Placement in the SLC: A student may be referred for the Structured Learning Center if they have significant behaviors that interfere with learning, and have demonstrated a need for more structured behavioral and academic support after extensive home school interventions.
Each student will have a daily point
sheets that is used to monitor their behavior in all classes and settings while
at school. Students can earn one to
three points for each Life Rule in each class period with the goal to earn as
many points as possible. The daily point
sheet is used by staff to track student progress, identify patterns of
behavior, as well as identify successes.
Students use the information in making manageable daily goals, tracking
their progress and identifying areas where they are struggling. Based on the number of points the student
earns each day they will be in the green (all’s good), yellow (warning) or red
(danger) zone. The colors are only used as a cue for students glancing at the percentage
sheet; they are not displayed. Each day a student is in the green zone they
earn a ticket, which is then entered into a weekly drawing for prizes.
On the last day of each week
students will bring home a “Week in
Review” sheet that has their overall behavior score, for the week as well
as their average score for each of the Life Rules areas and their current
grades. Week in Review sheets need to be signed by a parent and returned
each Monday. Students can earn a reward
for returning them on time. If there are major issues or concerns that need to
be addressed, I will contact you via phone or email, to ensure that you are
aware of what is going on. A description
of each of the Life Rules and sample point sheet is attached.
Academics in the SLC:
The focus in the Structured Learning
Class is to maintain high adult /student interaction. Students will receive instruction in the
areas of Language Arts (Reading/Written Language), Math, Social Studies, and
Science. Conflict Resolution and Social
Skills are also addressed through social skills curriculum and direct
practice. Some of the curriculums that
will be used this year include: Jamestown Critical Thinking Series, Junior
Scholastic (magazine), Mathematics Concepts, Life Science Daybook, United
States History, Why Try?, and Dr. Melrose’s Hope & Healing group
activities.
What is the daily schedule for students in the SLC at the
beginning of the year?
7:45-8;00 Busses arrive. Students will meet staff at the busses and
go to lockers. Students who eat
breakfast will be escorted to the cafeteria to eat, students will not be able
to bring their breakfast into the classroom this year. Students who do not get
breakfast will go to the classroom, unless a staff member is not available to
stay with them.
8:00-8:10 Check-in, Morning Announcements, Pledge of Allegiance8:10-9:50 Language Arts/Social Studies Block w/Dr. Muñoz
9:50-10:00 Break
10:00-10:57 Science w/Dr. Muñoz
11:00-11:57 Math w/Dr. Muñoz
11:57-12:27 Lunch
12:31-1:58 Students will attend Health/Fitness & STAR classes with Para Support.
2:03-2:38 Advisory/Focus w/Dr. Muñoz
2:38-2:45 Review individual points, clean up, and head to busses
Rm.
220 (Quiet Rm) and Take 5: As
of now the plan is that instruction will take place in rm. 202 with the smaller
office area (rm. 220) down the hall utilized as a Quiet Room where students can
Take 5 or work with staff in a smaller setting.
Take 5 is the term I use to
communicate with students, when inquiring if they need a quiet place to
de-stress/calm down; separate from a peer or situation; or are unable to
maintain appropriate classroom behaviors. Students will have supervision at all
times. Students can request to Take 5
or be asked by a teacher/staff member do so, if they are being disruptive to
the class and taking away from their peers ability to learn. Room 220 is close enough to allow students to
separate, as needed, if a student is unsafe in one of the rooms and refuses to
separate from their peers/Take 5, the class will be asked to “clear the
room.” If this is ever necessary,
students will be escorted to the other room or go for a walk around campus.
Rm. 220 (Quiet Rm) and Take
5 Expectations: When students request or are asked
to Take 5 they are expected to sit
quietly and think about what choices they have made and what they need or can
do differently when they rejoin the whole class. The length of time a student Take’s really depends on them. If they are asked to Take 5, by a staff member, they will need to remain there until the
teacher meets with them or they are able to calmly articulate their desire to
rejoin the class. Again, the idea behind
having access to another room is to help the students’ identify triggers and
become pro-active in strategizing how to deal with them next time. The
length of a Take 5 truly depends on
the student. I try to respect their needs,
while reinforcing that it is not a place to hide for long periods of time.
Health/Fitness and STAR classes: All students will participate in their general education Health/Fitness and STAR. Students who have demonstrated a desire and ability to attend these classes independently will do so. Students who need additional supports and supervision for behaviors and/or academics will attend class with other students from the SLC and at least one Para. The proximity and amount of Para intervention and support will depend on the students’ ability to interact and participate appropriately with their class. If a student’s behavior is disruptive to the teacher and/or peers they may be asked to work in an alternative area for the remainder of the class period (essentially being removed from the class). I will communicate with students, Para’s and general education teachers on a regular basis, regarding how the classes are going. Adjustments will be made on an individual basis, with parent communication, as needed for student success.
Since students will be participating
with their peers for Fitness, it is important that they have a Liberty Uniform,
as well as “athletic shoes” (which do not need to be new) and non-aerosol
deodorant.
How will my child be mainstreamed into the general education
classroom? The goal for each student is to work their way into general
education classes. All students new to the Structured Learning Class spend
their first trimester in a “semi-self-contained” setting. This means they will have all of their core classes
in the SLC with instruction and supervision provided by Dr. Muñoz or the SLC
Para’s (this can vary based on the students IEP). At the end of each grading period Dr. Muñoz
will meet individually with each student and review their behavioral progress.
Students who have a desire to try general
education classes without support and have demonstrated the ability to
self-monitor and manage their behaviors will start by adding a single class and
then reviewing progress and adjusting their schedule based on how the IEP team
feels the students will have the most success.
All SLC students are supervised/escorted to the cafeteria before school to eat breakfast. At lunch students will be escorted to the cafeteria and sit at a designated table with Para supervision. Again the proximity and amount of Para intervention and support will depend on the student’s ability to interact appropriately and make good choices in the setting. Students can earn the opportunity to participate in lunch activities with supervision from a distance, as they demonstrate their ability to behavior appropriately in this setting.
If you have any questions or concerns about where your child is in the mainstreaming process, please communicate with the SLC teacher.
