 
May 1, 2008
Nominate Your Students as Academic All-Stars!
CLICK HERE for the CAE Article
April 29, 2008
May 6th - National Teacher Day
Tuesday, May 6th is National Teacher Day!!! Be sure to thank a teacher for making your schools great!!! Teachers in southwest and west central Minnesota touch so many lives. National Teacher Day is a great time to recognize and thank teachers for the contributions they make to our communities every day!
There are many ways to thank a teacher. One way is to provide school supplies to the classroom. In most classrooms, there are kids who can't afford the basic supplies for school, like crayons, notebooks, pencils, etc. Teachers often spend their own money to provide supplies for those children and for their classrooms. You can also purchase age-appropriate books for your child's classroom—or donate books to the school library in honor of your favorite teacher. (Check with the librarian for recommendations.) If you have some spare time, you could contact your child's teacher and ask how you can help by volunteering in the classroom. Maybe a particular student is in need of extra one-on-one tutoring. Maybe you could assist with a reading group. Do you have specific skills or experiences that you might be able to share in the classroom? Offer to be a "guest" teacher for a short lesson! Another excellent way to honor a teacher on National Teacher Day is to send a "report card" to the principal! Write a letter or report card telling the principal what a great job this teacher is doing. Give specifics on how hard he or she is working, and describe the results of that work—how excited the kids are about learning or how far they've come on a project. Send a copy of your letter to the teacher—it's a well-deserved A+ report card! (Note: It never hurts to send these kudos to the district superintendent and school board as well.) But don't stop there! Contact your community newspaper and ask them to dedicate space for recognizing the teachers at your child's school by featuring a different teacher each week.
Please remember to thank your teachers on National Teacher Day, Tuesday May 6th, and throughout the year! The SW/WC Service Cooperative is proud of all the teachers in our region, and want to publicly thank them for all their hard work and dedication! The SW/WC Service Cooperative provides a variety of services and programs to school districts in southwest and west central Minnesota, and looks forward to our continued partnerships with schools and teachers!
Sincerely,
Cliff Carmody, Executive Director
SW/WC Service Cooperative
Marshall, MN
April 22, 2008
Assistive Technology at the SW/WC Service Cooperative
One in five Americans has a disability. Assistive technology is for any person with special needs, and it helps individuals maintain or improve their independence in performing daily living activities. It helps people get and keep jobs. It allows people to enjoy greater participation in the community.
Assistive technology (AT) is any item, piece of equipment, or product system -- whether acquired commercially off the shelf, modified, or customized -- that is used to increase, maintain, or improve functional capabilities of individuals with disabilities. Common AT devices are hearing aids, ergonomic keyboards, wheelchairs, artificial limbs, communication devices, and ramps.
The SW/WC Service Cooperative has an Assistive Technology Lab, run by Dan Stores, ATP. Dan received the classification of Assistive Technology Practitioner after meeting the rigorous standards of this certification. The AT Lab is for persons with special needs, including hearing, vision, physical handicaps, and students with moderate, severe or profound limitations. Persons with traumatic brain injury or difficulty with tasks at home or school may also benefit from the lab and the consultation with Dan Stores.
The AT Lab has a variety of equipment available, from simple to sophisticated, which are available for short term use only. Dan provides assistance in enhancing learner outcomes and quality of life through consultation, demonstrations, and training. Dan can demonstrate switches, switch activated devices, software, computers, computer devices, adaptive materials, augmentative/alternative communication devices and many more. A complete list can be found on our website at www.swsc.org. New materials are added to the lab periodically to meet the needs of clients. The AT lab is also a great resource for educators and agencies who work with people with disabilities to investigate possibilities for their students or adult clients. Lab consultation and short term use of lab materials enables school teams, families, and adult service providers to identify and select appropriate materials for use by persons with special needs.
The AT Lab is located at the SW/WC Service Cooperative office in Marshall, which is located in the Market Street Mall. For more information, please contact Dan Stores, at 507-537-2272 or dan.stores@swsc.org. Assistive technology is just one of many programs and services offered through the SW/WC Service Cooperative.
April 14, 2008
State Knowledge Bowl
CLICK HERE for the article.
March 31, 2008
April is Autism Awareness Month
April is Autism Awareness Month
In order to highlight the growing need for awareness about autism, April has been designated as National Autism Awareness Month. The diagnosis of autism has increased tenfold in the last decade. Currently autism spectrum disorders are diagnosed in one in 150 children in the United States, affecting four times as many boys as girls. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have called autism a national public health crisis whose cause and cure remain unknown.
Autism is a complex brain disorder that inhibits a person's ability to communicate and develop social relationships, and is often accompanied by extreme behavioral challenges. It is a spectrum disorder, which means that it affects individuals differently and to varying degrees. Some characteristics may include difficulty relating to people, objects and events; difficulty understanding social cues; avoiding eye contact; resistance to change; being obsessively attached to objects; or having unusual responses to physical sensations such as sight, hearing, touch, pain, smell, and taste.
Early and intensive intervention can have a profound impact on the quality of life for both children at risk and their families. The key is early detection. Research has consistently shown that when children receive the help that they need early on, they are likely to become more adept at social and communication skills. But recognizing the first signs of a developmental delay or disorder, such as autism, can be a challenge for parents and healthcare professionals alike.
In clinical terms, there are a few “absolute indicators,” often referred to as “red flags,” that indicate that a child should be evaluated. If your baby shows any of these signs, please ask your pediatrician or family practitioner for an immediate evaluation:
- No big smiles or other warm, joyful expressions by six months or thereafter
- No back-and-forth sharing of sounds, smiles, or other facial expressions by nine months or after
- No babbling by 12 months
- No back-and-forth gestures, such as pointing, showing, reaching, or waving by 12 months
- No words by 16 months
- No two-word meaningful phrases (without imitating or repeating) by 24 months
- Any loss of speech or babbling or social skills at any age
On December 18, 2007, the United Nations General Assembly, by unanimous consent, passed the resolution designating April 2nd as World Autism Awareness Day starting in 2008. According to Suzanne Write, co-founder of Autism Speaks, "Autism knows no geographic boundaries -- it affects individuals and families on every continent and in every country. The celebration of World Autism Awareness Day is an important way to help the world better understand the scope of this health crisis and the need for compassion and acceptance for those living with autism. This remarkable day -- the first of many to come – promises to be a time of great hope and happiness as we work to build a global autism community."
The SW/WC Service Cooperative has three regional autism specialists that are available to support school personnel. Penny Cammack, Tammy Stahl and I cover over 70 school districts in southwest and west central Minnesota, serving children birth to 21. Visit our website for more information: www.swsc.org. This is just one of many programs and services offered through the SW/WC Service Cooperative.
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