District Staff Receive SNAColade Awards

SNAColades 2017/18

Note from SNAC: The Special Needs Advisory Council (SNAC) created SNAColades to honor Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools' teachers, staff and administrators who, through their hard work and creativity, make our children's school experience more meaningful.  The following have been selected for this recognition based on the testimonials of the Exceptional Children community.  Below each name is a quote from an appreciative parent or CHCCS administrator.

Estes Hills Elementary School

• Ryan Grimm - Mr. Grimm has great insight into his students' needs and motivations.  He challenges them to reach their potential while recognizing the supports needed to get them to that point.  He is also a diligent communicator with parents and responsive to their concerns.

Frank Porter Graham Elementary 

• Emily Bivens - Although a Principal’s job entails a range of tasks, Dr. Bivens has gone above and beyond by supporting my daughter and our family through a rough transition into Kindergarten.  She’s met with her regularly to work on developing better friendships and social skills.  She’s given us a glimmer of hope for the future grades.
• June Pacheco - Ms. Pacheco recently relocated to CHCCS, and hit the ground running. She brought decades of experience to the EC department at FPG, and the results I've seen in my child are stunning. And I don't just mean grades or test scores.  Ms. Pacheco handles the children in the EC department with respect and holds them accountable for their actions by rewarding them with accolades.  The children are learning to deal with their emotions better through a recently adopted second-step program and Ms. Pacheco is implementing this program in the EC department.  The children have fewer outbursts and emotional meltdowns as a result.  It's a pleasure to have Ms. Pacheco at FPG, and I highly recommend her for a SNAColade. 

Northside Elementary

• Mary Naylor - Mary has been involved with my son since second grade, either as his EC teacher directly or facilitating with another EC teacher.  My son is now in 5th grade.  I can not say enough good things about her dedication and hard work.  She has gone above and beyond in so many ways and made a such a positive difference in our lives.  A huge thank you from our whole family.

Northside Pre-K

• Sarah Michels - Sarah has been working with my son for three years and the language that he has acquired over this time has been extraordinary.  He went in not speaking but only having about 15 words total and now he is one of the most talkative kids in the class.  Her hard work with him has really made a huge difference and I thank her for that.
• Ronetta Walker - She is amazingly patient.  She pushes my child to his fullest potential so that he can succeed.  She is in constant communication with me and lets me know if something is going on, if something needs to be changed.  She has been a lifesaver and making sure that he is fully ready for kindergarten this upcoming year.
• Pre-K Intervention Team - Thankful for this entire team.  They have helped me and explained everything in detail if needed.  Thanks to Ms. Wilson, Ms. Moore, and all others that have played a part in my son's educational experience.  He had made so much growth in being in the Pre-K class.  Thank you all.

Scroggs Elementary

• Crystal Epps - Ms. Epps is a world- class principal who strives to include children and families with special needs.  She listens to families, students and teachers and helps to resolve problems in a warm, logical and timely manner.  It is critical for students with special needs to have such a professional and caring leader.  She is intelligent, warm, empathetic, fun, and we are grateful each and every day that our children and others with special needs benefit from her leadership.  She listens and problem-solves and educates herself on matters big and small.  With regard to the special needs population, I've seen her attend SNAC meetings after-hours (non-mandatory and clearly indicative of her commitment).  I see her call the names of our children and others with special needs,  on a daily basis.  She greets them with warmth as they enter the building.  She knows them well and supports the teachers when they face challenges.  We are inspired by Ms. Epps and would like her to receive the recognition she deserves.  Lastly,  and importantly Ms. Epps doesn't shy away from difficult moments.  We as parents of SN children will sometimes be anxious or "freak out" about particular situations.  Ms. Epps picks up the phone and calls and reassures us in such situations and we are forever grateful for this.  Thank you Ms. Epps!!!
• Gina Pellegrini - I am giving Gina a SNAColade for her time, patience and understanding she has given my child this year.  His continued growth throughout this grade level wouldn't be possible without Ms. Pellegrini's guidance.  Thank YOU!
• Dottie Small - Ms. Small has been exemplary in the practice of inclusion, when it comes to teaching our son (who has autism) in a mainstream classroom.  She sees his progress and praises him for social improvements, which may go unrecognized by others.  We are deeply grateful for her structured teaching approach and importantly warmth and acceptance of our son.  Our son's fifth grade year has been wonderful both academically as well as socially and we believe Ms. Small plays a major role.  Ms. Small helps him to engage with his peers and to provide him positive reinforcement needed for improvement.  She recognizes his abilities and judges his success based on where he started (not where others are currently at!).  She additionally helps other children to understand our son and to provide him with needed social support.  In this age group,  it is important to also help a special needs child when they struggle with classmates or challenging peer situations.  Ms. Small has demonstrated a clear ability to go above and beyond to support such children.  We feel very lucky to have you as a teacher and appreciate all of the hard work. 

Seawell Elementary

• Julie Halpert - Ms. Halpert has several Twice Exceptional children in her classroom, and she teaches, supports, and encourages them with incredible skill, kindness, and patience.  She seems to care deeply for each individual child, and she ensures that they are thriving!

McDougle Middle School

• Kate Major - As a TA In the AC classroom Ms. Major stepped up to provide leadership and stability while the teacher is away on maternity leave.  She has worked hard to keep up communication with us and continued to provide continuity in our daughter's experience at school.  Losing a teacher is a stressful event for a special needs student, but Ms. Major has gone over and above to keep things as stable as possible.

