Banta • Escalon • Holt • Jefferson • Lammersville • Lincoln • Linden • Manteca • New Jerusalem • Ripon • Tracy

San Joaquin County Office of EducationSELPA - Special Education Local Plan Area

Volume 20• Issue 4

S.E.L.P.A.

June 2007

Mary Bennett began working in SanJoaquin County’s Thurber House atRedwood School in 1999. The programprovided a functional skillsapproach for severelyhandicapped students ofjunior high and high schoolage that primarily had adiagnosis of autism. Thefocus was on buildingfunctional skills in a home-like setting. There havebeen some changes sincethat time and today theclass serves high schooland young adult studentswith a diagnosis of autism.

Individual academicprograms and goals arevery important to thestudents in this class. Inaddition there is a strong

Thurber House Program Prepares for Work & Lifeemphasis on prevocational and vocationaltraining, adult life skills and WorkAbility Iparticipation. All students go on community

outings in small naturalgroupings about twicemonthly. The outingsare related to a varietyof individual learninggoals. Students helpchoose the outings anddevelop a calendar ofactivities each month.One student goes to apark regularly andwalks two miles. Twogroups bowl monthly.Some students goshopping for materialsfor classroom projects.Students often go torestaurants for lunch.Such outings enablethem to practice thereal-life skills theyneed to be successfuladults.

Students in Mary Bennett’s classgrow in vocational skills byperforming many jobs on campus.They collect classroomrecyclables daily and a studenttakes them to the bin near theplayground. Another job is fillingsupply orders for county programteachers. With some assistance

Matthew fills and boxes orders and deliversthem to classrooms on campus or to theoffice to be distributed to classes at othersites.

Eric goes to the office to get the daily schoolnewsletter and delivers it to all the classroomseach day. Students in Bennett’s class also run a laundry service for four classes onsite.

continued on Page 11

Vang is proud of his award

Instructional assistant Sherry Bernard helpsMatt recycle classroom waste

Swinging helps Vang andMatt c oncentrate and learn

Erick helps Brittney preparedaily newsletter

Save the Date !Autism Connection Meetings August 22, 2007 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. ESC bldg Emerson Room

Sept 19, 2007 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. ESC bldg Emerson Room

Community Advisory Committee Sept 10, 2007 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. ESC bldg Greenwood 3

• If you are receiving duplicate copies or no longer wish to receive this publication, please contact Pam Abdollahzadeh

at either (209) 468-4908 or pabdollahzadeh@sjcoe.net to have your name removed from our mailing list.

• For questions about this publication please contact Kimberly Andreasen at either (209)468-9283 or at kandreasen@sjcoe.net

Sandee Kludt, Ed.D.Assistant Superintendent / SELPA

Director

For those of us who have devoted ourlives to education, it’s all about teachingand learning, and not just for our students.This spring, and indeed all year, weprovided an abundance of opportunitiesfor parents and educators to share, todiscuss and to learn new informationand skills to keep abreast and ahead ofthe ever-changing face of specialeducation. Our office held over 30workshops on topics including autism,discipline, due process and threatassessment, among many. Over 1,000participants attended these workshops.We are in the process of conducting aneeds assessment to determine the topicsto be offered in the future so we cancontinue to serve our parents, teachers,staff and administrators with up-to-datetraining and information.

On May 2, Karen Bruns, CACchairperson, and I attended the stateSELPA Administrator’s “LegislationDay” in Sacramento. Karen welcomedthe 150 participants to the full andinformative day. We spent the daytalking with local legislators. Our prioritywas urging them to support AB 850, toend the state’s current practice of notfunding cost of living adjustment on

federal funds, and AB 835, to calculategrowth by district rather than by theSELPA as a whole.

On May 4, I was happy to attend theAssociation of California SchoolAdministrators Region 7 Conferenceand Awards presentation to helpcelebrate Debbi Hopman’s selection asthe ACSA Region 7 Special EducationAdministrator of the Year. Debbi,Director of Special Education inJefferson School District, is so well-deserving of this award; it was a pleasureto be there to cheer for her! The followingday Sharon Brenneise, ProjectAdministrator at our SELPA, and Ipresented a workshop on the changesbrought about by the new IDEARegulations of 2006 and how we haveaddressed them in our SELPA. Thetopic generated good discussion andquestions and it was well worth the timeto share with other professionals meetingthe same challenges.

