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| My family on the first school day of 2011. They are so thrilled I still make them take a picture! |
In Texas, most first days of school are Aug. 27 this year. That's because our Legislature determined that earlier starts interrupted tourism and summer work jobs. I have been reading blogs where teachers are back in the full swing of things, so I feel like I'm a little behind, but I'm really not. At least not yet!
I discovered several years ago that schools - and I - operate on cycles. Eventually, it hit me that we have to start thinking about the next school year early in the second semester, that it happened every year, and that I forgot every year. Although I won't have a schedule next week, I still need to write down some of the things that happen every year.
My list for next week is rather generic, but I hope it will help me plan ahead. One note - Texas has ARDs - Admission, Review and Dismissal - which is our term for IEP meetings.
Aug. 27-31
Finish making student lists for each grade to find out teachers and who has moved
Call parents/previous schools to verify services for new students
Expect parent phone calls requesting speech/language testing
Check on current/ new students as needed
Set up transfer ARDs
Expect 1-2 unintelligible kindergarteners
Attend transfer ARDs for students who are not speech-only
Work with CFY
Monday:
Everyone is on duty before and after school
Tuesday:
Early morning duty
Medical appointments
Wednesday:
E-mail teachers about scheduling
Bake muffins to give to teachers on Thursday morning
Thursday:
Arrive early - before 7 a.m.! - to schedule
Friday:
Plan everything for next week
Medical appointment
You may have noticed medical appointments on my calendar. I invite you to visit this page if you would like further information. I am usually a private person, and it is difficult for me to share on a blog, but I have felt the power of prayer like never before, so there you go... My posts in the future will probably decrease and be more sporadic, but I do intend to keep going!
What is on your first-week list? Or, if you've already started school, what happened that you didn't expect?
I will keep you lifted in prayer Laura..
ReplyDeleteThank you, Tai.
DeleteKeeping you in my prayers as well! For the first week, we usually go over a master speech list, figure out where kids are in the building (classrooms), split up the caseload, and wait for specials to make their schedules (my school has art, music, PE, and dance...can't take kids out of those). Once those are done, its time to start scheduling!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Carrie.
DeleteThat's a LOT of specials to work around! We have PE and music, and PE is a no-no. I can't imagine four specials!
Hoping I get a yummy muffin since I have one of your kiddos :0)
ReplyDeleteCarol, you got a treat last year with NO speech students, so if you have one this year, does that mean two treats?
DeleteI am praying for you and asking that the surgeons will have skill and do exactly what needs to be done.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Jill.
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