July, 2008
District 6
Volume 1, Issue 1 Support Services Newsletter
About this
Newsletter
Newsletter Title
Support Services Newsletter - Nursing
By: Sylvia Fischer, School Nurse
In an effort to get the
most information out to
schools about Making a Difference Around the World
happenings within the
world of Support All of our school nurses work
Services, we have joined hard to keep the children in
LAUSD healthy. Sometimes this
together to create the means providing very basic
“Support Services needs such as food and water.
Newsletter”, which will Basic needs are essential for
learning to take place.
be distributed on a bi-
The nurses in district 6 have
annual basis. found opportunities to provide
basic needs to children not only
The Divisions that are on this continent but around the
included are Nursing, world as well. All of our nurses
Psychological Services, have contributed funds to benefit
the needs of those less
Pupil Services and fortunate. This summer one of
Attendance and School our nurses traveled to Romania
Mental Health. to give contributions from the
District 6 nurses to the orphaned
This newsletter is children of Romania. The
contributions helped supply food
intended to provide
to these children.
general information on The children were very thankful
topics presented. There and little Florina said, “That
are situations related to
these topics that require
specialized assistance. Preventing the Spread of Contagious Diseases
We are available to help
with those cases. To
Nurses have an obligation to
contact us, please e-mail
promote wellness in our
the newsletter editor, school communities. We
Virginia Hernandez at strive to provide a healthy
vrg9876@lausd.net or and safe learning
the coordinators for the environment for students and
respective discipline. employees as we work
toward the goal of preventing
We would also like to the spread of communicable
hear your comments and diseases. A communicable
suggestions about this disease is an illness or
infection that can be spread
newsletter.
from one person or animal to
another.
One of the most effective
ways to prevent the spread
of any contagious disease is
hand washing. Teachers can
encourage students to wash
their hands at appropriate
bread was so good.”
One nurse from South Gate High
School traveled this past
summer to the Philippines to
teach CPR to the people. Jane
Salazar raised the funds to buy
the manikins and recruited her
niece who is also a nurse to help
teach the Heartsaver Friends
and Family course. She had a
little trouble getting through
customs with the manikins. She
was questioned extensively and
almost charged additional funds,
since they thought she was
starting a business. After
convincing them she was doing
it as a volunteer for the
community they relented and
allowed her to get through.
Together they taught over 150
people as she held 10 sessions
of approximately 15 people. The
times throughout the day. If
soap and water are not
available in the classroom
HandClens, a hand sanitizer,
can be ordered from the
Stores Warehouse.
There are certain illnesses
that warrant exclusion of
children such as chicken pox
and flu like symptoms with
fever. In the event of an
outbreak of any illness which
affects over 10% of students
enrolled, the nurse will notify
District Nursing Services. In
the absence of a
credentialed school nurse at
your school, please call
District 6 Nursing Services at
560-4293. If it is determined
by the school that it is
classes were located in
churches, schools and
government buildings. Her efforts
were well received and the
people were very grateful. One
person said, “If you had only
come just a few months earlier I
could’ve saved my brother-laws
life.”
necessary to notify parents
and school employees, the
Director of Student Medical
Services and the Director of
District Nursing Services
must be consulted before
any written or oral
notification regarding
possible exposure is
disseminated.
The parent notification letter
is to be sent home to all
students regarding possible
exposure to head lice and
the first case of chickenpox
each semester. For more
information regarding
reporting of communicable
diseases please refer to
BUL-1937.1
Support Services Newsletter – Pupil Services and Attendance
By: Carmen Lendo, PSA Counselor
“A positive school
climate promotes
good attendance
and academic
achievement.”
Carmen Lendo, PSA
Pupil Services and Attendance: Who We Are
Pupil Services and Attendance
Counselors are Child Welfare
and Attendance Professionals
who support learning and
promote the well-being of our
students. Our counselors and
staff collaborate with schools,
communities and families to
empower students and motivate
them to stay in school.
