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 | | Issue 2 | November 12, 2010 |
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| 29 | 30 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11
| 8:30 AM |
Hamm Center PTC Meeting
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| 12 |
| 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 |
| 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24
| All Day |
Fun Run Ice Cream Social
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| 25 | 26 |
| 27 | 28
| All Day |
Memorial Day - NO SCHOOL
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| 29 | 30 | 31
| All Day |
Enrichment Day - K-6
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| All Day |
Last Day of School Kenan 2s
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| All Day |
Last Day: Learning Lab & Speech
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| All Day |
Enrichment Day - K-6
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| 1 | 2 |
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| |  | | | | | Leslie's Lines
Leslie Munson, Ph.D., Director of Education
We recently completed the Southern Association of Independent Schools-Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SAIS-SACS) joint accreditation process, and we were unanimously recommended for accreditation by the site visit team that reviewed our School’s programs. Given our institutional history of excellence in providing educational and clinical services in the Atlanta community, we chose to undergo this voluntary accreditation process because of our commitment to upholding the highest professional standards consistent with our mission - To help each person develop his or her full potential through language and literacy.
We welcomed the opportunity for a team of colleagues from peer institutions in the Southeast to review our work and provide an independent appraisal of the quality of our services. The site visit team concluded that we complied with all of the accreditation standards, including those that addressed: 1) curriculum and instruction; 2) assessment of educational outcomes and program accountability; 3) communications; 4) business operations and resource allocation; and 5) School governance. We were most proud of the site visit team’s conclusion that stated:
“The Atlanta Speech School is a unique institution which enriches the lives of its students, their families, and members of the community. The members of the visiting team, given their backgrounds and general familiarity with the Atlanta Speech School, expected to see a world-class institution. We found that and much, much more. Not only is the School a model in terms of its research-based approach and life-long professional learning, but it is also a warm, nurturing place in which students feel safe and happy while learning. Spending time at the Atlanta Speech School makes us all seek to reach our own full potential and to help develop that potential in others.”
With this affirmation of the quality of each person’s experience within our care, we look forward to continuing the tradition of excellence that began 73 years ago. | |
| | | | | | | A Teaching Moment…
During this time of year, many of us may find talking about pumpkins as anything but extraordinary. But, for the children in Karen Blackburn’s and Lynda Wier’s four-year-old class, they recently got the opportunity to strengthen their language, math, and science skills in a completely engaging and entertaining way.
As they prepared to carve their pumpkins, the children divided into five groups to discuss which tool (yardstick, tailor’s measuring tape, contractor’s measuring tape, ruler, scale, timer, measuring cup, and measuring spoon) was needed to gather the required information. Putting their math and language skills to work, they had to discover:
 · How much does the pumpkin weigh? · How many lines do you count around the pumpkin? · How big around is the pumpkin? · How tall is the pumpkin? · What does the pumpkin look like inside? · How many seeds does the pumpkin have? · What kind of feeling will the Jack-O-Lantern show?
Our inquisitive pre-schoolers had to use deductive reasoning to decide the proper tool to use to answer each question. They learned estimation skills to guess the size, weight, and number of seeds; math skills to count the seeds in groups of ten (one pumpkins had 660 seeds); and science skills to confirm their hypotheses. All the activities were based on a detailed curriculum guide that introduces higher level thinking and challenging measurement and math concepts to four-year-olds, while constantly expanding their vocabulary with words such as “diameter” and “perimeter.”