Phillips Middle School 

• Danielle Riley - Ms. Riley is the "kid whisperer."  She has a magical touch with children in crisis, which stems from her great empathy and patience.  She is entirely non-judgemental with students and puts them at ease, which allows her to get to heart of an issue and start working on solutions.  I am forever grateful to her for the times she has helped my son work through a difficult time.  Yay, Ms. Riley!
• Sydney Ryals - Ms. Ryals is steadfast in her kindness and patience and is the rock that my son has relied upon all year.  In IEP meetings, she looks at challenges from a variety of perspectives and is a creative problem-solver.  Many of her ideas on how to help my son cope and engage have been helpful this year, and we are tremendously grateful to her for being so dedicated to his success.  Yay, Ms. Ryals!
• Kaleigh Vogan - Moving from elementary school to middle school is a big transition for any child, but can be even more difficult for a child with special needs.  From the moment Ms. Vogan reached out to us last summer for a school tour, I had a good feeling about 6th grade.  Having Ms. Vogan as part of my son’s team  has made such a positive impact.  When he needs her, she is there for him.  For our son, knowing that he has her support has been a huge comfort for him and for us.  Thank you. 

Smith Middle School 

• Gina Chapman - Ms. Chapman started at Smith in Jan 2018.  She is very patient, caring and kind to all the students and staff in the AC classroom.  She communicates well with parents and makes herself accessible.
• Danka Kulikowski - Thank you Ms. Kulikowski for encouraging our granddaughter this year. She has blossomed under your direction.  She can be shy, but to see her on stage with a speaking part, brought such joy to my heart.  Thank you!
• Chris Glasco - Mr. Glasco joined the Smith EC team in Sept 2017.  He cares deeply about the students' well being and participation in the classroom, as well as in their specials outside of the AC classroom.  His youthful demeanor and winning smile are a hit as he navigates the hallways and cafeteria with our students.
• Fred Feely - We don’t know what we would have done without your daily support of Violet.  You helped to keep her and us on track.  You are a dedicated professional! Thank you.
• Margaret Maternowski - Ms. Maternowski, we appreciate your understanding and flexibility in designing a program for our granddaughter.  We couldn’t have done it without your support!  Thank you.
• Irene Slydel - Thank you for all your help with our granddaughter this year.  It has been a stressful year, and your assistance really helped.

Carrboro High School

• Brittany Deeds - We are thankful for Ms. Deeds for providing us with the opportunity to complete real, valuable work within our school.  We are grateful that she relinquished control of the school supply closet to our students so they can gain skills with reading, counting and vocational work endurance while filling teacher supply orders.  Ms. Deeds is flexible, cheerful and gives us opportunities to be valued members of the community.
• Kelly Furr - We are grateful that Ms. Furr joined the CHS team!  She volunteered as a chaperone on multiple occasions to make our Community Based Instructional opportunities possible.  We are thankful for her positivity and interest in our activities.
• Lorrie Marro
• Ms. Marro, the transition facilitator at CHS, made a point to connect with my son from the beginning of his freshman year as an OCS student at Carrboro High.  She spent time getting to know him, beyond the assessments and evaluations. Ms. Marro identified him as a good candidate for Appalachian State University's Scholars with Diverse Abilities Program (SDAP).  By his junior year Ms. Marro had made sure we (his parents) understood the requirements of the application process, and the goals he needed to meet in order to be a competitive candidate.  She, along with the whole EC department, helped him work on self-advocacy, self-management, independence, and a raft of academic goals.  During this, his senior year, Ms. Marro worked closely with him and us to get all the pieces in place for his application to SDAP - many, many documents, assessments, evaluations, interviews, work samples, transcripts... We all were glad to have that submitted in November!  By January we knew that he was on the short list. And in late March we learned that he had gotten a spot in the program--one of five students to be accepted, as we understand it.  He is the first CHS student to achieve place in the SDAP. He and we are thrilled!  He has worked very hard - and of all his excellent school support, it is the support of Lorrie Marro that made the biggest difference.  Our son has attended CHCCS schools from K-12 grade.  We are happy that he is ready to move on - and we are profoundly grateful to Ms. Marro, and to the dozens of other teachers and staff that have been part of his education!
• Ms. Marro is a phenomenal Transition Facilitator and going above and beyond for every student regardless of what type of transition needs they have.  Ms. Marro is incredibly creative has unbelievable energy and does not stop until she thinks the student is on the right path for a successful exit from high school.  Thanks, Ms. Marro!
• Donna McMillan - Ms. McMillan has a never ending supply of patience for our students.  She extends herself after school and on weekends to support our students' interests and activities.  Her warm smile, gentle style, and attentiveness help our students express their interests and increase their confidence with interactions.
• Katie Moorehead - Ms. Moorehead goes above and beyond to make sure that our students are embraced by their community.  She volunteers her time, makes materials for us, supports us in activities and continually brightens our day!
• Brett Stegall - Ms. Stegall creates an inclusive class environment and structures activities and lessons so students of all abilities experience success.  Because of her structures and positive attitude, students are comfortable to try new things and find true friendships in our school.
• Quianna Phillips - We appreciate Ms. Phillips for her energy, enthusiasm and support of our skills and interests.  We are thankful that Ms. Phillips volunteered her time to serve as a chaperone this year to make our Community Based Instructional opportunities possible.
• Martha Phipps - Ms. Phipps serves as our CHS bookkeeper and is one of the ultimate "Yes, and..." supporters of our students.  Always behind the scenes, Ms. Phipps helps manage funds from our grants, orders supplies, and makes it possible for magic to happen in the classroom.
• April Ross - Ms. Ross serves as the Athletic Director at Carrboro HS.  She is unwavering in her support of our students and their rights to be on the fields, courts, track and true members of our teams. 

