0:00:01.199,0:00:02.760
Right. Let's share what you know.

0:00:02.760,0:00:05.000
I think many of you, probably all of you

0:00:05.000,0:00:07.560
probably know students who have attended

0:00:07.560,0:00:10.080
or do attend or may attend in the future

0:00:10.080,0:00:12.040
at Dakota Ridge.

0:00:12.040,0:00:14.670
And um, no two students as you know,

0:00:14.670,0:00:16.680
have are nothing, nothing

0:00:16.680,0:00:19.320
is just textbook or fits in a box. Right?

0:00:19.320,0:00:21.039
So that's what we really pride ourselves on

0:00:21.039,0:00:23.720
here at Dakota Ridge is when I meet

0:00:23.720,0:00:25.279
families for the first time and we're

0:00:25.279,0:00:26.920
trying to help them understand what this

0:00:26.920,0:00:28.720
might do for them or how help their

0:00:28.720,0:00:31.880
child, we are an intervention.

0:00:31.880,0:00:34.800
And in the world of federal setting for sites,

0:00:34.800,0:00:36.680
we are unique in that we are part

0:00:36.680,0:00:37.560
of this large District.

0:00:37.560,0:00:38.910
We are not an Intermediate.

0:00:38.910,0:00:40.560
We aren't somewhere you send your kids

0:00:40.560,0:00:42.160
to that do their own thing,

0:00:42.160,0:00:45.039
but we are aligned to district 196

0:00:45.039,0:00:47.879
in everything we do and our goal

0:00:47.879,0:00:49.059
is to be an intervention,

0:00:49.059,0:00:50.239
to be that step in between

0:00:50.239,0:00:52.840
to help students figure out what

0:00:52.840,0:00:55.039
is getting in the way for them

0:00:55.039,0:00:58.410
of being successful, intervene, teach skills

0:00:58.410,0:01:00.320
and for many students that means move on

0:01:00.320,0:01:01.000
to your next goal.

0:01:01.000,0:01:02.320
Whether that's back to your home school,

0:01:02.320,0:01:03.759
whether that's out in the community,

0:01:03.759,0:01:05.159
whether it's just making

0:01:05.159,0:01:07.429
your world a little broader.

0:01:07.429,0:01:10.000
Um, I think we're we're fortunately

0:01:10.000,0:01:11.640
pretty successful at that.

0:01:11.640,0:01:13.720
So um, I'll just talk a little bit

0:01:13.720,0:01:16.460
and like oh that's not my screen. Yours.

0:01:16.460,0:01:21.439
Um, so I'll just share kind of just

0:01:21.439,0:01:23.860
where we've been, how we got here

0:01:23.860,0:01:28.280
who I am and then I think I'll ask those

0:01:28.280,0:01:30.240
of you who have lived in this world

0:01:30.240,0:01:32.520
to kind of fill in where I, cuz I don't live

0:01:32.520,0:01:34.180
your role every day.

0:01:34.180,0:01:35.840
I live the right, the perspective

0:01:35.840,0:01:38.095
of outside of it.

0:01:38.095,0:01:42.475
Um, so I prior to my position here I was

0:01:42.475,0:01:44.840
I've had many hats in the district.

0:01:44.840,0:01:46.840
I was a Center-Based Autism Teacher

0:01:46.840,0:01:48.680
at Dakota Hills for many years.

0:01:48.680,0:01:50.900
Um, I was an Autism Specialist

0:01:50.900,0:01:53.030
and then I came over here

0:01:53.030,0:01:55.170
as a Lead Teacher

0:01:55.170,0:01:58.360
and then when I left here,

0:01:58.360,0:02:00.759
I was an Elementary Coordinator

0:02:00.759,0:02:03.560
and came back because once I was here,

0:02:03.560,0:02:04.960
I knew this is where I belonged

0:02:04.960,0:02:05.980
and I couldn't wait to come back

0:02:05.980,0:02:07.350
and I get the opportunity

0:02:07.350,0:02:09.739
to lead this building.

0:02:09.739,0:02:11.309
And one of the first things we did

0:02:11.309,0:02:12.400
when I came back

0:02:12.400,0:02:14.680
was we created a shared vision

0:02:14.680,0:02:16.840
mission statement as a building.

0:02:16.840,0:02:18.520
So this is a statement co-constructed

0:02:18.520,0:02:21.440
by staff and what we believe we do here

0:02:21.440,0:02:22.540
at Dakota Ridge.

0:02:22.540,0:02:23.640
And it's a community engaged

0:02:23.640,0:02:25.760
in developing the unique skills

0:02:25.760,0:02:27.680
of individual students through creative

0:02:27.680,0:02:30.040
programming and collaboration.

0:02:30.040,0:02:31.680
And to take that a step further,

0:02:31.680,0:02:35.670
what we truly believe is these starred items

0:02:35.670,0:02:39.040
and every student who walks in our door,

0:02:39.040,0:02:40.360
school has failed them.

0:02:40.360,0:02:41.280
And I don't mean a person

0:02:41.280,0:02:43.319
has failed them, I just our system

0:02:43.319,0:02:45.199
and the way we've gone about things

0:02:45.199,0:02:47.280
has not met their needs

0:02:47.280,0:02:49.400
and we get this unique opportunity

0:02:49.400,0:02:50.959
to rewrite their story.

0:02:50.959,0:02:52.519
And so we walk in this door,

0:02:52.519,0:02:56.000
I truly believe those of us who we have

0:02:56.000,0:02:58.159
very low staff turnover in our building

0:02:58.159,0:03:00.800
because this is a place that it it calls to you.