PSA Counselors function as
liaisons between the home, the
school, and the community.
They provide direct services to
the students and their families
when a student exhibits school
attendance problems.
Our Programs Include:
• Abolish Chronic
Truancy (ACT)
• Camp Returnee
Program
• Dependency/Children’
s Court Liaison
• Foreign Student
The Importance of Taking Accurate Attendance
It is no secret that students who
develop a pattern of good
attendance are much more likely
to be successful both
academically and socially.
Improving student attendance
requires a school-wide effort, but
it all begins with accurate
attendance taking.
Accurate attendance accounting
is vital in the early identification
of students with attendance
problems or concerns. Students
with identified problems can
receive intervention services to
help get them back on track to
success. However, if attendance
is not taken accurately, we risk
letting that student fall through
the cracks.
Certain tips to keep in mind
when taking accurate attendance
at an elementary school are:
1) Use pencil only
2) Mark the cards with an
uncircled “100” for all
absent students, unless and
until the absence is verified
by a parent/guardian or
caretaker and/or a doctor’s
note.
•
Admissions
Foster Care Unit
• Homeless Education
Program
• Juvenile Traffic Court
Liaison
• Integration Support
Program
• School Attendance
Review Board (SARB)
• Juvenile Court Liaison
• Student Discipline
Proceedings Unit
(SDPU)
• Student Expulsion
Intervention Unit
(AB922)
• Pregnant and
Parenting Teen
Program
•
Project Attend
If a concern arises about a
student’s attendance, here are
some important steps to take:
3) For consecutive
absences, do not assume
that the student is absent
for the same reason, e.g.
absent yesterday due to
illness, must be out today
due to same illness. Do not
excuse these absences
until verified by those listed
above. It is the parent’s
responsibility to
communicate with the
school and provide a
reason for every absence
their child has.
4) Mark the cards with a
“T” for tardy students.
Record the number of
minutes tardy, e.g. 25
minutes tardy = T25. DO
NOT mark the card with the
student’s time of arrival, e.g.
T8:35 am. This practice is
AGAINST district policy.
The back side of the
Attendance Record Cards
shall be properly and
completely documented.
(i.e., for every “100” on the
front, there must be an
explanation on the back.)
Note: All attempts to make
contact must also be recorded,
Page 2 of 4
• Clearly communicate
student attendance
expectations
• Call home to inquire
about student’s
absence
• Send a note with the
student or sibling
asking the parent to
contact you
• Conference with the
parent regarding
absenteeism and the
impact on student
achievement
• Refer the student to
the PSA Counselor by
providing the following
information:
1)
2)
Name of Student
Date of Birth
3) Grade, Teacher & Track
4) Reason for Concern
5) Documentation of
teacher’s interventions
along with a specific explanation
for the absence (i.e. illness due
to fever, out of town, etc.)
At a secondary school:
1) Use ISIS to take attendance
within the first 15 minutes of
every period.
2) If a discrepancy occurs,
complete Teacher Discrepancy
Memo and return to the
Attendance Office
3) When necessary report
attendance on paper rosters and
submit to Attendance office each
period.
4) Ensure that students do not
have unresolved absences.
5) Verify, sign, date and return
Teacher’s Sign-Off Report to the
Attendance Office (Mondays and
end of term).
It is the school’s responsibility to
provide a safe and comfortable
learning environment for every
student. The classroom
environment should be
hospitable and should create an
atmosphere in which regular
school attendance and high
achievement are expected of
every student.
 Support Services Newsletter – School Mental Health
By: Virginia G. Hernandez, Psychiatric Social Worker
Dealing with the Challenges of School Refusal Behavior
As the new academic year
begins, it is important for school
personnel to monitor student’s
transition back to school and be
on the lookout for students that
are exhibiting school refusal
behaviors. The symptoms of
school refusal include
fearfulness, temper tantrums,
panic symptoms, crying, clinging
to parents, threats of self harm
and/or somatic symptoms which
disappear if the child is allowed to
stay home. Symptoms may begin
Helping a Traumatized
Child at School
Maintain usual routines.
