Untitled - Get Involved

Table of Contents 

Professional Development.......4-5 

School News .......................7-17 

Parent News...................... 18-22 

State News.............................21 

Destiny Library........................23 

Disability History and 

Awareness 

The first two weeks in October of each year are 

designated as “Disability History and Awareness 

Weeks.” Information is posted on the district website 

(www.browardschools.com) and sent to all principals 

and ESE Specialists. Disability awareness books 

for elementary, middle and high school levels are 

available in the Florida Diagnostic and Learning 

Resources System (FDLRS) Media Center. The FDLRS 

Resource Collection will soon be relocated to the 

Learning & Instructional Materials Department in the 

Rock Island Professional Development Center. 

Just Do It…. I Did! 14 th Annual Awards Ceremony 

There were 130 ESE students nominated by their schools to be recognized for the Just Do 

It…. I Did! Award. The 14 th Annual Awards Ceremony will be held in October 2012, which 

is the culmination of Disability History and Awareness Weeks. Approximately 300 students, 

families, school and district staff, school board members, ESE Advisory Council Chair and 

sponsors will be invited to attend the ceremony. Of the 130 ESE students nominated, five 

will be honored as “Recognized Recipients. ” These are students who have earned the 

highest scores for preschool, elementary, middle school, high school and adult (ages 19- 

22) categories. The following ten Principal Judges will review the ESE student nomination 

applications in the spring 2012 and will also be recognized at the awards ceremony. 

Flamingo Elementary 

Harbordale Elementary 

Maplewood Elementary 

Park Springs Elementary 

Piper High School 

Pompano Beach Elementary 

Sandpiper Elementary 

Sheridan Park Elementary 

The Quest Center 

Wingate Oaks Center 

Janice Crosby, Principal 

Theresa Bucolo, Principal 

Sherry Bees, Principal 

Arlene Klaasen, Principal 

Enid Valdez, Principal 

Michelle Garcia, Principal 

Dr. Deloris Johnson, Principal 

Maria Calzadilla-Tracy, Principal 

Leo Nesmith, Principal 

Sarah Hausman, Principal 

The 2011 community sponsors who supported the annual event last year included: After School 

Programs, Autism Society of America-Broward County Chapter, Florida Marlins Community 

Foundation, ING Financial Partners, Jason Taylor Foundation, Merrill Lynch, Phonak and The 

International Game Fish Association. The district Just Do It Planning Committee coordinates 

the annual event each year. Committee members include: Dr. Beata Darai/Head Start, Jane 

Derringer/FDLRS Parent Services, Alan Jablonowitz/Drew Family Resource Center, Wendy 

Merrill/Westchester Elementary, Pamela Sargent/North Student Services, Paula Thompson/ 

North Student Services, Lindsey Wahlbrink/Park Springs Elementary, Gwen Lipscomb/FDLRS 

Coordinator and Kimberly DiLuzio/FDLRS Child Find Specialist. Interested sponsors and 

principals who would like to serve as a 2012 judge should contact Kimberly DiLuzio, FDLRS 

Child Find at 754-321-2204 or via CAB at Kimberly.diluzio@browardschools.com. 

2 

Exceptional Student Education Spring 2012

We Are All More Alike Than 

Different 

Submitted by: Susan Slimack, National Board Certified 

Teacher/Grade 5-Gifted, Westchester Elementary 

Spring 2012 3

2013 Broward County 

Teacher of the Year 

Jacqueline “Jacqui” Carrero, National Board 

Certified Teacher, ESE Support Facilitator/ESOL 

Teacher, McNicol Middle 

and paraprofessionals, was a Multicultural Book Evaluator, and 

an Early Intervention Therapist. Furthermore, for the past 

six years, she’s worked as an adjunct professor at Systems 

University Ana G. Mendez (SUAGM); it is the first dual language 

university in the United States. Additional duties Ms. Carrero 

performs at SUAGM are as a Faculty Assessor/Interviewer, 

conducting professional development for professors, performing 

observations of fellow colleagues, as a panelist on Career Day, 

and as a keynote speaker at the Facilitator Appreciation Night. 

This past year, Ms. Carrero was also awarded the 2011 CAP 

(Commission for Accelerated Programs) Excellence in Teaching 

Higher Education Award, where she traveled to Denver, Colorado 

to receive the honor. 

Jacqui Carrero is a 21-year seasoned teacher and received the 

2013 Broward County Teacher of the Year Award at the Caliber 

Awards Ceremony held on March 1, 2012, at the Signature 

Grand in Davie. Ms. Carrero teaches students with disabilities 

and English-language learners and is known for her “toughlove” 

approach. She has high expectations, evidenced by her 

at-risk students demonstrating 90 percent learning gains last 

year, the highest of her entire school. Ms. Carrero has worked 

at McNicol Middle School for the past 5 years as an ESE Support 

Facilitator. She has coordinated school dances, was awarded 

two Walmart grants, and school supplies from Office Depot. Ms. 

Carrero goes “above and beyond” the call of duty and sponsors 

students for the prom, on trips, and is a coach and mentor to 

novice and veteran teachers. She instills in her students that 

your attitude, not your aptitude, will determine your altitude in 

school and in life! Last year, Ms. Carrero was selected out of 500 

educators nationwide, by the National Board for Professional 

Teaching Standards, to be 1 of 12 committee members to 

review, revise, and update the Literacy: Reading and Language 

Arts (LRLA) Early to Middle Childhood Standards. She was flown 

four days a month, for five months, all expenses paid, to the 

headquarters in Maryland. The portfolios submitted by National 

Board Candidates seeking National Board Certification must 

reflect the updated LRLA Standards. 

Ms. Carrero has an extensive background and credentials. 

She has four certifications including a Masters in Special 

Education and a Specialist Diploma in School Administration and 

Supervision. Currently, she is working on her Doctoral Degree 

in Organizational Leadership at NOVA Southeastern University. 

As a result of the 2013 Broward County Teacher of the Year 

award, NOVA awarded her with a $5,000 scholarship to apply 

toward tuition. In addition, Ms. Carrero has written Exceptional 

Student Education Curriculum Guides for New York City teachers 

4 

Gladys Martinez is the FDLRS/ 

ESE Media Center Library Media 

Clerk with Broward County 

Public Schools. Gladys was 

the Library Media Clerk at a 

Broward County middle school 

for five years. She is excited 

to assist teachers and parents 

working with students receiving 

exceptional student education in locating and using library 

media materials. Gladys will be the 

FDLRS Media Clerk once the FDLRS 

Resource Collection is relocated 

to the Learning & Instructional 

Materials Department at the Rock 

Island Professional Development 

Center. 

To register for PDA online courses, starting 

September 24, 2012, contact Jane Derringer, 

FDLRS Program Specialist on CAB at jane. 

derringer@browardschools.com. 

***A new module will be offered: Technology 

for Student Success: Assistive Technology 

-16 inservice points. 

Stay tuned: the reading module is being 

revised to align with competency 4 of the 

new reading endorsement. 


An Online Professional Development Program 

www.pda-ese.org 

The PDA online facilitated modules provide comprehensive, high quality and accessible 

professional development for Florida educators wanting to improve their skills in 

responding to the needs of all students. Coordinated through the FDLRS Network, the 

PDA Program, originally known as PDA-ESE, is available free of charge to all Florida 

educators. The following modules are available through PDA: 

60 Points 

* Foundations of Exceptional Education * Instructional Practices 

* Assessment and Evaluation * Positive Behavior Support 

* Language Development and Communication * Transition 

* Differentiating Reading Instruction: Making It Explicit 

(Also satisfies Competencies 4 and 5 of the FL Reading Endorsement) 

30 Points 

* Interpersonal Interactions and Participation 

* Differentiating Math Instruction 

* Differentiating Science Instruction 

16 Points 

* Intro to Differentiating Instruction: Responding to All Learners 

*Formative Assessment Process for Differentiating Instruction 

Above two modules are available locally through FDLRS and FIN 

*Technology for Student Success: An Introduction 

*Technology for Student Success: Assistive Technology 

Module characteristics include: 

Online content and activities for self-paced study…..Ongoing communication with 

expert local facilitators…..Group or virtual meetings with colleagues and expert 

facilitators…..Classroom-related assessment tasks…..Consistent user-friendly 

format/organization…..Technology support 

The PDA online program was developed 

through the collaborative efforts of the 

Bureau of Exceptional Education and 

Student Services and the Bureau of 

Educator Certification. The PDA modules 

are offered statewide through the 

coordination of the FDLRS Administration/ 

HRD Project, local FDLRS Associate 

Centers and the Florida Center for 

Interactive Media. 