Following our trip to Washington D.C.that you can read about in this issue, itwas time for the Community AdvisoryCommittee’s annual AppreciationDinner. We are so fortunate to have

a core group of active, interested parentsin the group. After 3 years as chair,Karen Bruns stepped down to bereplaced by Jody Graham, parentrepresentative from Lincoln UnifiedSchool District. Thanks to Karen forher great work on behalf of the CAC. Ilook forward to next year and continuingparticipation in the activities of theCommunity Advisory Committee.

FROM OUR SELPA DIRECTOR

Sandee Kludt

Asthma Symptoms - Control & Prevention

continued on page 5

Allergy problems seem to be at a peaklevel right now with spring going out,and summer being ushered in. Ofcourse, children with allergy inducedasthma are really at risk for asthmaattacks. Asthma is a life-long breathingproblem, which is caused byinflammation (swelling) of the airways.Approximately 5 million children in theUnited States have asthma. Somechildren outgrow symptoms, but it is alife-long condition that rarely goes away.

Some symptoms of asthma includeshortness of breath, coughing orwheezing, tightness in the chest, difficultywalking, talking or breathing, and theskin around the neck or chest area mayhave the appearance of being tightly-pulled. Parents can tell if their child’sasthma is getting worse over time whenthe symptoms occur more often, needmore medication to relieve symptoms,medicine doesn’t seem to work, andmissing more and more school becauseof asthma. If your child appears to begetting worse, please call his/her doctor.

First Aid for AsthmaStay calm, and speak reassuringlyto the child. He/she may needprivacy, but do not leave themalone.Seat your child upright. Do not lethim lie down.Use quick relief medication such asan inhaler or nebulizerIf no improvement after 5 minutes,you may need to call 9-1-1Call 9-1-1 immediately if:

····· lips and/or nails are blue····· skin is pulled tightly around

neck or chest····· child cannot walk or talk

Symptoms can be prevented and controlledby recognizing and avoiding triggers (dustmites, furry or feathered pets, cold air,cigarette smoke, pollens, chalk dust, toname a few), treating airway inflammationwith prescribed medicine, making regularvisits to a healthcare provider, and correctlyusing prescribed medicines. School staff

should be notified that a child has asthma. AHealth Care Plan for Asthma is developedby school nurses in most schools.

Nursing staff at San Joaquin County SpecialEducation Programs wish everyone a healthyand safe summer.

For more information please contact MarySumrall, R.N. at either msumrall@sjcoe.netor 209-931-4047.

As this issue of the Special Edition isgeared towards student success stories,I thought I would focus on the SanJoaquin County programs four youngadult programs. These programs arelocated in the Manteca and Stocktoncommunities with the exception of onewhich is located on the Redwoodcampus. All provide services to 18 to22 year old students with special needs.The programs provide functionalcurriculum, life skills and communityexperiences to advance each studenttoward the goal of being a productive,happy member of the community,however that vision appears for eachindividual student.

County Young Adults’ Success StoriesThe majority of these students have spenttheir academic lives in classes on generaleducation campuses completing courses ofstudy that included functional skills, socialinteractions and academics to meet theirspecific needs. As they have progressedinto young adulthood they have movedaway from high school settings and intothese young adult programs that allow themto gain and utilize skills that they will need toaccess and move about in their communities.

Each student who has achieved this level ofindependence by opting to attend a youngadult program is a success story. Everydayin each one of these classrooms studentslearn skills that take them that much closer

to being independent. Learning to shop,cook and manage day to day life is anintegral part of each program.

Let’s look at one example of a typicalouting for a student in a young adult class –shopping. Prior to the activity weekly adsare perused, lists are made and theexcursion to the store is planned. Weatherand various situations are talked aboutalong with how much money will be neededfor items on each student’s list. Theseexcursions may include using the publicbus system, figuring out the routes, times,bus stops, etc. Sometimes these excursionsinvolve planning a walking route or callingfor a taxi and learning to give an address

San Joaquin County Office ofEducation – PsychologicalServices has had a highlyproductive year for providingtraining and support to theircolleagues, staff and families ofthe SJCOE-Special EducationLocal Plan Area and beyond.