Balance normal school
expectations with flexibility (i.e.
consider postponing large
tests).
Provide a safe place for the child
to talk about what happened.
Give simple and realistic
answers to the child’s questions
about traumatic events.
Anticipate difficult times, such as
anniversary dates or holidays,
and provide additional support.
Protect the traumatized child
from peer’s curiosity and protect
classmates from the details of a
child’s trauma.
Set clear and firm limits for
inappropriate behavior.
Make referral to mental health if
necessary.
Page 3 of 4
What you can do to
help:
after a holiday, weekend, action plan and to rule out any Maintain normal
vacation or even absence due to real medical concerns. The school/class schedule.
illness. School refusal is not a behavior may inadvertently be
Encourage parents to
formal psychiatric disorder. prolonged and may become continue to bring the student
However, children exhibiting increasingly difficult to treat if an to school every day.
school refusal may suffer from uniformed action plan is put into
Provide positive
significant emotional distress place. For example, if the child reinforcement for
(especially anxiety and has witnessed violence and gets attendance, class
depression). School refusal is a anxious when separated from his/ participation, etc.
multi-causal syndrome and often her mother and school personnel Make sure school personnel
creates stress for the child, the shorten his/her school day or ask and parent are sending the
family and school personnel who the parent to accompany the united message that the
student must go to school.
are often at a loss as to how to student to class, the action plan
handle the situation. A treatment is actually reinforcing the Document onset of school
approach or tactic that worked behavior, thus encouraging the refusal and possible causes.
with one student may not work child to continue to display
If child presents with
with the next since the cause(s) distress. Further, the emotional physical symptoms, have
of the school refusal may be harm being caused by the nurse or doctor rule out
different and therefore require a exposure to violence is not being medical causes.
different treatment approach. addressed. Utilizing school Refer the student for
Early involvement from School mental health and other support mental health services
Mental Health, PSA and Nursing services will improve the immediately, if:
1) school refusal persists for
are critical to help identify the possibility of a positive outcome. more than 2 weeks, 2) the
cause, get family involved in the child has to be forced to
enter the school, 3) the child
becomes extremely upset,
and/or 4) the behavior
becomes habitual.
Traumatic Stress Impacts Our Students
“As an educator, it is highly likely that you see a traumatized or grieving child almost every day” (The National
Childhood Traumatic Stress Network). Children are more vulnerable to trauma because of their age and
dependence on others. In fact, 25% of children in the U.S. experience at least one traumatic event before they
turn 16. Common sources of trauma include: exposure to violence in their homes, school and/or community,
natural disasters and terrorism, child abuse and neglect, having a serious illness or family member who is
seriously ill or death of a loved one. Some of the effects on education include: difficulty concentrating and
retaining information, lower grade point averages, reduced school attendance, increased acting out behavior
resulting in suspensions, expulsions and dropouts. Socially and emotionally, they may experience long lasting
changes in their ability to trust others, in their sense of personal safety and their effectiveness at navigating life
challenges. Further their belief that there is justice and fairness in life is negatively impacted. Some students who
are experiencing traumatic stress are easy to identify, while others may go unnoticed. Although a child’s distress
may not be obvious, they may be experiencing some of the more severe symptoms of numbness, hyper-vigilance,
avoidance of anything that reminds them of the stressful event, and/or re-living the traumatic event through
intrusive thoughts, feelings, and perhaps even physical reactions to reminders of the event. If symptoms persist for
more than 60 days a mental health evaluation is recommended to assess for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. The
good news is that the traumatic experiences many of our students are struggling to cope with are not overlooked.