Chapel Hill High School

• Kate Kennedy - I am so thankful that the school has supported the role of a twice exceptional expert, and I couldn't think of anyone better for the position than Kate Kennedy.  She is fantastic at bringing the perspective of both giftedness and disabilities to the table, and she has provided much guidance for our son over the years.
• Ryan McGraw - Mr. McGraw has gone out of his way to help guide our son in choosing appropriate courses each year taking his disabilities into consideration.  He truly goes above and beyond.  Thank you!

TRAC/PATHSS/PATHSS Bridge

• Su Wanamaker - For persevering with coordinating the TRAC, PATHSS and PATHSS Bridge program.  We are looking forward to her leadership next year and hope that she will stick with it!

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Northside Teacher Goes NASA

Sandy Athey, a teacher at Northside Elementary, was recently invited by NASA to attend a behind-the-scenes tour of Kennedy Space Center and the launch of TESS (Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite) and Falcon 9 Rocket as a social media correspondent. The Public School Foundation generously provided a grant to cover expenses.

The News & Observer selected Sandy as their Tar Heel of the Week, and published a terrific article utilizing a question/answer format for Sandy to describe her experience. You can read the article here.

Congratulations, Sandy!

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Destruction of Records Notice

Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools is hereby giving notice that the Exceptional Children’s Department will be destroying non-current records in accordance with state policy (NC 1505-2.15). This message is for students born between December 31, 1984 and December 31, 1990 that received Exceptional Children’s Program (EC) services while attending the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools or parents/guardians of those students.

Records may contain information useful for social security benefits or other purposes. If a copy of the record is desired, a written request should be submitted to the address below within 90 days of this publication. Please include the student's name, date of birth, current phone number, last school from which they received EC services and an address to which the record should be mailed. The request must be signed by the former student (18 years or older) or legal guardian. 

If you have further questions, please call 919-967-8211 ext. 28267.

Send written requests to:

Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools
Exceptional Children’s Department
750 South Merritt Mill Road
Chapel Hill, NC 27516

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PetPals Serve as Comfort Therapy Dogs in Schools

Pandora the Poodle has become a Carrboro High School Jaguar, joining other PetPalsNC therapy dogs that have been matched with schools in the CHCCS district. Once a week, Pandora checks in to the office with her handler, Ginny Murray, and they set up in the cafe commons for the lunch period. Despite the commotion of noisy teenagers crowding the space, Pandora stands at calm attention, eyeing her surroundings and edging toward any student who approaches for a quick introduction - or those who settle in for a longer petting session.
   
April Crider, Carrboro High social worker, said that they “borrowed” a therapy dog from Culbreth Middle School earlier in the year, after the death of a student. “The students found the dog to be a great distraction, and it just felt good at that moment to cuddle with her.” Now Carrboro High has its own dog, and Pandora will have a regular schedule. Hopefully, students will come to recognize the powerful benefits the regal poodle can offer, even in the brief time it takes to sit with her and stroke her soft, gray head.
   
Trained dogs have offered various supports to our students for years, especially as reading buddies in elementary schools. But their presence in middle and high schools is relatively new, and the impact they bring is less tied to academic activities than general emotional and social benefits. Educators and parents have become increasingly aware of the stress and anxiety that take a toll on adolescent and pre-teen students, and the value of using therapy dogs in school settings is more widely recognized.
   
Stefanie Mazva-Cohen, social worker at Culbreth, reached out to PetPalsNC after she learned about the program from its founder, Wendy Stewart. She knew that students at her school would embrace the comforts and reassurance that come from spending time with a familiar pet. In 2015, when Mazva-Cohen introduced the program to Culbreth staff and families, she sent out an email saying, “Culbreth is getting a new therapist!” In fact, Culbreth has two PetPals, Abby and Dutch, and they alternate weeks for their visits.
   
Many of the PetPal sessions at Culbreth involve one-on-one interactions, often when a child is talking to a counselor or other support person. “If a student is having a particularly hard time, we’ll arrange time with Abby or Dutch,” said Mazva-Cohen. “The child’s petting the dog, I’m petting the dog, and the dog becomes a connections catalyst. A real blessing.”
   
Culbreth has experienced several tragic losses in recent years, and the dogs became part of the crisis counseling teams. Yet the connections need not be tied to loss or crisis. “There isn’t a child who can’t use fifteen minutes with a dog every week,” Mazva-Cohen said.
   
Pandora of Carrboro High is just now getting her paw in the door. Most students haven’t met the dog yet, but an Exceptional Children's class experienced the benefits of a therapy dog during Pandora’s second visit. “Our students with special needs LOVE Pandora,” said Melissa Barry, EC system level teacher. “Interaction with a therapy dog not only calms our students, but also enhances their language skills as they talk to Pandora - and about Pandora. We visited with Pandora yesterday, and our students are still talking about the experience today. Our students enjoy petting, walking, watching and interacting with the dog.  Interaction with Pandora helps our students extend their abilities - yesterday, we had students walking farther than typical simply because they were walking the dog outside!”
   