P s y c h o l o g i s t s ’ t r a i n i n gopportunities began in Septemberwith a national interactive audioconference regarding“Understanding RTI: What It Isand Why It Works”. ThePsychologists’ Roundtable drew a crowdof thirty plus professionals to listen to anddiscuss the national trend towardResponse to Intervention as a model toprovide support to our children evenbefore labels are assigned to identify theirneeds. Also in September, PsychologicalServices began its Management ofAssaultive Behavior (MAB) monthlytrainings for the staff of SJCOE programs,local school districts, and Headstart. TheMAB trainings are two consecutive dayswith a focus on intervention, analysis ofthe escalation cycle, and the propermethod for providing physicalinterventions for students that may be adanger to self, others or property. MABtraining is provided through collaborationbetween the SJCOE-SELPA and theStockton Unified SELPA.

In October, SJCOE psychologistsoffered the second in a series ofpresentations on Response toIntervention. Psychologists ZenonCastillo, Chris Condon and KarenReasoner, presented on “Response toIntervention for Learning DisabilityEligibility Determination”. During thismonth Vince Hernandez with committeemembers Chris Condon and Mike Sextonbegan work on the development of theBehavior Intervention Manual for theSJCOE-SELPA, which is now available

on the SJCOE website. Additionally inOctober, Psychological Services begancollaboration with Early ChildhoodEducation to provide evening parentingclasses through a First 5 Commissiongrant. The topic areas were PositiveDiscipline, Four Reasons ChildrenTantrum, How to Communicate withYour Child – A Father’s Perspective,Ages and Stages, and AggressiveBehavior. The Roots to Readiness parenttrainings gave parents sometimes newinformation or affirmation of alreadydeveloped skill building to promote easiertransitions from infancy through earlychildhood. The parent offerings werepresented in the Banta, Lammersville,New Jerusalem and Jefferson SchoolDistricts.At the December Psychologists’Roundtable, Kris Rodriguez presented“A System for Linking Psycho-Educational Assessment &Interventions”. The presentation and topicgenerated much discussion by theattendees and assisted in opening furthercollaboration between individual districtpsychologists.

Continuing the series on RTI in February,Vince Hernandez presented to theaudience a “Response to Intervention:Advanced Professional Training” strandto share the successes and challenges

discovered from the Iowa and Floridamodels on implementing RTI. Manypractical handouts were providedincluding survey forms, problem solvingmodels, and data analysis formulas.In March, Vince Hernandez followedup with the topic “Response toIntervention & Assessment Standards:Ensuring a Reliable, Valid and FairProcess”. By this time, representationat the Psychologists’ Roundtables hadspread beyond the typical SJCOE-SELPA districts’ representatives toinclude participation by the LodiSELPA and the Tuolumne SELPA.

In April, Karen Reasoner and MikeSexton,SJCOE/SELPA Psychologistspresented the final topic of the year,“Utilizing RTI for DesigningPrevention, Intervention, Assessment,and Identification Strategies withStudents Exhibiting Social andEmotional Difficulties in School”.

The two-hour, monthly PsychologicalRoundtable trainings providepsychologists the opportunity to hearand discuss current trends in specialeducation in a condensed version oftopics. Psychological Services buildstheir trainings around the surveyedneeds of the professionals in the fieldand continue to advance the cause ofmaintaining fidelity in providing propersupport to our children.

Licensed Educational Psychologists meet for training at San Joquin County of Education

Psychological Services – Year-end Review

Dr. Sandee Kludt, SJ County AssistantSuperintendent and SELPA Director,along with Karen Bruns, CommunityAdvisory Committee chairperson, and acoalition of 16 California educators andparents, recently returned from 5 days inWashington D.C., where they met withmembers of Congress and their staffsand the Bush Administration on the urgentneed to increase special educationfunding.

