IN Brentwood-Baldwin-Whitehall Winter 2018 | Page 66

the district several months before the student enters kindergarten
allows the district to evaluate and plan for supports that the child
needs in order to be successful. This process is also done so that
students have no gaps in his/her educational program and the
transition from preschool to kindergarten is seamless for students
with disabilities.
During these transition meetings in February the district
received information that several students with intellectual and
developmental disabilities would be kindergarten age by the start
of the 2018/19 school year. Through review of these students’
evaluations and preschool IEPs, it was evident that they would
need a great deal of support and would benefit from a more
functional Life Skills program.
Life Skills Support is one of nine programs of support outlined
in Chapter 14 of the PA School Code. Life Skills Support is defined
in the PA School Code as a program that provides students with a
disability who require services primarily in the areas of academic,
functional or vocational skills necessary for independent living.
Young students in these programs typically require extensive
supports in the areas of communication, socialization, functional
academics, and fine/gross motor development.
February is also an important month in the budgetary planning
process for the upcoming school year. Budgetary calculations
were projected for costs the district would incur if we were to
continue sending these young incoming kindergartners to
programs outside of the district. Calculations were also projected
for costs the district would incur if the district was to open its own
Life Skills Support programming. The Board of School Directors
made the decision to open a classroom and gave approval to hire
and train new staff, purchase new curricular material, and develop
a developmentally-appropriate classroom space. The district
received approval from the Pennsylvania Department of Education
to open a Life Skills classroom in May 2018.
The district received and reviewed many applications for
the two available positions-classroom teacher and classroom
paraprofessional and made the decision to hire Ms. Taylor Kortze
and Mr. Andrew Simpson. Ms. Kortze came to Brentwood from
Pace School where she was employed as a special education
teacher, working with students who had behavioral challenges.
She also has experience as a cast member at Walt Disney World’s
Bibbidi-Bobbidi Boutique. Mr. Simpson accepted the position
of classroom paraprofessional and he has been working in the
district as an elementary substitute teacher. Mr. Simpson is
currently finishing his Master’s degree in special education at
Chatham University. The district is proud to have these two
educators as part of our faculty.
Classroom space at both elementary schools is at a premium
and the district made the decision to develop the new classroom
at Elroy Avenue Elementary due to the fact that the majority
of students who would be attending this classroom live in the
vicinity of that elementary school. As the district is moving toward
utilization of mobile technology labs in the schools, the decision
was made to convert a technology classroom into the new Life
Skills classroom. Computers were removed from the classroom
and redistributed throughout the district as possible and
computer tables were switched out for kindergarten-sized student
desks and chairs.
The Laura Hoover “Its All Good Foundation” (www.lhiagf.org)
offered a donation to commission an up-and-coming artist to
64
BRENTWOOD-BALDWIN-WHITEHALL
paint a mural in the
classroom to brighten
the atmosphere.
The “Its All Good
Foundation” is a non-
profit that was set
up in remembrance
and tribute to Laura
Hoover and funds
projects supporting
non-traditional
education using an
‘outside the box’
approach to learning.
The Foundation
commissioned Ms.
Anika Ignozzi to
paint the mural. Ms.
Anika Ignozzi takes a break from developing her
Ignozzi is a local artist
clothing line to paint the mural and brighten up
who has developed
the new Life Skills Support classroom
her own clothing
line called Ooh baby! and her work can be seen in Pittsburgh’s
Strip District. She describes her work as conversation pieces that
create positive dialogue between loved ones, strangers, and the
inbetweeners. It is here to brighten all days and bring self criticism
to a halt. Ms. Ignozzi painted a colorful and fanciful landscape
on the classroom’s 8-foot wall. The painting captures every
person’s attention immediately upon entering the classroom.
The Foundation also donated developmentally appropriate toys,
sensory items, and two IPads for students use.
The district continued its partnership with Allegheny
Intermediate Unit to provide services to our new students in
this classroom, including: Speech and Language Support,
Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, Assistive Technology, and
Hearing/ Vision Support.
Once everything was in place we waited anxiously for the
students to arrive on the first day of school. There was some
anxiety...both from the new students and their parents, but they
were welcomed whole-heartedly into their new school. Parents
were a little hesitant to say good-bye to their little ones, but after
lots of hugs and kisses, the young students took our hands and
entered the classroom. The first few days were spent getting to
know each other and learning classroom expectations.
“I was there to greet students and parents on the first day of
school and spent the first two days in the classroom making sure
things went well and students were comfortable. I have to admit
I was a little nervous at first because the students were slow to
warm up to staff and each other. I returned to the classroom
two weeks later to find a completely different climate where
students were playing with each other, referring to each other as
“Friend”, and participating in the typical kindergarten classroom
procedures as a group” said Chris Winiarski, Director of Special
Education. Parents, too, are very pleased with their children’s
progress. One mom admitted that she was very worried about
her son starting kindergarten and was afraid that his level of fear
and anxiety coupled with his communication difficulties would
interfere with his success in school. That same mom shared that
she is so happy with her son’s progress in this program that she
has actually shed tears of pride and relief.