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New SPED program at Moreau
By Paula Vogler
Thu Sep 06, 2007, 09:37 PM EDT
Easton -Smith said there has been an increase in students with autism around the country and his school will begin the school year with an intensive program targeting those students with the severest learning disabilities.
“The largest percentage of special needs students are inclusion students,” said Smith. “These are students we don’t integrate.”
He said the town of Easton has a philosophy that all students living in the town should be educated in the town. He called going to school in specialized settings in other towns a type of “artificial placement.”
“(The students) play with friends in the neighborhood after school,” Smith said. “Why shouldn’t they go to the neighborhood school?”
Smith said one special needs student did return to the school last year after spending previous school years in out of town placement settings and the child had a wonderful time.
“The parent said, ‘This is the first time my child has been invited to a birthday party,’” said Smith. “We find they become members of our community.”
Pam Large was hired to teach the class; according to Smith she has six years SPED teaching experience.
While there are just five students in the class as the school year begins, Smith said that could change as the year progresses.
Smith said the school itself has undergone some physical changes over the summer, namely the upgraded electrical system that the town’s capital planning committee had earmarked money for.
Because the previous electrical system had been installed in 1961 before computers and the increased electrical needs, the school would many times experience surges, brown outs and black outs with their computer systems.
“The surges would ruin our computers,” said Smith. “(The upgrade) doubled our electrical capacity.”
Smith said there are also brand new tables in the cafeteria, again thanks to the capital planning committee, replacing 30-year-old tables that were falling apart or in disrepair.
“This is my 22nd year as a principal,” said Smith. “It’s still an exciting time of year. This is a great school for kids.”
At Center School, the Foundation for Excellence in Education in Easton (FEEE) awarded the school grants amounting to close to $3,400 that will allow teachers to focus on four programs, according to principal Debra DiCenso.
Because the town of Easton has decided to concentrate on literacy district wide, DiCenso said that one of the FEEE grants will allow teachers to add to the literacy closet annex at the school.
“Reading is our huge push this year because of the district wide initiative,” said DiCenso. “We will try to teach the children to visualize as they are reading.”
DiCenso said if students visualize what they are reading about, studies have shown that they remember more of what they have read.
“Reading is thinking,” said DiCenso. “If you’re thinking while you’re reading, you’re holding onto the information.”
A second grant will be used to create a mileage club fitness plan. In keeping with the wellness goal of the school, an outdoor map will be painted outlining a one-mile path at the school that students and aids can walk during recess.
Students will get a token for every mile they walk and once they receive five tokens, they can turn those in at the school store to receive a different token that can be saved and spent at the store.
Third-grade teachers were awarded a third grant to help students learn about the living history of Easton.
DiCenso said the teachers would be developing a script and a play for the students to take part in at the end of the year that will focus on the Revolutionary War time period as it pertained to Easton. The final grant will be used for the ongoing open circle social competency program.
“We want to make sure that staff members and parents are using the same language with the kids,” said DiCenso, “for example ‘school listening look’ and recognizing ‘dangerous and destructive’ behavior.”
DiCenso said the grant would allow teachers to purchase books to use as read aloud stories that focus on the principles taught in the open circle such as friendship, kindness, and cooperation.
Paula Vogler can be reached at 508-967-3510 or by email at writedesk84@comcast.net.