0:03:00.800,0:03:02.640
It speaks to you.

0:03:02.640,0:03:04.480
Um, and we get

0:03:04.480,0:03:06.120
this opportunity to take students who

0:03:06.120,0:03:09.200
have no joy at school and to find their joy.

0:03:09.200,0:03:11.280
To find school is a place - I'll never forget

0:03:11.280,0:03:15.239
Matthew and I went out to Gideon Pond

0:03:15.239,0:03:17.519
when he was at Gideon and observed him

0:03:17.519,0:03:20.360
and was part of meetings, and all he said

0:03:20.360,0:03:22.400
that first day when he came for a tour,

0:03:22.400,0:03:24.680
I don't know if any of you were with that day,

0:03:24.680,0:03:27.680
he walked through the hallway

0:03:27.680,0:03:31.129
and kept saying, "Friends. I'm going to have friends".

0:03:31.129,0:03:33.859
That is all he cared and to this day

0:03:33.859,0:03:38.109
that is probably what brings him to school every day.

0:03:38.109,0:03:39.454
He gets excited.

0:03:39.454,0:03:43.148
He never, the kid has impeccable attendance.

0:03:43.148,0:03:45.799
He is never gone.

0:03:45.799,0:03:48.140
We have behaviors when he has to leave early.

0:03:48.140,0:03:49.520
Yes.

0:03:49.520,0:03:51.860
Truthfully, because school has never been

0:03:51.860,0:03:53.479
an experience like that before.

0:03:53.479,0:03:54.519
So for Matthew for you know,

0:03:54.519,0:03:56.439
that's a child you can all identify with

0:03:56.439,0:03:57.419
because you work with,

0:03:57.419,0:03:58.400
but every student here,

0:03:58.400,0:04:00.639
no matter how they show us

0:04:00.639,0:04:02.120
things aren't going well and how they

0:04:02.120,0:04:04.779
communicate that to us um,

0:04:04.779,0:04:05.789
we get the opportunity

0:04:05.789,0:04:06.799
to figure out how school

0:04:06.799,0:04:08.280
can be a place for them to be successful

0:04:08.280,0:04:10.159
and there's nothing more rewarding than that.

0:04:10.159,0:04:12.280
And it's it's tough in between there.

0:04:12.280,0:04:13.439
Right? There's some things to work through.

0:04:13.439,0:04:16.490
Um, high quality, effective instruction

0:04:16.490,0:04:19.100
we believe that in order to do that

0:04:19.100,0:04:20.890
and help school be a successful place,

0:04:20.890,0:04:23.160
we have to believe they can

0:04:23.160,0:04:26.050
and classrooms are set up to teach.

0:04:26.050,0:04:28.120
They are classrooms we are school first.

0:04:28.120,0:04:29.644
You can hear a pin drop

0:04:29.644,0:04:31.880
in our hallway most days.

0:04:31.880,0:04:34.080
Um and when you walk in classrooms,

0:04:34.080,0:04:34.800
they're learning.

0:04:34.800,0:04:35.520
They're engaged.

0:04:35.520,0:04:36.919
They're using all the same curriculum

0:04:36.919,0:04:38.240
they're using throughout the district.

0:04:38.240,0:04:40.680
The same tools, the same textbooks,

0:04:40.680,0:04:41.380
the same everything

0:04:41.380,0:04:42.080
and we might modify and adjust,

0:04:42.080,0:04:43.960
but I would say we probably

0:04:43.960,0:04:46.320
modify and adjust less than

0:04:46.320,0:04:47.500
a Setting Three classroom

0:04:47.500,0:04:48.680
in a Traditional School.

0:04:48.680,0:04:50.219
What age kids are here?

0:04:50.219,0:04:51.329
Everybody.

0:04:51.329,0:04:53.070
Kindergarten through age 22

0:04:53.070,0:04:55.149
down our main hallway.

0:04:55.149,0:04:58.199
Everybody - and we do not, go ahead.

0:04:58.199,0:05:02.960
The word can, that is that word means so much.

0:05:02.960,0:05:06.120
It's such a small word word but,

0:05:06.120,0:05:07.960
that word even Martha, Martha is the one

0:05:07.960,0:05:09.720
who brought it to Matthew's plate.

0:05:09.720,0:05:11.440
I'm going to give you credit for this one

0:05:11.440,0:05:12.880
because she said you know what we should

0:05:12.880,0:05:15.600
start using the word before when he's

0:05:15.600,0:05:18.560
having a behavior to cut it off.

0:05:18.560,0:05:20.299
You can do that, you can, you can

0:05:20.299,0:05:22.039
and it changed.

0:05:22.039,0:05:25.160
You could see it in his head this change.

0:05:25.160,0:05:29.120
So I just want to that word can, can.

0:05:29.120,0:05:31.520
And to your question, we serve all disability categories.

0:05:31.520,0:05:34.039
Um, our building is laid out

0:05:34.039,0:05:36.000
in, I think, probably the next slide.

0:05:36.000,0:05:39.650
Um, I'll I'll get so this will stack on that.

0:05:39.650,0:05:40.919
This doesn't probably mean

0:05:40.919,0:05:42.600
a whole lot just the way it's laid out,

0:05:42.600,0:05:45.390
but, and this was a snapshot taken months ago

0:05:45.390,0:05:50.201
but, we have a total of 22 classrooms

0:05:50.201,0:05:52.720
in the building and eight of them are

0:05:52.720,0:05:54.759
classrooms that we serve four students

0:05:54.759,0:05:56.720
in that classroom environment.

