Some parents find that summer is the time to enhance skills. Tutoring to improve reading, math, writing or
study skills is often selected. If formal tutoring is selected, it should be scheduled so that the student still
has some break in academic instruction before school starts. Tutoring is often available from private tutors, at some community colleges, through the community education programs at some schools, through
park and recreation programs and through teacher education programs at universities.
The following activities are some ideas that enhance learning that could be done at home:
Elementary School Level
•
Explore a summer reading program at the library.
•
Use a children’s cookbook to read and follow directions to make favorite foods. Directions in cookbooks can be simplified by numbering them to assist with sequencing.
•
Encourage child to read the newspaper. Some newspapers have special pages for children.
•
Read to the child and talk about the book or stories.
•
If possible, have child read books that could be used for book reports next school year.
•
Improve vocabulary by learning three new words a week. Post the words on the refrigerator and talk
about them each day.
Volume 1, Issue 8
Page 17
(Continued from Page 16)
•
Have the child write post cards to grandparents or friends. Make “child size” post cards using 4 X 6
cards. Divide one side in half using a dark line. Make lines on one side for the address and lines on the
other side for the message. Have the child draw a picture on the reverse side or cut one from a magazine.
•
Older children could write in a journal each day. Encourage two or three sentences.
•
Write a letter to family or friends. Reluctant writers benefit from filling in the blanks or dictating the letter
to an adult and then copying it.
•
Use computer games to learn math facts, improve reading and vocabulary.
•
Listen to math facts on tape or CDs (this can even be done in the car).
•
Match or sort coins depending on child’s age or add random sets of coins.
Secondary School Students
•
Encourage reading of any type. Reluctant readers might enjoy books on tape to listen to as they read.
•
Many parents obtain the required reading list for the next grade’s English class and have the student
read at least some of the books in the summer.
•
Encourage vocabulary improvement through use of “Word a Day Calendars”,
•
Readers’ Digest Vocabulary pages, or a vocabulary journal and dictionary. If using the vocabulary journal, the student records any word from reading that he does not know and looks it up in the dictionary
and writes down a definition.
•
Read about places that the student will visit on vacation. Have the student write about them in a letter or
journal.
•
Figure mileage to various locations using a map scale.
•
Go to www.math.com for a variety of math review activities.
•
Go to www.bibliomania.com for free online books, stories, and poems.
•
Use computer programs or ACT or SAT preparation books to prepare for ACT or SAT testing.
The lists could go on and on. These are just a few ideas of how learning can continue in the summer. Short
learning sessions throughout the summer can be very productive. There should be plenty of time set aside
for the child to have fun as well.
http://www.ldanatl.org/about/parents/help/summer.asp
Page 18
GREATER GULF COAST
NEEDVILLE MIDDLE SCHOOL NEWS
MS. ANDERSON’S CLASS
BY: MS. KAREN ANDERSON, SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHER
The New Year brought new adventures for Ms. Anderson’s
class. Before school was let out
for Christmas break. the students
were able to be Santa’s little helpers. The students passed out
Secret Santa gifts all week for the
entire staff at Needville Middle
School.
The Galveston County Fair and
Rodeo sponsored a Special Kid’s
Day. Ms. Anderson’s class attended and really enjoyed themselves. The students attended a
rodeo, petting zoo and enjoyed
dancing to music during lunch
that was provided by BP.
Our students also participated in
Special Olympics. Those who
participated were Logan Stratman, Jordan Glass, Travis Lutz,
Daniel Alvarado and Ramon Barron. Each student won a medal.
Logan Stratman received a 1st in
50 meter dash and 3rd in softball
toss, Jordan Glass received a 2nd
in 50 meter dash and 5th in softball toss, Travis Lutz received a
2nd in 50 meter dash and 5th in
softball toss, Daniel Alvarado received 3rd in 25 meter walk and
3rd in softball toss and last but
not least, Ramon Barron received
6th in 50 meter dash and 4th in
softball toss. We are very proud
of our SPECIAL JAYS!
Because of their great job at Special Olympics, the students who
participated were able to go to the
Shriner’s Circus in Rosenberg at
the Fort Bend County Fairgrounds.
Ms. Anderson, Ms. Charanza,
and Mrs. Lopez would like to wish
everyone a happy and safe summer. We have great plans for
next year!!!
PICTURES OF MS. ANDERSON’S CLASS
Volume 1, Issue 8
Page 19
MORE PICTURES OF MS. ANDERSON’S CLASS
CONGRATULATIONS ON A SUCCESSFUL YEAR!!
Page 20
GREATER GULF COAST
The Ten Commandments For Parents of
Children with Special Needs
Submitted By: Betsy Parent, Home Intervention Specialist
1.
Take one day at a time, and make that
day positive. You don’t have control over
the future, over today, or over any other
day, and neither does anyone else. Other
people just think they do.
2.
