Byam School Committee Presentation February 9, 2016

Agenda Academic Areas Social/Emotional-PRIDE Enrichment/Community Involvement

Academic Writing Staff Meetings Standard Based Report Cards Home Connection/Reading Specialists Specialists ASD Programs

Specialists PE/BOKS What is BOKS? BOKS at Byam BOKS Lessons Benefits of BOKS Expanding BOKS

ASD Programs A district-wide program housed at Byam School for students with Autism Spectrum Disorder in grades K-4. Part of the district’s commitment to providing a quality education to students with ASD in an inclusive setting. The program begins at the preschool level, at CHIPS, and currently continues through middle school with the ASD program at Parker.

Why A Specialized Program? Students with ASD present with a wide range of abilities and challenges. Common features include strengths in visual processing, honesty, and attention to detail but also delays in language/communication, sensory integration, gross and fine motor skills, behavioral regulation, and social/play skills. Strengths and challenges vary from person to person, hence the term “spectrum” disorder. The ASD program at Byam School provides comprehensive supports for students with autism under one roof: Special education and support staff trained in best practices methodologies (in particular, applied behavior analysis); on-site behavioral analyst/behavior consultant; speech/language, visual motor, and physical access direct services. These providers work closely with general education teachers to ensure meaningful inclusion data- based learning outcomes for students with ASD.

Benefits Of The ASD Program For the students with ASD: A comprehensive education, the opportunity to learn from and build relationships with peers, and membership in one’s home community. For Chelmsford: Increased diversity (and by extension, greater tolerance of those who are “different”).

Social/Emotional-PRIDE PRIDE Roars Grade Level PRIDE Meetings All-School PRIDE Assemblies PRIDE Postcards Byam Dining Room/White Table Cloth Day Meaningful Mentors

PRIDE

PRIDE

Meaningful Mentors To provide students with a positive adult model/influence and help them to feel supported and more connected to the school community. Through this program, we hope to provide our students that are most in need with extra support in some creative, meaningful and impactful ways. The program is flexible and allows staff to be creative in the ways they spend time with students. Mentors and students get to know one another by doing things such as helping out in the classroom, having snack together, playing a game or making a craft. Interested staff and students are matched and spend about 15 minutes per week together. Mentors meet with the counselor/program coordinator periodically to review how the program is going and share ideas.

School Council Membership School Improvement Plan Initiatives Courtyard PRIDE Survey School Council Member Reflections

Byam School Association Enrichment Fundraising Family Events School Support

Questions