0:05:56.720,0:05:59.120
So that the max we put in there is four

0:05:59.120,0:06:00.340
and then the others

0:06:00.340,0:06:01.560
are what we call large group

0:06:01.560,0:06:03.969
is six to eight students.

0:06:03.969,0:06:06.629
Um, and within that environment,

0:06:06.629,0:06:08.850
there are paraprofessionals supporting.

0:06:08.850,0:06:10.145
Um, in small group our goal

0:06:10.145,0:06:11.440
we start at for that one teacher

0:06:11.440,0:06:12.200
there's usually

0:06:12.200,0:06:14.390
two paraprofessionals ideally

0:06:14.390,0:06:16.520
and um, those four students.

0:06:16.520,0:06:18.479
Sometimes it takes up to five

0:06:18.479,0:06:20.000
because right, the reality of just we

0:06:20.000,0:06:22.270
have to serve everybody.

0:06:22.270,0:06:24.960
Um, and Lorna is part of one

0:06:24.960,0:06:26.120
of those small group environments.

0:06:26.120,0:06:28.520
So we, that factors in.

0:06:28.520,0:06:30.800
So it's um in that classroom there are

0:06:30.800,0:06:33.400
actually two paraprofessionals assigned

0:06:33.400,0:06:34.480
in addition to Lorna.

0:06:34.480,0:06:36.500
One is out on leave right now.

0:06:36.500,0:06:38.359
Um, but just not always.

0:06:38.359,0:06:41.120
So like the room Matthew's in, it is one other

0:06:41.120,0:06:43.199
paraprofessional with Charlotte.

0:06:43.199,0:06:45.080
So we we adjust based on what the needs

0:06:45.080,0:06:47.929
of that environment is.

0:06:47.929,0:06:51.800
Um, we don't necessarily just group

0:06:51.800,0:06:53.440
students by age.

0:06:53.440,0:06:55.080
So I don't, one we don't

0:06:55.080,0:06:57.000
have a full classroom of fourth graders.

0:06:57.000,0:06:58.360
Right? We don't have a full classroom

0:06:58.360,0:07:01.400
of fifth graders, but we also know

0:07:01.400,0:07:05.080
that students learn best with certain

0:07:05.080,0:07:06.260
peers and not with others.

0:07:06.260,0:07:07.440
So we spend a lot

0:07:07.440,0:07:09.800
of time building those class lists

0:07:09.800,0:07:11.919
and we create classrooms that we believe

0:07:11.919,0:07:14.120
will learn together best, not based

0:07:14.120,0:07:16.479
on their age, grade, all those things.

0:07:16.479,0:07:18.520
So we might have a eighth grader mixed

0:07:18.520,0:07:19.699
in with 10th and 11th graders

0:07:19.699,0:07:21.734
because they need some role models.

0:07:21.734,0:07:22.800
They need, they need

0:07:22.800,0:07:24.180
something different.

0:07:24.180,0:07:26.256
Um, we don't always get it right

0:07:26.256,0:07:28.339
and we sometimes have to adjust,

0:07:28.339,0:07:30.360
but that is just what we do here.

0:07:30.360,0:07:32.520
We we reflect and we figure it out and

0:07:32.520,0:07:35.919
we adjust.

0:07:37.560,0:07:41.509
Um, so we we we joke that we're

0:07:41.509,0:07:44.280
a big family here and it really you have to

0:07:44.280,0:07:46.000
kind of have that mentality to be here.

0:07:46.000,0:07:47.739
We're all in this together.

0:07:47.739,0:07:49.479
Um, if you if

0:07:49.479,0:07:52.159
everybody carries a radio and if you

0:07:52.159,0:07:55.080
say on that radio I need help,

0:07:55.080,0:07:57.830
like more than you wished.

0:07:57.830,0:08:01.000
I usually follow behind like I think we're good.

0:08:01.000,0:08:02.720
I think we're good.

0:08:02.720,0:08:06.410
Um, and not because it's so big scary.

0:08:06.410,0:08:09.720
I mean we we have evolved in the,

0:08:09.720,0:08:11.680
I think what Dakota Ridge was maybe 15 years ago,

0:08:11.680,0:08:13.639
our population has evolved and changed.

0:08:13.639,0:08:17.039
One because I believe

0:08:17.039,0:08:18.839
our setting two and three

0:08:18.839,0:08:20.800
within our Traditional School settings has

0:08:20.800,0:08:23.319
grown in their capacity to serve students.

0:08:23.319,0:08:24.459
So they may have been sent

0:08:24.459,0:08:25.599
to Dakota Ridge years ago,

0:08:25.599,0:08:27.479
but we don't need to serve

0:08:27.479,0:08:28.719
that population anymore.

0:08:28.719,0:08:29.960
We also have growing needs

0:08:29.960,0:08:31.720
of individuals who maybe just

0:08:31.720,0:08:33.679
weren't served in schools before because

0:08:33.679,0:08:35.379
they were so extreme.

0:08:35.379,0:08:37.500
Um, there are fewer facilities

0:08:37.500,0:08:38.958
for them to go to.

0:08:38.958,0:08:40.618
Just so many reasons why

0:08:40.618,0:08:42.279
that the complexity of learners

0:08:42.279,0:08:44.939
has changed here

0:08:44.939,0:08:48.350
and we have bad days

0:08:48.350,0:08:50.520
just like every school in the district.