As Carrboro High teacher assistant Donna McMillan said, “The brief encounters I had with students petting Pandora I would sum up as pure happiness and joy. And we all need a little of that every day!”


PetPalsNC is a 501(c)3 “dedicated to promoting and supporting the use of animal-assisted therapy and activities for K-12 students to enhance academic, social, emotional, and behavioral growth.” (petpalsnc.org) The program serves numerous Orange County schools. The CHCCS partners are Rashkis Elementary, McDougle Elementary, Phillips Middle, Culbreth Middle and Carrboro High. School counselors and social workers act as liasons to establish and oversee the program at each school. Currently there are more requests for service than there are funds and teams to cover expansion. 

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PATHSS-Bridge

Five excited CHCCS high school students arrived on the UNC campus on Wednesday, November 1, heralding the launch of this year’s PATHSS-Bridge cohort (Project Achieve for Transitioning High School Students). They settled into a conference room in Abernethy Hall with a chorus of comments like “I am so ready for this” and “I can’t believe we’re here!” With one career coach, one assistant and their program coordinator, Su Wannamaker, these young adults began to explore and adapt to their new learning environment.

      

By the second day of the program, the students were deep into work and self-advocacy lessons, practicing technology skills on their iPads and building community with each other and their instructors. By week’s end, students were introduced to potential job sites; they chose their jobs at Davis Library and the UNC dining services Beach Cafe based on input from the transition facilitators.

      

During those first few days, each student acknowledged how much walking is involved when working on a college campus. However, their excitement continued, undamped by the increasing degree of responsibility and commitment.

      

Adela Van Name, a consultant to the program said, “As a parent of a current PATHSS-Bridge student, and a parent that has been involved since the inception of PATHSS, I am encouraged by the first activities and hope that this sets the tone to continue to build the wonderful program and relationship that PATHSS initiated four years ago with our many supporting UNC partners.”

      

Chapel Hill Carrboro City Schools will continue to grow this work-based learning program through TRAC (Transition Ready Agency Collaborative), which the CHCCS school board approved in mid-October.

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PATHSS Commencement

Six students participated in commencement exercises from Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools’ PATHSS (Project Achieve for Transitioning High School Students) program Thursday evening, June 1. The ceremony was held on the UNC campus in Manning Hall, the homebase for PATHSS over the last few years.           

In an auditorium decorated with blue and white balloons and filled with family, friends and program supporters, each student, in cap and gown, presented a slide scrapbook to applause, laughs and more than a few tears. At the culmination of the ceremony, the students proceeded to the stage and, one at a time, accepted their certificates from Dr. Pamela Baldwin, CHCCS superintendent, and then hugged and high fived their instructor Dr. Dana Hanson-Baldauf, and teaching assistants, Brooks Covington and Tabitha McKean, as well as representatives from UNC and Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools.

      

PATHSS serves high school students, ages 18-22, who have intellectual and developmental disabilities. The program represents a collaboration between Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools and UNC, and is partially funded by a grant from the Oak Foundation.

      

A primary feature of PATHSS is the network of externship options available to the students, and those externships were on prominent and triumphant display in each student’s slide presentation. Scanning and processing books at UNC Davis Library, stocking condiments and napkins at Beach Cafe and pricing merchandise at UNC Student Stores Warehouse were just a few of the tasks that filled the students’ days on campus. Several students expressed excitement at the prospect of earning wages in the community, using skills gained this year in their externships.

     

During the commencement’s opening remarks, Dr. Hanson-Baldauf, the PATHSS externship facilitator-instructor, thanked the CHCCS board members for their early and continuing support. She then told the six smiling graduates, “I am proud of all that you have accomplished during your time in PATHSS and so excited for all the future holds. You are all rock stars in your own unique ways. As you move forward, I want you to remember that you are the experts of your lives. You are the captains of your ships. Your voices matter and need to be heard.”

     

Before the students marched out of the auditorium, they delivered an energetic and expressive dance performance, “The Climb,” still in full cap and gown regalia. Then it was on to the blue and white graduation cake and group photos on the steps of Manning Hall in the cool evening air.

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2016-17 SNAColades

The Special Needs Advisory Council (SNAC) created SNAColades to honor Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools' teachers, staff and administrators who, through their hard work and creativity, make our children's school experience more meaningful. The following have been selected for this recognition based on the testimonials of the Exceptional Children community.

Below each name is a quote from an appreciative parent or administrator.

Carrboro High School

Melissa Barry

"She is an INCREDIBLE EC teacher. Melissa integrates EC students with school-wide events and networks with colleagues to create inclusive opportunities in electives and academic areas. She developed an effective communication system with parents via blog, text, email, conferences and classroom social opportunities."

Chapel Hill High School

Dominick (Nick) Barone

"Not only is Mr. Barone keeping tabs on my daughter during the day, he has spent many hours after school with her, and time after those meetings, discussing issues with me in addition to the emails and phone calls...And he is always smiling!"

Jennifer Michalenok
Beth Racine 
Rodney Carter 
Melissa Walton

"Miss Jennifer and all the teachers in my son’s class work hard everyday to help him learn and grow. They are invaluable to his life and his education, and have helped him make huge strides in learning to communicate and engage with the world."

