GHAEA Voice

Looking for something to do on April 30? Why not join the Council Bluffs Autism Support Group for an Autism Awareness 5K Run/Fun Walk! The fun begins at 8:30 a.m. at the Lied Center on the Iowa School for the Deaf campus. Check out more information here . 

Last Thursday (April 21), Chief Administrator Lane Plugge spoke with KMA about the proposed budget cuts to AEAs. Then on Friday, the Iowa AEA Legislative Update reported that the Senate restored $1.25 million of the $5 million cut .  We appreciate those of you who took  time to contact your legislators ( see related story ) and/or asked families and educators you serve to voice support for AEAs. We will keep you abreast of further developments.

Congratulations to Seth Piro , school psychologist, Avoca, for being named the recipient of the 2016 Carla J. Nigro Spirit Award.        Quotes from his multiple nominations include the following: "Seth has so much energy, so much knowledge, and so much enthusiasm in his work. He completely devotes his time, attention and brain power to every single person he speaks to no matter how simple the problem or how many other things he has going on. He literally does the job of at least three  people and manages to do it all with excellence."       The award is named for Carla, a school psychologist at AEA 13 who had enthusiasm for life. She lost her life to cancer in September 2010, but will always be remembered for her great spirit in the way she demonstrated a positive outlook, a friendly nature, a selfless attitude and a passion for helping others.     The Carla J. Nigro Spirit Award acknowledges a Green Hills AEA special education representative (school psychologist, schoo

Marilyn Kay (Mau) Lee, wife of GHAEA board member Kenneth Lee , passed away on April 11 at the age of 71.  She graduated from Iowa State University with a bachelor’s degree in home economics education.  While there, Marilyn met and married Ronald Kenneth Lee.       For seven years, Marilyn taught home economics before becoming a stay-at-home mom. She worked various part-time jobs before she focused on a nursing career. In 1991, she graduated from Iowa Western Community College with an LPN degree, and in 1993, she received her RN degree from Southwestern Community College. Marilyn loved taking care of people during her 20-year career at the Shenandoah Memorial Hospital.      Survivors include her husband of more than 49 years, Ken; three sons and five grandsons, Chad Lee and wife Shannon and their sons, Parker, Preston, Pierson and Patrick of West Des Moines, IA, Mark Lee and wife Amanda of West Des Moines, IA and Brian Lee and wife Erin and their son, Andrew of Ankeny, IA. Marilyn wa

The walls of a 1918 barn that were once filled with laughter and music from neighborhood barn dances, and saw a thriving dairy operation, has found new life! Several boards from this barn now grace the interior of Flagship Commons , Westroads Mall in Omaha.      The barn was built by Landon Torneten's great-great-grandfather Bill Torneten. Landon, the son of Beth Torneten (early childhood specialist, Halverson), recently wrote a paper for a 4-H project. To gather information, Landon interviewed his grandparents and did research about the purchase of the land and farm located at 19858 245 St., Council B luffs.        Landon's great-great-grandfather hand cut the lumber for the barn's gambrel roof which allowed for more hay storage.  The barn ended up being 80' long, 32' wide and 36' from the eaves to the peak.        The barn was originally built with the intent of having a cattle business. Instead it became home to a dairy facility which thrived for 35 years

“If you have a child and in your gut you feel like something is not right with their development, don’t delay.  Early intervention is key. I can’t stress this enough.”  Those are the words of a parent, Nancy Van Dyke, whose child has received services from Green Hills AEA Early ACCESS staff.       Van Dyke and another parent, Audrey Wheeler, were interviewed by Amy Hansen for an article in the Ocsecola Sentinel-Tribune. The article highlights the struggles of the two's children who have been diagnosed with apraxia.        Read the entire article here . 

