Speech and Language News
August 21, 2013
Dear Wyandot Parents,
Welcome to the 2013-2014 school year! I am overjoyed to be serving as the speech language pathologist for Wyandot Elementary for the 2nd year! This will be my 9th year in the Dublin City Schools district. I will also serve a portion of students at Indian Run Elementary. I will be at Wyandot Monday through Thursday and at Indian Run on Friday. Kelly Valle, a speech language pathology graduate clinician from OSU, will be completing her student teaching externship with me on Mondays and Tuesdays until December 3rd. She is excited to meet the students at Wyandot!
During the first three days of school, I will be screening additional students, conferencing with your child’s teacher about their IEP goals, observing students in their classroom in order to make any adaptations or suggestions needed, visiting Indian Run Elementary, attending parent meetings, and formulating a schedule.
In order to meet my students’ needs, I create a new schedule each week from a “skeleton” schedule. By creating a new schedule each week, I can plan for teacher conflicts, classroom projects, missed school days, classroom parties, DARE, IEP meetings, student absences, Spanish classes, consultation with teachers, etc. Hence, your child may not have the same times and days for speech every week. If a student needs consistency in their schedule, I will schedule the student for the same time and day. I typically see children with articulation concerns in my speech therapy room. Children with language needs are seen both in the classroom and in the speech therapy room. I am also co-treating students in social groups with the intervention specialists. I am looking forward to the ever-changing schedule challenge in order to put your child first and integrate curriculum consistently.
Beginning August 26th, I will be “running” a typical speech and language therapy schedule. On your child’s first day of speech, I will give your child a speech folder to help facilitate communication between you, your child, and myself (unless your child prefers to bring their own “speech” folder from home which is great too). I will send homework home within this folder as well as any speech and language notes. Please feel free to include any notes or comments you might have for me in the speech folder throughout the year. Your child can keep his or her folder in his or her book-bag throughout the year.
I will give homework approximately 2 times per month, depending on your child’s speech and language goals and needs. Homework is given to encourage generalization of skills that your child is learning in therapy. It also allows you to see what your child has been working on and how they are improving. I have found that students who complete homework regularly typically progress at a faster rate in therapy. I will ask that you go over it with your child and that it be signed and returned in the speech folder. I will place a sticker on it once I’ve checked it. I completely understand if the homework needs to be put off until the next session. I understand how life can get crazy!
This year, as an incentive to be respectful and try his or her best in therapy and also as a reward for completed homework, each child will be able to earn a sticker to place on their speech and language sticker chart. Once a child has 5 stickers, he or she may choose a small reward from the candy bin or the toy bin.
I appreciate any communication and/or insight you have for me throughout the year. Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions/concerns/comments at any time. Email is usually the best way to get a hold of me but I also check my voicemail regularly. I am looking forward to the 2013-2014 school year and can’t wait to work with your child!
Smiles and hugs!
Kara Joy Wasylczuk (rhymes with “waffle-chuck” but change the “ff’s” to “zz’s”)
Speech/Language Pathologist
Wyandot Elementary School
Room 211
Voicemail-760-6239
Parent Input Form
Speech and Language
Please complete this form and return it in your child’s speech and language folder.
Student Name: ______
Parent Name: ______
Email: ______
Phone Number: ______
What are your child’s interests?
Does your child have any allergies (if so, what is your child allergic to)?
Occasionally, I provide candy or snacks for my students. Is your child able to have candy/snacks?
What is your speech and language goal for your child?
Is there any other information that you would like to share with me about your child?
If your child sees a private speech language pathologist and you would like us to communicate, please indicate “yes.” I will then send you a simple form to fill out and return that grants outside providers and the school team “ongoing” communication. YES ______or NO ______
Thank you for completing this form. I look forward to working with you and your child this year!