Posted on August 21st, 2008 by mlower
Our 2008-2009 school year is in full swing and the students are busy transitioning back to the classroom. For those of you who are new to this site, I will try to keep you updated of important changes to the resource room and its support services along with helpful articles to help you support your child in their learning. We also try to list any test and project dates from the general education classes that your student is enrolled in.
We have a new program for the students who receive their English and reading class within the resource setting this year and I will be writing more about it later. We are continuing the use of the Renaissance Math program which we started last year. We had good success with it and the students had positive comments about using it. This program allows the students to progress through it at their pace and we found that they were very motivated to master as many objectives as possible.
The resource room is in the process of having an interactive whiteboard, a SmartBoard, installed. We are very excited about using it to supplement our lessons and engage the students in their learning. I will also write some more about how we are using it later on this site.
For those parents who are new to the high school resource program, please call us at the high school if you have questions or concerns. We are always glad to help and welcome your assistance in educating your student. Don’t forget to check back later for more updates!
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Posted on May 20th, 2008 by mlower
Final exams begin on Tuesday, May 27 and end on Thursday, May 29. These exams are worth 20% of your student’s semester grade, so it is important that they take them seriously. The teachers will be giving them study guides and review sheets to help prepare. Rather than wait until the night before the test to begin studying, they should be reviewing now. Here is the test schedule:
- Tuesday: 1st hour, 4th hour, and 8th hour
- Wednesday: 2nd hour, 5th hour, and 7th hour
- Thursday: 3rd hour, 6th hour, and makeups
Please encourage your student to begin studying now and to take final exams seriously.
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Posted on March 16th, 2008 by mlower
On April 23 and 24, all juniors will be participating in the statewide testing for PSAE. On the first day, they will take the ACT test. On day 2, they will take a test called Workkeys along with another state test in science. The resource students do have accommodations which were approved by ACT. These were discussed with you at last year’s IEP meeting, but if you would like to review them, please call me at the high school. Recently many of the classes have been reviewing concepts that will be covered along with strengthening their test taking skills. Our students have an online computer program called WinKeys which practices those math and English skills needed for the Workkeys portion of the testing. Your student has the web address along with a password which will allow them to practice these skills at home. There are other programs which are also available. Please contact us for further information.
Important to remember:
- Get plenty of rest before the 2 days of testing.
- Eat a good breakfast each day. Snacks will be provided during the testing period.
- Bring needed materials: calculator and two #2 pencils
- Do not be tardy those two days to school. Testing must begin by a certain time.
- All we ask is to Try Your Best!
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Posted on January 10th, 2008 by mlower
This year in the resource room we are using a math program called Renaissance Math. The students are assigned objectives and work at their own level. The computer generates individual worksheets and tests for each student. It has been very motivating for the students and they have been working hard on meeting their objectives. Each student has a resource guide with notes and examples of the different skills they have been working on. A website that they may go to if they need help is called Dr. Math. A student can type in his question in the search box. Explanations along with diagrams will come up. If the question is not answered, the student can submit it online. Ask your student how they are liking the new math program and how many objectives they have mastered.
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Posted on December 1st, 2007 by mlower
LD Online contains excellent articles on how to help your student plan a successful experience after high school whether that includes college or a vocational school. It is very important for a student with learning difficulties to learn how to be an advocate for themselves, especially in the academic setting. The Guide to Postsecondary Education is just one site of many that helps parents and students plan for that experience. Another resource is the organization Reading for the Blind and Dyslexic which provides books on CD for students with reading difficulties. For a small yearly fee, students can obtain recorded textbooks and novels. There are many training opportunities for students after high school that include learning supports. Encourage your student to start talking to their resource teacher and guidance counselor about their career plans.
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Posted on October 24th, 2007 by mlower
The resource room has a software program called Kurzweil 3000 on five of our computers. With this new program, we can scan any reading material for the student and then the computer will read it back to them on headphones. The student can choose the voice that they prefer listening to along with the reading speed. Any reading material or printed test can be scanned into the program as well as webpages that the student is reading on the internet. Students can also use this program to listen to their writings as they type. This program is currently being used at Sauk Valley Junior College by college students as an aid to their learning and test taking. It is a useful tool for students with reading difficulties.
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Posted on October 15th, 2007 by mlower
Parent Teacher Conferences will be held:
- Thursday, November 1st from 12:20 until 8:00
- Friday, November 2nd from 9:00 until 11:40
Students will be dismissed at 11:20 on Thursday. Please call the high school office to schedule appointments with your student’s teachers.
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Posted on October 8th, 2007 by mlower
Last year we began a program called Parent Connect. You received a user ID and password that enabled you to login to the school’s website and check your student’s grades. If you are new to the district or lost your information, please call the high school office for a new one. By Monday of each week I always try to have your students’ grades up to date. It is beneficial for the student to know that you are interested in their grades and are checking on them. If you ever have a question or concern, you can always email any of the teachers to have them answered. If you have never tried using Parent Connect, go to the school website at http://eastland308.com and click on Parent Information on the right hand side of the page. Then click on Parent Connect to take you to the page. If you have any further questions, please feel free to ask.
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Posted on October 5th, 2007 by mlower
If you have a student who struggles getting his homework done, here are two websites that will help you develop strong study habits in your teen. If teens know that their parents believe that education is important, they themselves are more likely to value their education and work for it. Visit these two websites for helpful suggestions.
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Posted on October 3rd, 2007 by mlower
Welcome to EHS Resource Support! The purpose of this blog is to let you know what is going on in the resource room along with ways that you can support your student at home. Information that you will find posted on here may include:
- new programs used in the resource room
- software programs that help your student in his regular classes
- study aids available to your student
- major testing dates
- ways to help your student study at home
- college and technical school information
- more topics to come
If there are topics that you would like information on, write me a comment and I will reply. The comments are not public and are only viewable by me. You may also email me. Check back to see what is new.
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