What does occupational therapy look like in the school setting? According to the American Occupational Therapy Assoc., o ccupational therapy practitioners (OT’s) are related service professionals who provide a continuum of  services and support under IDEA.       OT’s address a student’s ability to participate in desired daily life  activities or “occupations.” Services take place in school settings during the natural routines of the day.  OT’s collaborate with students, parents and school staff to promote participation through: . Adapting activities and environments so students can participate .  Offering instructional strategies .  Increasing independence in daily living skills .  Supporting transition .  Increasing attention by recommending motor breaks and alerting activities .  Addressing sensory or motor needs that impact access or participation in the curriculum .  Recommending simple assistive technology to increase learning and participation      Thank you, Green Hill

I have been asked to refresh staff members' memories of the new fax number for Council Bluffs Regional Office, so without further adieu here it is: 712-366-0774 . Also, please address items to the Council Bluffs Regional Office as CBRO or Council Bluffs Regional Office.   Items marked as Council Bluffs Office or CB Office can easily be confused with the Council Bluffs CSD.

Those are mighty big cookies, Joe (left) and Seth!  Look out for Cookie Monster! After the Professional Learning Team (PLT) for special education representatives met on April 15, for the last time this school year, staff acknowledged and thanked Seth Piro and Joe Woracek for their leadership to the group by presenting each with a giant cookie.      Seth and Joe have served as co-leads for the group during the 2015-16 school year. Seth is leaving GHAEA at the end of this school year to move to an administrative position with Northwest AEA and Joe has accepted the position of GHAEA regional administrator position, Avoca and Missouri Valley.       Congratulations and best wishes! 

4-25  . . . Denise Matson 4-27  . . . Michelle Hicks 4-27  . . . Karen Schwenke 4-29  . . . Jackie Luther 4-29  . . . Cindy Wohlenhaus 5-1  . . . Roy Medina 5-3  . . . Blair Voigt 5-8  . . . Martin Mulligan

Late Wednesday we learned that a deal was struck with leaders of the House and Senate to reduce AEA funding by an additional $5 million dollars. This effectively wipes out any budget increase that would have been generated by the 2.25 percent supplemental state aid rate and further reduces the AEA budget across the state by an additional $500,000 in special education support. The additional $5 million reduction seriously compromises the ability of the AEAs to provide critical services to school districts across the state including special education, professional development, media and technology services and to assist local school districts in school improvement efforts. The proposed reduction in the AEA budget is a real cut that will have real world impacts on the students, teachers and administrators who rely on their services. How can you help? Let your voice be heard. Immediately contact the legislators who represent you personally (please send communication fro

4-11  . . . Paula Godwin 4-12  . . . Karen Spahn 4-13  . . . Patricia Roberts 4-17  . . . Mark Draper 4-17  . . . Rachel Kittelson 4-18  . . . Angie Bramman 4-18  . . . Ron Russell 4-19  . . . Carolyn Finck 4-19  . . . Lisa Honig 4-25  . . . Denise Matson 4-27  . . . Michelle Hicks 4-27  . . . Karen Schwenke 4-29  . . . Jackie Luther 4-29  . . . Cindy Wohlenhaus

Julia Hood, Nancy Sudmann, Connie Fenn and Kathy Gearhart.  Each day, school libraries across the United States transform lives. In celebration of School Library Media Month, Megan McDonald, author of the Judy Moody series,  speaks to how school libraries transformed her life.  "School librarians not only foster a lifelong love of reading and story, they encourage thinking and creativity. They support curious minds. They inspire young imaginations."  GHAEA Media Center staff are available to help AEA staff and teachers find just the right resources to support instructional needs in reading, math, science and numerous other content areas. This month's In Touch will have a special feature on the GHAEA Media Center. Diana Dewaele, Kelly Gerhardt and Katherine Bergansen.

Last month, several GHAEA speech-language pathologists attended a training led by Jennifer Taps Richard​, SLPath. The training was held in Cedar Rapids where the SLPs learned about "intrusive schwa, phonetic vs. phonemic inventory, and that (consonant) clusters should be our best friend," according to  Katie Hensley , speech-language pathologist, Osceola. "There's so much more we've absorbed," Katie said. "We hope we can process it all to help our phonological kiddos progress faster." According to its website , the goal of SLPath is to enable school-language pathologists of all educational backgrounds to apply current, research-based treatment to their caseloads. Photo:  Back: Hillary Brummer, Leslie Dickinson, Wendy Aanonson, Carol McMahon-Kain. Front: Blair Voigt, Molly Ternus, Jamie Ptacek, Jordan Laughlin, Katie Hensley, presenter Jennifer Taps Richard, Julie Honan, Kacie Bryant. 

