Special Services
Child Study Teams | Special Needs | Counseling & Nursing Services | Fifth Grade Transition to Middle School | Transition to High School
Child Study Teams
Providing opportunities for academic success for all students is a central focus at Mile High. Student needs are also recognized through parent and teacher referrals to the Child Study Team, which is composed of the specialists in
learning disabilities, teachers, and the child’s counselor. Included may also be the school nurse, the physical or occupational therapist, speech therapist, and specialists in the areas of hearing and visual impairment.
The team discusses the concerns about the child and devises a plan to address the child’s needs. An action plan is written describing the roles members of the team will play and the provision for diagnostic testing and any other services that may be needed. Parents are involved continuously throughout the process.
The teaming concept promotes better communication among teachers, students, and parents about individual student’s successes, needs, concerns, and performance in academic and elective classes. These components provide a comprehensive picture of the individual student, which in turn dictates necessary accommodations for the student’s success.
Special Needs
Special education classes, hearing and vision programs, speech, physical and occupational therapy are available for qualified special needs students. We currently serve 86 special education students by offering the least restrictive environment a student might have and still be successful with their education. Of the 17 students receiving speech services, 3 are for speech articulation and 14 for language delayed/language disordered.
Two additional programs, which set us apart from other middle schools in the area, are: 1) ALPS (Alternative Learning Program), which is a special education program currently serving 11 students with emotional and behavioral disorders; and 2) a comprehensive Sheltered English Immersion (SEI) class for our students whose first language is not English. Thirty-six SEI students are mainstreamed into classes with support from both the classroom teachers and their SEI teacher.
Counseling & Nursing Services
Counseling and nursing services are available on a daily basis to students; they are available for crisis counseling with students and their families. Our counselors and nurse can be seen interacting with students anywhere on campus, which provides a level of trust and familiarity. It is not unusual to see our nurse in the hallways between classes talking with students. The counselors visit classrooms on a regular basis, supervise in the cafeteria during lunches, and touch base with new students and students who have seen them in their offices. We feel that these three people are instrumental in maintaining a level of comfort for our students because the kids know they can trust them.
Fifth Grade Transition to Middle School
Our relationship with students and their families begins when they enter Mile High and continues long after they leave our school community. In 2003, a transition committee composed of fifth grade students and parents, elementary and middle school principals, and counselor was formed to make the
move from fifth grade to the middle school easier. As a result, parent and student orientation meetings are offered in April and May to acquaint them with our campus, curriculum, extra curricular programs, counseling, special programs and support systems, and other topics of interest.
Our counselors play an important role in the transitioning of fifth graders into our school. They begin by making classroom presentations to fifth graders in January and February; they answer questions, hand out registration
materials and a Mile High pencil to each student. At the first parent night in April, sixth grade teachers, counselors, and the principal explain expectations and ease parents’ minds for the next big stage in their child’s life.
Fifth graders visit us in May and are welcomed by student council members, the counselors, and principal in Hendrix Auditorium. Student guides give tours of the campus to small groups of students, peek into classrooms, and meet teachers. The second parent night takes place after the fifth grade tour so
that apprehensive parents have an opportunity to voice their concerns and ask questions.
We pride ourselves at making parents and their students feel comfortable enrolling at our school. Many parents make individual appointments with the counselors to chat about their child’s future experience at Mile High. We are never too busy to make someone feel welcome.
Special Education Student Transition
The transition of special education students is addressed in smaller, more formal meetings between students, their parents, and special education teachers in early spring to reassure them that their needs will be met in a caring, supportive manner.
The same opportunity is provided to exiting eighth grade special education students and high school counselors. These meetings are invaluable to the students and their families, as they greatly reduce the level of anxiety and help increase the comfort level for students during the transition process.
Counselors meet with new enrollees and their families when they register at Mile High. Student guides provides tours of the facility and introduce the student’s teachers to them at this time. New students begin classes the day following their registration. Counselors and teachers touch base with new students to ensure that their transition is going smoothly.
Transition to High School
An assembly with high school counselors begins the transition process for our eighth graders; a parent orientation night follows at Prescott High School. Our counselors then visit civics’ classes to hand out registration materials, answer questions, and outline the registration process. They also reinforce the importance of high school life and at the same time put students at ease. Our eighth grade promotion and awards night provides closure to the process and builds memories that will last a lifetime.