0:08:50.520,0:08:52.120
I would say it's

0:08:52.120,0:08:55.210
not every day and it's not every week.

0:08:55.210,0:08:58.040
Um, and the support that one big family

0:08:58.040,0:09:00.800
we're in together, you just

0:09:00.800,0:09:03.079
there we had we had a major incident

0:09:03.079,0:09:05.360
last week, oh this week, it was Tuesday.

0:09:05.360,0:09:09.880
Um, but the reality is 90% of the school

0:09:09.880,0:09:12.079
had no idea what was going on

0:09:12.079,0:09:14.600
because we have systems and routines and

0:09:14.600,0:09:16.990
people trained to support those situations

0:09:16.990,0:09:19.020
so that we have a practice we follow

0:09:19.020,0:09:20.720
and usually it's a hold.

0:09:20.720,0:09:22.730
That particular day we went on a secure

0:09:22.730,0:09:24.745
and so people just knew.

0:09:24.745,0:09:26.420
We got to stay in the building.

0:09:26.420,0:09:27.240
We know that the staff

0:09:27.240,0:09:28.920
are call the leadership is calling this

0:09:28.920,0:09:30.880
because it's going to keep us safe.

0:09:30.880,0:09:32.270
We can go about our business and again,

0:09:32.270,0:09:33.650
to this day, 90% of people

0:09:33.650,0:09:36.780
probably don't know what happened.

0:09:36.780,0:09:38.760
And we just went on with our day.

0:09:38.760,0:09:40.620
You go on with your day,

0:09:40.620,0:09:41.770
You trust and you know

0:09:41.770,0:09:42.920
that people have got your back

0:09:42.920,0:09:45.399
and we're in this together and

0:09:45.399,0:09:46.559
we do everything we can

0:09:46.559,0:09:47.959
to keep people safe.

0:09:47.959,0:09:49.880
I mean I'm sure if you're at the DSC,

0:09:49.880,0:09:50.720
you see things. Right?

0:09:50.720,0:09:52.640
You see police cars, you see ambulances.

0:09:52.640,0:09:54.519
90% of those situations

0:09:54.519,0:09:55.699
are mental health issues

0:09:55.699,0:09:56.880
and we are responding

0:09:56.880,0:09:58.800
to a student and getting them help.

0:09:58.800,0:10:00.960
It is not a risk.

0:10:00.960,0:10:03.830
Sometimes the the behavior

0:10:03.830,0:10:05.519
that leads up to them meeting

0:10:05.519,0:10:07.600
that level of intervention

0:10:07.600,0:10:10.320
looks scary, but it looks

0:10:10.320,0:10:13.519
more scary because it's not typical to see.

0:10:13.519,0:10:17.399
It's not because we're in danger.

0:10:17.399,0:10:19.900
It's because we're scared how are we

0:10:19.900,0:10:20.710
going to keep you safe?

0:10:20.710,0:10:22.390
How are we going to meet your needs?

0:10:22.390,0:10:24.314
And we take that responsibility

0:10:24.314,0:10:26.210
really seriously.

0:10:26.210,0:10:29.800
Um, every two class so, in our small group

0:10:29.800,0:10:31.640
environments we got a redesign

0:10:31.640,0:10:32.640
of those spaces last year.

0:10:32.640,0:10:33.640
So those spaces all have

0:10:33.640,0:10:36.200
three break spaces in them because

0:10:36.200,0:10:39.160
that population of students just need

0:10:39.160,0:10:41.680
less noise, they need some time alone,

0:10:41.680,0:10:43.000
some sometimes isolation.

0:10:43.000,0:10:45.150
We have swings in every one of those.

0:10:45.150,0:10:46.820
Every one of those classrooms

0:10:46.820,0:10:48.570
has one room with a swing mount.

0:10:48.570,0:10:50.839
And then down the main hallway

0:10:50.839,0:10:52.639
as we get into what we call large group,

0:10:52.639,0:10:54.320
in between every two classrooms we have

0:10:54.320,0:10:55.720
a break space.

0:10:55.720,0:10:57.120
And within that break space we,

0:10:57.120,0:10:59.600
our hope, is that students learn use

0:10:59.600,0:11:01.839
that space proactively so that they can

0:11:01.839,0:11:03.480
request a break, because when they think

0:11:03.480,0:11:05.800
about going back to a home school and

0:11:05.800,0:11:07.720
their environment grows drastically,

0:11:07.720,0:11:08.619
they need to know when to say

0:11:08.619,0:11:09.519
I need to break,

0:11:09.519,0:11:10.679
where to take that break,

0:11:10.679,0:11:13.619
what tools they need to take that break.

0:11:13.619,0:11:15.800
Um, and then

0:11:15.800,0:11:17.440
there are times when students don't have

0:11:17.440,0:11:19.440
that skill yet, that as adults we help them

0:11:19.440,0:11:22.360
to learn that by supporting them

0:11:22.360,0:11:24.680
and getting to that break space and

0:11:24.680,0:11:26.680
we baby steps to grow into where they can

0:11:26.680,0:11:28.400
do that independently.

0:11:28.400,0:11:30.639
Um, like I said, all support,

0:11:30.639,0:11:32.669
all staff carry radios.

0:11:32.669,0:11:34.580
We have a building leadership team

0:11:34.580,0:11:35.929
that's made up of myself,

0:11:35.929,0:11:38.359
Mr. Wilson is the assistant administrator

0:11:38.359,0:11:40.900
and then there are six additional people

0:11:40.900,0:11:42.209
that make up our

0:11:42.209,0:11:43.649
our school psychologist,

0:11:43.649,0:11:46.600
our we have a full-time School social worker.