Additional detailed information is available at 

www.pda-ese.org or for module availability 

please contact your local FDLRS Center at 

www.fdlrs.org. Additional questions 

contact: 

Jane Derringer , FDLRS REACH, 

754-321-2200 

Jane.derringer@browardschools.com 

Modules starting 9/24/12 

Register for local courses through Jane Derringer 

Spring 2012 5

Enhancing Learning through 

Classroom Setup and Design 

Submitted by: Gary Grigull, Curriculum Supervisor/ASD, 

Broward County Public Schools 

Have you ever wondered why an Autism Cluster Classroom 

looks different from a typical classroom? Some of the first 

things people notice when they walk into a cluster class 

are the arrangement of furniture, student schedules on the 

walls, number posters with dots, baskets, colored folders and 

timers. Although this may look a little strange to some, to the 

student with autism it makes his or her world more organized 

and predictable. This type of structure is a primary factor to 

student success. 

Structured teaching is an approach to teaching children with 

autism. It is a manner of creating instructional environments 

conducive to a variety of educational methods (e.g., visual 

support strategies, Picture Exchange Communication System - 

PECS, sensory integration activities, applied behavior analysis 

strategies, social skills training, etc.). It is based upon the 

unique features and characteristics associated with the nature 

of autism. 

When teaching the student with Autism Spectrum Disorder 

(ASD) it is important that the classroom adapt to the student, 

rather than expecting the student to adapt to the classroom. 

We accomplish this by making the educational environment 

as predictable and routine as possible. Each room is carefully 

set up to provide distinctive areas for work, play, transition, 

individual and group instruction. The physical structure 

minimizes visual and auditory distractions. The environment is 

organized, contains appropriate activities and helps students 

with autism understand what is expected of them. As students 

learn to function more independently, the physical structure can 

be gradually decreased. 

Creating independence is at the forefront of structured 

teaching. Within each area of the classroom, independent 

work is organized in such a way that the student knows what 

work they have to do, how much work they have to do, when 

the work is finished, and what happens when the work is 

completed (reinforcer). You will often see the work organized 

in baskets, bins or folders with letters, numbers or colors. A 

finished basket near the student’s work area reiterates to the 

student that once the work is placed in the bin, it is finished. 

This organizational strategy helps the student identify the 

expectations and complete the activities more independently. 

Another strategy teachers use to make the environment 

more predictable is through individual daily schedules. These 

schedules are arranged either top to bottom or left to right. 

Depending on the student’s learning style, schedules use 

objects, icons, pictures or words to list each activity. A visual 

schedule will tell the student which activities will occur and in 

what sequence. As the student finishes each task or activity, 

they signify that the task is complete (crossing off, flipping the 

visual, etc). This provides a meaningful routine and is similar 

to the way adults use a “to do” list. 

As you observe the instructional techniques utilized by the 

teacher, you will notice that the materials used are often adapted 

to be more visual. Teachers adjust the materials by color 

coding, highlighting, adding high interest items, and elements 

of structure such as boarders or underlines. Teachers will often 

present the instruction through visual means, rather than 

auditory. The purpose of visual clarity is to direct the student’s 

attention to the important information, concepts, and specific 

parts of the instruction, as many children with autism become 

overly focused or attentive to insignificant or irrelevant details. 

Providing visual clarity promotes student independence rather 

than relying upon the adult, which has a tendency to promote 

prompt dependency. This is all accomplished with the student’s 

individual learning style taken into consideration. 

As a result of structuring the classroom as described, students 

typically learn to become more independent, communicate 

more effectively, and have lower levels of anxiety. Of course not 

every strategy works for every student. Teachers are constantly 

looking for ways to improve the teaching process in order to 

help individual students progress. Educating students with ASD 

has its unique challenges and requires an understanding of the 

disability. It is the goal of all teachers to use that understanding 

to help students become more independent as they get older. 

Gary Grigull is the Autism Curriculum Supervisor for Broward 

County Public Schools. He holds a Master’s Degree in Special 

Education. Gary has been in this position for seven years. During 

his stint in this position he has overseen the development of 31 

autism cluster programs, as well as the continual development 

of middle and high school life skill and vocational based 

programs. The Broward Schools ESE Dept can be accessed 

though www.browardschools.com. 

Reprinted with permission from The Autism Notebook, Feb/ 

March 2012 issue. The Autism Notebook is a free publication 

providing education, services and inspiration to those living 

with autism. For a printed or digital copy of this issue, please 

send a request to: info@autismnotebook.com.This article can 

be found in the Feb/March 2012 issue of The Autism Notebook 

Magazine. trendmag.trendoffset.com/publication/?i=97455 

6 


Best Friends 

Written by: Hannah Levinson, 7th Grade/Peer Counselor, 

Falcon Cove Middle 

Submitted by: Lisa Bandman/ESE Specialist, Shelley 

Shamp/Peer Counseling Teacher and Christine Harvey/ESE 

SVE Teacher 

School News 

An ESE Student Leader & 

Positive Role Model 

Submitted by: Dr. Wendy Schaal, Grade 5 teacher, Margate Elementary 

I have the privilege to 

work with ESE students 

almost every day in the 

Peer Counseling Program 

at Falcon Cove Middle 

School. We do various 

exciting events with 

these students. We 

went to the mall for 

holiday shopping and 

often have parties where 

we eat and dance! This 

experience, that I am 

so grateful to be a part 

of, is indescribable. The 

bonds I have developed 

with these kids are so 

strong, and they are 

truly my best friends. Whether it is helping them out in different 

subjects, putting together a puzzle, reading a story, or just 

talking and laughing at snack time, they always put a smile 

on my face. The time I have spent with these children has 

made a huge impact on my life and has greatly changed me 

as a person. I know that I am making a difference in other’s 

lives, and the kids love when we spend time together. Going 

to the ESE class has made me want to become even more 

involved and possibly pursue a career in this area. I know the 

friendships we have and the memories we share have affected 

us all in a wonderful way! 

Spring 2012 

Jimmy is a 5th grade ESE student in my class at Margate 

Elementary School that demonstrates exemplary behavior, 

respect, cooperation, and self- confidence on a daily basis. He 

is a true role model for all students at our school. 

One day a classmate with the Autism Spectrum label came to 

school with an aggressive attitude. This student has had past 

physical and verbal outrages. He walked into the cafeteria for 

breakfast and began yelling and punching at another student. 

Jimmy immediately ran over and asked the angry student to 

come over to him. Jimmy was able to calm the student down by 

talking to him and convinced him to walk away from the fight. 

Jimmy sat with the student the rest of the day reassuring him 

and helping the student cope with his anger. The staff in the 

cafeteria during breakfast were proud of Jimmy’s intervention. 

The other students now look to Jimmy as a role model and if 

they need help they ask him. 

Jimmy is always on time and organized. He completes his 

homework and returns papers consistently. He always tries to 

do the best job he can with all the work and responsibilities he is 

presented with. He participates in all lessons and asks questions 

when he needs help or clarification. He takes an active role in his 

learning and education. Jimmy is very helpful and encouraging. 

He helps others when needed and encourages his ESE classmates 

to try harder and to do their best. When other students are 

successful, he shows enthusiasm and celebrates their success; 

he is never jealous. Jimmy is a role model for his little brother 

in kindergarten. Jimmy always takes care of him, helps him 

with his homework, walks him to school and home, and loves 

him. Jimmy is a good friend to his neighbors and classmates. 

He is reliable and sincere. Jimmy always has a smile on his face. 

Because Jimmy has a Learning Disability and Speech/Language 

Impairment, he has to work harder than the average student. Yet 

he maintains a position on the A/B Honor Roll, has Perfect 

Attendance, and Good Citizenship. 

7

Art from the Heart~Projects 

with a Purpose at Deerfield 

Beach Elementary School 

Submitted by: Mary-Beth Williams, Autism Coach, Deerfield 


SuzAnne Devine-Clark, a National Board Certified Art Teacher 

at Deerfield Beach Elementary School goes above and beyond 

her job description each and every day of the school year. She 

works endless hours on projects to help others in need. Mrs. 

Clark does it from the heart with no expectations. Our most 

recent endeavor was creating puzzle piece pins to benefit our 

Deerfield Beach Elementary School Autism Cluster known as the 

“A Team”. A golf tournament was being held to raise monies for 

interactive technology in all of our cluster classrooms. 

