August Newsletter

Back to School Edition!

The summer is nearly over and school bells will ring in just a few short weeks. It’s almost time to change our mindset back to the exciting, albeit sometimes hectic, schedules of school. Exciting times are ahead for students in Arkansas. Opportunities are being presented, argued over in court, and hashed out in social media support groups (GASP). Try your best to stay positive through the changes. When speaking about your child’s new teacher or classroom keep a positive spin on it, even though as the parent, you might be struggling with the change yourself. Children look to parents for help in forming their own opinions. The words you use to describe your child’s upcoming school year will set the tone for them as they move into that building next month. Send them back with an eager anticipation about the new school year and the experiences and opportunities it could bring for them.

-Shelby Knight

During the summer is a great time to organize your IEP/504 information prior to the beginning of the school year.  TCFEF offers a free Parent Toolkit Binder that is a great resource to organize your child's documents.  This binder can quickly "fill up" so remove some of the older reports and IEPs. I suggest keeping the most recent IEP/504 plan and doctor/therapist reports and evaluations in the binder. Anything older than that, file away or scan into your computer so you have a digital copy. It is important to keep this information, but you don't need to take it to every meeting. Also, during the summer, keep a log of things that may have changed for your child over the past few months. You can keep notes in your phone or on a sticky note in your binder. This will be helpful information for the school as the new year begins.  

-Katrinka Sullivan

NW & River Valley Parent

Looking for last minute summer activities before school starts in August? Parent mentor Loreena loves to travel with her son Eysiah whenever possible. Traveling with a child with a disability can be challenging but many parks are becoming disability acessible. Did you know you can get a FREE Annual pass to National Parks? You can also get the pass a few different ways:

• If you have a 4th grader (homeschool or public schools)
• If you are a military family or veteran
• If you have a disability or a child with a disability
• If you volunteer with federal certain federal agencies 250 hours

Click Here to learn more!

-Loreena Hegenbart

North Central Parent Mentor

TCFEF Parent Mentor and IFTW State Lead, Karen Lutrick would like to schedule a training session with you, your staff, teens and young adults with disabilities, and/or parents of teens and young adults with disabilities on resources and information about life beyond high school,

• Topic: Working Independently, Here We Come. The full training is approximately four (4) hours or can be done in 1-4 segments, each segment approximately one (1) hour. 
• Contact Karen at 501-398-1667 or karen.lutrick@tcfef.org to schedule a training. 
• Click Here to view the 'Working Independently, Here We Come" checklist.

-Karen Lutrick

SW & Central Parent Mentor

As the summer draws to a close, it's crucial to recognize the significance of preparing our children for the transition back to school. The return to the academic environment can bring a mixture of excitement and anxiety for both parents and children. To ensure a smooth and successful transition, focus on a few key areas:

• First, establish routines and gradually adjust sleep schedules to help children ease into early mornings and structured days.
• Second, engage in open and honest conversations about their expectations, concerns, and goals for the school year. This can alleviate anxiety and build anticipation.
• Additionally, revisit basic academic skills and encourage reading over the summer to prevent the "summer slide" and ensure a solid foundation for the new school year.
• Lastly, nurture a positive mindset and foster a supportive environment at home to empower children to approach challenges with confidence and resilience.

By proactively preparing our children for the return to school, we can set the stage for a successful and fulfilling academic journey ahead.

-Lauryn Tacker

Delta Parent Mentor

Summer is here and the previous school year is over. As with all endings we can end well, but what does that mean? It means that you:

• Attended your child’s Annual Review Conference and have a clear understanding of your child’s strengths and challenges.
• Spoke with the IEP team if your child did not make the progress expected. You considered possible reasons and asked for suggestions to help your child continue to move forward.

That is how to end well. Next, how do we start strong for the new school year?

• Prepare your child for changes that will happen next year. Take a tour of the school, pointing out key places and routines.
• Include the new IEP in your TCFEF binder and be ready to share your concerns with the new teacher.
• Talk positively about school because your kids are listening. If parents express excitement about school, so will students.

Be organized, be prepared and be positive. Out with the old and in with the new!

-Teresa Hendrix

NE & Delta Parent Mentor

Michelle Alvarez has served as the CAYSI program's Family Consultant and Family Engagement Coordinator since 2022. As a parent to a child with significant hearing loss, she has experience and strategies for positive communication and advocacy. She worked for 6 years at the Arkansas School for the Deaf (ASD) as a paraprofessional then executive assistant for the superintendent. While there, she led monthly parent meetings, created family events, spearheaded the school's Family and Community Engagement plan, served on the board as a parent member, and supported multiple campaign efforts and scholarship opportunities for students. She has served as a board member for the Arkansas chapter of Hands & Voices and as a parent mentor for families at events sponsored by Arkansas Children’s Hospital. Michelle was one of the initial ASTRa Advocates and completed the ASTRa educational advocacy training. She holds a B.S. in Interdisciplinary Studies specializing in Organizational Communication, Leadership, and Public Service. 

Jennifer serves as the Educational Consultant for Arkansas’ DeafBlind Program. She has a M.A. in special education and over 15 yrs. experience in the education of children with multiple disabilities and deafblindness. As a special education teacher and former paraprofessional, She understands the importance of strategies and resources for students with deaf blindness and multiple disabilities. Since joining CAYSI in 2017, she has planned, organized, and presented at conferences, educational cooperatives, and agencies throughout the state. She lays a key role in collaboration with Arkansas Collaborative Consultants, stakeholders, HKNC, and other state DeafBlind projects. Jennifer has worked to cultivate relationships with educational teams and special education supervisors to gain commitment from all parties working with CAYSI to share best practices. 

The Center for Exceptional Families looks forward to working with the CAYSI project to further help families who have children with dual sensory impairments and additional disabilities, otherwise known as deafblindness.

To strengthen current federal and state educational laws, the Arkansas Department of Education is committing funding, training, and resources to the All In initiative to "ensure that EVERY student in Arkansas has equitable access to core instruction that leads to great opportunities for students to reach college, career, and life goals."

What does this mean for your child or student? How will schools promote access to the curriculum and inclusive education? Since they know the unknown can be scary, ADE has included some parent and teacher resources to explain their plan. Also, we are The Center for Exceptonal Families are here to support parents and staff.

We want to assure families this is NOT a new idea or passing phase. These plans are intended to strengthen existing laws and programs to help EVERY student with a disability get a great education and be successful beyond high school.

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