Distance Learning Round 2 - ESY

We are back to distance learning and luckily or hopefully this time with a better of knowledge of how to use the systems in place. 

Extended School Year (ESY) is the summer program for students with Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) that IEP teams determine a student may need over the summer break due to regression and recoupment.  For those of you that have your child signed up for ESY, you are going back to full time distance learning.  A few tips before ESY begins:

• Make sure you have heard from your child's ESY teacher. 
• If you haven't heard form your ESY teacher yet, please reach out to the Special Education Department.  
• Make sure you know the platform that your child will be using, and if you don't understand how to use it JUST ASK!   
• Have your child involved in ESY as much as possible and have fun with it!  
• Related service providers will be assigned to work with your teacher and they will be working with your child's classroom teacher to schedule times to join in.  
• If you don't know what ESY is, check out our website.  

If you have any questions please feel free to reach out to us.  

Hello Summer, Saying Goodbye to School!

WHAT A YEAR!  Today is the last day of school in Mt. Diablo.  As the 2019/2020 School Year comes to an end it is an unusual ending to our year, but children still need to experience some type of closure.  Make sure your child gets the closure they need to end their year and prepare for next year!  Some tips and ideas of saying goodbye! 

• Make sure to help your child say goodbye to their teacher, even if they will see them during ESY and/or next year so that they know the year is coming to an end.   
• Perhaps help your child send an email to their teacher to share a special goodbye message.  
• If your child wants to say goodbye to friends or keep in touch with them ask your child's teacher if they can share your contact info with the other family.  
• As I know it is challenging to prepare for next year at this time (we aren't sure what it will look like at the beginning of next year) make sure that your student knows this school year is over and a new one will begin again...
• Review all that they have done this year and share excitement with them over moving up to the next grade level.  
• It's always important to try to maintain some skills over the summer, keep practicing reading skills and math skills.  You don't have to do it every day but keep practicing throughout the summer and start as soon as school gets out to keep up the routine.  
• Find fun ways to keep your child learning, fun home science experiments, crafting, etc.  
• Make sure your child exercises and remains active throughout the summer, make sure to do it early on those hot days so you don't step outside and decide not to exercises.  
• Once the start of school year plans have been established begin preparing yourself and your child for what that might look like.  Depending on what next year's plan is the preparation and discussions will be different.  Keep checking this Blog and the Mt. Diablo Website to get updates on next school year.  

** Remember ESY begins on June 10th.  If your child is enrolled in ESY they will be hearing from their teacher regarding the classes before the start.  

Have a wonderful Summer and enjoy this time!  

If you need any assistance or have any questions please email shenh@mdusd.org or check out the Special Education Page.  

DREDF Special Edition

With the end of the school year fast approaching, and many annual IEP reviews taking place, families often contact us wondering whether their student can continue to receive special education support in the summer. This kind of support, known as Extended School Year (ESY) is very important to some students' ability to continue making progress toward IEP goals. This month's Special EDition, will define ESY, explain the process for determining eligibility, and help you understand how such services are part of your child's Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE).

What is ESY?
Extended School Year (ESY) services are special education and/or related services provided beyond the usual school hours/year, at times when school is not usually in session – often, but not only, during the summer. They are INDIVIDUALIZED services provided at no charge to parents. How the services are delivered is a team decision, and can range from 1:1 instruction at home, to participation in a summer program run by the District, to continuing participation in related services like Occupational or Speech Therapy in District offices. Districts are experimenting with computer based learning in groups at school sites, or through home based programs.

Read more of the DREDF Special Edition HERE.

ESY Registration Deadline - May 14!

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If your student is eligible for ESY and you have not received a registration packet in the mail, please contact the ESY office at (925)682-8000 x4189.

ESY Information

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Meet Sharon Krell

Please describe your job and responsibilities.
You can read my job description HERE. I ’m responsible for CMA trainings/testing in the district and I coordinate and set up and supervise the ESY program by working with personnel and principals to hire needed staff.

What inspired you to work in this profession?
I always wanted to teach, my mother was a teacher, but I didn’t get interested in special education until I took some college classes. One of the most rewarding things for me is to know I made a difference, big or small, in someone’s life. I also feel rewarded when parents take time to say thank you.

What is your professional goal?
Professional goal to me, means something entirely different than to most people. It’s not about being the top administrator somewhere. It’s being professional, maintaining my integrity by being honest, following through on things I say I will do in a timely manner. I work hard to follow through and check back in with people even when I am no longer needed.

What do you like best about your job?
That each day is different. It certainly is never boring or dull. I like to keep busy and my days just fly by.

If you could change anything about your job, what would it be?
I have too much to do and not enough help or time. Ideally, my wish would be to have a secretary for ESY support, and to have 3 more program specialists to assist with the workload. Then I would have time to be at my sites more to get to know students, be in classes and do more in service training.

You can contact Sharon at: krells@mdsud.k12.ca.us or 682-8000x4189 or 348-17577.

ESY 2009 Survey

Extended School Year is almost done! We would appreciate your feedback! Tell us what went well and what can improve! You can take the survey here. Taking the survey is easy. Just click on the link and answer the questions, and then click done! If the question doesn't apply to your student, ignore it. If you have more than one student enrolled in ESY, please complete a separate survey for each student. The link to the survey will remain in side bar on the right hand side of the blog until early September.

ESY hours increased

I learned yesterday in my child's IEP meeting that summer school has been increased to 4.5 hours a day for all students. It will remain a four week program. Children with autism who attend ESY will receive 4.5 hours for six weeks, as planned. 

This is an important step in the right direction and remedies the district's unilateral decision to cut related services outside of the IEP process. 

Unfortunately, this does not remedy the disparity between related services for students with autism and those with other disabilities that have a severe impact. This is, I think, an issue for CAC to work on as we move forward into the new school year. 

Gina Hale, Vice Chair of the CAC