The project took on a whole new meaning after the sudden death 

of Pompano Beach Firefighter William “Bill” Elliott. Elliott was the 

brother of Mary-Beth Williams, the Autism cluster coach, who 

was an integral part of promoting the fundraiser, working with 

the parents and community. After our students heard about the 

tragic news, they went to work with Mrs. Clark creating one-ofa-kind 

puzzle pieces with ladders and fire hats. The fundraiser 

was a huge success!!! In addition to achieving their interactive 

technology goal, Promethean heard about all of our efforts and 

the death of Bill Elliott and donated an entire interactive system 

to our cluster. In addition, with the monies our students raised 

selling the puzzle piece pins along with monies from other 

fundraisers and donations for Bill, the Elliott family has started 

a William J. Elliott Scholarship Fund in his honor through the 

Broward Education Foundation. 

Firefighter William “Bill “ Elliott was known for always helping 

others and his legacy will live on by assisting high school students 

to follow their dreams. If you would like to donate please send 

checks to: Broward Education Foundation 

William J. Elliott Scholarship Fund 

600 S.E. 3rd Avenue • Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301 

754-321- 2030 

Mrs. Devine-Clark also collaborated with the Believe in Tomorrow 

National Children’s Foundation, an organization that provides 

exceptional hospital and respite housing services to critically ill 

children and their families. Our autism cluster students made 

clay starfish that will be incorporated into a gift basket that 

each family receives when they arrive at the house. We also 

raised monies selling the clay starfish schoolwide that Believe in 

Tomorrow’s respite beach house will be purchasing a fountain and 

a bench for the healing garden on behalf of our school. Never 

underestimate the power of our children! 

We are also proud of another one of our third grade Autism 

cluster students, whose artwork was chosen to be on the thank 

8 

School News 

you card for all donations made to Personal Ponies, Ltd. Inc. 

Personal Ponies offers a unique and empowering experience to 

special needs children through direct interaction with their gentle 

and patient therapeutic miniature Shetland ponies focusing on 

the child’s abilities, not disabilities. They come out and visit our 

autism cluster every year free of charge. Our students light 

up, smile and are totally enriched by this wonderful sensory 

experience. 

2012 Kid of Character 

Submitted by: SuzAnne Devine Clark, Art Teacher, Deerfield 


Kaitlyn Fox truly exhibits each 

and every Character Education 

Trait. She is one of the most 

compassionate students I have 

ever had the honor to teach. Kaitlyn 

has such empathy for others that 

I often call her,” my little Mother 

Teresa in the making”. Each year 

in my art class we choose a project 

with a purpose and our school 

makes art, raises donations and 

gives the monies to a worthy cause 

on behalf of DBES. Kaitlyn is always the first student to jump in 

with both feet. She always does extra art at home and brings in 

donations from her friends and family. When we started collecting 

pop-tabs for the Ronald McDonald House Challenge Kaitlyn was 

the first to fill a gallon jug with pop-tabs. Kaitlyn’s artwork was 

the first design used for the puzzle piece pins benefitting the 

Autistic cluster at DBES. When our Autism coach Mary-Beth 

Williams’, brother Bill Elliott died in a tragic accident the project 

took on a whole new meaning. Kaitlyn and a few of her fellow 

students spearheaded a fundraiser to raise money for the A-Team 

on behalf of Bill. They went to work creating beautiful puzzle 

pieces with ladders, fire hats and #61, Bill’s station house number. 

The fundraiser was a huge success. The students raised over 

$2,000.00 selling pins and the Elliott family has started a William 

J. Elliott Scholarship Fund in his honor through the Broward 

Education Foundation using the funds they raised. When two 

of our staff members were diagnosed with stage 4 cancer this 

school year, it was Kaitlyn’s fifth grade class who made clay heart 

pins to raise money to give to them. They sold the pins attached 

to a Valentine Gram, which said, Roses are red, Violets are blue, 

DBES is special and so are you! Kaitlyn is always respectful, kind 

and tolerant of others and is very responsible and cooperates with 

her peers when she leads them in the Character Education Trait 

of citizenship through many community service projects. I can 

honestly say that she deserves to be the 2012 Kid Of Character 

and I nominate her wholeheartedly. 


Art from the Heart~Projects with a Purpose at 

Deerfield Beach Elementary School 

Spring 2012 9

School News 

Memories From the Heart 

A Special Tribute to Coral 

Springs Middle School 

Submitted by: Latairance Hunter, Grade 8, Coral Springs Middle 

My name is Latairance Hunter. I 

like to be called LT. I am 15 years 

old and an 8th grade student at 

Coral Springs Middle. I have been 

in the VE program since 6th grade. 

I was born with Spinal Bifida and 

have lived my life in a wheelchair. 

I presently live in a group home. 

Life hasn’t always been easy but 

I continue to be thankful for all 

my blessings. I will be graduating 

middle school and before I leave 

I must give special thanks to the 

following people for changing my life academically and socially. 

At Coral Springs Middle we have an awesome program to help 

kids like myself. This past year, I was nominated as the middle 

school student in the county for, “Just Do It... I Did!” I owe my 

success to the following people at Coral Springs Middle. 

I would also like to honor these 

special people and teachers: 

Elaine Heyler, Hal Krantz, 

Edouard Jean, Rose Walsh, Gail 

Brown, Nancy Bartone, Lincy, 

Ruby Carike, and Chelsea Shaff 

(student teachers), for all of their 

hard work and leadership. If it 

wasn’t for them, I would not be 

the person I am today. They have 

helped me with my education and 

being in ESE is really not a bad 

thing at all because you get more 

help from them, then if you were in regular classes. The work 

would be twice as hard as ever. I love all of the staff and students 

in my class. Also, I like the education that my teachers gave to 

me. I really love this program. I leave with so many wonderful 

memories. It is hard to say goodbye! 

Last but not least, I would like to thank Mr. Murray for being 

the best principal in the whole world! Coral Springs Middle ESE 

program should never end because all of my friends say that 

this program has helped them so much. I hope that they will 

not do away with this amazing, fun, terrific, awesome, exciting, 

and special program. I hope the readers really like this letter; I 

wrote this from the bottom of my heart and soul. Thank you for 

letting me to share this message. 

Play Pals 

Submitted by: Caryl Panzarella, Autism Specialist, 

Coral Park Elementary 

“Play Pals” are typical students that act as natural role models 

to children with autism. The Play Pal program was developed 

at Coral Park Elementary, ten 

years ago by Caryl Panzarella. At 

the beginning of each school year, 

she trains 3rd, 4th and 5th grade 

students on how to work with 

children with autism and other 

special needs. Once they are 

trained they are assigned to go 

into classrooms on a regular basis 

to work with, play with and model 

social skills for these students. 

The benefits of such a peer buddy 

system are exponential. Children 

with autism struggle with initiating and maintaining peer 

relationships. “Play Pals” imitate how to interact appropriately. 

Some may say that kids on the autism spectrum don’t really 

care about relationships. These kids really do care. They 

show great sensitivity to each other. They really want to have 

friends. They just don’t know how to go about it. “Play Pals” 

teach them. They demonstrate compassion. In addition, they 

encourage and guide the students to interact in a social way 

that may not come naturally. 

By making connections with typical peers, the feelings of 

isolation and loneliness, that are characteristic of autism, are 

decreased. Although the Play Pals are of great help to students 

with autism, they benefit as well. The Play Pals become leaders 

amongst their peers. They are able to educate their friends 

and family members about autism. This can decrease potential 

bullying situations or discrimination in the school. It gives 

them the ability to generalize acceptance of others out in the 

community. In addition, many of the Play Pals have expressed 

an interest in becoming a teacher of special needs children 

someday. In closing, the Play Pal program is a “Win-Win” 

situation for typical students as well as those with special needs. 

10 


A Special 5th Birthday 

Celebration 

Submitted by: Miriam Paul, Speech-Language Pathologist, 

AM/PM Program, Coral Springs Elementary 

I am proud to talk about my student, Drew Pham. I have had 

the pleasure of working with him since Spring, 2011. Drew is a 

student who started in my class totally non-communicative, very 

shy without a lot of self-confidence and completely dependent 

on a tube feeding. Now, he is a highly communicative student 

who is able and willing to eat a great variety of foods and is 

no longer completely dependent on his tube feeding for his 

nutritional needs. 

