The Connection

The staff of F1S is so excited to have our students back and we are ready for an amazing school year! We hope you have had a restful and enjoyable summer break and are as ready as we are to get to work! We can't wait to see our students and please don't hesitate to reach out to anyone on the PEC team for assistance. We are happy to help any way we can!

In this edition of The Connection you will find contact information for supervisors and program coordinators, August lunch menus, information about the F1S Child Find Clinic and more!

We hope you'll take some time to read through these resources, and don't forget that if you need a question answered or just aren't sure where to turn, you can contact our Parent Liaison, Erika Chapman, at 843-292-1008 or echapman@f1s.org. She would love to connect with you!

First - Contact your child's teacher. Your child's teacher is your first line of communication. His/her email can be found on the school website. You can request a meeting or IEP meeting.

Second - If you don't get an answer, then contact your school administrator. Your child's principal or assistant principal is the next line of communication. You can find his/her phone number and email on the school's website. You can request a meeting or IEP meeting.

Third - If you still don't have a resolution, then you contact the Programs for Exceptional Children (PEC) supervisor for your child's school. The PEC school supervisor is the third line of communication. Her email and phone number can be found on the PEC website. You can request a meeting or IEP meeting.

As the school year begins it's helpful to know which supervisor or program coordinator to contact if you have questions.

Supervisors work with teachers and building administration to ensure quality of programming for students served by Programs for Exceptional Children.

Our PEC Supervisors are:

Sonya Herbert:

Sonya.Herbert@fsd1.org

843-758-6435

The schools she is responsible for are:

Wilson High School, Williams Middle School, Clinical Day, Sneed Middle School,

Moore Middle School, West Florence High School, South Florence High School, Southside Middle School, Rush Academy, Advantage Academy

Amanda Dale:

amanda.dale@fsd1.org

843-269-2648

The schools she is responsible for are:

Wallace Gregg Elementary, Carver Elementary, Timrod Elementary, North Vista Elementary, Brockington Elementary, Dewey Carter Elementary, Lucy T. Davis Elementary,

Royall Elementary, Palmetto Youth Academy

Courtney Matthews:

cmatthews@fsd1.org

843-758-6458

The schools she is responsible for are:

Briggs Elementary, Woods Road, Greenwood Elementary, Lester Elementary

McLaurin Elementary, RN Beck, Savannah Grove Elementary, Delmae Elementary

The Related Services Coordinator serves as the contact point for all teachers, staff, parents, and service providers in regards to any therapy or related services provided to students through an Individualized Education Plan or 504 Plan.

Related Services Coordinator:

Karen Long:

klong@fsd1.org

843-413-4696

The Autism Coordinator works with Autism Consultants, teachers, behavioral therapists and building administration to ensure quality programming for students with ASD served by Programs for Exceptional Children.

Autism Coordinator:

Kelly Long:

kelong@fsd1.org

843-758-6888

The Transition Coordinator disseminates transition information to teachers/administrators, presents in-service training, assists families, parents, and students to access transition services and serves as a liaison between vocational school and special education teachers to monitor student progress.

Transition Coordinator:

Kandee Shelor:

kshelor@fsd1.org

843-292-1005

Have you ever heard of Child Find?

Each month our office holds developmental screenings for children ages 3-5 whose legal guardian suspects a disability.

In accordance with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA), Florence 1 Schools is obligated to locate and identify any child, age 3 to age 21, suspected of having a disability and in need of special education services.

Developmental areas considered include: Motor, Communication, Cognitive, Self Care, Social Emotional

The team available at clinic may be comprised of:

School Psychologist * Speech Language Pathologist* Parent Liaison* Nurse * Audiologist * Early Childhood Teacher

All children are screened in accordance with the Child Identification Standards set forth by the South Carolina State Department of Education.

Child Find Clinic dates for 2022-2023 School Year:

August 19, 2022

September 16, 2022

October 21, 2022

November 18, 2022

December 9, 2022

January 20, 2023

February 10, 2023

March 24, 2023

April 21, 2023

May 19, 2023

Child Find Screening Clinics will be held at the Child Development Center at Woods Road 1400 Woods Road,

Florence, SC.

Legal guardians may contact the Child Find Office to schedule an appointment:

Tynell Funderburke

Office of Exceptional Children

tfunderburke@fsd1.org

843-678-4195

Erika Chapman is the Florence One Schools Parent Liaison for our Program for Exceptional Children. Erika serves as a liaison between teachers, parents, students, support staff and the community regarding educational programs, services and student issues in areas of Programs for Exceptional Children.

You will receive our PEC parent newsletter, The Connection, twice a month. It's full of helpful information, announcements and the dates for all upcoming parent training events. Erika can help parents/guardians to connect to resources both within and outside of the district; as well as get connected to agencies like DDSN, fill out paperwork for Medicaid and understand your child's IEP.

The Parent Liaison website also has lots of helpful resources for families. On the website you can find all past PEC newsletters and helpful webinars on Understanding Your Child's IEP and All About Resources in the Florence area. Check it out!

Please feel free to reach out to Erika if she can assist you in any way! Her email is echapman@fsd1.or and her phone number is 843-292-1008.

If you do, be sure to check out our Florence One Schools Health Services website for answers to your questions, including important forms you might need. You can print out the Permission for School Administration of Medicine here. You can also call the nurse at your child's school with questions.

Now is a great time to get a new prescription for school and have your child's doctor fill out the permission form.

Do you want to know what your student's school is offering for breakfast and lunch during the month of August? Find out here!

We would love to hear from you! If you have a question or comment you can contact our Parent Liaison, Erika Chapman, at echapman@f1s.org or 843-292-1008 or visit the Parent Liaison website for helpful resources.

You also can contact us at exceptionalchildren@f1s.org or at 843-673-1161.

Email: exceptionalchildren@f1s.org
Website: f1s.org
Phone: (843) 673-1161