Traveling Around the World

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1 D e a r b a u g h A v e S u i t e 2 W a p a k o n e t a I S S U E 6 0 J A N U A R Y - F E B R U A R Y Providing expert educational mentorship, innovative support services and dynamic customer relationships. Traveling Around the World By Katie Dietrich, MD Teacher, New Bremen Elementary Our classroom spent the month of December exploring various holidays from around the world. Each student made a suit case that held a passport that they stamped each time they entered a new county to learn about a different holiday. The students spent time studying Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, St. Lucia Day, Las Posadas, and Christmas in a few different countries. While traveling around the world, students marked a map with pictures of each holiday and created a timeline. Students made ornaments for each holiday and put them on a tree outside of their classroom. Traditions in their families around this time of the year were compared to some of the traditions they learned about in the other countries. Students realized that most holiday traditions have a lot in common: family, fun, and food. The class made and tried Latkas, sweet potatoes, and gingerbread. Giving Back... With Fun! By Linda Tebbe, Director, Opportunities for Youth The Opportunity for Youth students teamed up with the Transition students on December 17 for a Christmas party celebration. The OFY students spent the previous afternoon decorating Christmas cookies and filling candy bags as a way of saying thanks to the Transition students for bringing our lunches each day from Wapakoneta Middle School. After everyone enjoyed a pizza party, the Transition students then led the students in some games and activities including having groups of three transpose one of its members into a snowman using toilet paper and construction paper. The process was quite entertaining, and the results were impressive. Then they participated in a musical present game similar to musical chairs (but without all the running!) where multiple gifts were unwrapped round by round. Finally, teams of students Continued on page 2

2 Education Built Around You By Jen Korte, Director ACE (Auglaize County Educational) Academy provides a rigorous education for students in grades K-12, who access their curriculum from home using the internet and a computer. ACE provides an option for students who are not able to attend the typical classroom (i.e. medical conditions, anxiety issues, credit recovery, etc.) Highly qualified teachers (including intervention specialists) teach students through both online tools and face-to-face tutoring. Enrollment in ACE Requirements: Must have access to internet service Cost: Free Accepting students in all grade levels Call our office at for more information and to set up orientation. ACE Services Personalized, Individualized, Simplified A variety of educational programs to expand opportunities for students (includes Course Conflict, Acceleration, Summer School, and Additional Course Offerings) School-Within-A-School Model: This approach establishes within the home school a smaller educational unit to provide services based on student need. This is created, built, supported, and modified on district needs: Credit Recovery, Course Options, Course Conflicts, & Homebased Instruction. Assist districts with software programs such as Compass and GoogleDocs (recently assisted Hardin Northern). For more information contact: Jen Korte, Director at or jkorte@auglaizeesc.org Giving Back continued from Page 1 raced each other to pick up candy canes and place them in a cup using a candy cane and no hands. If they could keep from laughing, they did pretty well. All the students and staff appreciated the afternoon. Many thanks go out to all the ESC staff members who donated candy and decorating supplies and to all the students who helped plan the many activities.

3 You re Invited West Central Ohio Autism Community Support Group Meetings The West Central Ohio Autism Community would like to invite you to our Autism Support Group! Meetings are held the 3rd Thursday of every month (except July, Aug. & Dec.) from 5:45pm-7:15pm at the Lima Public Library, meeting room #2. Anyone who has been touched by Autism is welcome! The group is committed to giving support, sharing resources, providing education and advocacy for individuals with autism, their families, friends and professionals who touch their lives. We hope you can join us! For more information, please call WCOAC at , at or check out our Facebook page at West Central Ohio Autism Community. Talk to experts to assure your child is on track in the areas of growth, vision, hearing, foot and ankle, language, motor skills and behavior. If concerns are identified, parents are educated about the services and resources available so their child can get help early and start school healthy and ready to learn. Wapakoneta St. Marys Monday, March 7 Monday, March 14 3:30-6:00 p.m. (arrive by 5:30) 3:30-6:00 p.m. (arrive by 5:30) Wapakoneta Elementary School St. Paul s United Church of Christ 900 N. Blackhoof St., Wapakoneta 201 N. Perry St., St. Marys To pre-register, contact Charlotte Axe at or SST6 Professional Development Opportunities: Feb 2 Ohio s State Test Accessibility Training for District Test Coordinators Feb 3 Ohio s State Test Accessibility Training for Special Ed. Supervisors Feb 5 Regional Itinerant Network Feb 9 OIP Implementation Support Meeting Feb 10 Regional Transition Council Feb 11 Special Education Network Functional Behavioral Assessment Feb 25 FBA & PBIS Follow-up For more information, check out their website at and view the Professional Development Calendar or call