Currently, much is being done throughout the district to bring attention to the emotional needs of our students and
positive mental health interventions to our schools. The Office of Crisis Counseling and Intervention Services
oversee the local district crisis and threat assessments teams and have recently published the booklet
Psychological First Aid (PFA). PFA is the latest approach to addressing students mental health needs following a
crisis. Our Local District 6 Crisis Team and Psychiatric Social Workers have been trained on the approach and
training is available for school site crisis teams upon request. According to Socorro Valderrama, School Mental
Health Coordinator for LD6, “plans are in place to bring Cognitive Behavioral Intervention for Trauma in Schools
(CBITS) to LD6 schools”. CBITS is overseen by the LAUSD Trauma Services Adaptation Center for Schools.
Look for more information on PFA and CBITS in the October issue of the School Mental Health Newsletter.
 Support Services Newsletter – Psychological Services
By: Delia Flores, Psychological Services Coordinator &
Elizabeth Kaley, Psych Specialist
Addressing the Needs of Students with Attention Problems
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity
“A section 504 Plan can be Disorder (ADHD) is the
current term for a specific
Developed for students who developmental disorder seen
do not qualify for special in both children and adults.
education services but The major characteristics of
ADHD include: impaired
require accommodations impulse control; excessive
to address their disability” task-irrelevant activity; and
poor sustained attention or
Delia Flores persistence to effort. The
onset of these characteristics
is before age 7. The
expression of the symptoms
varies depending on the
nature of the activity that a
student is engaged in.
Students with ADHD typically
do better in one-to-one
situations or when doing
tasks they find interesting.
The symptoms are relatively
chronic which means that
they are apparent and stable
“Your influence, like your throughout a person’s life.
shadow, extends where you Students with ADHD may
may never be”. also exhibit problems in other
Author unknown areas of psychological
functioning. They have poor
working memory which
means they are unable to
keep important information in
mind that they need to finish
a task and/or guide their
actions later. They are often
described as acting without
forethought and are less able
to anticipate and prepare for
future events. Also, they
have difficulty with the
development of internal
language (the voice in our
mind that we use to
contemplate events and
direct our own behavior).
This delay leads to their
inability to follow rules and
instructions, follow through
with their own plans and
even act with legal or moral
principles. Students with
ADHD also have difficulty
with regulation of emotion,
motivation, and arousal. They
appear to be less emotionally
mature, more reactive, quick-
tempered or easily frustrated
by events. They also find it
difficult to act or initiate work
that must be done.
Diminished problem-solving
ability, ingenuity and flexibility
in pursuing long-term goals
are additional problems.
These students have greater
than normal variability in task
or work performance.
In the school setting,
students with attentional
problems may qualify for
special education services,
or a Section 504 plan. A
medical diagnosis of ADHD
does not guarantee eligibility
for special education
services. Some students,
who have learned
organizational and coping
strategies to manage their
attention difficulties and/or
are successfully treated
through medication, may not
require special education
services. Eligibility for
special education services is
determined by whether the
attentional difficulties have an
adverse impact on
educational performance.
Students who continue to
exhibit attentional difficulties
despite academic and
behavioral interventions are
typically assessed by the
School Psychologist and
other school site assessors.
They may be found eligible
under the following special
education categories:
Specific Learning Disability,
Emotional Disturbance or
Other Health Impairment. A
medical diagnosis of ADHD
Page 4 of 4
is not required to be found
eligible for special education
services. Placement and
related services (i.e.
Behavior Support,
Counseling) are determined
by need, not the eligibility of
the student.
A Section 504 Plan can be
developed for students who
do not qualify for special
education services but
require accommodations to
address their disability. An
accommodation is a change
in the educational setting, or
materials, and/or strategies
that does not significantly
alter the content of the
curriculum or level of
expectation for a student, but
which allows the student to
access the general education
curriculum.
Without management of the
behaviors associated with
ADHD, many students will go
on to develop oppositional
defiant behavior, anti-social
behavior, low self-esteem,
depression, and
underachievement. As
adults they are likely to have
difficulty maintaining jobs and
relationships with friends and
family. However, with
successful management of
their attention difficulties,
students can graduate from
high school, go on to post-
secondary education and
lead productive and fulfilling
lives.