504 Parent Coffee
Dr. Heiligenthaler and Mrs. Iannello hosted a 504 parent coffee. Please see the PowerPoint presentation for information that was shared about the 504 process and supports provided through GPS.
Reading Lab by MaryPat Caldwell
Hello! I am MaryPat Caldwell, the District’s new Reading Lab teacher.
With a passion for teaching reading and literacy, I am excited to be working with children across the District and sharing information with parents who would like to learn more about supporting their child at home.
To start, I would like to address one of the most frequently asked parent questions: “How do I choose the right book for my child?”
When choosing a book, always start with your child’s interests! Next, you will want to identify your child’s independent reading level. Your child’s classroom teacher has the most up to date information on your child’s level using an alphabetic system from A-Z.
The appropriate leveled book will eliminate a lot of frustration and promote successful, fluent reading. For books that are not at their independent reading level, but are of high interest, an audio book could be a great way to promote their love of reading. Scholastic offers a "Book Wizard" to help match your child’s reading level and interest to an appropriate book.
If your child is still learning to decode the language, they would greatly benefit from additional practice with decodable texts. Decodable books typically focus on a specific sound pattern and include only learned patterns and sight words. With these books, students are able to practice particular sound patterns as they gain confidence in the predictability of the structure of language.
Your child’s teacher is the best resource for choosing an appropriate decodable text as they will know the sound patterns that your child has learned and the patterns they are currently working on.
How Section 504 Applies to Post-Secondary Schools
College admissions can be very confusing, and students who have disabilities need to make sure they have the facts about what their college of choice will be able to offer them in terms of accommodation.
Eastern Connecticut State University has a great article about how 504 plan accommodations may be addressed at the collegiate level.
Preschool Parent Chat
Come listen to other parents who are dealing with many of the same challenges and find ways to make life easier at home!
Topics can include, but are not limited to:
- Why doesn't my child listen to me?
- How should I respond when my child does not listen to me?
- Why won’t my child go to bed?
- Why will my child only eat chicken nuggets and fries?
- How can I get my children to stop fighting?
- Why can’t we seem to get out of the house in the morning?
- How can I support my child’s learning at home?
- How can I help my child learn to calm down when they are feeling big emotions?
Each chat will be an hour long and include a specific topic based on input from all of you with 20 minutes at the end to tackle other challenges you bring to us that day.
Please read the preschool parent chat newsletter with dates, locations and contact information
The Office of Special Education and Student Supports
Email: stacey_heiligenthaler@greenwich.k12.ct.us
Website: https://www.greenwichschools.org/teaching-learning/special-education
Location: 290 Greenwich Avenue, Greenwich, CT
Phone: (203) 625-7493
