The COSSA Compass

To promote our nine diverse and exceptional CTE programs, many CRTEC students took on the role of instructors to show Marsing Junior High students the benefits of a career technical pathway. In the morning, Marsing students got a taste of our Culinary program with the new instructor, Chef Jeff Azer.

Afterward, students could experience other outstanding offerings such as Pre-Engineering. Here, they witnessed interactive demonstrations of robotics, 3D printing, electrical work, and more, all individualized towards the student's primary interest by the teacher, Mr. Bert Kirby. Law enforcement also engaged the students in state-of-the-art laser and virtual reality training and live Krav Maga student-led demonstrations.

Marsing JR High students saw the wealth of hands-on resources that CRTEC has in EMT, Auto, Diesel, CNA, and Welding and finished the day in our revived and stellar Building Trades program. Mr. John Styles demonstrated to the group the unique method Leonardo Davinci used to construct his famous bridge.

Nightmare on Penny Ln. was an Advisory challenge between all Academy advisories during the month of October 2024, with the winning advisory receiving a pizza party and drinks. There was a tie between Ms. Murri's and Ms Peterson's class and the Victor's enjoyed a variety of pizza and, of course, awesome drinks...

Preventing underage drinking and vaping through restorative practices involves fostering relationships, accountability, and community support rather than relying solely on punitive measures. Educators, parents, and community leaders can create safe spaces for open dialogue, where young people feel heard and understood without fear of judgment. When incidents occur, restorative practices focus on addressing the underlying reasons for the behavior and its impact on the individual and community, encouraging youth to take responsibility and make amends. Collaborative efforts, such as peer-led discussions and mentorship programs, empower teens to make healthier choices. By emphasizing connection, understanding, and growth, restorative approaches build a supportive environment that not only reduces risky behaviors but also strengthens relationships and promotes long-term well-being.

This past week we also had a presentation by Mr. Peter Vasquez of the Cell Project. Peter shared his personal experience of growing up in gangs and being incarcerated for many years. His approach is a positive one of what choices you should make and what you should avoid. Students who answered questions were rewarded with gift cards and money. He then led the students through the replica cell and would ask them how they felt after they came out. The students were very receptive and were gifted with a key bracelet or necklace to represent ‘closing the door’ on the dark places in their lives.

Special Education Para Trevor Meligan turned Special Education teacher brings in new ideas and approaches to the Elementary Special Day classroom.

September 20th

The day started with a team building activity. This team building activity was a great way to get our teachers to explore with teachers outside of the district and get familiar with each other. It was also an example of a team building activity that they can do with their paraprofessional staff, as this was a request from our paraprofessionals through their monthly advisory meeting with Mrs. Frahm. The expectation was set that each teacher do a team building activity with their paraprofessional(s) at their next PD opportunity.

The learning opportunities provided were catered to the population of students each teacher services during a two hour break out session. Our resource room teachers concentrated on the changes in the SLD criteria, our TLC and ERR teachers focused on Trauma Informed strategies to address behavioral concerns, and our PK and SDC teacher focused on the use of Visual Schedules for students with Autism and Cognitive Impairments who need structure and routine in order to maintain appropriate behaviors.

We finished up the day talking about 60 day timeline, the Danielson Framework using the Special Education Scenarios for what proficient teaching in a special education setting looks like, and partnering new teachers with more experienced teachers to write an IEP in EdPlan.

We had a great day with the Special Education Staff on Friday October 25th. Our PD included the following topics:

• Special Education Handbook Scavenger Hunt

• Working with Students with Communication Difficulties

• Building Team Communication with Itinerant Staff

• Transfer IEPs and Interim IEPs

• ISEE Reporting

• Completing the new SLD Eligibility Forms

• Writing IEP goals and Assistive Technology

We continue to look at the feedback from our Staff to develop relevant PD with our last Friday for the teacher trainings which was Friday November 15th. The agenda for this training revolves around the Reading Horizons curriculum with a presentation from the curriculum on how to teach students with reading difficulties. This curriculum was purchased in 2020 and the presentation was provided virtually due to COVID. Staff have indicated that they would like to have a main curriculum for reading to go to and then supplement as needed, and due to turnover and the virtual training when the curriculum was purchased, we have decided to bring them back to do a new full training and support reading instruction through this research based curriculum.

We finished out the Professional Development day sharing lunch together with a Thanksgiving theme!

• Special Education Teacher Professional Development, November 15th
• Parent-Teacher conferences, November 14th, 2024 - 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
• Holiday Party, December 18, 4:00 - 6:00 p.m.

Don’t miss this exciting opportunity to celebrate the season, bond with colleagues, and solve the mystery together!