Syllabus
Classroom Syllabus
Mrs . Spataro’s Classroom
Special Education Syllabus
2024 - 2025 School Year
Mitchell Road Elementary School
4124 E. North St. Greenville, SC 29615
Nicolina Spataro, Room D35, Grade Levels K5-5th
Contact Information:
Email: nspataro@greenville.k12.sc.us
Classroom Phone Number: (864)355-6732
Our Special Education classroom at Mitchell Road Elementary has wonderful students that range from Kindergarten to 5th grade. In this classroom, there is one teacher, Nicolina Spataro (Ms. Nina), and two teacher assistants, Adela and Kathie. Our students receive individualized instruction to best meet their needs addressed in their IEP (Individualized Education Plan). Appropriate, intellectually challenging learning opportunities are planned to help students meet state and district learner standards in language arts, mathematics, social studies, science, physical development, the arts and personal/social development. Our students work with various people throughout their day including: Occupational Therapists, Physical Therapists, Speech/Language Pathologists, Guidance Counselors, General Education Teachers, General Education Peers and Related Arts Teachers. Our classroom follows a daily schedule and our students have individualized schedules as well in order to meet all of their goals and objectives detailed in their IEP’s.
Special Education Services
Special Education Services of Greenville County Schools provides a free appropriate
public education to all children with disabilities in accordance with the Individuals with Disabilities Act. Special education students are served by a faculty and staff of over 800 teachers, therapists and other specialists who are trained to provide state-of-the-art instruction and assistance designed to meet individual needs of children identified as having disabilities. Greenville special educators comprise a cohesive team of professionals who work collaboratively and individually to address the unique learning needs of students who qualify for services.
Mission Statement
The mission of Special Education Services is to help schools and families educate
students with disabilities.
Goals of Special Education
· To develop a partnership between general and special education in order to foster
the integration of students with disabilities in the school community.
· To identify students with disabilities accurately and consistently.
· To support and include individuals with disabilities in the general education program
to the maximum extent appropriate.
· To improve the quality of instruction provided for students with disabilities by both
general and special education personnel.
· To ensure that due process procedures are consistently implemented throughout
the district.
South Carolina Enrich IEP System
The Office of Special Education Services (OSES) has implemented SC Enrich, a new
web-based Individualized Education Program (IEP) product aimed at supporting Local
Education Agencies (LEA) in developing compliant well thought out programs for
students in South Carolina (SC) served under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). The SC Enrich IEP system aids data collection and data reporting, alerts the user of IDEA regulated timelines, provides state and federal regulatory guidance, outlines procedural processes, maintains administrative records, and produces a parent friendly IEP document that is easier to read and understand.
IEP Meetings will be scheduled one or more times per school year as appropriate.
Instruction
Children develop skills at different times and levels. Each child is different, with his or her own strengths and needs. Students enrolled in my Special Education Class have an IEP, or Individualized Education Plan, that outlines student’s strengths and needs and set goals for learning. The appropriate goals for each student are based on test data that reveal current abilities and developmental levels. The goals are consistent with relevant curriculum requirements and/or standards. The goals are then subdivided into objectives which are practiced with specific strategies that reflect the student’s backgrounds, abilities and interests. Areas of learning may include one or more or all of the following areas: fine motor, gross motor, adaptive skills, speech and language, pre-reading, reading and math. Children in this class have multiple needs with varied levels of difficulties. Developmentally appropriate programming is provided and includes:
· Hands on experiences
· Interactive Promethean Board Technology
· Individual Instruction (1 on 1)
· Small Group Instruction
· Whole Group Instruction
· Thematic Unit Instruction (See below)
· Modeling
· Repetition
Varied forms of communication include oral language, assistive technology devices,
adaptive equipment, picture symbols, and visual schedules.
Related Arts: Per IEP, some students may attend related arts classes such as Music,
Art, Library, and Physical Education with a general education classes based on assigned grade level.
Units of Instruction
Units of study are provided by the Unique Learning System curriculum. The Unique
Learning System is an online standards-based program that provides students with
meaningful access to the general education curriculum. Students will be introduced to a new story unit each month (listed below) with multiple lessons and activities that
reinforce foundational skills across all domains. The curriculum also provides news
articles that will change each week and will be included in the classroom newsletter.
August:
The first weeks of school in August we will spend time learning the new classroom,
school environment, classroom routine, rules and about one another. It is important that we spend time fostering relationships in order to understand one another and be able to work well together. Students need to feel loved, safe and happy in their new
environment. Students will also be evaluated by teacher-made assessments in order to determine student’s current levels and areas that need to be worked on.
September:
We All Work Together
(Government)
Explores rights and responsibilities of being part of a group with a focus on groups within the school setting.
October:
Elementary Science Fair
(Scientific Inquiry)
Introduces scientific inquiry and what it is like to participate in a science fair.
November:
Look Up in the Sky
(Earth and Space Science)
Explores objects found in the sky, including the Sun and the Moon.
December:
Holidays and Traditions
Introduction to different winter holidays around the world.
January:
My Country: Yesterday and Today
(History)
Compares the past and the present.
February:
Natural or Man-Made?
(Geography)
Explores natural and human-made features found on a map.
March:
Exploring Light and Sound
(Physical Science)
Introduces light and sound
April:
Earning Money
(Economics)
Explores money, why people need it and how people earn it.
May:
How Are They Alike?
(Life Science)
Explores how parent animals and their young are alike and different.
