Special EDge

Thanks to Haley Gembarowski for the new, improved, Special EDge banner!

“Forgiveness is not an occasional act. It is a permanent attitude.” - Martin Luther King Jr.

Donna Hicks teaches about providing the benefit of the doubt in order to honor the dignity of others and ourselves, as one of the ten essential elements of dignity. I am intentionally aiming to provide others I encounter with the benefit of the doubt. I know that people are doing their best in this incredibly complex work with students, with families, and with fellow staff members. I appreciate the work you all are doing!

Welcome back to Campus Kudos, where we will be celebrating ways that a school’s Student Services team has been working to promote inclusion, belonging for students, and working as a team to support each other. Stay tuned each week to see which school is highlighted and what kinds of amazing work they are doing to support students.

This week we are celebrating Pilot Butte Middle School and Elk Meadow Elementary!

PILOT BUTTE

This year there was a significant change to the way that the highest needs students are served at PBMS. Now all FOUR learning specialists are spending a class period supporting the highest need students who spend the majority of their day within the special education environment, AND all four learning specialists also get to push into general education classes. While this was a hard adjustment and big change to the way things were, it has really made a difference for students.

Admin at PBMS are very supportive and frequently come together with the SPED team to problem solve students who are requiring additional support. This team is also just fun to be around, and there is always a feeling of kindness, care, and great humor surrounding the weird things that middle schoolers do, which really helps make work more fun.

And additionally, kudos to the Pilot Butte team for collaborating together to come up with usable accommodations for kiddos in their general education classrooms. At an IEP recently the team collaborated well to help a student that is struggling and came up with out of the box ideas for him.

ELK MEADOW

KIt Galloway (Principal) shares that “Our school team is committed to helping every student experience meaningful inclusion through relentless advocacy, purposeful instruction, and flexible supports.

Our school team supports one another through strong, family-like relationships built on trust and friendship. Staff consistently step in for one another, cover when needed, and offer small gestures of care to keep each other going. Despite ongoing unfilled special education positions, the team remains resilient and collaborative—navigating substitutes seamlessly with thorough planning and a shared commitment to student success.

A powerful highlight is this team’s unwavering commitment—they haven’t quit!!! They continue to show up each day, deeply committed to their work, believing in their students, and trusting that what they do truly makes a difference. Even in challenging circumstances, their perseverance, hope, and dedication remain strong and visible. Go Team EME!!!”