 Of course, the whole time the children were practicing their language to describe the insides of the pumpkin as gooey, slimy, sticky, smelly, yucky, empty, orange, and having seeds and spaghetti strings. When carving the pumpkins they discussed the range of feelings the Jack-O-Lanterns’ faces expressed and vocabulary was introduced and reinforced. For instance, to help children reach specificity in describing the emotions, the group discussed whether the face was mad, or was it angry, furious, perturbed, or annoyed. Who knew pumpkins could be so fun and interesting? | |
| | | | | | | Early Education Forum to be held at the School
On Thursday, November 18, the Atlanta Speech School will co-host an Early Education Forum to discuss Georgia's Young Refugee and Immigrant Learners: Making the Vision of Third Grade Reading a Reality for All Our Children. The forum, co-hosted by Refuge Family Services and the Clarkston Revitalization Project, will be from 9:00-11:00 a.m. and will feature a panel discussion by Dr. Brenda Gorman, Marquette University, Dr. Dina Castro, University of North Carolina, and parent Evelia Ruiz. Opening remarks will be given by Comer Yates and BJ Walker, Commissioner, Georgia Department of Human Services. For more information, contact Frankie Fernandez. | |
| | | | | | | Focus on Clinical Services
This week is School Psychology Awareness Week and it is dedicated to promoting the field of school psychology. This year's theme is "Today is a good day to...SHINE!" and focuses on highlighting simple, positive ways children and youth can bring out the best in themselves and others.
From a psychological perspective, research shows that people who feel gratitude:
· experience more positive emotions, such as joy, love, and happiness;
· have fewer negative emotions, such as bitterness, envy, and resentment;
· experience increased feelings of connectedness and improved relationships;
· gain greater satisfaction with school and improved academic achievement;
· enjoy better physical health than people who don’t take the time to notice and appreciate the good things in their lives.
Parents and teachers can join school psychologists in helping children develop this “gratitude attitude” through a variety of simple activities. For instance, the Fishful Thinking initiative (www.fishfulthinking.com) equips parents with the tools they need to raise happy, resilient children, and help them feel and express gratitude. Additionally, strengthening positive relationships and experiences benefits students' well-being and supports a positive school climate.
School psychologists can assist in this process because they have unique training in both psychology and education and provide a range of services related to students’ academic achievement and well-being that include: 1) crisis management; 2) psychological testing; and 3) collaboration and consultation with teachers, parents, and school personnel. Contributing to creating a positive school climate, school psychologists help teachers ensure children’s academic success and promote the use of positive social and coping skills.
For more information on gratitude and positive psychology, please contact Becky Stamatiades or visit: http://www.nasponline.org/communications/spawareness/2010_gratitudeworks.aspx
Courtesy of National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) | |
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 Tax Credits Help the Speech School
Did you know the state of Georgia allows you to direct some of your taxes to the Atlanta Speech School? Established by the Georgia legislature, the Private School Tax Credit program lets you designate a portion of the money you have to pay in state taxes to the Speech School’s financial aid program. You get a dollar-for-dollar credit on your state taxes! Enrollment is easy and fast. Click here for instructions and to download the simple forms. Please contact Haven Long in the Development office for further information. | | |
| | | | | | | Speech School Actively Involved in Research Project
This year Hamm Center teachers Melissa McDonald and Christine O’Connor were contacted by KDH Research & Communciations (KDHRC) to assist them in the development of a Cochlear Implant Toolkit used to facilitate the successful transition of children with implants into mainstream classrooms. While the educational materials were produced by the research group and funded by the National Institutes of Health, they turned to our professionals as education specialists on the project. Christine and Melissa were asked to check the printed materials and website content for factual correctness, accuracy of terminology, and validation of steps to mainstream children with Cochlear implants. The CI Toolkit will be distributed nationwide and will include printed guides for parents and teachers, DVDs for teachers and classmates, lesson plans, and a website with additional resources.
Additionally, KDHRC asked the Speech School for further participation in the project by allowing them to photograph our students, parents, and teachers for the materials and the website. The pictures will feature children with implants, teachers, families, and classmates in various activities, conveying what we already know—young children with cochlear implants can succeed and thrive in the mainstream classroom environment.
After photographing our children and visiting our facilities, the group asked if they could shoot the video at the School and audition a couple of our older Hamm Center students to work alongside professional child actors. Christine and Melissa will be on hand as educational and deaf or hard of hearing consultants for the film crew, and the Atlanta Speech School and our child and adult stars will be recognized for their contributions.
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3160 Northside Parkway NW, Atlanta, GA 30327 • Phone: (404) 233-5332 • Fax: (404) 266-2175 | |
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