0:11:46.600,0:11:48.940
We have a lead interventionist,

0:11:48.940,0:11:50.859
so academic interventions

0:11:50.859,0:11:53.279
who is a behavior also has

0:11:53.279,0:11:55.630
deep background of behavior.

0:11:55.630,0:11:58.639
We have a curriculum interventionist or

0:11:58.639,0:12:00.140
core interventionist

0:12:00.140,0:12:02.079
who has a strong background in behavior

0:12:02.079,0:12:04.790
and then we have a behavior lead interventionist.

0:12:04.790,0:12:06.940
Um, all who have been teachers

0:12:06.940,0:12:09.500
in the building and believe in this.

0:12:09.500,0:12:11.760
Um, we have a float staff which is

0:12:11.760,0:12:13.959
made up primarily of paraprofessionals

0:12:13.959,0:12:16.560
who work really hard.

0:12:16.560,0:12:19.079
We back when Staffing was a different

0:12:19.079,0:12:20.680
story right, they were two or three

0:12:20.680,0:12:22.600
individuals who truly their job all day

0:12:22.600,0:12:24.989
was just float and be in places.

0:12:24.989,0:12:26.920
Now they are individuals we have identified

0:12:26.920,0:12:29.399
who they are part of teams but they they

0:12:29.399,0:12:30.779
have flexibility.

0:12:30.779,0:12:32.160
Um, and they build

0:12:32.160,0:12:33.760
relationships throughout the building.

0:12:33.760,0:12:37.760
So they're our go-to when we have uh

0:12:37.760,0:12:39.320
a couple of Staff down here in small group,

0:12:39.320,0:12:41.060
who they have we have

0:12:41.060,0:12:42.639
a new Elementary learner,

0:12:42.639,0:12:46.199
who is really struggling um and they are

0:12:46.199,0:12:47.519
the right people they have built

0:12:47.519,0:12:48.920
a relationship with him and so we just

0:12:48.920,0:12:51.079
have flexibility that that float staff

0:12:51.079,0:12:52.499
are the people that come down

0:12:52.499,0:12:53.269
and intervene.

0:12:53.269,0:12:54.320
Sometimes they just need a new face.

0:12:54.320,0:12:55.720
Sometimes they just need somebody

0:12:55.720,0:12:57.720
they know they can trust who wasn't

0:12:57.720,0:12:59.320
in that moment with them.

0:12:59.320,0:13:00.920
Um, and we have

0:13:00.920,0:13:02.920
a deep shared understanding of students.

0:13:02.920,0:13:04.200
We do a lot to communicate

0:13:04.200,0:13:05.480
with each other

0:13:05.480,0:13:07.920
um based on a need to know. Right?

0:13:07.920,0:13:09.720
There's that fine line between

0:13:09.720,0:13:12.320
confidentiality um but we do a lot.

0:13:12.320,0:13:14.199
We send out emails, hey just a heads up

0:13:14.199,0:13:16.760
this student's plan is this or we have

0:13:16.760,0:13:18.639
An all staff meeting once a month and

0:13:18.639,0:13:20.179
we might bring a picture of a student.

0:13:20.179,0:13:21.680
If you see this person in the hallway,

0:13:21.680,0:13:22.840
please don't say this.

0:13:22.840,0:13:24.000
We have a young lady right now

0:13:24.000,0:13:25.340
who is exploring work.

0:13:25.340,0:13:26.680
She's a transition age learner

0:13:26.680,0:13:29.880
um and what we have learned

0:13:29.880,0:13:31.639
is when she wears her sweatshirt that

0:13:31.639,0:13:34.360
announces her employer, that is probably

0:13:34.360,0:13:37.000
something went wrong today at her job.

0:13:37.000,0:13:38.800
And what's your go-to if you see her

0:13:38.800,0:13:40.040
walking through the building that says

0:13:40.040,0:13:41.400
Kane's across it?

0:13:41.400,0:13:42.760
It's like oh, how was work today? Right?

0:13:42.760,0:13:45.339
Well we have figured out as a team

0:13:45.339,0:13:47.440
that we have to coach everybody

0:13:47.440,0:13:50.279
not to engage about her job because that

0:13:50.279,0:13:52.360
is her like way of letting us know.

0:13:52.360,0:13:53.840
I can't talk about my job today.

0:13:53.840,0:13:56.590
Um but not what our first reaction

0:13:56.590,0:13:58.560
as adults is.

0:13:58.560,0:14:00.079
So we do a lot of working with each other

0:14:00.079,0:14:01.759
just sending building wide emails like

0:14:01.759,0:14:04.199
hey, if you see so and so in the hallway,

0:14:04.199,0:14:06.560
heads up don't ask her.

0:14:06.560,0:14:11.519
So um, yeah.

0:14:11.519,0:14:14.880
So this is more information that when we

0:14:14.880,0:14:16.920
met with um staff here in the building,

0:14:16.920,0:14:18.240
just to talk about what does it feel

0:14:18.240,0:14:20.040
like to work here and what are supports

0:14:20.040,0:14:21.520
are in place?

0:14:21.520,0:14:23.000
So [inaudible] yeah. Perfect.