Frank Smith

"Mr. Smith went above and beyond in helping our son transition to high school. He scheduled a long meeting to become familiar with our son's disabilities, coached our son through getting organized at the beginning of the year, and advocated on our son's behalf to his teachers. He has continued to support our son through the school year."

Ryan McGraw

"Mr. McGraw, our son's counselor also met with us at various times throughout the school year, counseled and supported our son and us, and was willing to consider and follow-up on plans even when they were outside the box ideas."      

East Chapel Hill High School

Vanessa Diggs

"She demonstrates her care and concern for our children - it is much appreciated!"

Karina Pascht 

"Karina supports my son directly as his Academic Strategies teacher as well as in collaborative English and Science classes. Furthermore, she has guided the transition during a Civics class change and math class. We would have been lost without her this year."

Northside Elementary

Deandra Hill

"Deandra not only provides students with strong academic support in their areas of need, but she also addresses their social/emotional needs. She has a way of making all students feel welcomed, loved and successful. Deandra has been a saving grace for my son this year by tapping into his interests, giving him opportunities to be a leader, and propelling him forward academically. Northside is blessed to have her!"

Ronetta Walker

"She is an amazingly, caring, loving, and patient teacher. She goes above and beyond to make sure that my son has a good day and that his needs are met. She is always willing to try new things to get him where he needs to be."

Pre-K

Sarah Michaels - PreK

"The growth that my son has made since she has worked with him is amazing. I cannot describe and thank her enough for the hard work she has put in."

Morris Grove Elementary

Jordan Lupton

"Jordan has introduced Peer Mediated Instruction and Intervention (PMII) to the school for many of her students and their peers! Here is an article that she wrote about it."

Phillips Middle

Christine Ewing

"Christine has been a quiet force for good at Phillips in her first year here in the school district. She has helped my son have a smooth year and advocated for his appropriate placement in his transition to high school."

Scroggs Elementary

Sandy Scheuermann

"Sandy never complained when I asked for yet another meeting to discuss goals or my concerns. She willingly shared the small milestones that make up seemingly unnoticeable progress for kids like my son. She sent updates and pictures of my son working. She shared pride with me over writing milestones and even the smallest improvements. As my son moves into middle school, I know I have Sandy Scheuermann to thank for pointing out to him each day how capable and smart he really is and for providing excellent EC support."

Jasmine Johnson
Cindy Greenert
James Nohe
Dottie Small

"Thank you for your patience and your perseverance in support of my son. Thank you for your willingness to try new things even when I know you already had many other things to juggle. And thank you for encouraging him, and for giving him something to think about each day that recognized his capability."

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Kara VanHooser - 2017 New Voices Award for Excellence

New Voices is a local non-profit with a mission to help children with severe communication and physical challenges maximize their learning potential. The ultimate goal of New Voices is inclusion in all aspects of life. The Lara Jane Parker Awards Program was established to provide both reward and recognition to those outstanding teachers, therapists, parents, education and health professionals and leaders who work daily to improve the lives of New Voices children. These individuals help improve their schools and their communities in ways that will allow these children to be fully included in all aspects of their daily lives.

The award for excellence recognizes individuals from the Alamance/Burlington, Chatham, Durham, Johnston, Orange, Wake counties school districts and the Chapel Hill—Carrboro City Schools, who have direct instructional or therapeutic contact with a school-aged child (or children) with communication and physical challenges.

Kara VanHooser, a speech language pathologist at McDougle Elementary School, is one of three winners of the 2017 Award for Excellence. Kara has over 20 years of experience and serves as the Exceptional Children’s team lead. Kara is proactive in engaging a child’s whole team, including families, private therapists and physicians to meet the student’s communication and other needs. She invites local and state politicians to meet her students and to understand their challenges. She maintains regular contact with them to discuss the issues that affect her students.

Kara received her Masters of Science in Speech/Language Pathology from James Madison University. She was nominated by Delia Hudson, her peer speech language pathologist, working at McDougle Elementary School. She will be honored at a ceremony on April 19 at the Friday Center in Chapel Hill.

Congratulations Kara!

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SNAColades Awarded for 2015-16

The Special Needs Advisory Council (SNAC) created SNAColades to honor Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools staff who, through their hard work and creativity, make our children’s school experience more meaningful.  The following have been selected for this recognition based on the testimonials of the Exceptional Children community.  Below each name is a quote from an appreciative parent or CHCCS administrator (where noted).

Ephesus Elementary
Francheska Terry, EC Teacher Assistant
Francheska has been an EC teaching assistant at Ephesus Elementary School for over 5 years and demonstrates a genuine commitment to her work. She has a positive attitude and is always willing to lend a helping hand. Francheska goes above and beyond our expectations to support students with special needs and makes positive contributions to the Ephesus School community on a daily basis.  (nominated by Danielle Sutton, assistant principal, Ephesus Elementary)

Group Award
All of the teachers, staff and therapists at Ephesus Elementary have been amazing. They all work to help our student stick to his schedule and behave appropriately and learn the most that he can with patience and encouragement.  They are: Casey Symonds, Theresa Kanu, Kim Ellison, Ruth Morgan, Pamela Shiers, Tamika Harris, Natasha Khadka, Alicia Osisek, Jennifer Dykes, Christine Sion, and MANY others that I am leaving out.

