Woodlawn Update - 02/11/24
Dental Screenings
Next steps:
- Anyone who is recommended for further evaluation will get a letter in the mail.
- If your child is already seen by Healthy Futures, they will not get a letter as a treatment plan is already under way.
- No letter is great news! We do still recommend regular 6 month exams with your dentist.
- We will not have a re-screen day for students who were absent. We recommend regular 6 month exams with your dentist.
Please reach out with any questions or concerns about your student's dental health and we can help get you in contact with dental providers if needed.
-Megan Bost | Nurse
EDUCATE LAWRENCE UPDATE
Testimony Needed!
Our schools need your voices! A bill that could remove the state’s obligation to fund 92% of additional spending for special education, HB2738, will be heard in the K-12 Budget Committee on Tuesday. The bill is an attempt to get around the legislature’s own law to establish a Special Education Task Force and allow them to do their job.
As we know, the Special Education Task Force had to force a meeting and was only allowed 3 hours to deliberate the topic, but after a balanced discussion they voted to recommended that the K-12 Budget Committee fund special education at the state’s statutory level by increasing funding over the next 4 years. The Chair of K-12 Budget’s answer to that recommendation is HB2738.The bill is extremely complicated, but it double and triple counts money allocated to other uses toward the obligation for special education. Those reading the bill believe that it would remove any opportunity for school districts to receive any additional monies from the state to fund special education. As we all know, that forces districts to use general funds and hurts all Kansas children. Here are a few talking points
There has been no thoughtful study of the formula
Promotes a false narrative that the legislature is fully funding special education
The cost to USD497 is $8 Million
Testimony is due at 10 am on Monday! The rules for committee state that they are due 48-hours in advance, but because of the late publication of the agenda next week, testimony is due on Monday by 10 am. Also, please use the structure given on page 2 of the rules when submitting testimony, the chair often comments when it is not followed.
Examples of testimony can be found here: https://www.usd497.org/site/default.aspx?PageID=15642
ALSO, we have heard that testimony is not getting to the committee in as timely manner as we would hope. Please send your testimony to the members of the committee as well as the committee assistant. The names and emails of committee members are below:
Ms. Halsey
Last week marked National School Counselors Week, providing an opportune moment to shed light on the work carried out by our school counselor, Ms. Halsey. Below is a snapshot of her work this year:
- Participated in 141 individual student sessions
- Consulted with parents/outside supports on 53 students
- Assessed approximately 10 incidents of suicidal ideation
- Completed 19 weeks of class lessons
- Conducted groups on grief, self control and social skills
- Hosted formal sessions of restorative justice
- Attended professional development on restorative justice and support strategies
Jayci Roberson | Principal
Email: Jayci.Roberson@usd497.org
Website: https://www.usd497.org/woodlawn
Location: Woodlawn Elementary School, Elm Street, Lawrence, KS, USA
Phone: 785-832-5920
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/woodlawnelementary/
Twitter: @WLRiverhawks