0:14:23.000,0:14:25.120
And can I just name Martha was

0:14:25.120,0:14:26.639
involved in this too, I didn't say

0:14:26.639,0:14:28.480
your name earlier, but Martha spends

0:14:28.480,0:14:30.199
a sizeable amount of time here and help

0:14:30.199,0:14:33.320
plan just from the float perspective too,

0:14:33.320,0:14:36.320
around maybe not um kind of coming and

0:14:36.320,0:14:38.519
going too so, thank you.

0:14:38.519,0:14:41.600
So I would just I guess I would

0:14:41.600,0:14:43.120
wonder what things are you wondering

0:14:43.120,0:14:45.360
about and what things do you hear that

0:14:45.360,0:14:48.040
make you um, uncertain?

0:14:48.040,0:14:50.360
That's the question I that's

0:14:50.360,0:14:52.160
one of the first questions I've

0:14:52.160,0:14:54.360
always wanted to know is, what are your

0:14:54.360,0:14:56.680
concerns of why you don't want

0:14:56.680,0:14:58.020
to come here? You know?

0:14:58.020,0:14:59.360
I find it a wonderful to work,

0:14:59.360,0:15:01.519
but other people don't see that and

0:15:01.519,0:15:04.440
I'm like, I don't I don't understand.

0:15:04.440,0:15:06.850
I mean you're so well supported.

0:15:06.850,0:15:09.920
Um, it is like a family here.

0:15:09.920,0:15:12.620
You have a ton of information and

0:15:12.620,0:15:14.880
it's always being given to you

0:15:14.880,0:15:16.180
in many different ways.

0:15:16.180,0:15:17.480
So I just yeah, that's

0:15:17.480,0:15:18.640
a hard one for me to...

0:15:18.640,0:15:19.800
And I would say I think

0:15:19.800,0:15:21.639
we've worked together a long time, right?

0:15:21.639,0:15:24.120
And there are times that there are

0:15:24.120,0:15:26.240
decisions Dan and I might make or that

0:15:26.240,0:15:28.940
as a building and Charlotte will say

0:15:28.940,0:15:30.100
I don't get this.

0:15:30.100,0:15:30.730
Why are we doing this?

0:15:30.730,0:15:31.438
And we want that.

0:15:31.438,0:15:33.240
That is how we that's how we can

0:15:33.240,0:15:34.140
only do better.

0:15:34.140,0:15:35.040
So if people come in and they're

0:15:35.040,0:15:35.740
like this makes no sense.

0:15:35.740,0:15:36.440
Why is someone doing this?

0:15:36.440,0:15:38.940
Maybe we're going to learn a better way.

0:15:38.940,0:15:40.759
So we welcome those questions.

0:15:40.759,0:15:43.680
Or whoa, there's so many layers here.

0:15:43.680,0:15:44.499
Nobody shared with you.

0:15:44.499,0:15:45.319
Let me share with you

0:15:45.319,0:15:48.098
so you understand why we do.

0:15:48.098,0:15:51.079
Um, and that's really how we operate.

0:15:51.079,0:15:53.000
I spend a lot of my day

0:15:53.000,0:15:56.800
just talking about what we do.

0:15:57.920,0:16:01.160
I think the other thing to know is

0:16:01.160,0:16:04.330
that um it's a big decision

0:16:04.330,0:16:05.960
when a student ends up coming here.

0:16:05.960,0:16:07.200
Right?

0:16:07.200,0:16:09.880
So um, it is a significant decision

0:16:09.880,0:16:11.220
when an IEP team is considering

0:16:11.220,0:16:13.360
a setting change for a student

0:16:13.360,0:16:14.650
for a lot of reasons.

0:16:14.650,0:16:16.045
Right? Like statute wise,

0:16:16.045,0:16:17.440
but also we are making

0:16:17.440,0:16:19.240
a decision that that student should be

0:16:19.240,0:16:21.670
leaving their home building,

0:16:21.670,0:16:23.139
for a period of time,

0:16:23.139,0:16:24.399
always our goal is to have them

0:16:24.399,0:16:25.759
come back.

0:16:25.759,0:16:27.120
Um, and sometimes we find

0:16:27.120,0:16:29.399
this is the right setting for them.

0:16:29.399,0:16:30.199
Um, so I think think sometimes

0:16:30.199,0:16:31.000
we hear questions

0:16:31.000,0:16:33.120
in buildings around how those decisions

0:16:33.120,0:16:34.479
are made and why.

0:16:34.479,0:16:35.839
Um, and I think just know

0:16:35.839,0:16:37.839
that they're not taken light and this is

0:16:37.839,0:16:39.719
like the very,

0:16:39.719,0:16:42.060
you have what 120 students right now,

0:16:42.060,0:16:44.359
in a district of 29,000.

0:16:44.359,0:16:48.250
Um, so it is truly like a small number

0:16:48.250,0:16:49.880
of students who truly need

0:16:49.880,0:16:52.279
this setting and that's also why it's effective.

0:16:52.279,0:16:55.160
Right? Um, so if you hear questions

0:16:55.160,0:16:57.480
In the buildings always know

0:16:57.480,0:16:59.360
that that is the case and we can help

0:16:59.360,0:17:00.839
with those conversations, because

0:17:00.839,0:17:02.560
if people don't spend time here, I don't

0:17:02.560,0:17:04.439
I don't think they always understand.

0:17:04.439,0:17:07.309
And they, the students who do move here,

0:17:07.309,0:17:11.390
are at their worst when they come here.

