Issue #7 december 18, 2020

En Espanol

A Message From Dr. Maxey

As we close the chapter on the 2020 school year, I want to take this opportunity to take stock of what the Los Angeles Unified School District has accomplished. When you really sit back and think about it, what we implemented was nothing short of a miracle. Back in March when the Pandemic hit, we pivoted from a brick and mortar school into a virtual one. We distributed devices, hotspots, and instructional materials while following all of the Pandemic protocols. We trained teachers, paraprofessionals, office staff and parents on our various online platforms. We provided social emotional support to students, parents, and community. The school system was the social safety net, but we did not end there. The District also provided meals to students and families in need. In fact, LAUSD led the nation in providing meals. Food services delivered more than 85,000,000 meals during the Covid-19 Pandemic! As we reflect back on 2020, yes, we faced adversity, but we also met challenges head on and rose to the occasion to support the families in our community.

Take these next three weeks of winter vacation to reflect and recharge. I wish all of the Reseda Community of Schools a restful and peaceful break. I know that our celebrations may look differently, but now more than ever is a time to connect (virtually) with friends and family. Enjoy the break.

Please note, schools will be closed during the winter break and will return in January.

Complete the School Experience Survey

The School Experience Survey Deadline has been extended to January 22

The survey takes just a few minutes to complete, with questions covering academics, school climate, social-emotional learning for students. It’s important that everyone complete the survey, as the results help school leaders make decisions about their campus.

SPOTLIGHT ON SPECIAL EDUCATION

Lilian Colindres is currently a Resource Specialist teacher at Reseda Elementary School. Ms. Colindres earned a Masters Degree in Applied Behavior Analysis from CSULA and is a certified Behavior Analyst. She then went on to earn a Mild to Moderate preliminary teaching credential from CSUN. She has dedicated the last 20 years to working alongside individuals with special needs. Ms. Colindres possesses an extraordinary combination of character traits that has made her an inspirational role model for her students. She is patient, accepting, optimistic and encourages her students to work at their full potential. Reseda ES is fortunate to have Ms. Colindres on their school team.

SPECIAL EDUCATION RESOURCES FOR FAMILIES

Helping your Child with Autism in Distance Learning

Is your child with Autism having a difficult time with Distance Learning and you wish there was a training on how you can help as a parent?

ADEPT (Autism Distance Education Parent Training) Interactive Learning is an original MIND Institute/CEDD 10-lesson interactive, self-paced, online learning module providing parents with tools and training to more effectively teach their child with autism and other related neurodevelopmental disorders functional skills using applied behavior analysis (ABA) techniques.

Click the link below to get started!

ADEPT Training | Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities | UC Davis MIND Institute

The Power of Empathy

By Katrina Antonelli-Weiss, Systems of Support Advisor

Teaching empathy is important. In the simplest of terms, empathy is the ability to notice, understand, and share the emotions of others. It is a critical social skill for all people to have. In many ways, empathy is the social skill that paves the way for all other social skills. It helps us to take someone else’s perspective, understand each others’ emotions, connect with one another, show compassion, make good social choices, and ultimately develop lasting relationships.

How can we build empathy? It is critical to recognize that having a lack of empathy is a skill deficit and not a behavior problem. There are many ways to teach, highlight, and practice skills for empathy, so these abilities can be learned over time. It’s important to note that some learners are going to struggle with these skills more than others. What’s important is that you work on them slowly and watch the skills grow.

Use literature/videos/movie clips. Using short stories and novels, you can help learners to think about the emotions and motives of characters. You might ask: How do you think they feel right now? Why do they feel that way? What might they be thinking? How would you feel if you were in their shoes? What might they do next? Discuss the characters’ feelings, thoughts, motivations, and reactions. Best of all, using these resources is an easy way to integrate social-emotional learning into everyday life.

Teach “being in someone else’s shoes.” Use situations to encourage learners to think about how they might feel. Then, go the extra step and have students think about how someone else might feel. This is a critical component of empathy because how we feel might not be how someone else might feel.

Use optical illusions to teach perspective-taking. Optical illusions are a fantastic way to teach perspective-taking because they show learners that we all think differently and that’s okay! Simply show an optical illusion and learners share what they see. They will realize that we don’t all see the same thing. It’s a great way to start the discussion on perspective-taking and empathy.

Instructional Updates

Renee Cofield, Instructional Coordinator

Happy Holidays from the Reseda Community of Schools

Dear Reseda Community,

I would like to wish all our parents, students and staff a safe, happy, and holiday season. I would like to acknowledge the contribution of staff, parents, and students in the Reseda Community of Schools. The whole community is to be applauded for how they have embraced the rewards and challenges of this year. One of the critical factors of any successful school is the staff. There has never been a time when being a teacher has been more demanding or challenging than during this global pandemic. Teachers, we thank you.

I conclude this message by offering the Reseda Community my very best wishes for the holiday season. I sincerely hope all of you have an opportunity to spend quality time with loved ones. I look forward to welcoming everyone back for the start of the second semester.

Happy Holidays

School Spotlight

Renee Cofield, Instructional Coordinator

Mulholland Middle School

Principal Raquel Segal

Principal Segal believes children learn more when they are engaged with the content and enjoy what they are learning. Mulholland Middle School offers a variety of high interest programs such as an outstanding School for Advanced Studies, a Police Academy Magnet, an innovative STEAM Robotics Magnet and a Career Technical Education pathways in Engineering, Video, and Biotechnology. Visit their website at https://mulhollandms.org

Vanalden EEC

Principal Sandy Chen

Welcome to Vanalden EEC. Principal Sandy Chen and her amazing staff have a wealth of knowledge and expertise in early childhood education. They are innovative, passionate, and enthusiastic when working with our youngest learners. Click here to take a virtual tour with Principal Chen.

Lemay EEC

Principal Jason Rosales

Principal Jason Rosales welcomes you to Lemay EEC where the goal is to ensure students are healthy, happy and safe to learn and maximize their potential. He and his staff spend a lot of time getting to know each student’s personality, learning style, interest and most importantly ensuring that every child knows they are valued and have a special place in the Lemay EEC Community. Principal Rosales recently distributed an ipad and learning kit to supplement and enhance student learning in the distance learning environment. Visit the school at Lemay Street Early Education Center (schoolloop.com)

EL Updates - Title III Coaches

Students have the flexibility to explore areas of their own interest and use high-quality content to make relevant, real-world connections to in-class topics.

Discovery Education provides features such as closed captioning, video transcripts, translation options, and text-to-speech that make learning accessible to diverse learners and adapt content to specific student needs, including ELL, SEL, and Special Education.

Discovery Education offers:

Virtual Field Trips

Students can explore and visit various destinations around the world from the comfort of their home.