GHAEA Voice

Nancy Amdor, special education consultant Carole Cherne, speech-language pathologist Laura Danforth, speech-language pathologist Mark Draper, regional administrator/director of special education Denise Fricke, communications specialist Edie Goodwin, physical therapist Jean Kent, speech-language pathology assistant Dennis LaMasters, microcomputer/network specialist Jody Madsen, speech-language pathologist Deb Manz, administrative secretary Carol McMahon-Kain, speech-language pathologist Stacy McWilliams, early childhood specialist Roy Medina, speech-language pathologist Karen Meiers, administrative secretary Barb Nelson, speech-language pathologist Harva Paul, school psychologist Renee Prochaska-Keenan, special education consultant Connie Richardson, school improvement consultant Pam Sargent, administrative secretary Patricia Schliesman, speech-language pathologist Melanie Thomas, audiometrist Meta Trailer, audiometrist Cindy Unger, math consultant Janis Wanke, sp

Agency end-of-the-year and retirement celebrations have wrapped up! Watch the Voice for a special photo spread of our year-end and retirement celebrations! Send any photos you'd like to share from these events to Denise Fricke  by June 5. Thank you!

Last week, Lewis Central CSD posted this note on social media: Thanks to GHAEA for the use of Google Expeditions! Kindergartners and first graders used Google Expeditions to travel to the Grand Canyon to see layers of rocks and how weather impacts them. Fourth graders went to Ellis Island to travel the path that over 12 million immigrants traveled. Some high school students went inside the body to see the respiratory and circulatory system, others visited the settings of Shakespeare's plays, some toured the 9/11 Memorial Museum, and still others learned how companies are trying to use more reusable resources. More than 700 students got to take virtual field trips thanks to this resource available through the GHAEA Media Center. 

Regular GHAEA van delivery will continue through June 9. After that, one-day-per-week delivery will run June 12-30. There will be no van delivery July 1 through Aug. 11 (if you have delivery needs, contact Julia Hood ). For more information on summer van delivery, click here . 

Staff who work during the summer have the option to work flex hours, 10 hours a day, four days a week. Summer flex hours begin the week of  June 18 and continue  through the week of July 23, ending Friday, July 28 . If you are interested in working flex hours, please get approval from your supervisor. Contact Human Resources for more information. 

Michelle Custer (special education consultant, Avoca) sent a photo of a robin's nest that is right outside her office window. "There are three babies.  It has been wonderful to watch momma bird watch over her eggs, then one day seeing that they had hatched," Michelle said. "They have become much better looking over the last week. In another week, I think they might be ready to fly the nest. . . . Isn't life grand?" It sure is! Thanks Michelle!    

May Casey Abler . . . May 1, 2012 Marsha Guttau . . . May 13, 1977 Lori Kinyon . . . May 15, 1991 Dennis LaMasters . . . May 5, 1986 Sondra Laughlin . . . May 28, 1974 Vicki McGlade . . . May 15, 1989 Timothy Perrin . . . May 9, 2005 Cindy Wohlenhaus . . . May 19, 1997 June Debra Manz . . . June 5, 2000 Patricia Perkins . . . June 25, 1996

Gloria Hansen  5/30 Dan Merriam  5/30 Sheryl Bald  6/3 Linda Gelbowitz  6/3 Julia Hood  6/5 Steve McPhillips  6/5 Nancy Nelson  6/8 Sarah Esser  6/13 Kari Olson  6/15 Lynsi Perkins  6/16 Angela Williams  6/16 Patrick Rabbitt  6/18 Lynn Thompson  6/18 Cynthia Juhl  6/19 Staci Emerton  6/20 Joanne Farmer  6/20 Maureen Lonsdale  6/21 Donal Welch  6/21 Meagan Ross  6/26 Nancy Sudmann  6/27 Julie Williams  6/27 Meghan Wilson  6/27 Mary Dick  6/29 Linda Streicher  6/30

Congratulations to this year's graduates ! The accomplishments and aspirations of this group are impressive. 

Have you ordered your 2017-18 agency calendar or business cards yet? Be sure to get in your order before you leave for the summer. Access the calendar order form here and contact Sheryl Bald in the Print & Design Center to order business cards. 

