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|Spring 2009 Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas Volume 6 Issue 2 |

|Organizational Strategies for Students |

Have you ever watched the television shows that help people clean and organize their homes? Through the cleaning and organization of the participant’s homes their lives are changed for the better!

Many students, with and without special needs, struggle with organization. Lack of organization directly impacts classroom performance and grades. It is always nice when students have an innate ability to organize themselves. However, some students require explicit instruction and support in strategies for organization.

This edition of Teaching All God’s Children newsletter is devoted to ideas and strategies to support students with organization both at school and at home.

|6 Steps to an Organized Locker |

Have you ever seen a locker with paper spilling forth from the cracks? How many students have books and writing utensils falling out on the floor as soon as the locker door is opened? Nothing can slow down a middle school or high school student more than a disorganized locker. A disorganized locker may lead to lost assignments and homework, frustration for the student, tardiness to class, and ultimately lower grades. Teachers and administrators spend a great deal of time thinking about locker assignments and teaching students how to manipulate the locks and memorize the combinations to their lockers. Many times students are expected to instinctively know how to best organize their locker, and for some students this is not a skill which comes naturally. Try using the following 5 steps to maximize the organization of student’s lockers.

1. Store books in order from first period to last period. If there are multiple books for a class, store the books together from biggest to smallest. Cover

the text book(s) for each content area in the same color.

2. Use locker shelves to create vertical space.

3. If the locker does not have hooks, buy inexpensive removable plastic hooks to hang lunch boxes, coats, backpacks, purses, etc.

4. Use the back of the locker to store a few essentials in the event of an emergency, such as a pack of paper, extra pencils, or a folder.

5. Put a small magnetic, white board on the inside of the locker door. Use the white board to notate important information or reminders.

6. Put a magnetic pencil case on the inside of the locker door for easy access to sharpened pencils with erasers.

|Establishing a Study Routine at Home |

• First, students should take a short break upon arriving home from school

• Second, students should update their day planner with upcoming assignments, tests, projects

• Third, students should remove and file all completed papers from notebook

• Finally, students should being studying subject by subject in the order of the school day. If the student does not have any homework in a subject area, the student should spend a few minutes reviewing what was taught in class that day.

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|Dear Father, |

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|Thank you for your gifts |

|of talent, time and grace. |

|In all I do, |

|in all I say, |

|help others see your face. |

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|Amen |

|How to Organize Supplies and Papers |

File Box

A file box may be used to store the student’s school work at home. The file box should be set up with file folders for each class the student’s taking. As each grading period ends, all papers for the grading period should be placed in a manila envelop. All important information for the school year will be readily available in the file box.

Supply Box

A supply box could be a tackle box or a shoe size storage container which holds all the potential supplies a student may need to complete assignments. Items such as pens, pencils, pencil sharpener, three-hole punch, stapler, staples, calculator, ruler, Post-It notes should be included in the supply box. The supply box will help students have access to all materials in close proximity, so they will not need to break from studying to find items to complete the assignments.

Three Ring Binder

Many times schools ask students to keep track of multiple spiral notebooks and folders. It can be a challenge for students with organizational issues to keep up with these items. A three ring binder will allow students to keep the same information in a single location. The three ring binder should be set up with tabs for each content area and a two pocket folder with one side labeled for homework and signature items and the other side labeled for filing of graded papers/tests at home in the file box.

|Transition Reminder |

▪ Maintain and document communication that may occur with public school special education professionals with whom you may be working (resource teachers, speech therapists, occupational therapists and physical therapists).

▪ Maintain (and document) communication with parents regarding student’s progress. Document any new accommodations and modifications and their effectiveness.

|Upcoming Training Opportunities |

*This is not to be considered an endorsement of these in-services, merely a listing of upcoming in-service opportunities.

Practical Solutions for Challenging Behaviors

Thursday, April 9, 2009

Down Syndrome Guild of Greater Kansas City

10200 West 75th St., Suite 281

Shawnee Mission, KS 66204

No Cost and Seating is limited!

RSVP to the DSG Center at 913-384-4848 or via

e-mail at kcdsg@

Strategies to Help Struggling Readers Make the Grades, presented by Mary Bigler

Monday, April 27, 2009

Enbassy Suites Hotel KCI

7640 Northwest Tiffany Springs Parkway

Kansas City, MO 64153

Cost $199 per person

To register call 1-800-678-8908 or on-line at .

Differentiated Assessment and Grading, presented by Linda Allen

Monday, May 4, 2009

Holiday Inn Topeka Holidome

605 Southwest Fairlawn Rd.

Topeka, KS 66606

To register call 1-800-462-1478 or on-line at REGISTER.

|Did You Know? |

Learning Styles are simply different approaches or ways of learning.

Visual learners – learn through seeing.

Auditory learners- learn through listening.

Tactile/Kinesthetic learners- learn through moving, doing and touching.

The more students know about how they learn, the more success they will have in finding and implementing organizational strategies that work.

|In The Next Issue |

Kansas Multi Tier System of Supports (MTSS)

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