Right. Let's share what you know.
I think many of you, probably all of you
probably know students who have attended
or do attend or may attend in the future
at Dakota Ridge.
And um, no two students as you know,
have are nothing, nothing
is just textbook or fits in a box. Right?
So that's what we really pride ourselves on
here at Dakota Ridge is when I meet
families for the first time and we're
trying to help them understand what this
might do for them or how to help their
child, we are an intervention.
And in the world of federal Setting Four sites,
we are unique in that we are part
of this large District.
We are not an Intermediate.
We aren't somewhere you send your kids
to that do their own thing,
but we are aligned to district 196
in everything we do and our goal
is to be an intervention,
to be that step in between
to help students figure out what
is getting in the way for them
of being successful, intervene, teach skills
and for many students that means move on
to your next goal.
Whether that's back to your home school,
whether that's out in the community,
whether it's just making
your world a little broader.
Um, I think we're we're fortunately
pretty successful at that.
So um, I'll just talk a little bit
and like oh that's not my screen. Yours.
Um, so I'll just share kind of just
where we've been, how we got here
who I am and then I think I'll ask those
of you who have lived in this world
to kind of fill in where I, cuz I don't live
your role every day.
I live the right, the perspective
of outside of it.
Um, so I prior to my position here I was
I've had many hats in the district.
I was a Center-Based Autism Teacher
at Dakota Hills for many years.
Um, I was an Autism Specialist
and then I came over here
as a Lead Teacher
and then when I left here,
I was an Elementary Coordinator
and came back because once I was here,
I knew this is where I belonged
and I couldn't wait to come back
and I get the opportunity
to lead this building.
And one of the first things we did
when I came back
was we created a shared vision
mission statement as a building.
So this is a statement co-constructed
by staff and what we believe we do here
at Dakota Ridge.
And it's a community engaged
in developing the unique skills
of individual students through creative
programming and collaboration.
And to take that a step further,
what we truly believe is these starred items
and every student who walks in our door,
school has failed them.
And I don't mean a person
has failed them, I just our system
and the way we've gone about things
has not met their needs
and we get this unique opportunity
to rewrite their story.
And so we walk in this door,
I truly believe those of us who we have
very low staff turnover in our building
because this is a place that it calls to you.
It speaks to you.
Um, and we get
this opportunity to take students who
have no joy at school and to find their joy.
To find school is a place - I'll never forget
Matthew and I went out to Gideon Pond
when he was at Gideon and observed him
and was part of meetings, and all he said
that first day when he came for a tour,
I don't know if any of you were with that day,
he walked through the hallway
and kept saying, "Friends.
I'm going to have friends".
That is all he cared and to this day
that is probably what brings him
to school every day.
He gets excited.
He never, the kid has
impeccable attendance.
He is never gone.
We have behaviors
when he has to leave early.
Yes.
Truthfully, because school has never been
an experience like that before.
So for Matthew for you know,
that's a child you can all identify with
because you work with,
but every student here,
no matter how they show us
things aren't going well and how they
communicate that to us um,
we get the opportunity
to figure out how school
can be a place for them to be successful
and there's nothing
more rewarding than that.
And it's it's tough in between there.
Right? There's some things to work through.
Um, high quality, effective instruction
we believe that in order to do that
and help school be a successful place,
we have to believe they can
and classrooms are set up to teach.
They are classrooms we are school first.
You can hear a pin drop
in our hallway most days.
Um and when you walk in classrooms,
they're learning.
They're engaged.
They're using all the same curriculum
they're using throughout the district.
The same tools, the same textbooks,
the same everything
and we might modify and adjust,
but I would say we probably
modify and adjust less than
a Setting Three classroom
in a Traditional School.
What age kids are here?
Everybody.
Kindergarten through age 22
down our main hallway.
Everybody - and we do not, go ahead.
The word can,
that is that word means so much.
It's such a small word but,
that word even Martha, Martha is the one
who brought it to Matthew's plate.
I'm going to give you credit for this one
because she said you know what we should
start using the word before when he's
having a behavior to cut it off.
You can do that, you can, you can
and it changed.
You could see it in his head this change.
So I just want to that word can, can.
And to your question,
we serve all disability categories.
Um, our building is laid out
in, I think, probably the next slide.
Um, I'll get so this will stack on that.