Estes Hills Elementary
Claire Rizzo, EC Teacher and the Estes Hills Teacher of the Year for 2016-17
Claire Rizzo is a dedicated and passionate resource teacher at Estes Hills Elementary.  A model of grit and growth mindset, Claire is unwilling to let any child fall through the cracks and will stop at nothing to make sure the needs of every student are met.  Claire Rizzo is a shining example of the attributes all teachers should possess.  Estes Hills is proud to have this loving and compassionate teacher as a staff member! (nominated by Drew Ware, principal, Estes Hills Elementary)

McDougle Elementary
Delia Hudson, Speech-Language Pathologist
Ms. Delia Hudson at McDougle Elementary is our favorite!!!  She is always available and she is always eager to help/explain.  Thank you all EC team!!!  You are all truly amazing people!

Breanna Jansa, EC Teacher Assistant
Ms. Breanna was very instrumental in the successful transition of teachers in our classroom.  She is the most patient and kind teacher.  She will be very missed next year.

Maggie Pearce, EC Teacher
Ms. Pearce is a wonderful teacher.  She has excellent leadership skills.  She has created a warm, relaxed and organized environment for our kids to learn.  She has enormous compassion for our kids and dedication for teaching.  She has demonstrated poise and grace during very difficult circumstances in class.  We are so lucky to have Ms. Pearce as our teacher.

Northside Elementary
Amy Brande, Teacher
Amy is an amazing woman and truly demonstrates caring for "unique" children with a loving and compassionate zeal.  She works humbly and tediously to make sure that each child has the opportunity to participate and learn in a safe and caring setting.  Amy has one of the most challenging roles as a teacher and she excels in that role with grace and purpose.  Amy loves my child and truly cares about him.  We love her for that kind of dedication and authenticity.

Claudette, Karie and Pedro, Teacher Assistants for Amy Brande
We have the highest regard for the support staff for our son's teacher.  They work tirelessly to make sure our son is cared for and monitored throughout his time at school.  Our son needs to have constant oversight and supervision during the day.  These dedicated professionals have shown great kindness, patience and care while working with our son.  They genuinely care about him and he knows that they love him.  It doesn’t get much better than that!

Rashkis Elementary
Krista Lee, Teacher
For her unwavering support and advocacy. Best teacher ever!

Scroggs Elementary
Crystal Epps, Principal
Ms. Epps is a remarkable principal who takes the time to listen to parents and to teachers to help them achieve the best for their children.  She has been exceptionally supportive of both of my children with special needs, as we have navigated some difficult situations.  I have also seen her attending SNAC meetings (in the evening, even when she doesn’t “have to” be there) which is further proof of her commitment to those with special needs.

Sarah Newman, First Grade Teacher
Ms. Newman had a tough task of taking over a classroom when the prior excellent teacher - Ms. Norris - had to leave in November 2015 for a different position in the school district.  All of the parents were anxious about who this new, young teacher would be (and we asked how will she handle our special needs child?). Ms. Newman has demonstrated that although she is young, she is exceptional at teaching all children, including our special needs children.  She demonstrates great organization, excitement for teaching as well as compassion and understanding.  Our son, who has had some behavioral challenges this year, is extremely fond of her - she does a wonderful job motivating the students to learn. We’d like her to know she has made a big difference in our lives.

Sandy Scheuermann, EC Teacher
This is the second year that Sandy has been my son’s EC teacher.  She is fantastic to work with, always advocating for what’s best for the student, and incredibly insightful and communicative, as well as highly dedicated to her profession.  We are grateful for her support, and for what she&’s taught us and taught our son.

Hannah Stang, Third Grade Teacher
Ms. Stang has performed remarkably this year teaching my son, who is on the autism spectrum.  She has demonstrated a high level of warmth and acceptance for my son’s disability, which in turn allowed him to excel and perform remarkably well.  Ms. Stang is communicative, utilizing a weekly newsletter as well as an app that sends photos and videos to parents regularly.  While this communication may seem “nice” or “helpful” to parents of neurotypical children, it is enormously, highly appreciated for parents with an autistic child, as these children’s ability to share anything about their day (or any social information) is greatly lacking.  Therefore, Ms. Stang helps us parents to better understand the classroom dynamics so that we can better support our SN child and to help him thrive. We believe it is her exceptional organizational skills as well as her magical personality that makes a huge difference in our children’s lives.

Seawell Elementary
Kate Kennedy, AIG Teacher
Nobody “gets” our twice-exceptional child quite like Kate Kennedy.  She has a tremendous depth of understanding about both gifted children and children with disabilities - and how those facets intersect in a 2e student.  Her guidance and support have been invaluable, starting before our son even entered Kindergarten.  She is truly a gem!

Lisle Pearman, Program Facilitator (PF)
Lisle is everything you would want your PF to be.  As a former EC teacher, she truly understands what our students need to be successful, and is committed to ensuring that the right tools are in place.  She is compassionate, respectful, organized, and a pleasure to work with in an IEP meeting.  We feel very fortunate that she is our son’s PF.

Marny Ruben, Principal
Principal Ruben sets a tone at Seawell where every student “belongs” to every member of the staff, and children are truly valued.  I have been particularly appreciative of how she dove into planning for Disability Awareness Month in October to make the program a great success.  She is always approachable and willing to hear new ideas and requests, and has been an excellent partner for me as both a parent and a SNAC rep.