The group held over 30 meetingsthroughout the week with targetedmembers of Congress and their staffswho sit on the vital Education andAppropriations committees of bothhouses and with members of the U.S.Department of Education and theCalifornia Congressional delegation. Dr.Kludt stated that she thought the goal ofcontinuing to educate our legislators aboutthe needs in special education wasachieved. “I think those who have beenaround a few years really ‘get it’ aboutIDEA, but we have a large contingent of

Educators Lobby Congress For Special Educationfreshmen who need lots of education.”

While the focus and #1 priority is alwaysto get Congress to live up to thecommitment made in 1973 to fund 40%of the cost of IDEA, other issues werealso on the agenda, including Medicaidreimbursement and the rising cost ofsome services such as those associatedwith such programs as autism andEmothional Distrubance.

The coalition was told by members ofCongress and staffers to keep up thepressure, to encourage educators andparents to let their local members ofCongress know the importance of increasedspecial education funding and to ask themto tell the chairs and members of Senate andHouse Appropriations Committees thatincreased special education funding is a toppriority. “It really depended on who youwere talking to,” said Kludt. The immediatepriorities of the two parties were reflectedin their responses to us.” As one coalitionmember put it, “Every year we go back and

we’re told that money’s tight, so there’s notime like the present to start. We’ve beenwaiting for 32 years and it’s time.”

On May 17, Congress approved a budgetresolution calling for a $9.5 billion increasefor education and workforce programs.While this is at least $2 billion higher thanoriginal proposals and can be taken as apositive response to the work of thecoalition, it is a non-binding document. Thenext hurdle is the AppropriationsCommittees. Congress is planning toconclude action on education funding byJune 30th.

and pay for the trip. Upon arriving at thedestination, students are responsiblefor their list and shopping with supportfrom their teacher and instructionalassistants. They locate items on their listlearning how store aisles are set up andwhere particular types of items arelocated. The student identifies, countsand pays for purchases learning theseskills with support from staff in a fittingsetting. Along with shopping, studentsare interacting with members of thecommunity they encounter – a customerin an aisle, the clerk at the register andother interactions that come aboutthrough their natural involvement in thecommunity. They are learning how toappropriately interact, communicate and

County Young Adults’ Success Stories continued from Page 3

be safe while they are in the community. Asyou can see, the value of programs like thisis huge in helping students to put functionalskills they have learned in more traditionalsettings to use in their appropriate settings.

Young adult programs assist students in thetransition process by exposing them to thecommunity and a variety of activities so theybecome more familiar with their own likesand dislikes. Students who have had abroad range of experiences have a betterunderstanding as to what they would liketheir lives to look like. When asked abouttheir goals and vision during the transitionprocess these students have a better idea ofwhat they would like to do after they leavethe school setting.

This school year we have 14 graduatesfrom our San Joaquin County classes andyoung adult programs. These young menand women will be moving on with theirtransition from the school system into variouscommunity activities and programs. Thetime they have spent in the school systemand the young adult programs has, hopefully,helped them to work toward their ownpersonal potential. We wish each andevery graduate success in whatever lifeholds for them!

For more infirmation please contactMaragret St. George at eithermstgeorge@sjcoe.net of 209-468-4908

San Joaquin County Special Education Programs graduated 16 students in a colorful and moving ceremony at the SJCOE EducationService Center Wednesday May 30, 2007. Well-attended by family, friends and staff, the students were recognized individuallyby their teachers and other staff members for their efforts, achievement and personal qualities. Program Administrator Brandi Brunniserved as Mistress of Ceremonies. A favorite part of the ceremony is the photo montage produced by county special day classteacher Denise Vaughan, in which each student is featured in a series of pictures from home and school. Combined with appropriatemusical background, the montage always brings tears and laughter to the audience. Musical selections by Jessica Ochoa addedgreatly to the celebration. Dr. Rick Wentworth, San Joaquin County Superintendent of Schools, assisted by Kathy Skeels,Director, San Joaquin County Special Education Programs presented students with their certificates.