When Drew started in the ESE Preschool Speech/Language 

class, he started out as Speech and Language Impaired. He 

needed significant prompting to verbalize at the one to two word 

level and only spoke/initiated verbalization when prompted. He 

Spring 2012

A Shining Star 

Submitted by: Pascale Atouriste, SVE Teacher/ESE 

Department Chair, Miramar High 

Shongreghia Woods’ name echoes the hallways of Miramar 

High School as the first SVE 

student to join our Miramar 

Soldier Band (the #1 

Marching Band in Broward 

County). She is also the 

first student from our 

SVE program to ever get 

accepted into the culinary 

program at Sheridan 

Technical School for her 

junior year. Shongreghia 

has maintained a 3.2 GPA 

and is ranked in the top 

30% of her senior class. 

Three years ago, I joined 

the SVE team at Miramar High School. Coming from a general 

education background, I did not know what to expect from 

the students and I was unsure on how to handle them. It was 

not easy to build a relationship with them, because they were 

all upset that I had replaced their previous teacher and they 

missed her. It was no different with Shongreghia, but soon 

enough I realized how lucky I was to have her in my class. 

Although she did not know it at the time, I immediately realized 

that she was the leader of the class. When she was sad, the 

others were sad; and if she was happy, the others were happy 

as well. I decided to use her unknown talent to win the heart 

of the class, and it worked. 

Shongreghia immediately emerged as the shining star of the 

class. She took her role as a leader very seriously. At times 

she would be the voice of reason when her classmates needed 

assistance. She knew the daily routine of the class and would 

assist any substitute in my absence. Soon her leadership 

ability was recognized outside of the classroom. When SGA 

(Student Government Association) would request a student 

representative from all homeroom classes, Shongreghia was 

always her peers’ nominee. When our secretaries Mrs. Amman 

or Mrs. Gold needed assistance in the office or to show a new 

student around campus, they would call for Shongreghia. 

Everyone knows Shongreghia on campus, and she also knows 

everyone. By the end of her sophomore year, Shongreghia had 

shown exponential growth academically, socially, and internally. 

She became the department “jewel”. By the beginning of her 

junior year, she was accepted into the share-time culinary 

program at Sheridan Technical School. 

12 

School News 

Her acceptance into the culinary program was a definite 

testament to all the other SVE students that they also can 

achieve greatness if they put forward their best effort. While 

Shongreghia spent half of her day at Sheridan, I soon saw other 

students emerge as leaders of the class in the hope of following 

in her footsteps. They all wanted to be like their classmate and 

join her. Shongreghia opened their minds showing them that 

they did not have to wait to be in the PASS program to start 

working on their career goals. It was not just the students that 

were amazed with Shongreghia’s progress, the parents were as 

well. Soon, I was getting phone calls from most of my parents 

requesting information about other options for their children. 

During the summer before her senior year, Shongreghia 

would come to school during the week to assist our athletic 

department. While assisting with various athletic activities, she 

was given the opportunity to be part of something even bigger. 

She won a spot in the best Marching Band in Broward County, 

the “Miramar Soldier Band”. Shongreghia would faithfully 

attend all practices during the summer and performed in front 

of her classmates for the first time at the Homecoming Parade. 

We were all amazed to see how precisely she performed 

and followed the routine just like everyone else. I remember 

standing with the other teachers cheering almost to tears like 

she was my own child. 

As a senior, Shongreghia would come to school every day after 

spending half of the day at Sheridan studying culinary arts. She 

would continue her program at Miramar, and then would stay 

after school to practice with the band. She was no longer just 

a leader to her peers, she was an inspiration. 

Shongreghia’s growth and success is not only attributed to her 

school environment. Shongreghia has very strong family support 

with probably the most involved father I have ever met in my 

teaching career. When I take a trip back to memory lane trying 

to remember the student that I met three years ago and the 

accomplished young lady that stands before me today, I can not 

believe I played a part in such an accomplishment. She is my 

affirmation that the sky is the limit and all individuals can excel 

with the proper support system. Shongreghia is a confident and 

determined young 

woman, and I have 

no doubt that she 

will accomplish even 

more now that she 

just got accepted 

to be a full time 

student at Sheridan 

Technical School for 

the 2012/13 school 

year. 


Elvis Teaches Students 

to Read 

Submitted by: Denise Collins, ESE Teacher for the 

Intermediate Language Learning Disabled Program, 

Tamarac Elementary 

School News 

For the past three years, students in the Language Learning 

Disabled Program and the Deaf/Hard of Hearing Program 

have been participating in a very special Pet Therapy Reading 

Program. The children excitedly look forward to the special 

Tuesday visits from Elvis. Elvis is just one of eight miniature 

horses owned by Donna Jellis, the founder of “Let’s Peace 

It Together, Inc.” a non-profit charity organization providing 

therapeutic services throughout Broward and Palm Beach 

Counties in hospitals, rehab centers, nursing homes, assistive 

living facilities, and Tamarac Elementary. 

We here at Tamarac Elementary are very fortunate to have this 

wonderful opportunity. The changes in the students witnessed 

by parents, teachers, therapists, and the horse handlers alike 

since the very first day Elvis visited Tamarac Elementary to 

today have been amazing! Not only do we have documentation 

that shows significant growth in reading fluency and reading 

comprehension, but also in individual children’s oral and written 

expression as well as self-motivation, responsibility, self-esteem, 

and socialization. 

Early America Fort & Garden 

Project: Lessons from 

Unique Learning 

Submitted by: Shelia Weinstein, SVE Teacher and Tina Toller, 

Student Teacher, at Deerfield Beach Middle School 

For the month of February, the SVE class at Deerfield Beach 

Middle School has been working on Early America. The students 

made an Early America Fort and planted a vegetable garden. 

This project went along with the lessons from Unique Learning. 

The success of this program has made all the research we 

read about the animal-human bond an incredible reality for 

our students. 

Spring 2012 

13

A Successful ESE Transition Fair 

Hosted by Coral Glades High School’s ESE Department 

Submitted by: Kelley Fisher, ESE Department Chair 

School News 

most complex learners. They practiced their social and selfadvocacy 

skills in a safe, supportive environment alongside 

their parents or teachers. They engaged in conversations with 

representatives and asked insightful, self-directed questions, 

giving them a sense of control over their own future. One 

student discussed transportation options with a representative 

from TOPS, a Broward County Paratransit Service. Another 

student inquired about the classes available at Broward College 

in the field of health science. Denise Rusnak, Director of 

Exceptional Student Education, had the opportunity to attend 

our Transition Fair. She felt it was a valuable experience for our 

families to meet the agencies and learn more about the postsecondary 

options available after high school. 

Planning for the future can be an overwhelming and daunting 

task for many of our students with disabilities getting ready to 

graduate from high school. Some students plan to continue their 

education at the college level, while others prepare to enroll in 

a technical school or seek employment immediately following 

high school. Regardless of their post-secondary goals, our ESE 

team is committed to developing a clearly defined plan to help 

our students make a successful transition into their next stage 

of life. In order to break the planning process into smaller, more 

manageable steps, our staff has started a Transition Fair for 

our ESE families in the hopes of producing the best possible 

outcomes for our students. In fact, we recently hosted our 6th 

annual Transition Fair this past February, which turned out to be 

our most successful event yet, resulting in the largest turnout 

of students, parents, and community agencies. 

For over 35 years, the unemployment rate has been greater than 

70% for all young adults with disabilities exiting high school. 

In an effort to reverse this grim statistic, our staff invited over 

30 different agencies to educate our families on the services 

available to assist them after high school. The 23 agencies that 

attended made every effort to cater to each student’s unique 

set of interests, strengths, and weaknesses. While each agency 

targeted students with specific needs, they all placed a strong 

emphasis on the skills necessary to succeed in the workplace 

or post-secondary education. Through job coaching/training, 

career education, and community-based instruction, they shared 

real life experiences of students learning appropriate social 

skills, effective communication skills, and important life skills. 

The event was designed to facilitate interaction and meaningful 

discussion between our individual families and the various 

agencies. Parents were able to easily approach any agency that 

sparked their interest and explore post-secondary options with a 

knowledgeable representative. Students were also encouraged 

to play an active role in planning for their future, including our 

Coral Glades would like to recognize the team players that 

contributed to the success of our ESE Transition Fair. Foremost, 

we would like to especially thank our parents for continuing 

to be so supportive and involved in their child’s education. We 

would also like to recognize our ROTC students who acted as 

ushers and our Culinary Arts students who catered our event 

and served light refreshments. Additional recognition goes to 

our PASS students who greeted our guests as they arrived 

as well as Taravella High School’s PASS classes who joined 

us. We’d also like to acknowledge our ESE department and 

administrative team who continue to support our student-driven 

initiatives. Finally, we’d like to recognize all the agencies that 

attended below. 