Culbreth Middle
Jessica Cox, EC Teacher
Ms. Jess has many awesome qualities as an EC teacher but I will touch on one - communication.  We get a short note just about everyday letting us know how the day went and what went on in the class or what might go on the next day.  Ms. Jess also emails, calls and texts whenever necessary, keeping parents updated on the good, as well as the not so good.  The lines of communication are open and I feel like I can contact her at any time as well.  Kudos to Jessica Cox!

Phillips Middle
Jack Pileggi, EC Teacher (long-term substitute)
Jack jumped in to this position mid-year and provided excellent support for my son.  In addition to providing support for my son’s regular education classwork, he also took initiative to provide remedial education for my son that will now be incorporated into his IEP.

Kaleigh Vogan, EC Teacher
Kaleigh continues to strive to provide the best education for the special needs students she serves.  While having her workload increased mid-year, she took on this challenge and provided excellent care for the students under her charge.  She is innovative, organized, and collaborative.  She is an excellent role model for others.

Katherine Whittington, Math Teacher
Ms. Whittington is a mainstream math teacher who goes the extra mile to make sure that all of her students learn to love math.  My son has always feared math and was extremely resistant to any math work.  Ms. Whittington adapted the math curriculum to make it fun and interesting.  She is a very skilled teacher and has had enormous impact on many students.  We are very lucky to have her at Phillips.

Smith Middle
April Ferguson, Social Studies Teacher and the Smith Middle Teacher of the Year for 2016-17
Ms. Ferguson has been exceptionally responsive in working with our special needs child, taking care to reach out and ask us questions, get to know our child, and make suggestions about how he can engage in the classroom in a way that is most comfortable for him.

Marianne Henderson, Teacher and Carmen Liggins, Teacher Assistant
Ms. Henderson and Ms. Liggins always go above and beyond what is required and have survived most of the year without another aide in the class.  They smile and help the kids in the class reach their potential.  They are most always smiling and helping.  They have had aides not work out (i.e. not show up to work for weeks), and many subs throughout the year, currently with a long term aide sub.  They certainly deserve a shout out and so much more.

Phil Holmes, Principal
Phil Holmes has gone the extra mile for our child with special needs in so many ways: He is open to learning about his needs, he is communicative, and he takes a personal interest in his development.  He calls us not just on bad days but on good ones, too.  He is one of our child’s favorite things about his school and his life.  He has so many kids and teachers to be responsible for, and yet he takes time out of his day and his tremendous responsibilities to check in on our kid.  He is an exceptional example of how to work with special needs kids and their families.

Abby Steen, PE Teacher
PE can be a very difficult class for kids with special needs, and Ms. Steen has made it her business to send our family a schedule each week, work with our kid’s particularities, and remain good-humored and flexible.  We so appreciate her!

Chapel Hill High
Janet Willey, Teacher
Janet Willey was so kind and supportive with our 2e son his first year in high school, and seemed to understand dyslexia well, which was such a relief, as it is often rare to find someone who does.  She helped him get his accommodations provided in his one classroom where they were not.  Sadly, she got ill and left early in the year, but we very much appreciated her support for the short time that we had it.

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CHCCS Names Executive Director of Exceptional Children and Student Services

Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools is pleased to welcome Dr. Alicia Tate as our new Senior Executive Director of Exceptional Children and Student Services. Dr. Tate comes to us from Guilford County Schools, where she has served as Executive Director for Exceptional Children since 2013. She held the same role in Iredell-Statesville Schools from 2009-2013. Prior to that, she served as an exceptional children program director, specialist, teacher and site facilitator at several schools in North Carolina and Virginia.

Dr. Tate earned her doctorate and master's degrees from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, and her bachelor's degree from East Carolina University.

She will begin with CHCCS later this summer, replacing the recently retired Dr. Sherron Leplin.

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PBIS Recognitions

The North Carolina Positive Behavior Intervention and Support (PBIS) recognition ceremony was held on November 17, 2015. Chapel Hill Carrboro City Schools (CHCCS) had 17 of 19 schools recognized by the state as fully implementing PBIS schools.

One of the highest percentages in the state, CHCCS had 15 schools recognized in 13-14 school year. Ten schools earned Exemplar status, which is the highest level of recognition. Of the 37 counties that had Exemplar schools, only five districts had ten or more schools. Most of those districts are considerably larger than CHCCS. Our alternative high school, Phoenix Academy High, increased its level of implementation and was recognized as a model school.

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SNAColades 2014-15

The Special Needs Advisory Council (SNAC) created SNAColades to honor CHCCS staff who, through their hard work and creativity, make our children's school experience more meaningful. The following have been selected for this recognition based on the testimonials of the Exceptional Children (EC) community. Below each name is a quote from an appreciative parent.

SNAColade Recipients 2014-15:

Pre-K Intervention Program
Thea Wilson, Heather Miller, Donna Swahlan and Jennifer Howard
“Their incredible efforts in helping our child meet her goals and their commitment to setting her up for success are invaluable. We are eternally thankful to them!”

Ephesus Elementary School
Tracy Kirkland, Carolyn Foushee and Glenda Johnson
“The care and attention that they provide to our child are huge contributions to her success. They are amazing and we are so thankful to have them as her teachers!”