This doesn't probably mean
a whole lot just the way it's laid out,
but, and this was a snapshot
taken months ago
but, we have a total of 22 classrooms
in the building and eight of them are
classrooms that we serve four students
in that classroom environment.
So that the max we put in there is four
and then the others
are what we call large group
is six to eight students.
Um, and within that environment,
there are paraprofessionals supporting.
Um, in small group our goal
we start at for that one teacher
there's usually
two paraprofessionals ideally
and um, those four students.
Sometimes it takes up to five
because right, the reality of just we
have to serve everybody.
Um, and Lorna is part of one
of those small group environments.
So we, that factors in.
So it's um in that classroom there are
actually two paraprofessionals assigned
in addition to Lorna.
One is out on leave right now.
Um, but just not always.
So like the room Matthew's in, it is one other
paraprofessional with Charlotte.
So we we adjust based on what the needs
of that environment is.
Um, we don't necessarily just group
students by age.
So I don't, one we don't
have a full classroom of fourth graders.
Right? We don't have a full classroom
of fifth graders, but we also know
that students learn best with certain
peers and not with others.
So we spend a lot
of time building those class lists
and we create classrooms that we believe
will learn together best, not based
on their age, grade, all those things.
So we might have a eighth grader mixed
in with 10th and 11th graders
because they need some role models.
They need, they need
something different.
Um, we don't always get it right
and we sometimes have to adjust,
but that is just what we do here.
We we reflect and we figure it out and
we adjust.
Um, so we we we joke that we're
a big family here and it really you have
to kind of have that mentality to be here.
We're all in this together.
Um, if you if
everybody carries a radio and if you
say on that radio I need help,
like more than you wished.
I usually follow behind like I think we're good.
I think we're good.
Um, and not because it's so big scary.
I mean we we have evolved in the,
I think what Dakota Ridge was
maybe 15 years ago,
our population has evolved and changed.
One, because I believe
our setting two and three
within our Traditional School settings has
grown in their capacity to serve students.
So they may have been sent
to Dakota Ridge years ago,
but we don't need to serve
that population anymore.
We also have growing needs
of individuals who maybe just
weren't served in schools before because
they were so extreme.
Um, there are fewer facilities
for them to go to.
Just so many reasons why
that the complexity of learners
has changed here
and we have bad days
just like every school in the district.
I would say it's
not every day and it's not every week.
Um, and the support that one big family
we're in together, you just
there we had we had a major incident
last week, oh this week, it was Tuesday.
Um, but the reality is 90% of the school
had no idea what was going on
because we have systems and routines and
people trained to support those situations
so that we have a practice we follow
and usually it's a hold.
That particular day we went on a secure
and so people just knew.
We got to stay in the building.
We know that the staff
are call the leadership is calling this
because it's going to keep us safe.
We can go about our business and again,
to this day, 90% of people
probably don't know what happened.
And we just went on with our day.
You go on with your day,
You trust and you know
that people have got your back
and we're in this together and
we do everything we can
to keep people safe.
I mean I'm sure if you're at the DSC,
you see things. Right?
You see police cars, you see ambulances.
90% of those situations
are mental health issues
and we are responding
to a student and getting them help.
It is not a risk.
Sometimes the the behavior
that leads up to them needing
that level of intervention
looks scary, but it looks
more scary because it's not typical to see.
It's not because we're in danger.
It's because we're scared how are we
going to keep you safe?
How are we going to meet your needs?
And we take that responsibility
really seriously.
Um, every two class so, in our small group
environments we got a redesign
of those spaces last year.
So those spaces all have
three break spaces in them because
that population of students just need
less noise, they need some time alone,
some sometimes isolation.
We have swings in every one of those.
Every one of those classrooms
has one room with a swing mount.
And then down the main hallway
as we get into what we call large group,
in between every two classrooms we have
a break space.
And within that break space we,
our hope, is that students learn to use
that space proactively so that they can
request a break, because when they think
about going back to a home school and
their environment grows drastically,
they need to know when to say
I need to break,
where to take that break,
what tools they need to take that break.
Um, and then
there are times when students don't have
that skill yet, that as adults we help them
to learn that by supporting them
and getting to that break space and
we baby steps to grow into where they can
do that independently.
Um, like I said, all support,
all staff carry radios.
We have a building leadership team
that's made up of myself,
Mr. Wilson is the assistant administrator
and then there are six additional people
that make up our
our school psychologist,
our we have a full-time School social worker.
