School year 2007-2008
Special Needs
The Lake Washington PTSA Special Needs Group is made up of parents whose children receive a variety of special services and classroom supports throughout the schools in our district. All parents are welcome and encouraged to attend the monthly meetings, which offer the opportunity to ask questions and discuss issues with district administrators, teachers, and other parents. Meetings often feature guest speakers on topics ranging from writing successful IEPs to the Disabilities Endowment Trust Fund. The Special Needs Group meets on the fourth Tuesday of each month at 7:00 pm at the LWSD Administration Building in Redmond Town Center. Individual meeting dates and topics will be announced via Parent Organizer . The Special Needs Group works towards several goals:
Pam Kilby (425-283-8346, pkilby@microsoft.com) is the Evergreen liaison to the Special Needs Group. Please send Pam an email if you would like to receive information of interest to the Special Needs community at Evergreen by email. Beth Angelo (4bangelo3@verizon.net) is the chair of the Special Needs Group. You may also contact Beth with questions or comments you may have.
Current schedule of meetings for this academic year. September 25th: Introduction of Director of Special Education, Paul Vine and his team will be introduced and there will be time for questions and answers. Tim Wolfe, director of Programs for the Arc of King County will lead a discussion on the Arc’s role in supporting children and adults with developmental disabilities and their families. Tim will discuss the Arc’s different programs, outreach, and the future of the Arc’s role in our community. October 23rd: Paul Vine, Director of Special Education will show his PowerPoint presentation highlighting his vision for Special Education in our district and the partnerships that are being formed in the community. AND Community Inclusion: Lindy O’Keefe and Michele Lehosky from the Community Inclusion Program of Pierce County will share ways to ensure that your child with a disability is included in their neighborhood and classroom and why this is so important. November 27th: Recreational Opportunities Hear presentations from many local organizations that offer recreational activities for people with disabilities, such as Special Olympics, Woodinville and Redmond Parks & Rec Depts, Friendship Adventures, Outdoors for All, Stepping Out for Fun, Community Integration Services, TOP soccer, Challenger League Baseball, Miracle League Baseball, the Highland Center and Little Bit Therapeutic Riding Center will be on hand to give you info, brochures and answer your question. This meeting could run until 9:00 p.m. No December meetingJanuary 22nd: “Parent Resilience” by speaker James May from the Father’s Network. It is crucial that parents have the necessary supports and skills to maintain family stability, to be "resilient" -- to "bounce back, be flexible and keep going" even when life experiences seems overwhelming. This workshop examines key components for heightening the resiliency and capacity of all family members, and how providers can be key players in making this happen. Humor plays a major role in this presentation. February 26th: OSPI (Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction) Special Ed Ombudsman, Kristin Hennessey. Kristin will talk about her role and how she helps families understand special education law, access trainings and mediation services and supports families. This is valuable information for all of us as well as a great opportunity to hear more about this wonderful, free service. March 25th: Guardianship information presented by Annika Pollock from the Dussault Law firm. She did a super job speaking to our group at the March 2007 meeting about IDEA 2004 and we’re excited to have her come back to address this very important topic that so many of us will need to address. April 22nd: Person Centered Planning presented by Jodi Reimer from the Arc of King County. This is a process that helps families and those with disabilities identify their dreams, fears and talents. The end result is a book about the person with the disability and an action plan to help them accomplish their goals. This is a free service of the Arc. May 27th: Two-part meeting: A) Programs in the district for 18-21 year olds presented by Richard Haines from our district. Richard runs the “Transition Academy” and can answer questions about how things work for our older students. He also has a wealth of information on the transition process as well. It’s never too early to start learning about this important stage in your child’s schooling and from such a great resource! B) Potluck Celebration Time! Bring a treat to share with the group and have a chance to visit with parents and staff before the school year ends! This is a great way to make or strengthen your parent connections! No June or Summer MeetingsFor questions and/or to be added to the email list, contact : Pam Kilby (pkilby@microsoft.com): Evergreen PTSA Special Needs Group RepresentativeBeth Angelo(4bangelo3@verizon.net): Chairperson of the PTSA Special Needs Group
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