2024-2025 Spring Edition: Issue 16

Welcome to the OSS InSight published by the Montgomery County Intermediate Unit's Office of Student Services. So many amazing things happen every day in our work with young people that we have to spread the word!

We are proud to serve our students and their families and strive for excellence each and every day!

For more information about the services we provide visit https://www.mciu.org/offices/office-of-student-services/.

We wish everyone a relaxing summer!

Sincerely,

Dr. Brittany Lourea-Waddell, OSS Director & The Administrative Team

Anderson staff and families are so proud of our class of 2025. When we think of this class, we think of kindness. The students are truly a kind and supportive group of students that have sent a ripple effect to others. They were inspired to do a service project cooking food for people in need. They have coached and supported their middle school friends through academics and tough moments. They helped plan events such as our first art show and made videos for the school to post that help us all feel connected. Congratulations to Jake from Souderton School district for receiving the Thomas Marrone resiliency award. We are also proud of Ashlyn from Daniel Boone School District for winning the full scholarship from Montgomery County Community College. Special thank you to all of our school district partners for their support of these very special young people! You matter!

Mrs. Miller’s middle school classroom was full of fun when students were provided with integrated reading, science, and math lessons. Students learned all about the states of matter. They started by categorizing solids, liquids, and gases. Next they learned how applying forces, like heat and cutting, can change a state of matter. They were able to measure ingredients and practice fractions. When reading, science, and math work together learning is both fun and functional!

As we wrapped up the school year in the Intensive Emotional Support program at the Learning Academy, students participated in a variety of engaging and rewarding activities. Several school-wide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) events were held, including a walking taco party and a school movie theater experience complete with popcorn. We also celebrated Field Day, which was full of energy and excitement. Clubs continued through the end of the year, providing students with meaningful choices and opportunities for connection. It was a joyful end to a year of growth, with lots of fun along the way!

On May 1st, the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners presented a joint Proclamation with North Wales Mayor, Neil McDevitt, recognizing Team MCIU's 2nd place performance at the RIT National Math Competition for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students. The achievement was made even more meaningful by the presence of Mayor McDevitt- the first Deaf person to be elected mayor of a municipality in modern times- whose identity as a Deaf leader brought powerful representation and celebration. This incredible accomplishment honors the months of preparation, determination, and teamwork by our MCIU mathletes- alongside the unwavering support of their teachers, coaches, and families who made this achievement possible.

MCIU School Counselor, Dominique Desir, teaches a variety of classroom lessons at St. Francis of Assisi School. To teach second grade students about friendship, Dominique shared a story about a Rainbow Fish who had beautiful scales and gave her scales to others. After listening to the story, students participated in a perspective taking exercise to identify how various characters felt. The students then completed an art project which helped them apply the concepts they learned. Students left the class having learned traits of how to be a good friend to others.

Students and youth from across the county attended the MontcoNEW ConnectEd networking event along with twelve local businesses on April 23rd at the MCIU. These fifty youth had an opportunity to present their resumes to local businesses and give their elevator pitch on why they'd be a great fit for their company. Conversely, the businesses gave the students their elevator pitch on why it's a great place to work. This event was very valuable experience for all that attended and a wonderful turnout overall!

• Humza, Sean and Juviny all completed Welding One training at North Montco Technical Career Center . They are looking forward to starting the Welding Two training in the fall.
• Kamirah completed her practical nursing program at the Lansdale School of Business and passed the exam for certification. She was hired full time as an LPN shortly thereafter!
• Alaysia completed the Common Grounds Training Program with Manna on Main Street. During her graduation celebration, Alaysia and her fellow graduates prepared a meal for all the attendees.
• Naji (pictured below) completed his carpentry program at Orleans Technical Training Institute and was hired full time as an Apprentice Painter at Nolan Painting!

The MontcoWorks★NOW Inspiration Station provides an opportunity for our participants to share how they have been impacted by our program. Our team is passionate and committed to supporting youth as they navigate the workforce world. We often share client success stories but thought you would enjoy hearing from our participants directly. The MWN program provides amazing opportunities and each youth sets their individual goals to achieve during their time in programming.