• Concorde College 

• Atlantic Technical School 

• College Living Experience 

• Lynn University 

• Work Force One 

• Boca Habilitation Center 

• Vocational Rehabilitation 

• United Cerebral Palsy 

• Broward County Transit 

• Disability Rights Florida 

• Center for Hearing & Communication 

• Center for Independent Living 

• Victory Living Program 

• Broward College 

• Florida Atlantic University 

• 211 Broward 

• UM-NSU Center for Autism and Related Disorders 

• Coral Springs Police Department 

• Achievement & Rehabilitation Center 

• Fitwize-4-Kids 

• Agency for Persons with Disabilities in Florida 

• Easter Seals 

• Adult Community Education 

14 


School News 

ESE Transition Fair 

A True Eagle Student at 

Eagle Ridge Elementary 

Submitted by: Sheryl Richards, ESE Teacher, Eagle Ridge 

Elementary 

Hannah Dingle is a 9-year-old 

student who participates in 

the InD Cluster program at 

Eagle Ridge Elementary. She 

spends her days at school 

working on academics with 

her cluster classmates and 

going to lunch, recess, field 

trips and specials with her 

general education peers. 

Hannah is a role model for 

her fellow students helping 

them with academics, life 

and social skills throughout 

the day. She hopes to be a 

teacher when she finishes school. Yelena Shchekoteva, Hannah’s 

teacher, states that “Hannah is a great helper in making sure 

that classroom rules and procedures are followed precisely. She 

is currently in charge of the classroom behavior system which 

requires her to monitor the order and peace.” 

Shortly after Winter Break, Hannah was riding the school bus 

to aftercare. She noticed one of her classmates in apparent 

distress, and called to the bus aide, “Mr. Patrick, come here, 

she’s having a seizure!” By her immediately alerting the bus 

staff, they were able to pull over and call 911. While waiting 

for the EMTs to arrive, Hannah was educating the bus staff as 

to what they should do for her classmate, as she had observed 

that child having seizures in school on several occasions. Hannah 

was able to remain calm throughout this incident, even though 

she was heartbroken to see her friend going through this. 

Marina Rashid, Eagle Ridge Principal, when alerted as to 

Hannah’s actions, stated, “Hannah is a true Eagle. She is always 

polite, helpful, and really cares about her classmates. Great 

job, Hannah. I am SO proud of you!” 

Hannah is a joy to have in our program. Her family is very 

involved with all aspects of her life, checking her academic 

progress and following through with homework, making sure 

she gets to her Special Needs cheerleading practices and 

competitions, and participating as a family in the Buddy Walk 

each year. As Hannah’s first teacher at Eagle Ridge, I am one of 

the many proud Eagles who greatly admire Hannah and what 

she brings to our program. 

Spring 2012 15

If You Know a 

Child Who Needs 

a Helping Hand 

Call FDLRS Child Find 

754-321-2204 

Child Find offers information and FREE 

SCREENING for children (birth-5 years) 

who may have difficulty: 

learning • speaking • playing 

seeing • walking • hearing 

Birth to 6 Months 

• Turns toward sounds 

• Laughs, squeals or babbles to 

people 

• Holds onto your finger 

• Reaches for rattle or toy 

6 Months to 1 Year 

• Crawls 

• Sits without support 

• Jabbers at length 

• Plays pat-a-cake 

• Recognizes mother 

(or primary care giver) 

Listed below are developmental skills that typically occur by the age noted. 

These are only general guidelines - all children develop at different rates. 

1 Year to 18 Months 

• Points to at least 2 body parts 

when asked 

• Names 2 or more objects 

• Reacts to parents coming and 

going 

• Is beginning to feed self 

• Walks without help 

18 Months to 2 Years 

• Drinks from a cup without 

help 

• Can build a tower of 3 or 4 

blocks 

• Says the name of 5 or more 

objects 

• Shows interest in other 

children 

• Can follow a simple direction 

2 to 3 Years 

• Puts words together to make 

simple sentences 

• Uses spoon and fork to feed self 

• Can hold and mark with a pencil 

or crayon 

• Can climb the ladder on a slide 

• Can identify happy, sad, angry 

and afraid 

• Claims things as "mine" 

• Runs with ease 

3 to 4 Years 

• Can pedal a tricycle or "big wheel" 

• Is toilet trained 

• Counts to 5 

• Plays in a small group (shares and 

takes turns) 

• Asks "what," "where" and "why" 

questions 

• Speech is easily understood by 

others 

4 to 5 Years 

• Can throw and catch a ball 

• Can tell a story with a beginning, 

middle and end from looking at a 

picture 

• Copies simple shapes (circle, 

square, and triangle) 

• Uses complete sentences in 

conversation 

• Tries to write some letters of 

his/her name 

Child Find can help 

your young child by 

providing... 

Screening 

Child Find conducts free screenings 

in the areas of communication, motor 

development, vision, hearing, and 

school readiness skills. In this way, 

problems may be detected early and 

a plan can be provided. 

Assistance 

Child Find assists in placing children 

with special needs in appropriate 

exceptional education programs. 

Information 

Child Find provides information 

about programs available within the 

community for children with special 

needs. 

If you have specific questions, please 

call Child Find to talk to one of our 

Child Find Specialists. There's NEVER 

a charge for any of our services. 

16 


A Politician at Heart 

Submitted by: Kristin Judd, Speech-Language Pathologist, 

Norcrest Elementary 

Chase Doerfler is 9 years old and in third grade. This school year 

he took to the streets of his Lighthouse Point neighborhood to 

campaign with Mrs. Lysengen, a 5th grade teacher at Norcrest 

Elementary and candidate running for City Commissioner. Chase 

was inspired to campaign because of his love of politics, and his 

support of Mrs. Lysengen. By campaigning, Chase proved to 

be an exemplary ESE student who is a thinker, a communicator, 

and a risk taker. 

Chase’s involvement in the campaign started when he made a 

lemonade stand to raise money for Mrs. Lysnegen’s campaign. 

Chase said “I want to help Mrs. Lysengen, because I know it 

will make her happy if she wins, and she needs money to do it.” 

Chase was also fueled by his interest in politics, and by his belief 

that he could impact the opinions of voters in his community. 

Chase walked house to house, knocking on neighbor’s doors 

to introduce Mrs. Lysengen as “a friend running in the City 

Commission race” as he delivered his homemade flyers that read 

“Vote for Becky for LHP City Commissioner”. Chase approached 

his campaign with confidence and thoughtfulness. When asked 

about Chase’s efforts, Mrs. Lysengen, stated “I think having Chase 

with me put the residents at ease when I approached their home, 

which allowed me to spend more time with them to go over my 

agenda- one of them being ‘a voice for all generations’ -which 

was evident when a 3rd grader could speak his voice about who 

he wanted to help lead his hometown!” Luckily Chase’s efforts 

paid off when Mrs. Lysengen was elected to the City Commission. 

Chase is an exemplary ESE student who applies his knowledge not 

only in school but in his community as well. His love of politics 

inspired him to participate in his very own hands-on experience 

in the democratic process. Chase’s actions clearly indicate that 

he is an exemplary ESE student. 

multitudinous facts about animals and presidents, and he had a 

vast vocabulary. Despite his academic gains, Chase continued 

to have difficulty effectively communicating with his peers and 

adults. He did not initiate interactions with his peers. He could 

not effectively answer simple questions, nor could he express 

his personal experiences, thoughts, and feelings. 

Throughout kindergarten Chase improved his ability to attend 

to teacher lessons. He began answering academic questions 

correctly during group discussions, and he started to interact and 

play with a few peers that he was comfortable with. While in the 

first grade, Chase began receiving social skills interventions to 

address his pragmatic difficulties with initiating communication 

and effectively communicating with others. Chase eagerly 

participated in the social skills groups, and he began to apply 

what he learned. Chase became a more attentive student, who 

paid more attention to the thoughts and feelings of the people 

around him. He initiated more interactions with his peers and 

teachers, and he started to apply problem-solving strategies when 

he was frustrated. By second grade, Chase began presenting 

projects in front of class, and volunteering to answer questions. 