Entire School Year General Knowledge Units of Instruction
All activities will be adapted for each individual student according to the student’s
different IEP goals and objectives. These units include but are not limited to:
· Personal Information
· Calendar
· Seasons and Weather
· Holiday Themes
· Sequencing
· Sorting
· (Basic math skills) Number Recognition and Counting
· Alphabet Letter Recognition and Letter Sounds
· Sight Words/Pre-reading skills
· Colors/Shapes
Assessment Procedures
Students in this classroom each have an IEP developed by a Special Education team
and updated yearly. As stated above, each IEP is developed to fit the individual needs
of the student. Goals and objectives are created to drive student instruction. Each
objective is observable and measurable with the criterion for mastery printed for each goal in the IEP.
Student’s individual progress is monitored and data is kept in a binder with individual sections for each student. Progress toward annual goals will be reported to parents on Interim and Quarterly Report Cards. The progress reports will be individualized reports on objectives in the student’s IEP with a summary of accomplishments. A copy is also kept in the classroom for teacher reference. Evaluations used to measure progress will include teacher made assessments, teacher observations, student work samples, and data reports. Some work samples will be sent home for parents to view. Some work samples will be kept in progress monitoring folders.
South Carolina Alternate Assessments
An Alternate Assessment on Alternate Achievement Standards (AA-AAS) is an
assessment for students with significant cognitive disabilities who are assessed against
alternate achievement standards as they are unable to participate in the general
assessment program even with appropriate accommodations. As many students who
participate in alternate assessment are nongraded, these students are assessed on
grade-level content based on their age commensurate with the ages of students who
are typically in the tested grades.
View for more information:
https://ed.sc.gov/tests/assessment-information/testing-swd/sc-alt/
Alternate Achievement Standards can be viewed on the State Department website.
Please contact me if you need more information. Standards will be integrated into
monthly units.
https://sc-alt.portal.airast.org/resources/?s=standards&submit=&folder_search=0
Rules and Procedures for Student Behavior
Student behavior is managed by age-appropriate and ability appropriate expectations
that are discussed, modeled, and practiced daily. Non-instructional routines are also
structured and consistent so that each student becomes accustomed to classroom
expectations. Due to the functional and cognitive levels of our special education
students, both instructional and non-instructional times are supervised by one or more
adults in the classroom. Teacher’s expectations are stated in positive terms. A positive attitude of support and appreciation for effort and cooperation is the norm at school. Corrections focus on the behavior to be amended. Conflicts will be resolved through problem solving and modeling appropriate behavior. Visual schedules are effective for assisting some students with following rules and routines.
Class Rules:
Listening Bodies: I will listen and follow directions.
Quiet Mouths: I will use a soft voice.
Walking Feet: I will walk in school to be safe.
Nice Hands: I will keep my hands to myself.
Caring Hearts: I will use kind words.
Strong Brain: I will do my best work.
Instructional Materials/Resources:
Current classroom resources include: Unique Learning System curriculum,
News-2-You, Promethean interactive whiteboard, craft items, children’s books, bean
bags, dry erase boards and markers, puzzles, manipulatives, play money, maps,
number charts, calculators, and timers. This list is subject to change when classroom
resources increase throughout the school year. Student’s families may provide some
consumable classroom based on personal donation.
Procedures for Non-Instructional Routines
Dismissal: Bus riders and car riders will be taken to their buses and cars (in bus loop)
by available staff members.
Change of address/Phone Number: Please notify the school in writing if your address
or phone number changes during the school year. This can be sent in your child's
folder. Accurate information allows us to communicate with you when you have any
questions or concerns or if your child is ill.
Breakfast/Lunch: Our class eats breakfast and lunch together in our classroom. Menus
for breakfast and lunch are available and may be sent home at the beginning of each
month per parent request. If your child is a picky eater, you may want to send a packed lunch.
Attendance
Good attendance is critical to student learning. Students need repetition to reinforce
previously taught skills and they need to apply what they learn on a consistent basis.
Regular attendance and being on time builds a sense of routine – which young children
need to develop good school habits. Parents will be contacted when attendance or
frequent late arrivals impede student learning. I understand the students may have
doctor appointments, please let me know in advance. If your child is going to be absent, tardy, or picked up early please call the classroom telephone or send me an email.
Parent Communication
I love communicating with parents in order to keep up with student’s needs and
progress. Feel free to contact me at any time and I will get back to you within a 24 hour period. Please let me know if your child will be absent or tardy.
Email: This is my preferred form of communication and the best option to reach me
because I check my work email several times throughout the school day.
Telephone: The classroom telephone number is (864) 355-6732.
Written: Each day I send home communication folders with parent/teacher
communication forms. Parents/guardians are to check the folders nightly and read
teacher notes about the date. Each individual student’s note varies and is personalized to their day/needs. Messages back are encouraged, therefore feel free to write any comments or notes you may have for me. School papers, work samples and other forms may be sent home in the folder as well.
Newsletter: A monthly newsletter will be sent home on Friday’s to share upcoming
announcements and provide an up-to-date and current report of what the class will be
working on in the following school week.
Classroom Website: Please check the classroom website to stay up to date on
classroom activities and information frequently.
School Website: For more information view MRES’s website as well. Each family has
access to the school handbook.
https://www.greenville.k12.sc.us/mitchell/
PTA: Families are encouraged to join and participate in all school sponsored activities and gatherings.