Never underestimate your child’s potential. Allow them, encourage them, and
expect them to develop to the best of their
abilities.
3.
Find and allow positive mentors: parents
and professionals who can share with you
their experience, advice, and support.
4.
Provide and be involved with the most
appropriate educational and learning environments for your child from infancy on.
5.
Keep in mind the feelings and needs of
your spouse and your other children.
Remind them that this child does not get
more of your love just because they get
more of your time.
6.
7.
Be honest with your feelings. You can’t be a
super-parent 24 hours a day. Allow yourself
jealousy, anger, pity, frustration and depression in small amounts whenever necessary.
8.
Be kind to yourself. Don’t focus continually on
what needs to be done. Remember to look at
what you have accomplished.
9.
Stop and smell the roses. Take advantage of
the fact that you have gained a special appreciation for the little miracles in life that others
take for granted.
10. Keep and use a sense of humor. Cracking up
with laughter can keep you from cracking up
from stress.
11. There is no 11th silly. (See the 10th)
Children’s Special Health Care Needs
(CSHN-L) sponsored by the University of Florida’s
Institute for Child Study.
Answer only to your conscience: then
you’ll be able to answer to your child.
You need not justify your actions to your
friends or the public.
**************************************************************************************************************************
JUST A LITTLE THOUGHT…………….
“ I cannot do everything but still I can do somethings
and because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse
to do the something I can do.””
By: Helen Keller
Volume 1, Issue 8
Page 21
From the desk of Susan Bowles, Special Education Director
The 2007-2008 school year was very successful for the Greater Gulf Coast Cooperative and its five school districts:
Needville ISD, Kendleton ISD, Damon ISD, Hitchcock ISD, and Danbury ISD. The following is a list of this years accomplishments:
•
Fourth Annual GGCC Art Contest was held;
•
GGCC staff volunteered to help with Special Kids’ Day at the Galveston County Fair and Rodeo;
•
Students from area schools were involved in Special Kids’ Day at the community fairs;
•
Numerous staff development workshops for administrators, teachers, and parents were held;
•
GGCC was awarded $ 850.00 in the “Preschool Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) Project;
•
Consultants were contracted to visit the Life Skills classes and Content Mastery/Learning Labs to help districts provide exemplary services to students;
•
Language Labs and speech strategies were established in general education classes in all five school districts;
•
GGCC Team participated in Autism Spectrum Disorders Evaluation Program: Phase 1;
•
Districts implemented CLASS “Bridge” Program;
•
Hitchcock ISD and Needville ISD were awarded High Risk Funds; and
•
GGCC team participated in Professional Development in Assistive Technology at Region 4.
The GGCC staff consists of the following personnel:
Office Staff: Susan Bowles, Special Education Director; Jolie Suire, Secretary; Stacy Hoff, Bookkeeper; Traci Pyle, Records
Management Clerk;
Serves All Districts: Kathy Higginbotham-Jones, Vision Teacher; Betsy Parent, Home Intervention Specialist; Lisa Moody,
Homebound Teacher/Transition Coordinator; Latishia Goudeau, Special Education Counselor; Edith Schneider, Ann Bergen, and
Myron Dianiska, Licensed Specialists in School Psychology; Barbara Cesari, Occupational Therapist/Assistive Technology Coordinator; Elaine Thomson, Occupational Therapist/Assistive Technology;
Needville ISD: Myron Dianiska and Ann Bergen, Licensed Specialists in School Psychology, Stacie Henke and Amy Young,
Speech Language Pathologists; Mary Ann Bezecny, Kathy Bacica and Donna Gregory, ARD Specialists; Valerie Mekras, Physical Therapist; Danielle Wright, Orientation and Mobility Specialist; Kathy Higginbotham-Jones, Instructional Special Education
Coordinator;
Hitchcock ISD: Lisa Cox-Moses and Gwen Hopkins, Diagnosticians; Eliza Skinner, Speech Language Pathologist, Chris Baker,
Physical Therapist; Traci Pyle and Brenda Kemmerling, ARD Specialists; Kathy Higginbotham-Jones, Instructional Special Education Coordinator;
Danbury ISD: Cynthia McCoy, Diagnostician; Debbie Barrett, Speech Language Pathologist; Kara Price, Physical Therapist;
Theresa Goebel, ARD Specialist; Lisa Moody, Instructional Special Education Coordinator;
Damon ISD: Edith Schneider, Licensed Specialist in School Psychology; Debbie Barrett, Speech Language Pathologist; Donna
Gregory, ARD Specialist; Lisa Moody, Instructional Special Education Coordinator; and
Kendleton ISD: Edith Schneider, Licensed Specialist in School Psychology; Debbie Barrett, Speech Language Pathologist;
Donna Gregory, ARD Specialist; Lisa Moody, Instructional Special Education Coordinator.
Please contact the GGCC personnel at your child’s campus to answer questions or call GGCC at 409-986-6331.