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Dear Sunset Ridge Families,
And we’re off! Kids are settling into the routines, and the school year feels fully launched. Here are a few thoughts about things that not everybody knows about in schools;
Allergens in the lunchroom - We can do everything from “just keep an eye out” (the most common choice) to having a child sit at a separate table with a different-colored tray with active supervision to avoid cross-contamination. Most families choose the former; please be in touch if you want more information or restrictions in the lunchroom!
Bouncy obstacle course - for the 30th anniversary celebration on 9/25, we’ll have an inflatable obstacle course. We have insurance and plans for supervision. Please let us know if you do not want your child to participate.
Concerns about your child? There are a wide range of services available through public schools. If you have concerns about academics, attention, fine motor skills, speech, or any other topic, there are likely trained school staff available to help you learn more about your child and strategize next steps to help them. Kathryn Jackson, our school psychologist, is the best person to start that conversation with (kjackson@mcpasd.k12.wi.us).
Some of those conversations result in 504 Plans, which are legally binding documents that follow kids through schools, enumerating the accommodations or supports they need to be successful (e.g. sitting in the front, having assistive technology, more time on tests, etc.).
Some of those conversations result in children having IEPs, or Individualized Education Plans (also known as special education). Those have accommodations like a 504 but also staff assigned to help them meet their IEP goals.
School staff are subject to a law called Child Find, which was brought into being by adults with disabilities who sued the schools who did not identify those disabilities earlier. Now, we are supposed to initiate a special education referral for any child who we suspect might have a disability. We always try to work in partnership with families on these things, and don’t want our potential suspicion of a disability to mean that we value the children any less than others.
Please reach out if you have concerns about your child you’d like us to dig into!
On a completely unrelated note, we have a vacancy for a regular education paraeducator from 10:30am-12:15pm daily. You’d be with kindergarten-3rd graders at recesses and lunch. You’ll be able to find the vacancy and apply on WECAN.
Principal Brett Wilfrid
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