Together We Can

Autumn is definitely here - the weather has gotten cooler, the leaves are turning, and it has been great seeing some of the fall activities that students are participating in, such as apple picking and fall art projects.

I hope that many of you were able to watch last week’s SEAC video presentation, "Including Samuel." If you did not get a chance, you can still watch the video posted on the SEAC website. Additionally, tomorrow, Dan Habib and his son Samuel will be participating in the second Zoom presentation on the making of the film and on building an inclusive life for students with disabilities. Log in information is provided below. Hope to see you online.

Best,

Stacey Heiligenthaler, Ph.D.

Chief Officer of Special Education and Student Supports

stacey_heiligenthaler@greenwich.k12.ct.us

Students in Ms. Comeford’s kindergarten class completed a Fundations lesson at Julian Curtiss School.

Ms. Lori’s preschool class at North Street School are participating in a read aloud.

Students are working on their math skills in Ms. Bee and Ms. Bennett’s co-taught kindergarten class at Cos Cob School. Principal Gavin also made an appearance in the classroom!

The fifth-grade Rangers at Riverside School completed Rangers training and committed to become role models and leaders in their school and community.

Kristin Mulhearn shared information about the listening community at the North Street School SESS parent coffee.

Mrs. Lomanto and Ms. Gasparaskis' eighth-grade co-taught Math class at Eastern Middle School is working on solving equations. Students engaged in discussion on, and implementation, of strategies and steps to follow when solving equations.

Reinforcing reading skills at home can be so much fun! Ms. Jarombek at Glenville School plays a quick game of "Socks" with her students. Tossing a soft object or rolled up sock onto a word card, students tap out the sound and then blend the sounds into a word.

An amazing SEL event that took place at Julian Curtiss School earlier this month. The school's Mental Health team organized the first "SEL Assembly-Be Here" and the students and staff had a blast.

Community Connections students practice mindfulness and social skills in a working environment.

During the 2022-2023 school year, Mrs. Katie Natale, a special education teacher at Glenville School, was awarded a First County Bank Foundation grant. These grants are awarded to K-5 public school teachers in Fairfield County to support creative, educational, and inspirational projects. Mrs. Natale’s grant project focused on creating a transition tool for students and families who become eligible for special education services.

Special Education: A New Adventure is a published book of true reflections by 27 current students with varying abilities about their experience with special education. They drew pictures, wrote narratives, dictated responses using speech-to-text software, and made lists to share their feelings. As an accompaniment to this hardcover book of reflections, Mrs. Natale also published a coloring book for younger students and a daily, guided journal for older students to complete with parents during their transition.

The transition process can be overwhelming with so many unknowns. These tools are a positive first step as students embark on their adventure in special education - an experience we know to be life-changing!

The Special Education Advisory Council, in partnership with SESS, will present Part 2 of their Zoom series on Tuesday, October 17 at 7:00 PM, on building an inclusive life for students with disabilities. Featured speakers include award-winning documentary filmmakers and nationally renowned disability rights advocates, Dan Habib, and his son, Samuel. If you missed Part 1, you can still watch Dan's 2007 documentary, Including Samuel (password is SEACresources!). Join the live presentation on October 17 via Zoom.

with Rachel Rubin

Did you know that one of GPS’s strategic goals for this school year is to increase student sense of belonging? Each and every school in GPS is focused on fostering environments that support each and every student to feel a strong connection to their own school. One strategy that schools are using to support this goal is by evaluating current supports and programming for students.

Research shows that when students with disabilities are educated in inclusive settings, or have inclusive programming, they have a greater sense of belonging. They are also more likely to make friends and see them outside of school (Newman, Wagner, Cameto, Knokey, & Shaver, 2010). Additionally, students with disabilities educated in inclusive settings have improved academic​, social​, emotional, and behavioral outcomes when​ compared to their peers with disabilities in more segregated settings (Cole et al., Mazzotti et al., 2021). All that’s to say, when a student is included they are more likely to have an increased sense of belonging at their school.

Later this month, SEAC is hosting a two part series on building an inclusive life for students with disabilities with filmmakers Dan and Samuel Habib. In the meantime you can learn more by checking out Dan Habib’s websites and resources:

Inclusion Includes Belonging: How to Create and Sustain a Circle of Support (article)

https://intelligentlives.org/ (website)

https://includingsamuel.com/ (website)

Our Mission

To offer a safe space where parents/caregivers of children receiving special education support can come together, feel heard and connect with others. Staff will guide parents/caregivers through the process of exploring mindfulness, self compassion and reflection, with relation to the many emotions associated with parenting.

Please join our Fall 2023 Listening Community.

Meetings will be held at Greenwich Library, 101 West Putnam Avenue.

Friday mornings 9:30-10:30 AM:

October 20

October 27

November 3

You can find the list of available supports in the Sensory-Friendly/Relaxed section on our Accessibility Page at Bushnell.org. Sensory-Friendly/Relaxed Programming | The Bushnell | The Bushnell

2023-2024 Sensory-Friendly/Relaxed Program:

• Puppy Pal Comedic Stunt Dog Show – November 5th, 2023 at 1pm and 4pm Puppy Pals Comedic Stunt Dog Show | The Bushnell
• Ballet Theatre Company Presents: The Nutcracker – December 3rd, 2023 at 11am Ballet Theatre Company: The Nutcracker | The Bushnell
• Holiday Open House – December 17th, 2023 at 10am Holiday Open House - Sensory-Friendly/Relaxed | The Bushnell
• Feel the Beat! Workshop: Hip Hop & Drumming - February 25th, 2024 at 10am Feel the Beat: Hip-Hop and Drumming Workshops - Sensory-Friendly/Relaxed | The Bushnell
• Ballet Theatre Company Presents: Snow White - April 21st, 2024 at 11am Ballet Theatre Company: Snow White | The Bushnell

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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