We have a lead interventionist,
so academic interventions
who is a behavior also has
deep background of behavior.
We have a curriculum interventionist or
core interventionist
who has a strong background in behavior
and then we have
a behavior lead interventionist.
Um, all who have been teachers
in the building and believe in this.
Um, we have a float staff which is
made up primarily of paraprofessionals
who work really hard.
We back when Staffing was a different
story right, they were two or three
individuals who truly their job all day
was just float and be in places.
Now they are individuals we have identified
who they are part of teams but they they
have flexibility.
Um, and they build
relationships throughout the building.
So they're our go-to when we have uh
a couple of Staff down here in small group,
who they have we have
a new Elementary learner,
who is really struggling um and they are
the right people they have built
a relationship with him and so we just
have flexibility that that float staff
are the people that come down
and intervene.
Sometimes they just need a new face.
Sometimes they just need somebody
they know they can trust who wasn't
in that moment with them.
Um, and we have
a deep shared understanding of students.
We do a lot to communicate
with each other
um based on a need to know. Right?
There's that fine line between
confidentiality um but we do a lot.
We send out emails, hey just a heads up
this student's plan is this or we have
An all staff meeting once a month and
we might bring a picture of a student.
If you see this person in the hallway,
please don't say this.
We have a young lady right now
who is exploring work.
She's a transition age learner
um and what we have learned
is when she wears her sweatshirt that
announces her employer, that is probably
something went wrong today at her job.
And what's your go-to if you see her
walking through the building that says
Cane's across it?
It's like oh, how was work today? Right?
Well we have figured out as a team
that we have to coach everybody
not to engage about her job because that
is her like way of letting us know.
I can't talk about my job today.
Um but not what our first reaction
as adults is.
So we do a lot of working with each other
just sending building wide emails like
hey, if you see so and so in the hallway,
heads up don't ask her.
So um, yeah.
So this is more information that when we
met with um staff here in the building,
just to talk about what does it feel
like to work here and what are supports
are in place?
So [inaudible] yeah. Perfect.
And can I just name Martha was
involved in this too, I didn't say
your name earlier, but Martha spends
a sizeable amount of time here and help
plan just from the float perspective too,
around maybe not um kind of coming and
going too so, thank you.
So I would just I guess I would
wonder what things are you wondering
about and what things do you hear that
make you um, uncertain?
That's the question I that's
one of the first questions I've
always wanted to know is, what are your
concerns of why you don't want
to come here? You know?
I find it a wonderful to work,
but other people don't see that and
I'm like, I don't I don't understand.
I mean you're so well supported.
Um, it is like a family here.
You have a ton of information and
it's always being given to you
in many different ways.
So I just yeah, that's
a hard one for me to...
And I would say I think
we've worked together a long time, right?
And there are times that there are
decisions Dan and I might make or that
as a building and Charlotte will say
I don't get this.
Why are we doing this?
And we want that.
That is how we that's how we can
only do better.
So if people come in and they're
like this makes no sense.
Why is someone doing this?
Maybe we're going to learn a better way.
So we welcome those questions.
Or whoa, there's so many layers here.
Nobody shared with you.
Let me share with you
so you understand why we do.
Um, and that's really how we operate.
I spend a lot of my day
just talking about what we do.
I think the other thing to know is
that um it's a big decision
when a student ends up coming here.
Right?
So um, it is a significant decision
when an IEP team is considering
a setting change for a student
for a lot of reasons.
Right? Like statute wise,
but also we are making
a decision that that student should be
leaving their home building,
for a period of time,
always our goal is to have them
come back.
Um, and sometimes we find
this is the right setting for them.
Um, so I think think sometimes
we hear questions
in buildings around how those decisions
are made and why.
Um, and I think just know
that they're not taken light and this is
like the very,
you have what 120 students right now,
in a district of 29,000.
Um, so it is truly like a small number
of students who truly need
this setting and that's also why it's effective.
Right? Um, so if you hear questions
In the buildings always know
that that is the case and we can help
with those conversations, because
if people don't spend time here, I don't
I don't think they always understand.
And they, the students who do move here,
are at their worst when they come here.
So what the perception
of that individual child when they leave
somewhere else is much different than
the perception we get to have because we
get a fresh start.
We get to take that worst
and it's we truly believe as a building
we there's nowhere else for them to go.
We're not we're not intervening
to figure out where else
we're going to send you.
We're intervening to get in it with you.