This is my first time at the County Special Education Programs graduation. Overa period of years I have worked with many of the graduates. It’s great to seewhat they have achieved.” Jirii Sikata, Valley Mountain Regional Center

“I’ve known some of these students for over 10 yearswhen I was a speech and language specialist. They arelike a part of the family. Tonight is wonderful andexciting but also bittersweet.” Brandi Brunni, ProgramAdministrator, SJCOE Special Education Programs

Graduation 2007

“Sarah has lots of plans for where she’sgoing. I just hope the rest of us cankeep up!” Kathy Werner, parent ofgraduate

“This event is always a nice opportunity for staff, students andparents to celebrate. I look forward to it every year. These studentshave made real accomplishments.” Dr Rick Wentworth,Superintendent, San Joaquin County Office of Education.

This graduation is a wonderfulexperience. Matt and all theprofessionals over the years worked sohard and tonight we see it all cometogether. Ann Ciremele, parent ofgraduate

“It means a great deal to be here at this graduation. I have been a CountyBoard member for over 15 years and I am extremely proud of the programsoffered and the amazing progress of our students. The county office isthriving and growing every year to meet more areas of need for students.”Gretchen Talley, San Joaquin County Board of Education

Photographs by Dave Bermann

Valley LINCS creates “Success Story”By any measure, John Alstatt stands out inthe San Joaquin County Office ofEducation’s Valley LINCS program. Johnstands out a few days each week becausehe proudly wears his Junior ReserveOfficer Training Corps uniform. However,he stands out every day because of the factthat he is a Valley LINCS “success story”.John entered the Valley LINCS programas an eighth grader in the fall of 2005.

Valley LINCS is a program that provideseducation and support for students withemotional needs. The goal of the programis to enable students to make a successfultransition back to their home district in amainstream setting. John has met his goalsand looks forward to returning to EastUnion High School in Manteca this August.John’s road to success has not been aneasy one. At first, John, like most peers,had difficulty being held accountable forhis behavior choices. However, there wasone goal John remained focused upon-hewanted to join JROTC when he enteredhigh school. Since Valley LINCS is on thesite of the Sierra Middle School and LincolnHigh School campuses in Stockton, Johnhad ample opportunities to see Lincoln’sJROTC in action during middle schoollunchtime. He told staff repeatedly, “I

want to do that next year”. With supportand encouragement from Valley LINCSstaff members, and a great deal of self-determination, John began making positivechoices and taking responsibility for hisactions. This progress afforded him theopportunity to move closer towardachieving his goal of participating inJROTC. John enrolled in, and successfullycompleted, two mainstream classes atSierra Middle School. He was rewardedfor his hard work and perseverance with

an acceptance to theJROTC program forthe 2006-2007 schoolyear. John embracedthe JROTC programwith great enthusiasm.Lincoln High’s JROTCDirector, Senior ChiefMark Williams (USNret.), says that John is“one of his beststudents”, “a rolemodel”, and “highlyregarded by his fellowseamen.” John hasexcelled so much in his

first year that his achievements are thatof what a seaman normally completesby the end of his or her second year inthe program.

John credits the highly structuredenvironment of Valley LINCS andJROTC for his accomplishments. Healso gives kudos to his grandparents,whom he lives with in Manteca, for theextra effort in transporting him to andfrom JROTC events during extracurricular hours. John has successfullycompleted the Valley LINCS Programand is eager to join his friends in EastUnion’s JROTC in August. John knowsthat his transition to a mainstream highschool will not be perfectly smooth, buthe has confidence that he will besuccessful. John looks forward to amilitary career after graduation fromhigh school.

For more information please contactSharon Brenneise at eithersbrenneise@sjcoe.net or 209-468-9283.

For more information please contact Sharon Brenneise at either

sbrenneise or 209-468-9283.

JROTC seaman, John Alstatt

John Alstatt looking forward to a military career

Legislative UpdateAB 32, as amended, Fuller - Career technical education: work certification programThe governing board of a school district is permitted to authorize pupils, with parental permission, who wouldbenefit from advanced scholastic or vocational work, to attend community college as special part-timestudents to undertake one or more courses of instruction at the community college level, in order to provideeducational enrichment opportunities for a limited number of eligible pupils. This bill would state the intentof the Legislature to provide, within the public school system, work certification training options to pupilswho are between the ages of 16 and 18 years, have passed the high school exit examination, and have theconsent of their parents or guardians, with particular emphasis on job specific skilled labor and technicaltraining. The bill would authorize a pupil enrolled in at least 3 high school courses to enroll also in a communitycollege for the purpose of taking career and technical education classes leading to work certification if theclass is not available at the pupil’s high school of attendance or a regional occupational center or program in which the pupil is eligible to enrolland the pupil has parental permission.SELPA position - Support with admendments

