Special Education

Dear Families,

The vision of the special education team at GCVS incorporates collaborating with families, students, and staff to provide the support students need to not only access the curriculum but to succeed within the curriculum and develop the “whole child” on an individual basis. This vision includes fully inclusive practices for all students and focused support that strengthens students’ self-esteem, self-advocacy, individual skills, and progress as students and members of society.

Creating fully inclusive classrooms within our school fosters a sense of belonging and value and allows all, students and staff, to benefit. Respect and understanding grow more within an inclusive setting and enable students to learn from examples and individual experiences and grow both academically and socially. When our teachers implement more diversified strategies for teaching and how we measure student growth they also encourage and reinforce positive self-esteem, civic participation, and community building.

Upon enrollment, we review each student’s IEP to ensure a free appropriate public education (FAPE) within the virtual setting. We have a full range of providers that includes special education teachers (some of whom also support GCVS as special education coordinators and evaluation team leads at the elementary, middle, and high school grade levels), paraprofessionals, administrative assistants, adjustment counselors, and related service providers (speech & language and occupational therapy).

Our special education team works collaboratively with general education teachers and other staff to support co-teaching and provide inclusion support services for live lessons, ensure accommodations and modifications are being implemented, and provide small group support outside of the general education inclusion classroom.

We are focused on working with and supporting parents and students with exceptional needs to be successful. At GCVS, we currently provide a monthly newsletter to parents of students with IEPs. Please email us if you have any questions. Without you our team is not complete.

Truly,

Darlene Thorpe, Director of Special Education, GCVS