We're intervening to figure out what's
in the way and how are we going to fix it.
Not fix it, we can't fix anything.
That's the wrong word.
Just to help you grow and do better.
And so I think a lot of times people think
of the kids they have seen come here
and the story they have is the story
of that child at their worst and we're really
lucky because we get to celebrate
those small wins and change that story.
Um. So.
When kids come here you almost see
them Blossom. Right?
For some kids like,
the environment is the right environment
for them with the structures and
routines that are in place and
the supports and just the connections
with staff and some kids just absolutely,
I would say, lots of kids not some,
absolutely just blossom in this setting.
And I would imagine that people have
some hesitation about like supporting here
and I don't know that that's
necessarily any of you, but it is a fear
of like maybe I don't have the skills
to support that particular student
or I don't I don't know
that I'm capable of that
and I think the realization of the team
right, like you're not alone,
but I would say that that's a lot of times
more of a fear then of the unknown.
And to be that, off of that,
like that's I have [inaudible]
I been here um, I know that um,
in chatting with coworkers you know I talk
[inaudible]
Um you're going to giggle.
You're going to laugh and you're
going to leave with a smile usually.
I mean that's my experience.
You know I think a lot of the times
that I've been in communication
with some coworkers is and I'm not trying
to over step it's or anything, like they have
that uncomfortable feeling.
That like you know,
the unknown or the big,
the PCM training piece and
the part that I like
to say much what you guys have always
just said here too is that you have that
support in the room that will always
be there right away for you if you need it
you know.
And that's even a culture thing
we hear of staff here when people are
on their back wheels or just having a bad
day of nobody in my room is PCM trained.
Well the reality is we don't use PCM
everyday.
Like, I mean, it's not this magic wand. Right?
We don't use it that often, but it is that
something when people are feeling...
Right, we all go to what do I not have?
How am I not equipped to do this?
Um, but really it's
about coming here and helping kids
be successful and we got we've got
a lot of ways to get creative to do that
in interventions we try and tools we use.
We are resource rich.
Yeah I feel it's endless.
It's endless.
You just have to identify
what you need or what they need.
And then and we'll try it.
And we'll try it.
Let's give it a whirl.
Can't say that won't work.
Try something else. Right.
So it's thinking
that lens and all behavior is
a form of communication.
So behavior isn't personal,
it's a child trying to communicate
something and they don't
have the skills to tell you what that is
in that moment.
So thinking through all the tools
that you have here at Dakota Ridge
to support kids.
And there is no tool here
we use that we don't have
in other buildings or that we can't get
in other buildings.
So I think that's the other layer to know.
It's not like we're tool rich
because we've got it at all here.
It's out there.
It's using a rocking chair
instead of a regular chair.
It's putting a roller ball at their feet.
It's giving them a fidget in their class room.
It's using a body sock.
Those aren't magic wands.
Those are things we have everywhere.
We might have more of them.
Um, but we are very, very aware
to make sure it's a functional tool
that can go somewhere like that so.
And there he is. There's MJ.
[sounds on video]
[inaudible voices on video]
Can you sign big?
Good job.
And there is my why.
And he has
relationships with everybody.
He's like Royalty when he walks in
in the morning.
Might take him five to ten minutes
to get to the classroom because
everyone's got to stop and chat,
myself included.
Um, and he's got things with each person.
We have a sub para who's here
two days a week who I got watch
their interaction yesterday and I just...
He has grown so much.
When when he first started here he was
in a room by himself.
So to see him do that
oh so, so awesome.
Like I said, I watched him sign
20 some words last night
and I was just amazed that
he just kept going.
I'm like wow and then he'll tell the story
again and he know add a word to his story,
and I'm like yes, yes just keep
adding and adding and adding.
His language and communication -
It's fun watching him.
What was on the screen?
Um, it was actually Shelby was teaching
ASL class and there were jifs
and he just thought it was the funniest thing
and then he would describe the jif.
[inaudible]
Do you guys want to take over this part?
These are just all the things you shared
and I kind of captured them on a slide
when we met.
Thinking of like
what is it like to support here,
subbing and stepping in?
Um, okay.
So just in this just in this now in this week
um we have our safe spaces for them.
I have watched Matthew on his own walk in.
Just walk in instead of
taking us seven years.
Yep, but we did it.
We got there.
Just keep going. Try something different.
Um, so a positive, happy demeanor.
When I walk into that break room