Here is our LinkedIn so you can check it out on the first of each month https://www.linkedin.com/company/montcoworks-now/.

Patty Marino's MDS class at Souderton Area High School enjoyed learning about rainbows in Ms. Michelle's Group Speech class. They discovered new vocabulary words, such as indigo, prism, and refraction. The class marveled at the array of colors created by the Skittles!

The students in Mrs. Lynch’s class from Calvary Baptist School read I Want to Go Camping by Ann Rossi. The students had fun sharing their previous camping experiences and wrote about what they like to do when they are on a camping trip. They discussed how to find a good place to set up their camp, how to set up their campsite, how they should store their food, what to pack, ways to stay safe, and their favorite camping activities/traditions.

Second grade students at St. Aloysius in Pottstown enjoyed highlighting key vocabulary while learning about the bald eagle. Students made the connection that both the bald eagle and the Philadelphia Eagles represent power, strength, and freedom.

At Holy Cross, our third-grade students transformed into detectives as they collaborated in teams to solve intriguing mysteries! Engaging in an inferencing activity, they utilized clues from task cards alongside their prior knowledge to unravel cases such as the missing blanket, the substitute teacher, and the broken window. This hands-on approach not only honed their critical thinking skills but also demonstrated that learning can be both educational and immensely fun!

At the heart of the Pathways to Empowerment program is the strong belief that every individual possesses unique strengths and capabilities. The mission of the program is to build the students' strengths, cultivate their capabilities, and advance their skills so they can set appropriate life goals to successfully embark on a career path that leads to an empowered and responsible life. The staff are focused on developing essential life skills, promoting emotional regulation, fostering resilience, and nurturing a sense of self-worth and purpose. Students will be given opportunities to build and strengthen their communication, technical, and critical thinking skills.

We had the opportunity to support students in the MCIU transition program during a busy rush at Barista Buddies! Theo (right) offered to help when he saw a long line filled with teachers who were visiting the MCIU for a training. Theo and Darrell (left) worked as a team and took care of the rush in no time!

Project AWARE is grant funded through SAMSHA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration). The focus of the grant is on advancing wellness and resiliency in education by increasing mental health awareness in schools. Montgomery County IU has partnered with Carbon-Lehigh IU, Luzerne IU, PA Department of Education, PA Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, & CHOP (Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia) in this grant.

Project AWARE offers schools/districts opportunities to advance their mental health supports such as suicide prevention, approaches through a three-tiered public health model to expand programming, and to develop better pathways to mental health supports and services

The word Aevidum, which means, "I've got your back," was created by students after they lost a classmate to suicide. What started in one tiny school in Lancaster County, PA, has now become a nationwide movement. With the leadership of Pia Housel, Program Administrator for Project AWARE, schools in Montgomery, Luzerne, Carbon and Lehigh Counties received support to incorporate Aevidum clubs into their school communities. Pictured below is an Aevidum networking event for students. Check out this Podcast featuring local high school Aevidum club leaders.

Spring in Trish Bradley’s Maple Glen Elementary classroom was filled with laughter and creativity as students participated in a series of spring-themed craft activities led by occupational therapy and speech therapy. Each activity was designed to support students’ developmental goals while celebrating the season, with crafts centered around colorful eggs and cheerful chicks. Students practiced fine motor and visual motor skills through painting, decorating, and manipulating materials and targeted speech skills by naming objects, actions, and requesting colors using their AAC devices.

The activities ended with an egg hunt, carefully adapted by the teacher, occupational therapist, physical therapist, and speech language pathologist considering each students’ unique needs. Students moved around the gym scanning for their assigned egg color, whether by wheelchairs, using assistive devices, or receiving guided support. The eggs were positioned considering reaching and stooping with some students having their eggs tied to balloons to help with visual scanning and fine motor grasping. The day ended with students opening their eggs and exchanging the coins inside for prizes. Our MCIU students were assisted by our amazing MCIU staff and their Maple Glen 5th grade buddies, making the event inclusive and memorable for all!