GHAEA superintendents were pleased to have Iowa Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds join their monthly meeting in Red Oak on May 3. She spoke about Future Ready Iowa , an initiative to build Iowa's talent pipeline. Pictured are Chief Administrator Lane Plugge , Lt. Gov. Reynolds and AHSTW Superintendent Jesse Ulrich.

Cali Foglesong, daughter of Jennifer Foglesong (special education consultant, Creston), is the recipient of the 2017 Special Education Teacher Scholarship of Iowa in recognition for her academic accomplishments, extracurricular activities and educational goals.     Cali has worked with special education students through a program at Creston High School. "I love being around the kids and helping them learn new things. Seeing the smiles on their faces when they understand what I'm teaching them gives me so much joy and happiness. It's during these moments that I know I was meant to make a difference in the lives of these students," Cali said.        The award was presented on May 5 by Lisa Bartusek, Iowa Association of School Boards, a co-sponsor of the award. Cali is a senior at Creston High School and plans to attend Graceland Univ. in the fall. 

It was a cold and blustery day in Creston on April 29, but that didn't stop 21 volunteers and 166 participants from attending the Fifth Annual Autism Awareness 5K Run, Walk and Resource Fair. The annual event was held at Creston High School. In spite of the weather, 21 of the 166 registered participants completed the timed 5K run.      Volunteers from GHAEA included Cheryl Case, Jeri Fyock, Paula Godwin, Michelle Hicks (Autism Society of Iowa board member), Deb Katzer and Sandi Sickels .      Twenty local sponsors contributed close to $4,000 in cash and merchandise to support this event. Photo: Front  Deb Katzer, Jeri Fyock, Sandi Sickels;  Back  Michelle Hicks, Cheryl Case, Paula Godwin

Each May, the Iowa Association of School Boards honors school and AEA board members for their commitment to Iowa's students. This is an opportunity for us, as employees of GHAEA, to thank our board for their dedication and service! So without further adieu, thank you GHAEA board ! 

Better Hearing & Speech Month (May) provides an opportunity to raise awareness about communication disorders. This year's theme is "Communication: The Key to Connection."       GHAEA speech-language pathologists provide services to children who have been identified as having delays in the area of communication. These delays may include difficulties in the areas of speech sound formation and production (articulation), language, voice and fluency. They perform problem solving assessments utilizing a team approach. Services are provided to children from the ages of birth to 21. Direct services to children, consultation, and classroom intervention are types of services that speech-language pathologists provide.           Audiologists provide diagnostic and rehabilitative services for students with hearing impairment, birth through 21 years old. Services include hearing evaluation and monitoring, middle ear analysis, determination of amplification needs, evaluation o

GHAEA hearing staff met on May 3 to celebrate the end of the school year and to honor retirees Mark Draper , Melanie Thomas and Meta Trailer, and two who have resigned, Linda Gelbowitz and Sarah Wiberg.  Photo: Melanie Thomas, Sarah Wiberg, Deb Norman, Rebecca Boswell, Mollie Frazier, Kimberly Joyce, Linda Gelbowitz, Jennifer Bakkerud, Angie Bramman, Donal Welch, Michelle Mullenix, Shawna Fletcher, Melanie Sifford, Regina Mieska, Meta Trailer

It's time to celebrate the end of another school year! Here are the dates for upcoming end-of-year celebrations: North Region: May 19 South Region: May 19 East Region: May 24 Halverson & West Region: May 26 While we're at it, might as well look ahead! Mark your calendars for Opening Day 2017-18, Aug. 21, 9 to 11 a.m. 

"Thank you for the Team Diana poster and for all the positive thoughts, prayers and well wishes as I continue my journey. I will keep Julia and my media colleagues updated."  Diana Dewaele , instructional materials assistant, Halverson  

Martin Mulligan  5/8 Lora Hight  5/16 Lois Hartje  5/18 Laura Danforth  5/20 Silina Branson  5/22 Mollie Frazier  5/24 Molly Masat  5/25 Renee Prochaska-Keenan  5/25 Gloria Hansen  5/30 Dan Merriam  5/30