0:17:11.390,0:17:13.119
So what the perception

0:17:13.119,0:17:15.160
of that individual child when they leave

0:17:15.160,0:17:17.319
somewhere else is much different than

0:17:17.319,0:17:19.359
the perception we get to have because we

0:17:19.359,0:17:20.959
get a fresh start.

0:17:20.959,0:17:22.559
We get to take that worst

0:17:22.559,0:17:26.200
and it's we truly believe as a building

0:17:26.200,0:17:27.699
we there's nowhere else for them to go.

0:17:27.699,0:17:28.919
We're not we're not intervening

0:17:28.919,0:17:30.240
to figure out where else

0:17:30.240,0:17:32.080
we're going to send you.

0:17:32.080,0:17:34.240
We're intervening to get in it with you.

0:17:34.240,0:17:35.720
We're intervening to figure out what's

0:17:35.720,0:17:37.320
in the way and how are we going to fix it.

0:17:37.320,0:17:39.400
Not fix it, we can't fix anything.

0:17:39.400,0:17:40.520
That's the wrong word.

0:17:40.520,0:17:42.520
Just to help you grow and do better.

0:17:42.520,0:17:46.799
And so I think a lot of times people think

0:17:46.799,0:17:49.640
of the kids they have seen come here

0:17:49.640,0:17:51.520
and the story they have is the story

0:17:51.520,0:17:53.919
of that child at their worst and we're really

0:17:53.919,0:17:55.600
lucky because we get to celebrate

0:17:55.600,0:17:59.760
those small wins and change that story.

0:17:59.760,0:18:01.280
Um. So.

0:18:01.280,0:18:04.799
When kids come here you almost see

0:18:04.799,0:18:05.859
them Blossom. Right?

0:18:05.859,0:18:06.919
For some kids like,

0:18:06.919,0:18:08.679
the environment is the right environment

0:18:08.679,0:18:10.480
for them with the structures and

0:18:10.480,0:18:12.000
routines that are in place and

0:18:12.000,0:18:14.320
the supports and just the connections

0:18:14.320,0:18:16.799
with staff and some kids just absolutely,

0:18:16.799,0:18:18.840
I would say, lots of kids not some,

0:18:18.840,0:18:21.070
absolutely just blossom in this setting.

0:18:21.070,0:18:23.679
And I would imagine that people have

0:18:23.679,0:18:25.360
some hesitation about like supporting here

0:18:25.360,0:18:26.720
and I don't know that that's

0:18:26.720,0:18:29.190
necessarily any of you, but it is a fear

0:18:29.190,0:18:31.159
of like maybe I don't have the skills

0:18:31.159,0:18:32.879
to support that particular student

0:18:32.879,0:18:33.879
or I don't I don't know

0:18:33.879,0:18:34.880
that I'm capable of that

0:18:34.880,0:18:37.520
and I think the realization of the team

0:18:37.520,0:18:39.200
right, like you're not alone,

0:18:39.200,0:18:41.159
but I would say that that's a lot of times

0:18:41.159,0:18:43.530
more of a fear then of the unknown.

0:18:43.530,0:18:46.400
And to be that, off of that,

0:18:46.400,0:18:50.120
like that's I have [inaudible]

0:18:50.240,0:18:53.919
I been here um, I know that um,

0:18:53.919,0:18:57.080
in chatting with coworkers you know I talk

0:18:57.080,0:18:59.320
[inaudible]

0:18:59.320,0:19:00.850
Um you're going to giggle.

0:19:00.850,0:19:02.440
You're going to laugh and you're

0:19:02.440,0:19:02.900
going to leave with a smile usually.

0:19:02.900,0:19:04.280
I mean that's my experience.

0:19:04.280,0:19:06.039
You know I think a lot of the times

0:19:06.039,0:19:08.559
that I've been in communication

0:19:08.559,0:19:11.240
with some coworkers is and I'm not trying

0:19:11.240,0:19:12.799
to over step it's or anything, like they have

0:19:12.799,0:19:14.079
that uncomfortable feeling.

0:19:14.079,0:19:15.360
That like you know,

0:19:15.360,0:19:19.050
the unknown or the big,

0:19:19.050,0:19:20.345
the PCM training piece and

0:19:20.345,0:19:21.640
the part that I like

0:19:21.640,0:19:23.520
to say much what you guys have always

0:19:23.520,0:19:25.559
just said here too is that you have that

0:19:25.559,0:19:27.880
support in the room that will always

0:19:27.880,0:19:30.240
be there right away for you if you need it

0:19:30.240,0:19:31.399
you know.

0:19:31.399,0:19:32.559
And that's even a culture thing

0:19:32.559,0:19:34.320
we hear of staff here when people are

0:19:34.320,0:19:36.000
on their back wheels or just having a bad

0:19:36.000,0:19:38.039
day of nobody in my room is PCM trained.

0:19:38.039,0:19:41.280
Well the reality is we don't use PCM

0:19:41.280,0:19:43.299
everyday.

0:19:43.299,0:19:48.679
Like, I mean, it's not this magic wand. Right?

0:19:48.679,0:19:51.679
We don't use it that often, but it is that

0:19:51.679,0:19:55.159
something when people are feeling...

0:19:55.159,0:19:57.799
Right, we all go to what do I not have?

0:19:57.799,0:19:59.539
How am I not equipped to do this?

0:19:59.539,0:20:01.280
Um, but really it's

0:20:01.280,0:20:04.600
about coming here and helping kids

0:20:04.600,0:20:07.039
be successful and we got we've got

0:20:07.039,0:20:09.159
a lot of ways to get creative to do that

0:20:09.159,0:20:12.480
in interventions we try and tools we use.