Students in the autistic support classrooms at Arcola Intermediate School and Arrowhead Elementary school have been perfecting their green thumbs while working on speech and language skills. Students participated in learning how to plant and grow flowers from seeds. Students engaged in an interactive book, Plant the Tiny Seed, following one step directions: press the seeds in the dirt, wiggle your fingers to water the flowers, clap your hands to bring out the sun, snip the buds that need a trim, etc. Students were then able to use their knowledge of seeds from the story to plant their own in colorful cups they helped design themselves. Students then made predictions on what colors their tiny seeds would become as they bloomed into beautiful flowers.

Interactive stories like Plant the Tiny Seed can help promote learning and increase active participation by allowing the students to feel they are in charge of the outcome. This story specifically targets following clear one-two step directions, building vocabulary highlighting verbs and gardening terms, and sequencing the natural events in a plant's life. Hands-on activities like planting real seeds helps promote active learning and participation, engages multiple senses, and makes learning more interactive leading to greater engagement and retention. Students were able to use what they learned and apply it to something, making the story really come to life.

Students continued to care for their work by watering their seeds with the hopes that they will bloom into beautiful flowers. 🌼

Incorporating physical and occupational therapy sessions into The Very Hungry Caterpillar turns our students story time into a fun, therapeutic experience. As the caterpillar munches through various foods, occupational therapy engaged the students through fine motor activities such as lacing, hole punching, cutting, and painting with their fingers to improve hand strength and coordination. Additionally, students wrote or identified the letters of their name and cut them out to create their own hungry caterpillars. Students then moved through the life stages of the caterpillar by mimicking its transformation from the egg to a butterfly to target gross motor skill development. Each page of Eric Carle’s beloved children's story becomes a chance to blend imaginative play with purposeful movement, making therapy more engaging while reinforcing the classroom’s academic activities.

As the 2024-2025 school year is coming to an end, many eighth grade students are preparing for the big move: transitioning from middle to high school. While many students find this exciting, many of the special education students feel uncertain. For students receiving behavior support, some common triggers are a change in environment, changes in daily routines, and different expectations; all creating an increased level of stress.

From the perspective of a BCBA, transitions of any kind work best when planned, practiced, and supported by the student’s entire team. Additionally, BCBAs collaborate with families proactively by creating visuals or social stories all about the big move. Below are some supports BCBAs use to help students smoothly transition.

Preview/tour the new environment: The eighth graders have a scheduled day each year in the month of May to visit the high school and familiarize themselves with the building. The eighth graders get to meet the administrators and some of the teachers as well. For many of our special education students, we use photos and show them to the students frequently, paired with their names such as “Mrs. (X) will be your math teacher next year.”

Collaboration with High School Team: Transition meetings are held at the end of the year with middle and high school staff to review IEPs, behavior plans and successful strategies. Some middle school special education teachers plan a visit to the classroom that the student(s) will transition to and participate in a lesson or a game with peers.

Building self-advocacy skills: As the eighth graders enter high school, they will learn coping strategies such as learning to ask for help ,asking for a break when overwhelmed, and how to access support staff independently.

Teach organizational skills: Before entering high school, practice using a planner to write things down or a checklist to use for assignments

BCBAs encourage families to start talking with their student early about what high school will look like as well as what worries them. These conversations guide staff in how to best support each student’s needs. In the end, the goal is to help the students smoothly transition and feel successful from day 1!

It has been a busy spring for us. We had our 1st student PROM-POSAL at Barista Buddies. We also made a community trip to Fox Chase Farm and the students loved being hands-on with the animals. Lastly, we celebrated our students moving on. Thank you to their families for sharing them with us. It has been a pleasure to see them learn and grow in our program.

Using the right materials for our students with low vision and blindness is important for academic success. When accessing accommodations in math, some students require specialized tools. Here, our first-grade student in a MCIU classroom is using counters to learn how to add and subtract. These textured counters have Velcro on the back and are placed on a felt board so they do not move around, which can cause errors.