Julia Hood (supervisor, media services) shared a clever April Fool's joke with Halverson Center staff. She brought a plate full of brown E's (brownies). Suffice it to say, it took some people a while (including me) to figure it out! 

National Autism Awareness Month represents an opportunity to promote autism awareness and acceptance and to draw attention to the tens of thousands facing an autism diagnosis each year.       The GHAEA Autism Resource Team   provides consultative services to school age students and those children, birth to two years old, who are identified with Autism Spectrum Disorder as well as children who demonstrate autism-like characteristics.       Core team members are Nancy Boswell, Mary Carstens, Lori Durand, Michelle Hicks, Cheryl Mulligan and Kellie Peterson . Extended team members include Katelyn Buck, Cheryl Case, Jill Clayton, Brooke Dornack, Sarah Girres, Kristi Minnick, Carissa Otto, Laurie Peterson, Molly Ternus, Beth Torneten and Melanie Van Dyke .  The team is supervised by Julie Stessman . 

Philanthropist Charles E. Lakin passed away on March 28 at the age of 96. Lakin is the namesake of the Charles E. Lakin Outstanding Teacher Awards that is sponsored by GHAEA and KMA. 2016 marks the ninth year for this award. Educators  in school districts within a 40-mile radius of Emerson, Lakin's hometown, are eligible for the award (excluding the larger districts of Council Bluffs and Lewis Central). The Charles E. Lakin Human Services Campus in Council Bluffs, dedicated in 2008, was made possible through Lakin's foresight and generosity, among other endeavors.  

Do you have a family member who is graduating this spring or is a recent graduate? Or are you graduating? Each year, GHAEA recognizes agency staff and their family members who are graduating.  Access the submission form here  and be sure to submit information by May 1 . If you would like to submit a photo, e-mail the photo with the graduate's name in the subject line to Denise Fricke . 

"Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom." -- Aristole. What if three simple tests could help you find your authentic self? Would you be game? All you have to do is figure out what your best Saturday morning would look like, think of five people who are closest to the things you love, and figure out how you feel when put in a new situation. Ready, set, go . . . take a look at 3 simple tests for finding your authentic self!  

Sagan William Lee with his mother Ashley. Sue Wagner (teacher, alternative programs) is a new grandmother! Sagan William Lee arrived on March 21 in Portland, OR. He weighed 7 lbs, 14 oz. and was 19 inches long. "Mom Ashley and dad Tom are doing well, too. Of course, Sagan can't wait for Grandpa and Grandma to come visit him!" says Sue.  Todd and Cathy Mann (speech-language pathology assistant) welcomed their first grandson on March 27. Grayson Kinnick White was born to  Josh and Kate White. "We are over the moon about this sweet little boy!"

Dr. Plugge had the honors for the first shovel of dirt! On April 4, an autumn blaze maple tree was planted on the south end of the Halverson Center campus to commemorate the Council Bluffs Regional Office (CBRO). Chief Administrator Lane Plugge and Regional Administrator Jenny Barnett were joined by CBRO and Halverson staff for the planting ceremony.  CBRO staff Sondy Laughlin, Jenny Barnett, Susan Himes, Dorene Drive and Vicki McGlade.

4-17-2000  . . . Joan Holmes 4-02-2001  . . . Michelle Lidgett 4-18-2005  . . . Amy Rommel

Are you interested in being a presenter at the 21st Century Learners' Conference? Green Hills AEA is hosting the sixth annual 21st Century Learners' Conference on Friday , Oct. 7 at A-H-S-T-W CSD in Avoca and Friday, Oct. 14 a t Creston High School. This year, a Blended Learning track is being offered in addition to the types of sessions offered in past years. We are looking for AEA staff, teachers, administrators, and groups of students to present at the conference. Sessions will be up to 45 minutes in length. If you don't feel comfortable presenting alone, team up with other colleagues and make it a great learning experience. If you are interested in submitting a proposal, access the form here and provide a topic and short description of your interactive, hands-on presentation. Contact Julia Hood if you would like more information.