He started to make more friends within his class. Now, as a third 

grader, Chase is an active communicator. He enjoys sharing his 

wealth of knowledge about animals, presidents, and geography 

with classmates, teachers, and his community. His growth as 

a communicator is evident in his willingness to participate in a 

political campaign, which required him to initiate interaction with 

people he was not familiar with and to express his thoughts about 

the candidate he supported. Chase has made tremendous gains 

in his ability to socialize with others! 

In addition to his involvement in the community, Chase is a 

dedicated and hard working student, performing above grade 

level in all academic areas. He demonstrates commitment and 

confidence in his schoolwork. Chase is a curious student who 

loves to learn. He has a wide vocabulary and a vast knowledge of 

the Presidents history and geography. Chase excels in spelling; 

his weekly spelling tests are at an 8th grade level. While in the 

3rd grade, Chase participated in a school-wide spelling bee. After 

placing first in his class, Chase proceeded to compete against 

the top 15 spellers of the 3rd grade. After many competitive 

rounds, Chase was declared the 3rd grade spelling bee champion! 

Chase is a kind student who cares about the feelings of his 

classmates and teachers. He is a caring big brother to his younger 

twin siblings, who also attend Norcrest. His thoughtfulness is 

evident in his actions, especially in his campaign to help a Norcrest 

teacher get elected to the Lighthouse Point City Commission. 

Chase’s peers view him as a bright student. Many of his 

classmates have exclaimed, “Chase is the smartest kid in school!” 

At age 3, Chase enrolled in the PLACE program for developmentally 

delayed students at Norcrest Elementary. At that time Chase 

required prompting and assistance to initiate and sustain 

attention to tasks, to share and take turns, to following onestep 

directions, and to answer simple questions. He was easily 

frustrated and became very upset with changes in his routines. 

As he progressed through two years of the PLACE program, 

Chase’s academic skills soared. He could read books and recall 

Spring 2012 17

Parent Education News 

Schools, Parents, and 

Communities: The Ultimate Team 

Submitted by: Linda Howard, Program Specialist-Parent 

Involvement, Title I, Migrant and School Improvement 

Active Parenting at Davie 

Elementary 

Submitted by: Sandra Whalen, School Psychologist and 

Marisa Kinney, School Social Worker, South Area Student 

Services 

“Schools, Parents, and Communities: The Ultimate Team” was 

the theme of this year’s Annual Title I and Head Start Parent 

Seminar held on January 28, 2012 at the Signature Grand. The 

atmosphere was filled with excitement and there were over 600 

parents in attendance. During the morning parents attended 

a dynamic keynote address by author, historian, and educator 

Chike Akua from Conyers, Georgia. Mr. Akua’s empowered 

the attendees to incorporate the three “Vs” (Vision, Values, 

and Valor) when providing support and rearing their children. 

Parents were able to glean valuable information and resources 

from their workshop participation. Some of the topics just to 

name a few were: Sexting, Adult Literacy Programs, available 

211 Broward resources, Parents K-12 Home Literacy Program, 

and Active Parenting workshops. Overall, this was a spectacular 

all day conference that consisted of learning for Broward’s 

parents! 

Davie Elementary School provided Active Parenting workshops 

this school year. Recognizing the importance of this service for 

their families, the school provided childcare and dinner for both 

parents and children. A special Italian themed Valentine’s Day 

dinner was sponsored by Reifkind, Thompson & Rudzinski, P.L. 

Parents reported that the training was very beneficial. Several 

stated that they experienced immediate and surprising results 

when they put the techniques they learned into practice at 

home. The evaluation comments were positive and several 

parents expressed a desire for additional training in the future. 

Active Parenting workshops were presented by Jane Derringer, 

FDLRS (Florida Diagnostic & Learning Resources System) Parent 

Services Program Specialist, Exceptional Student Education 

Department. She discussed the different styles of parenting, 

effective discipline and assertive “Active Parenting” methods 

that parents can utilize when directing their children. Parent 

comments from the Active Parenting workshop were very 

positive. Many parents reported the most rewarding workshop 

they attended was the Active Parenting workshop. 

18 



make. Stacy Mager shares that “I have learned so much about 

being an advocate for my child and it was so therapeutic and 

rewarding to ‘give back’ to other parents…” Patricia Parron 

notes that “parent group gives parents a forum in which to shine 

and learn…a place where people listen and feel understood.” 

Submitted by: Donna Wallace, LCSW/ESE Family Counselor, 

Edgewood Administrative Center 

Children diagnosed at birth or soon thereafter with hearing 

or vision loss are candidates for early intervention services 

through Early Steps and Broward Schools. The families of 

these children begin a journey they never intended to make 

with little preparation and much trepidation. A unique parent 

group developed by a clinical social worker gives these parents 

a place to come to…..a place where information…and hugs…. 

are shared in equal measure. 

Parents of special needs students in Broward Schools appreciate 

the opportunity to “get their groove back” by empowering 

themselves and each other at parent group. As Claudia 

Lopez notes, “I always come away from a meeting with useful 

information and a feeling that I am not alone in this journey.” 

Promoting Effective Parenting 

Submitted by Bonnie I. Cronenberg, South Area School 

Psychologist 

The group meets twice a year and has grown from a dozen 

people to 40 or more at each meeting. Topics cover a lot 

of ground. The group has heard from a panel of parents 

speaking on the emotional component in working with early 

interventionists in the home and then saying goodbye to them 

when the child reaches age three. We have heard from older 

students with sensory loss…and from their families. We have 

looked at the impact on siblings with a special needs child in 

the family. Parents have presented on how current legislation 

is intended to meet their child’s educational needs. Parents 

have become familiar with the terminology related to Individual 

Education Plans. Information on community resources has 

been shared, and parents routinely network with each other 

between sessions. 

“Parents use each other as a sounding board”, says parent, 

Beckie Schwartz. “I get support from them and the feeling that I 

am not alone.” Claudia Lopez, mom of a dual-sensory impaired 

youngster, notes that “the parents are always provided time 

at the end of each session for discussion among themselves”. 

And everyone appreciates the child care provided by school 

staff in an adjacent room. 

A former educator and parent of a special needs child, Patricia 

Parron, states that “parent group is an integral part of parenting 

a Broward County child with special needs. We are all walking 

resources and one way to share is to meet in a compassionate, 

safe place.” Parent Kerry Ann Williams agrees that “group 

educates and motivates parents with kids who have disabilities.” 

An important aspect of this parent group is the opportunity 

to help another parent making this journey no one wants to 

A group of dedicated parents made the commitment to hone 

their parenting skills and participate in the Active Parenting 

Now series of classes offered here at A.C. Perry. Led by 

school psychologist, Bonnie I. Cronenberg and school social 

worker, Dr. Marcelle Martelly, the group learned strategies to 

help win cooperation, promote active two-way communication 

and how to instill responsibility in their children. In addition, 

these active parents learned effective discipline techniques 

to add to their parenting “toolbox.”. Active Parenting, a 

nationally recognized research-based program, was rated 

as very helpful by the participants. “Parenting education 

ought to be a part of every school’s curriculum if we expect 

our school community to be healthy,” said Dr. Martelly, “The 

better informed you are, the better parent you will be.” “Being 

able to relate our difficulties and how to handle it” as well as 

being “very informative” were among comments made by our 

parent participants. Ms. Cronenberg stated, “ It was such a 

pleasure to work with these dedicated parents who gave up 

time out of their hectic day to become better parents. Because 

of the success and recommendations of this group, we hope 

to offer this class next year as well as a class for parents of 

Pre-K students.” This class would not have been possible 

without the enthusiastic support of our administrators, Mrs. 

Catrice Duhart and Ms. Laferne Crosse. We congratulate the 

parents who have attended and completed the parenting 

class-WELL DONE! 

Spring 2012 19

Active Parenting Families in 

Action: Parent Perspectives 

on Developing Healthy 

Families 

Submitted by: Julie Smith, Mother of Justin Taffe, 5 

years old, Active Parenting Participant, Pasadena Lakes 

Elementary 

I was having some difficulty with my five year old, which led 

to my decision to attend the 

Active Parenting workshops 

at his school to get a better 

understanding on parenting. 

He was having a hard time 

adjusting in his kindergarten 

class and as a single parent 

it’s not easy. I am so happy 

I did. Heidi, the instructor, 

was very knowledgeable 

and helpful. It was also fun 

listening to other parents’ 

experiences, which let me 

know that I wasn’t alone. 

After attending the classes 

and implementing the learned material, I have seen real 

improvement in his behavior. I would highly recommend it to 

all parents. Actually, I truly believe that attending the Active 

Parenting classes should be mandatory for parents as it is great 

preparation for being a better parent and your child being better 

in school and home. Ultimate thumbs up to Active Parenting!!! 

