Accountability Meeting
CSDB Accountability Meeting
5:00 – 6:30 p.m.
12.3.2014
Lions Building
Facilitators
Minutes
Interpreter
Jon Vigne, Susan Temmer, Tracy McGurran
Julie Cuccaro
Guest Interpreter
Attendees
Chris Cockrill, Tim Elstad, Kathy Emter, Tera Lynn Gray, Katie Greene, Daniel
Heinze, Carol Hilty, Ralena McDevitt, Barb Meese, Julie Novak, Melissa Shular,
Tera Wilkins
Introduction/Review of Minutes
Susan Temmer
Discussion
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Susan led welcome and introductions.
Reviewed Accountability Minutes from November 5, 2014. No changes were indicated.
Conclusions
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None
Program Highlights – Residential and Employability
Tim Elstad and Tera Lynn Gray
Discussion
Residential – Reported by Tim Elstad
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Tim reported a variety of winter activities have been set for the dorms, starting November and continuing
through February. After-school activities include cup stacking, signing the national anthem, Special
Olympics basketball, student cheer club, pee-wee basketball, and YMCA activities.
The school has a new collaboration/ membership with Springs Trampoline so students can now go there as
well as the YMCA. Tim explained that we purchased a one year membership.
Pammie has been working to establish a relationship with Colorado Springs Park s & Recreation, in order to
add other activities.
The National Federation of the Blind has been working with the School for the Blind and dorm staff twice per
month, to mentor and help teach daily living skills.
Tim Ashley, from the Colorado Springs Independence Center, has been working with residential staff to
provide an opportunity for students to experience beeper baseball.
During November and December, parents and families have been invited to the dorms to participate in many
evening activities.
Accountability Meeting
Employability – Reported by Tera Lynn Gray
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Individual Career and Academic Plan (ICAP) coordinators, J.J. Ryan, Heather Groat, and Tera Lynn Gray,
attended an ICAP summit which was sponsored by CDE. They learned CDE will be making changes to
ICAP which includes changes that will affect CSDB.
Freshmen and sophomores, from both schools, have been working on ICAP and have been exploring
options for future goals.
Two Bridges to Life students will be exiting (aging out) in December . It is important to note those students
have been placed in their home communities , in order to better prepare them for independence after leaving
CSDB. Tera Lynn explained ten more students will exit in June. During second semester, will focus on
placing these students within their own community environments prior to leaving CSDB.
The December theme, within the Employability Center, is Community Service. Students went to the
Salvation Army to help fill and deliver Christmas stockings.
CSDB has a new partnership with L.N. Signs. The company is owned by a woman , who is deaf, and her
husband. They make signs and also do custom detailing on cars and motorcycles. They are very excited to
partner with CSDB and have taken on two of our students.
Action Items
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Person Responsible
Deadline
None
Title 1 Family Involvement Report
Tracy McGurran
Discussion
Family Involvement Team (FIT) – Reported by Tracy McGurran
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The last SHA Dinner was well attended with 75 participants.
Parent, Jessica Needs, attended the most recent FIT meeting. Jessica is interested in starting a PSO and
wants to recruit other parents to get involved. Jon and Tracy have offered to help establish that group
during next semester and will provide a room and interpreter.
The workshop with attorney Paul Mason, Legal Planning for Children with Special Needs, was cancelled due
to lack of RSVPs. Jon will invite Mr. Mason back in January with the intention of videoing the presentation
to post on our website. Content will include discussions about guardianship and medical power of
attorneys.
Funds in the PSO account are diminishing. The team is hoping to come up with new ways to raise
additional monies. Still encouraging everyone to continue collecting Box Tops.
Carol Hilty mentioned one department representative , on our Shake, Rattle & Roll team, is aware of a
parent who is looking for opportunities to engage with adults who are deaf, in an informal setting. Staff
member, Cathy Bennett, offered to help explore possible ideas for that. Tracy mentioned, when her son
was younger, she had been sponsoring a social group she referred to as an ASL meet-up. Julie Novak
volunteered to help Tracy continue that endeavor.
Next FIT meeting will be December 15, 2014 at 4:00pm.
Accountability Meeting
Action Items
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Person Responsible
Deadline
None
Review of 2014-2015 Schoolwide Plan – School Climate and Culture
Kathy Emter
Discussion
School Climate and Culture – Reported by Kathy Emter
Strategy 1 – Develop a curriculum to teach components of the discipline system .
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PBIS leadership team has created an office discipline flow chart which includes modifications from the one
used in the past.
During second semester, the team will focus on providing booster sessions.
Strategy 2 – Sharing behavior data.
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The leadership team has been compiling SWIS data to guide student intervention planning.
PBIS info is included in the parent newsletters.
Tracy asked how the data-sharing will occur. Kathy explained we look at behavior overall and not at
individual students. We look for types of incidences and the times they are happening so we can better
target behavior occurrences and pinpoint when and why they are happening.
Strategy 3 – Creating PBIS materials for staff and families.
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The PBIS leadership team has finished creating a matrix for grades K – 5 and grades 6 – 12 for both
schools.
They have created posters describing how PRIDE will look in the schools, classrooms, and across campus.
Next week, the team will present and discuss with staff from both schools. Posters will be displayed in
every environment on campus so will be visible to all.
Second semester, the team will focus on teacher involvement and behavior expectations with PRIDE.
Conclusions
Action Items
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Person Responsible
None
School Events and Upcoming Announcements
Program Representatives
Discussion
Deadline
Accountability Meeting
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At 6:00pm this evening, Julie Novak is taking choir students to view a dress rehearsal with a local choir.
December 9 - School for the Blind is presenting Sounds of the Season winter concert at 6:00pm.
December 16 – School for the Deaf, Elementary and Preschool, will present th eir program at 2:00pm. The
program theme is entitled “Winter in Our Town”. The middle school and high school program, “How the
Grinch Stole CSDB PRIDE,” begins at 6:00 p.m.
December 12 - Academic Bowl Team and basketball teams will compete at New Mexico School for the
Deaf.
December 17 - Old fashioned Bingo night, 6:30pm or 7:00pm, for families of day and dorm students.
This Friday and Saturday, students will be attending the CASB Conference. Carol mentioned that two
CSDB board members will also attend. Jim Collins, who wrote Good to Great, will be the keynote speaker.
Choir students performed at the Fine Arts Center and were also invi ted to perform at the Business & Arts
Consortium awards ceremony at the Antlers Hilton Hotel. The high school choir will also be performing at
two senior living homes in Colorado Springs.
The middle school band is rocking out! The students have chosen to modify the name of the band and are
now simply called the Bulldog Band.
STEM Conference took place. Middle school girls learned about science, technology, and math as possible
future careers.
School for the Blind secondary students participated in a shark dissection at the Colorado Center for the
Blind in Denver.
Melissa Shular asked a question regarding beeper baseball and can other (non-CSDB) children who are
visually impaired get involved? Tim replied we will conduct practices at CSDB first and will later participate
in challenges with other schools. Jon added, as long as we know they’re interested and coming, it will be
open to all children in the region.
Katie Greene inquired how parents of day students can get information about all after -school activities? Jon
explained all day students are assigned to a dorm and announcements regarding all activities for that dorm
are sent home to parents. Different activities happen in the various dorms. Tim reminded the group about
potential issues with transportation and supervision that need to be coordinated with everyone beforehand.
Meeting adjourned at 6:05 p.m.
Next Accountability Meeting will be February 4, 2015, 5:006:30pm, in the Lions Building.