0:20:12.480,0:20:14.380
We are resource rich.

0:20:14.380,0:20:16.590
Yeah I feel it's ndless.

0:20:16.590,0:20:18.374
It's endless.

0:20:18.374,0:20:20.579
You just have to identify

0:20:20.579,0:20:24.840
what you need or what they need.

0:20:24.840,0:20:25.600
And then and we'll try it.

0:20:25.600,0:20:26.360
And we'll try it.

0:20:26.360,0:20:28.360
Let's give it a whirl.

0:20:28.360,0:20:30.360
can't work yeah try

0:20:30.360,0:20:32.600
something else right so it's thinking

0:20:32.600,0:20:34.679
that lens and all fa all behavior is a

0:20:34.679,0:20:37.200
form of communication so behavior isn't

0:20:37.200,0:20:38.440
personal it's a child trying to

0:20:38.440,0:20:39.640
communicate something and they don't

0:20:39.640,0:20:42.600
have the skills to tell you what that is

0:20:42.600,0:20:44.200
in that moment so thinking through all

0:20:44.200,0:20:45.559
the tools that you have here at Dakota

0:20:45.559,0:20:48.080
Rich to support kids and there is no

0:20:48.080,0:20:50.799
tool here we use that we don't have in

0:20:50.799,0:20:53.240
other buildings or that we can't get in

0:20:53.240,0:20:55.120
other buildings so I think that's the

0:20:55.120,0:20:57.360
other layer to know it's not like we're

0:20:57.360,0:20:59.280
tool Rich because we've got it at all

0:20:59.280,0:21:02.000
here it's out there it's using a rocking

0:21:02.000,0:21:03.280
chair instead of a regular chair it's

0:21:03.280,0:21:05.320
putting a roller ball at their feet it's

0:21:05.320,0:21:06.760
giving them a fidget in their class room

0:21:06.760,0:21:08.520
it's using a body stck those aren't

0:21:08.520,0:21:11.120
magic wands those are things we have

0:21:11.120,0:21:14.559
everywhere we might have more of

0:21:14.559,0:21:18.039
them um but we are very very aware to

0:21:18.039,0:21:20.440
make sure it's a functional tool that

0:21:20.440,0:21:23.200
can go somewhere like that so and there

0:21:23.200,0:21:25.799
he is there's

0:21:27.520,0:21:30.520
MJ

0:21:51.760,0:21:54.159
you

0:21:54.159,0:21:57.520
big good good

0:21:57.520,0:22:00.520
job

0:22:01.919,0:22:04.480
and there is

0:22:05.640,0:22:08.520
my and he has

0:22:08.520,0:22:11.960
relationships with everybody he's like

0:22:11.960,0:22:13.880
Royal to you when he walks in in the

0:22:13.880,0:22:15.880
morning might take him five to 10

0:22:15.880,0:22:17.559
minutes to get to the classroom because

0:22:17.559,0:22:19.559
everyone's got to stop and chat myself

0:22:19.559,0:22:23.679
included um and he's got things with

0:22:23.679,0:22:26.520
each person we have subar who's here two

0:22:26.520,0:22:29.000
days a week who I got watch their

0:22:29.000,0:22:31.760
interaction yesterday and I

0:22:31.760,0:22:34.840
just and he has grown so much because

0:22:34.840,0:22:37.320
when when he first started here he was

0:22:37.320,0:22:42.279
in a room by himself so to see him do

0:22:42.840,0:22:46.880
that of that oh so so awesome like I

0:22:46.880,0:22:49.799
said I watched him sign 20 some words

0:22:49.799,0:22:52.840
last night and I was just amazed that he

0:22:52.840,0:22:54.720
just kept going I'm

0:22:54.720,0:22:57.720
like wow and then he'll tell the story

0:22:57.720,0:23:00.240
again and he know add a word to his

0:23:00.240,0:23:03.400
story and I'm like yes yes just keep

0:23:03.400,0:23:06.919
adding and adding and

0:23:19.320,0:23:22.400
add what was on the screen um it was

0:23:22.400,0:23:25.600
actually Shelby was teaching ASL class

0:23:25.600,0:23:27.440
and there were

0:23:27.440,0:23:29.080
chips

0:23:29.080,0:23:32.760
and he just thought it was the funniest

0:23:32.760,0:23:36.919
thing and then he would describe

0:23:46.039,0:23:48.120
the do you guys want to take over this

0:23:48.120,0:23:49.400
part these are just all the things you

0:23:49.400,0:23:51.120
shared and I kind of captured them on a

0:23:51.120,0:23:52.840
slide when we met of thinking of like

0:23:52.840,0:23:54.520
what is it like to support hair subing

0:23:54.520,0:23:57.039
and stepping

0:23:57.440,0:24:00.440
in

0:24:02.200,0:24:04.600
um okay

0:24:04.600,0:24:09.600
so just in this just in this now in this

0:24:09.600,0:24:14.720
week um we have our safe spaces for them

0:24:14.720,0:24:18.640
I have watched Matthew on his own walk

0:24:18.640,0:24:22.320
in just walk in instead of taking us

0:24:22.320,0:24:27.360
seven years y y but we got

0:24:27.360,0:24:28.919
there

0:24:28.919,0:24:32.279
just keep going try something different

0:24:32.279,0:24:34.200
um

0:24:34.200,0:24:39.039
so a positive happy demeanor when I walk

0:24:39.039,0:24:43.159
into that break room