Submitted by: Julie Himmelsbach, Mother of Shawn 

Himmelbach, 3 years old, Active Parenting Participant, 

Mirror Lake Elementary 

The Active Parenting classes have equipped me with the 

knowledge that I need to help raise my son into the man I would 

like him to be. When my son turned 3 years old I was pulling 

my hair out because I didn’t know how to get through to him. 

I started reading books and seeking aids from everywhere that 

I could. I was at a point where I would just lay back and let 

him do what he wanted because I was tired of wrestling with 

him. I was just frustrated and ashamed that I had no idea how 

to raise my son. The classes educated me on how to handle 

different situations that might occur while raising him. The 

classes were instructed in such a way that all the parents got a 

chance to voice their questions and relayed to each other how 

they handled certain situations. This give and take was done so 

well that we all learned from each other and the biggest bonus 

was we had an instructor that was extremely qualified and has 

20 


years of experience with children. I definitely recommend these 

classes to all parents. I just wish they had a way to advertise 

the class so all the parents would be aware that there are aids 

out there and that you’re definitely not alone. 

Submitted by: Patricia Moncrieffe, Mother of Albert Ramos 

Jr., 13 years old, Active Parenting of Teens Participant, 

Indian Ridge Middle School 

As an educator, I have high expectations for my students and 

myself when it comes to motivation and pride in ones work. 

Naturally, this level of high expectation was thrust upon my 

son and was beginning to deteriorate our relationship. I knew 

something had to change in the way I was parenting my child. 

I was at my wits end and ready to throw in the proverbial towel 

when I learned of the Active Parenting class. The lessons, 

strategies, perceptions and discipline styles I learned are 

proving to be invaluable! My son and I thank you and will be 

forever grateful. 

Active Parenting Online 

Video Library: Enhance Your 

Parenting Skills from the 

Comfort of Your Home 

Active Parenting is based on psychology principles and is a 

nationally recognized parent education program. A series 

of videos are available through the Internet in English and 

Spanish. Parents can view these videos 24/7 from your own 

home or anywhere you have access to the Internet. Topics 

focus on the parenting of babies, preschool, school-age 

children and teens, and include resources for stepfamilies and 

helping children succeed in school. Broward County parents 

may participate by registering on the Active Parenting web 

site at http://www.activeparentingolc.com (type in the unique 

Access Code 4nj67adst4). Parenting Style Quiz http://www. 

activeparenting.com/Parents-Parenting_Style_Quiz ESE Parent 

Education Workshops available at http://www.broward.k12. 

fl.us/studentsupport/ese/PDF/PARENTWS2.pdf 

Active Parenting Leader 

Training 

Learn to use the Active Parenting curriculum (based on Adlerian 

Psychology) to teach workshops to parents of children ages 1-4, 

elementary or teens. National certification is optional (no cost). 

Contact Kimberly DiLuzio, FDLRS Child Find Program Specialist/ 

Nationally Certified Active Parenting Trainer of Trainers on CAB 

or at (754) 321-2204 (8 in-service points). Active Parenting 

Curriculum Lending Library is available (also in Spanish) for 

staff to teach Active Parenting workshops. 



Active Parenting 

at Pasadena Lakes 

Elementary School 

Submitted by: Heidi Carmel, School Social Worker, 

Pasadena Lakes Elementary 

Parents who attended Active Parenting workshops at 

Pasadena Lakes Elementary School reported the training 

was very helpful. Evaluation comments reported by the 

parents were positive. Here are a few of the comments 

we received: 

“I enjoy this class. It’s very important for schools to 

have these classes.” 

“Great sharing with other parents!” 

“Excellent class!” 

“This was extremely helpful. I’m so happy I 

attended.” 

“Great training, class, great group.” 

“This class is very helpful. I wish the school will have 

more classes like these. I have learned a lot.” 

“I learned a lot today.“ 

“Teachers are great.” 

“This is a great class … lovely.” 

“I really enjoy this class and I’m learning a lot and 

sharing it with my friends.” 

“This class is an excellent tool to be a better parent.” 

“Very informative session today.” 

State News 

Screening Guide for Usher Syndrome 

The Bureau of Exceptional Education and Student Services is pleased 

to announce the publication of a new Screening Guide for Usher 

Syndrome, available online at www.fldoe.org/ese/pdf/Usher.pdf. The 

earlier parents and school personnel know that a child has Usher 

Syndrome, the sooner that child can begin special education training 

programs to manage the loss of hearing and vision. If you need further 

information regarding Usher Syndrome or sensory impairments, please 

contact Leanne Grillot, Program Specialist, at Leanne.Grillot@fldoe. 

org or 850-245-0478 

ESE Transitions: Teacher Talk 

Take a look at the transitions ESE students face as they move through 

the K-20 educational system www.fldoe.org/JustForTeachers/tta.asp 

to view past episodes! 

Taskforce Addresses ESE Issues 

A taskforce will create an implementation plan to include students 

with disabilities, students who are learning the English language, 

and students enrolled in exceptional student education centers to 

create recommendations for consideration by the U.S. Department of 

Education regarding Florida’s Elementary and Secondary Education 

Act (ESEA) flexibility waiver. Audio available at www.fldoe.org/esea/ 

default.asp#ctia. Four goals for the taskforce include: 1) Identify best 

practices; 2) Identify strategies to reduce unintended consequences; 

3)Identify potential enhancements to Florida’s school grade rule 

regarding inclusion; and 4) Identify recommendations and strategies 

to discuss/negotiate with the U.S. Department of Education to inform 

future federal policy. 

CPALMS 

CPALMS, also known as FloridaStandards.org, is a collaborative, 

interdisciplinary project being built upon requests from Florida’s 

educators. CPALMS aims to organize efforts to support educators 

working together toward goals of understanding and implementing 

standards. CPALMS is not only the official source of Florida’s Standards, 

including Common Core State Standards (CCSS), and Courses, with 

a collection of some of the best educational resources, and tools to 

help educators develop and use those resources; it is a community of 

educators. Visit us at www.floridastandards.org to learn more. 

Just for Teachers: Florida Department of Education 

Social Media 

Facebook www.facebook.com/EducationFL 

Twitter www.twitter.com/teachersfl 

Blog 

www.teachersfl.wordpress.com 

YouTube www.youtube.com/educationfl 

Shutterfly floridadepartmentofeducation.shutterfly.com 

Flickr www.flickr.com/photos/educationfl 

Education 360 videos on education reform 

http://www.fldoe.org/ARRA/RacetotheTop.asp 

Spring 2012 21


Active Parenting at Tedder 

Elementary School 

Submitted by: Esther Kertzman, ESE Pre-K Teacher, 

National Board Certified Teacher 

Tedder Elementary School 

provided Active Parenting 

workshops this school 

year. Parents reported 

the training was very 

helpful. Parent evaluation 

comments revealed that 

the Active Parenting 

workshops helped 

children succeed at home 

and school. I wish we 

could have a continuous 

workshop! We need a 

workshop for kids so they 

learn how to behave! It 

opened up a new world 

for me! I found something to make my family meet always 

in activities! The program was fun, relaxing and productive. I 

learned many important things!, commented the participants 

at the last session. All of the participants were new immigrants 

from Haiti and Central America, and I am from South America. 

Even though democracy is common in many countries. When we 

educate kids there, many times, kids do not have choices, it is 

what the parents, priests or teachers say. Having choices in daily 

life for kids is uncommon. Dr. Popkin in this workshop teaches 

how to empower the children and the family relationships with 

love, choices, consequences and freedom of speech. 

at home are educated with few choices and with punishments 

not related to the consequence instead of loss of privileges tied 

with the child’s poor choice made. So the parents are reactive 

instead of active. 

I really enjoyed facilitating this workshop, it opened up the 

possibility of working with adults and helped me along the 

way to implement family meetings in my own home to help 

my teenage son assume his responsibilities instead of telling 

him all the time, put the dishes away, take the garbage out, 

among other things. 

Thanks to Mrs. Fishlock at Tedder Elementary for supporting 

this endeavor all the way. Thanks to Jane Derringer/FDLRS 

Parent Services for allocating the materials through the Active 

Parenting Curriculum Lending Library. Thanks to Kimberly 

Diluzio at FDLRS/Child Find, programs such as this are available 

for the community. My first experience was with the workshop 

Taming The Spirited Child (also based on Active Parenting 

principles) . Afterwards I got hooked with Dr. Popkin’s (author 

of Active Parenting curriculum) work and decided to become 

an Active Parenting Leader. After all, our most important job 

is to be parents to help our children survive and thrive in the 

society in which they live. 

