Some dream about winning an Emmy, Grammy or Golden Globe Award. Others fantasize about walking to the stage to accept an Academy Award. Some dream of ticker tape, fireworks, and packed stadiums while being crowned a Super Bowl, Stanley Cup, WNBA or World Series Champ. Others dream about stepping up on the Olympic podium as a new world record holder gold medalist. While others place their life’s work into winning a Nobel Peace Prize. And, finally, of course, above all recognition, the world waits with bated breath for the annual AWSP President’s Award.

Come join us free, end-of-year celebration and annual luncheon. Well, not totally free...you do have to supply your own lunch. Connect with us and principals and assistant principals across the state, find out who we interviewed for our "who's your favorite principal" celebrity surprise, and see if you win any prizes. We can’t wait to see you there!

Weekly special education and Section 504 resources from Abby Bowers, Capital Region ESD 113's Director of Special Programs.

In this final episode of AWSP News for this year, we discuss sharing any updates to guide how we might be opening our schools in the fall, this year’s virtual Summer Conference and the annual AWSP Summer Conference lunch program, the incredible programs and networks that your AWSP ProLearning Team has put together, making outdoor education accessible to all kids and an Outdoor School survey, programs and opportunities for developing your student leaders, how an AWSL “School” Membership supports your school, and our annual reminder to reach out to us as you head into your final evaluation with your supervisor.

AWSP will close this Friday June 18th, in recognition of Juneteenth (June 19th). Starting in 2022, Washington state will recognize June 19th as an official state holiday. Although this recognition as a state holiday is over 150 years overdue, AWSP is going to start this year.

When you’re ready to jump into some professional reading, check out this list of books that Jack Arend and I created based on some of the books that we are reading or that we hear others mention. We also provide some tips for engaging your staff in a book study, if that is something that you are considering.

Weekly special education and Section 504 resources from Abby Bowers, Capital Region ESD 113's Director of Special Programs.

Ready for some good news? There’s state money to help send your fifth- and sixth-graders to Outdoor School next year. We are working with a team of learning centers and camps to get money allocated in this year’s state budget.  To help us plan and budget, we need to find out who is planning to host an outdoor school for their students. You can help with this process now by completing this Outdoor Schools survey. This information will helps us to plan for the 2021-22 school year as well as give us information to seek further funding for the 2022-23 school year and beyond.

Weekly special education and Section 504 resources from Abby Bowers, Capital Region ESD 113's Director of Special Programs.

I know many schools have closed up the 2020-2021 school year, but we are still going strong in Kelso, Washington (my district). This month is a magical milestone month for our students, staff, and families it is important to celebrate, celebrate, and celebrate. I have no doubt you will find some simple and fun ideas to utilize this final month. Finish strong friends; you got this. I BELIEVE in you.

Weekly special education and Section 504 resources from Abby Bowers, Capital Region ESD 113's Director of Special Programs.

It is wonderful to know that schools will be fully open in the fall! It has taken a lot of hard work and dedication on everyone’s part to make it through the pandemic. None of us has come through unscathed, but hopefully, we have come through stronger.

To students and staff at Columbia Crest, their garden is not a way to get out of the classroom, it is a way to bring the classroom outside; or, perhaps, to bring the outside into the classroom.  Between helping a community save money and gain access to fresh produce, to helping students engage and apply their more traditional lessons, the Columbia Crest gardening program is helping to grow a healthier and happier community…and the kids really dig it.

Weekly special education and Section 504 resources from Abby Bowers, Capital Region ESD 113's Director of Special Programs.

In this this special edition of AWSP News, we discuss our role in the Inclusionary Practices Project, common language on what inclusion looks, feels, and acts like within a school context, the difference between inclusion, exclusion, integration, and segregation, what we learned along the way, and some incredible content, tool boxes, webinars, podcasts and more for school leaders and school teams to learn from and implement in their buildings.

The legislative session has concluded, the Governor has acted, and now as the show goes on, districts have to adjust. Clearly, the COVID virus, and Federal and state efforts to lessen the financial impacts on states, businesses, and individuals, came into play during this session.

Building Changes is an organization whose mission is to “advance equitable responses to homelessness in Washington State, with a focus on children, youth, and families and the systems that serve them.” They recently shared an important planning document for school districts to use as they develop their Academic and Student Well-Being Recovery Plans.  In addition to significant amounts of federal funding coming to school districts to help with learning recovery and supports for students, there are federal funds coming to districts that are specifically designed to “identify, provide wraparound services to, and assist students experiencing homelessness in attending schools and participating fully in school activities.”

The Learn to Return COVID-19 testing program is a FREE and voluntary service to help reduce the transmission of COVID-19 in schools. Over 100 school districts are currently taking part and testing their staff, students and community members. To better understand the reasons the remaining schools have not yet enrolled and to help overcome barriers to enrollment, we are asking school administrators and staff to answer a few questions. If you or someone you know would be willing to share your thoughts, please take the short, 5-minute survey. Your responses are completely anonymous. Thank you in advance for your time and attention!

Weekly special education and Section 504 resources from Abby Bowers, Capital Region ESD 113's Director of Special Programs.

As we get ready to close the doors on the 2020-2021 school year, the big questions and musings are starting to rumble beneath the surface. "I can't wait until we can ______________ again." "Remember when we use to _________________? I cannot wait until we can do that again." Now is an extraordinary time to assess these ponderings and begin to examine what "needs" to come back in our post-COVID era and what is best for students as we continue to move through these times of "what's next?" This week I got to work with middle school students, and I asked the question, "What have been some positives of the past year?" Their answers were riveting, powerful, profound, and revealing!