AB 359, as amended, Karnette. Student financial aid: Assumption Program of Loans for Education.Existing law establishes the Assumption Program of Loans for Education, under which an applicant enrolled in a participating institution ofpostsecondary education, or an applicant who agrees to participate in a teacher trainee or teacher internship program, and who further agrees toobtain a teaching credential in a subject matter area that is designated as a current or projected shortage area or to provide classroom instructionin a school that serves a large population of pupils from low-income families, has a high percentage of teachers holding emergency permits, or isa low-performing school, is eligible to enter into an agreement for loan assumption, to be redeemed upon becoming employed as a teacher. Thisbill would specify that persons who are pursuing service credentials utilized in special education, or who participate in speech-language pathologisttrainee programs or become employed as speech-language pathologistsSELPA position - Support

AB 964, as introduced, Houston. Teachers: special education: incentive pay.Existing law requires a person employed by a school district in a position requiring certification qualifications, except a person employed in a positionrequiring administrative or supervisory credentials, to be classified on the salary schedule of the school district on the basis of uniform allowancefor years of training and years of experience, except if a salary schedule based on criteria other than a uniform allowance for years of training andyears of experience is negotiated through collective bargaining. Public school employers and exclusive representatives of credentialed teachersare encouraged to provide incentives to teachers to accept teaching assignments in areas of highest need. Programs providing additional, incentivepay to certain teachers are established under existing law, including, but not limited to, the Jack O’Connell Beginning-Teacher Salary IncentiveProgram. This bill would express the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation to provide teachers with incentives to choose to teach specialeducation classes, in the form of supplemental pay.SELPA position - Support

SB 123, as amended, Romero. High school exit examination.Existing law, until December 31, 2007, requires a school district or state special school to grant a high school diploma to a pupil with a disabilitywho is scheduled to graduate from high school in 2007, has not passed the high school exit examination, has not received a high school exitexamination waiver, and meets other specified criteria. This bill would require a school district or state special school to allow a pupil with an operativeindividualized education program or a plan adopted pursuant to specified federal law to satisfy the requirement to pass the high school exitexamination by taking and passing the examination with accommodations or modifications, as specified in the individualized education programor the plan of the pupil, or by satisfactorily completing tasks specified in the individualized education program or the plan, as determined by a jury.The bill would require each school district or state special school to establish or otherwise provide for a process by which a pupil with anindividualized education program or a plan may receive a juried assessment of tasks instead of passing one or both portions of the high schoolexit examination. The jury would be required to consist of a special education teacher, a high school principal, a parent of a special education pupil,a school psychologist, and a school counselor. The pupil would be authorized to appeal a decision of the jury that the pupil did not satisfactorilycomplete the tasks to the governing board of the school district. By requiring school districts to establish and convene juries and consider appealsof jury decisions, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill would delete the December 31, 2007, repeal date of the provisionsetting forth the criteria a pupil with a disability who does not pass the high school exit examination or receive a waiver of that examination requirementis required to satisfy to receive a high school diploma.

SB 196, as introduced, Machado. Teacher credentialing: district interns.Existing law authorizes the Commission on Teacher Credentialing, until January 1, 2008, to issue district intern credentials authorizing personsemployed by any school district to provide classroom instruction to pupils with mild and moderate disabilities in special education classes. Thisbill would delete that termination date, thereby authorizing the commission to issue district intern credentials indefinitely.

Community Advisory Committee - The Year in ReviewThis year was another great year forparent training that was presented throughthe Community Advisory Committee(CAC). This yearincluded a trainingfor parents onSocial Security,another on SpecialNeeds Trusts andConservatorships,and a series oncommunicationgeared to parentsof children withautism. Eachtraining was wellattended as were the CAC meetings

which either preceded or followed thetrainings. The CAC parents and supportteam appreciate all the parent participation

Amber Machado, FRN & Jirii Sakata, VMRC

Rob Robertson, “Mr. R.” character artistRobert & Tyler serve Italian sodas to guests

Karen Bruns welcomes gueststo CAC dinner

this year and for their input for training topicsfor the coming year. Look for a list oftrainings for the 2007/08 school year to be

out in August.