I decided to do an Active Parenting Now workshop at Tedder 

because in school we teach students to live in a democratic 

society since pre-k by having choices. I have experienced in 

my home visits to my students’ families, that some students 

22 


Broward’s Destiny Library 

Management System 

Supports 24/7 Learning! 

Submitted by: Bonnie Goldstein, Media Specialist, Atlantic 

West Elementary 

Whether it’s studying for an exam, trying to find research for an 

all important science project, or just looking for the perfect book 

to read, Broward Schools’ Destiny Library system allows students 

and teachers to tap into a wealth of information resources with 

just a few simple clicks of the mouse. Through the Destiny 

system, students and teachers can easily reach beyond the 

library and classroom walls, opening exciting pathways for 

curriculum collaboration to broaden the educational experience 

in every grade level. With Destiny, the library remains both the 

heart and the information hub of a school. 

“Destiny provides our users reliable, authoritative information to 

support classroom or independent research, and supports their 

ability to collaborate, communicate, and create using resources 

vital to 21st century learning and teaching”. -Michele Rivera, 

Director, Learning Resources & Instructional Materials. 

Broward transitioned to the Destiny system in 2009 after 

identifying a need to improve the functionality of school library 

resources to better meet the needs of today’s learners. The 

Destiny system is web-based, so that students and teachers 

can easily access the library catalog and online resources from 

home or school and from just about any device with an Internet 

connection. Destiny also provides teachers with valuable 

resources to help differentiate instruction for all students and 

learners: 

“Destiny gives my ESE students the tools to maintain equal 

footing with the rest of the student population. In addition, 

Destiny provides them with 21st Century skills essential for 

academic success in school and beyond”. 

For Immediate access to Destiny to locate books, audiovisual 

materials, and District databases in Broward County Schools, 

go through the student and teacher portals of the Broward 

Enterprise Education Portal, BEEP. 

To Access Destiny go to: destiny.browardschools.com or BEEP 

Student Portal (Doorway 2) Select the Destiny Resource. Once in 

Destiny, select your school location, and first time in, bookmark 

your school library site on your computer. 

Resources 

SBBC Employees: login: p+8 digit ID no. 

(e.g., p00012345) 

Password: 8 digit ID number 

(e.g., 00012345) 

Once logged into Destiny you can access either the basic 

interface, or the more student friendly interface, Destiny Quest. 

Listed below are just a few ways that Destiny can help to support 

student learning. 

Students can narrow their search by author, subject, genre, 

series, awards, language, format, location and identify 

Accelerated Reader information electronically. Students can 

simultaneously tap into District online subscription databases 

(Grolier, Worldbook, Gale, Sirs, Teaching Books.net) by using 

One Search feature. Students and teachers can create lists to 

collect, gather, share and cite information for research or enrich 

curriculum content. 

Title Peek feature allows students to preview books electronically. 

Virtual shelf browsing allows students to see what is physically 

sitting next to a book on the shelf in the library from home 

and school. Students and teachers can rate, write and upload 

reviews that will appear in the school’s online catalog when 

the title is pulled up. Quest Interface pulls data for “Top Ten” 

books circulating in school library and promotes new arrivals. 

So the next time you are looking for just the right research or 

the perfect book, be sure to make your first stop Destiny at 

your school library. Your library media specialist can help you 

access the many tools and resources just 

waiting to be explored. 

For quick and easy access to Destiny, use 

your smart phone to scan the QR code. 

For more information on Destiny contact: 

Lynne Oakvik, Specialist, Media 

Learning Resources & Instructional Materials Dept. 

lynne.oakvik@browardschools.com 

754-321-3320 

Students: 

login: 10 digit student number 

Password: birthdate with slashes 

(e.g., 06/22/1993) 

Spring 2012 

23

Visit the ESE website! 

http://www.browardschools. 

com/ese 

Exceptional Student Education 

Florida Diagnostic & Learning Resources System 

Florida Inclusion Network 

Visit the FDLRS website! 

http://www.broward.k12. 

fl.us/studentsupport/ese/ 

fdlrs/index.html 

The School Board of 

Broward County, Florida 

Ann Murray, Chair 

Laurie Rich Levinson, Vice Chair 

Robin Bartleman 

Maureen S. Dinnen 

Patricia Good 

Donna P. Korn 

Katherine M. Leach 

Nora Rupert 

Benjamin J. Williams 

Robert W. Runcie 

Superintendent of Schools 

The School Board of Broward County, Florida, prohibits any 

policy or procedure which results in discrimination on the basis 

of age, color, disability, gender identity, gender expression, 

national origin, marital status, race, religion, sex or sexual 

orientation. Individuals who wish to file a discrimination and/or 

harassment complaint may call the Executive Director, Benefits 

& EEO Compliance at 754-321-2150 or Teletype Machine 

(TTY) 754-321-2158. Individuals with disabilities requesting 

accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act 

Amendments Act of 2008, (ADAAA) may call Equal Educational 

Opportunities (EEO) at 754-321-2150 or Teletype Machine 

(TTY) 754-321-2158 

www.browardschools.com 

The FDLRS/ESE Newsletter is a 

product of the Broward County 

FDLRS/REACH grant. All development, 

printing, and dissemination costs to 

produce this newsletter were paid 

out of the FDLRS grant funds. 

The Florida Diagnostic and Learning Resources System is funded 

by the State of Florida, Department of Education, Division of 

Public Schools and Community Education, Bureau of Exceptional 

Education and Student Services, through federal assistance 

under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Part 

B; IDEA Part B, Preschool; and state General Revenue funds. 

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, SSS/ESE 

Kathrine Francis.............754-321-2560 

DIRECTOR, ESE 

Denise Rusnak...............754-321-2225 

ESE AREA COORDINATOR 

Carol Baskind.................754-321-3450 

CURRICULUM SUPERVISORS 

Gary Grigull 

Autism...........................754-321-3450 

Theresa Spurlock 

Deaf & Hard-of-Hearing/ 

Visually Impaired...........754-321-7180 

Beth Williams 

Emotional/Behavioral 

Disabilities.....................754-321-3620 

Dorett Wade 

Intellectual Disabilities....754-321-3620 

Janice Koblick 

Specific Learning 

Disability.......................754-321-3450 

Laura Rogers 

Speech/Language/ 

Physically Impaired........754-321-2212 

COORDINATORS 

Tara Rodger 

McKay Scholarship, 

Manager, EMS................754-321-2553 

Felicia Starke 

Due Process...................754-321-2217 

Lida Yocum 

Due Process...................754-321-2203 

Gwen Lipscomb 

FDLRS...........................754-321-2205 

Lou Ruccolo 

Transition Services.........754-321-1956 

Donna Turner 

Gifted............................754-321-1830 

Terri Shermett 

Preschool ESE................754-321-1956 

Charlene Grecsek 

SEDNET.........................754-321-2564 

FISCAL & DATA OPERATIONS 

Rick Cupo 

Budget Analyst V............754-321-2248 

Perci Holness 

System Analyst..............754-321-2247 

PROGRAM SPECIALISTS/ 

MONITORS, ESE 

Karleen Brunt, Maria Enlow 

OT/PT...........................754-321-2208 

Barbara Krakower 

Florida Inclusion 

Network........................754-321-2200 

Robyn Shipp & Diana Gorbea 

Deaf & Hard-of-Hearing..754-321-7180 

Lori Sugar, Pamela Baron 

Preschool.......................754-321-1956 

Opal Bennett 

Parent/School Liaison.....754-321-2217 

PROGRAM SPECIALISTS, FDLRS 

Joanne Brustad 

Instructional/ 

Assistive Technology........754-321-2214 

Dr. Ellen Breslow 

Child Find......................754-321-2204 

Kimberly DiLuzio 

Child Find .....................754-321-2204 

Rhonda Bachmann 

HRD..............................754-321-2205 

Kitt Kelleher 

HRD..............................754-321-2205 

Jane Derringer 

Parent Services..............754-321-2205 

EEO ................................ 754-321-2150 

TDD ............................... 754-321-2158 

FDLRS Media Center ..... 754-321-1700 

Broward County Public Schools 

ESE/FDLRS/FIN 

600 Southeast 3rd Avenue 

Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33301

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