4 Special Education Professional Development Amy Becher, Special Education Director On Friday, January 15, the school-age special education staff met all day in teams to conduct a self-review of their IEPs. They used the Office of Exceptional Children s Strategic Improvement Self-Review tools to identify strengths and needs. This information will be used to guide future professional development trainings. Project Independence Karen Smith, Assistant Superintendent Project Independence moved to a new location in the Annex at the ESC. The students and teachers are enjoying a new kitchen and a new atmosphere for their daily learning activities. Leadership & Grit Kelli Tebbe, Curriculum/Gifted Coordinator Eighth graders at New Bremen participated in a book study on prominent leaders and were tasked to combine the ideas in their books to define leadership and grit. Groups of students were then asked to prepare a creative presentation and present at an assembly for grades 5-8. Each group was evaluated by seven local community members using a rubric. The students were very invested in their books and found all types of creative ways to present including PowerPoint, Prezi, making videos, and more. These students not only had an opportunity to demonstrate leadership with their peers but had a chance to teach others. Great job to all of the students and their hard work as well as Mrs. Mauch & Mrs. Burden who put this project together. Thank you for inviting the ESC to judge at this event! Hardin County Design Team Mary Riepenhoff, Curriculum Director Members of the Hardin County Design Team drafted definitions for 'common language' which will be used to frame the schools as learning organizations in Hardin County. The Team's next step is to take the 'common language' back to the districts and identify the practices, programs, personnel, and/or policies which reflect and support the definition of each word. By identifying these items, the Hardin County school districts, as a whole, will begin to brand and articulate what it means to be educated in Hardin County s learning organizations.

5 School Safety Kelli Tebbe, Curriculum/Gifted Coordinator Working with Navigate Prepared, a company who specializes in school safety response systems, the Auglaize County ESC safety plan has been organized into an app for easy access in the event of an emergency. Onsite staff participated in a training to learn how to download and use this app. Legislative Roundtable Ann Harvey, Superintendent Three times a year, the ACESC brings together superintendents and treasurers from several surrounding counties to meet with senators and representatives from the state and federal governments to discuss educational items. Pictured are (from left) Tom Hancock, aide to Senator Faber, Senator Keith Faber, Representative Jim Buchy, Senator Cliff Hite, and Cameron Warner from the office of Representative Jim Jordan. The main topics of discussion were HB 212, HB 420, SB 3, College Credit Plus and EMIS. Opportunity for Youth Linda Tebbe, Director OFY students have been taking advantage of the opportunity to make up credits and work at their own pace in their blended classes and online classes. So far, they have completed over 50 ½-credit and full-credit classes ahead of schedule. Four students have completed their coursework for graduation, and one more hopes to finish by the end of the week. In addition to regular coursework, January will include topics of seeking employment, applications for postsecondary school, applications for vocational school, and helping students with tax forms. Field Trip to Apollo Linda Tebbe, Director On Friday, January 29 Apollo Career Center held their annual 411Blast for area sophomore students. Two students from Opportunities for Youth (OFY) and one student from Auglaize County Educational (ACE) Academy attended the day. Students had the opportunity to meet teachers and students in two programs of their choice. A student from OFY, visited Construction Equipment Technology and the Welding divisions. He said, " I really liked the construction section. I could see myself doing this. It was incredibly interesting."

6 January Principals Meeting Mary Riepenhoff, Curriculum Director Donna Dickman, Director of Partnership for Violence Free Families (PVFF) presented prevention programs and services available in Auglaize and Hardin counties. Principals from Hardin and Auglaize County attended. For further information of services provided by PVFF visit The Auglaize ESC will host a Mental Health First Aid training February 12 See below for registration information. The Auglaize Sheriff's Department informed and engaged principals in the Let's Start Talking program designed to increase communication, and strengthen the relationship between students and law enforcement in an effort to prevent poor choices, especially with drugs. Deputy Samuel D. Blank, the Auglaize County D.A.R.E. deputy and a certified S.R.O. (school resource officer) and Sheriff Allen Solomon presented their vision for the schools. They invited schools to schedule multiple opportunities for students and law enforcement in Auglaize County to connect. Visit the Let s Start Talking site: starttalking.ohio.gov/ Upcoming Trainings Mary Riepenhoff, Curriculum Director February 12 Mental Health First Aid training, 8:00am-5:00pm. This program is open to any school staff. Register by following these steps Site: click Initiatives drop down menu - select Mental Health First Aid. Scroll to find Register button. Select the February 12 training session. Complete form, submit. February 22 Crisis Prevention Intervention Refresher (CPI-R): 8:30-11:30 a.m. 3-hour refresher course for staff members that have taken the full 8-hour training in 2015, 2014, or Register by contacting Deb Kraft via at dkraft@auglaizeesc.org or phone at #1118. Monday, February 15 President s Day, Office Closed