CAC elections wereheld in April. KarenBruns, our CACchairperson for the pastthree years, opted notto run for re-election.Karen has broughtrenewed life and vigorto the CAC during hertenure as CAC chair.Her leadership was

inspired and her support and empathy forher fellow parents obvious.

We are looking forward to anexciting two years with a full CACexecutive committee. Jodi Grahamis the newly elected CACchairperson. Jodi has been theLincoln District CAC representativeand is looking forward to her newrole. She will bring all the wonderfulattributes of a caring, knowledgeparent to her role as CACchairperson. Lilli Kizlin, of MantecaDistrict is the new Vice Chair andSangita Patel from Jefferson districtis the new Secretary. We welcomeeveryone into their new roles.

The CAC hosted a wonderful CACappreciation dinner on May 16th.The theme was Mama Mia. The 51people in attendance began theevening with antipasto and Italiansodas. Children in attendancereceived sensory bags and wereenthralled by the balloon twister,caricature artist and face painters.Dinner was an assortment of pastabalanced with tri-tip, salad and bread.

The evening ended with a presentationby a music therapist.

The evening was a great success and theCAC invites you to attend next year!

Amber Machado, Family ResourceNetwork & Sangita Patel, Jefferson

parent representative

SPECIAL EDitionEDITOR:

Sharon Brenneise

DESKTOP PUBLISHER:Kimberly Andreasen

SELPA CONTRIBUTORS:

Sharon BrenneiseProject Administrator

Vince HernandezPsychologist

Margaret St. GeorgeProgram Manager

Mary SumrallRegistered Nurse

Fredrick A. Wentworth,Superintendent

SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY OFFICE OF EDUCATIONEducation Service Center2707 Transworld Drive

Stockton, CA 95206http://www.sjcoe.org

Fredrick A. Wentworth, Ed.D. County Superintendent

Mick Founts, Ed.D. Deputy Superintendent, Student Programs & Services

Jim Thomas Deputy Superintendent, Business Services

Gary Dei Rossi, Ed.D. Assistant Superintendent, Educational Services

Sandee Kludt, Ed.D. Assitant Superintendent Special Education /SELPA Director

Jackie FlowersAssistant Superintendent, County Operated Schools & Programs

Thurber House continued from the front page

They regularly wash, dry, fold and sortthe laundry and deliver it to the correctclassrooms. With the assistance of theWorkAbilityI program, the staff atRedwood School is equipping avocational training room on campus.

Here students learn and practice job-related skills such as sorting, shredding,and other tasks that they can use infuture paid employment.

Matthew, who works at Wal-Martthrough WorkAbilityI, demonstratedhow the display board can be used topractice job skills.

Reward and recognition are a part of allthe classes at Redwood School and

throughout SJ Countyspecial educationprograms.

At the year-endawards assembly eachof the students in MaryBennett’s class wasrecognized forachievement during theyear.

Achieving these goalsis very important tothem and to the staffand families. In thewords of a very wise parent, “It’s amazing how far you can go with just small steps.”

Matt practices store display invocational room

For more information please contactSharon Brenneise at eithersbrenneise@sjcoe.net or 209-468-9283.

In This Issue....Thurber House Program Prepares for Work & Life ................................................................................................ p 1

Asthma Symptoms - Control & Prevention .............................................................................................................. p 3

Graduation 2007 ................................................................................................................................................ p 6 & 7

Valley LINCS creates “Success Story” ................................................................................................................... p 8

Community Advisory Committee - The Year in Review.......................................................................................... p 10

Non-profit Orgn.U.S. Postage

PAIDStockton, CA.Permit No. 681

Fredrick A. Wentworth, County SuperintendentSan Joaquin County Office of EducationP.O. Box 213030Stockton, CA 95213-9030Special Education/SELPA

Sandee Kludt, and Karen Bruns meet with RepresentativeDennis Cardoza (D-Merced) in Washington DC