McDougle Elementary School
Taron Parent
Ms. Parent received two SNAColade nominations.

“She has shown a lot of enthusiasm and passion for the job and most especially, for the kids she looks after.  She has gone over and beyond our expectations and makes the time my child spends in school very enjoyable.”

“She is simply the most dedicated and hard working teacher. We introduced a novel communication device this year and Ms. Parent has devoted countless hours outside the classroom to become a skilled communication partner. Her academic excellence is matched with a warm and empathetic personality.”

Breana Jense and Tiyan Peterson
“They make an exceptional team and show a lot of love and compassion towards our children.”

Morris Grove Elementary School
Jordan Lupton
“She consistently expects much from her students. She is an excellent communicator with the family and the team. She uses technology effectively, and she attempts to reach out to children from minority families.”

Northside Elementary School
Carlos Lavin
“Mr. Lavin has provided an extremely professional and supportive environment for my child, challenging him in a fun and mutually respectful manner. His ability to reach the students where they are, and willingness to try new tactics until finding the right one, is exceptional and worthy of recognition.”

Scroggs Elementary School
Tricia Billy, Janet Shaheen and Patricia Thompson
“All deserve lots of praise for their phenomenal work with special needs children.”

Noujoud Ouazzani
“She is fantastic with our special needs child (above and beyond with positivity)!”

Vicky McGlinchey and Sandy Scheuermann
“My child has been successful in navigating a multitude of transitions and responsibilities and these two educators have supported him and us as we adapted to changing needs, behaviors and requirements to help him be successful.”

Seawell Elementary School
Annie Cramer
“Ms. Cramer came to us and asked how she could help our child get the most out of his time in Art. That was more than any specials teacher had ever done! Her willingness to go above and beyond the call of duty when she teaches every student in that school and has limited resources was just mind-blowing. Because of her, our son learned to stop hating specials -- and can do electives when he goes to middle school. Her effort on his behalf was just amazing, and so touching to us.”

Julie Halpert
“My child is forever changed because of Julie Halpert. She is the one-in-a-million teacher who knows that "gifted" is not always a blessing, that a diagnosis of Asperger’s is not a curse, and that all kids, especially the ones who have a hard time at school but also hold so much untapped potential just waiting to be unlocked, require nurturing and emotional support in order to thrive. We are so grateful for her.”

Culbreth Middle School
Jessica Gates
“Ms. Jess is calm, creative and perceptive about student behavior. She continually challenges her students without pushing too far. She does an excellent job of keeping us informed and gives me hope for my child’s future and what he can accomplish!”

Rebecca VonHoene, James Econopoly and Matthew Hayes
“These teachers have gone above and beyond to plan together and support our child and provide resources to our family. They are outstanding examples of dedicated professionals who value student success above all else.”

Phillips Middle School
Kayleigh Vogan
“Ms. Vogan is the most outstanding EC teacher I have ever met. She consistently has appropriate, differentiated lessons planned to further each child’s progress and has kept us informed of our child’s progress at least weekly and more often when necessary. She was unphased by behavior issues, but immediately began problem solving, involving parental input, and implementing solutions. She is stellar!”

Smith Middle School
Keith Raitano and Mary Raitano
“Doing a fine job helping an academic wizard navigate social structure and appropriate behaviors.”

"Mamma Stoochie"
“She "gets" my child.”

Team 6A Smith Middle School (Anne Anderson, Noa Stuchiner, Channing Bennett, Katie Lonergan, Don Minnick)
“Go team Go! Whoo Hoooo!!!”

Carrboro High School
Melissa Barry
“She is a good communicator, is constantly looking out for ways for my child’s class to get involved in the community and in the high school at large, and looks for interesting field trips exposing them to new experiences. She has my child’s best interest at heart!”

John Hite
“A continued SNAColade for supporting all students regardless of his 'caseload.'”


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Leplin Named Executive Director of Exceptional Children

At its July 18 meeting, the Board of Education approved the hiring of Dr. Sherron Leplin, currently principal of the UNC Hospital School, as the district’s new executive director of exceptional children.  Leplin brings a well-rounded background, along with a depth of experience, to her new role. She previously served as a principal with Durham Public Schools and Orange County Schools, as an exceptional children coordinator and assistant principal with the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools, and a counselor, coordinator and teacher with Guilford County Schools.

Leplin earned her doctorate and two master’s degrees from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. She also earned a master’s degree from North Carolina A&T University and a bachelor’s degree from Appalachian State University. 

The Board also approved Tony Widder as the interim assistant principal at Scroggs Elementary.  Widder spent the past school year at Scroggs Elementary as an administrative intern. He also served as a math teacher for seven years at Reedy Creek Middle School in Wake County.  Widder received his master’s degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and his bachelor’s degree from Kent State University in Ohio.

Dr. Sherron Leplin

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Gina Chapman, Ephesus Elementary - Teacher of Excellence

Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools congratulates Gina Chapman of Ephesus Elementary for being nominated as our Teacher of Excellence for the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction's annual Exceptional Children's Conference. Gina has taught at Ephesus for ten years and currently teaches in a self-contained setting. She is a leader among her peers and is highly regarded for her collaboration skills and ability to teach a very diverse group of learners with significant education needs. Gina will be honored at a ceremony the evening of Thursday, November 14 in Greensboro.

Congratulations, Gina Chapman!

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