This fall VT-HEC has lined up a varied and robust schedule of professional development opportunities focused on students with disabilities, struggling learners and learners with various other challenges & needs

• Curriculum and Instruction for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder – Kathryn Whitaker, M.Ed. -Workshops and/or Course (10/22 & 10/23 – Montpelier) Kids with ASD can be among our most challenging but Kathryn can help you design, implement and evaluate instructional systems utilizing strategies that have worked for students with these issues.
• Orientation to Special Education – Andrea Wasson, M.Ed. & Joy Wilcox, M.Ed. – Workshop (9/27 & 9/28 – Montpelier). Are you new to special education, new to Vermont, do you have to supervise or evaluate special educators or related service providers, or do you or your staff just need to review the basics to ensure you are all using you time wisely and focusing on the right stuff? If the answer to any of these is yes, this is the offering for you and yours.
• Addressing Educational Benefit through the Special Education Process – Jen Patenaude, M.A.  Workshops (10/17, 11/8, 12/12, 1/10 – Montpelier) This is a series every special educator should be taking to improve student progress by using the special education procedures in the most productive manner. Jen is a Vermont treasure and this offering should be required.
• Strategies for Sustaining the Student-Centered Classroom – Carol Tomlinson, Ed.D. & Bill Rich, M.A. – Three-part WORKshop series (10/18, 12/6 & 3/20 – Montpelier). Carol literally wrote the books on differentiated instruction and Bill has been working in VT for many years focused on using what we know about the brain and learning to make education work for all kids.
• Special Education Legal Update – Art Cernosia, Esq. – Workshop (10/25 – Montpelier) Special Education law can be deadly but Art makes it easy to take.  You’ll hear what’s new, what’s coming, what to focus on and what can take a back seat.
• Advancing and Sustaining Equity Literacy – Paul Gorski, PH.D. – Workshops (11/1 & 11/2 –
  Montpelier). Paul founded EdChange, a coalition of educators and activists providing professional development on educational equity.  This year VT-HEC is working with the VPA and other Vermont organizations to present an array of events and learning opportunities focusing on equity. These two days will focus on the foundations of Equity Literacy and how your schools can put its principals into practice. A follow-up three days is planned of the spring focusing on different equity themes – race, poverty & gender.
• Building Collaborative Teams/Effective Partnerships: Working with Tough Teams – Alicia Lyford, M.Ed. & Joy Wilcox, M.Ed. – Workshop and/or Course (11/5 & 11/6 – Montpelier) There are few more frustrating things than a dysfunctional team and few things better than an effective one – find out the ways to ensure yours are the latter.
• Lights, Camera, Action! Use Built-in Tools on Your Smartphone to Create Quick and Effective Learning Opportunities for Your Students – Patty Thomas, OT and Chris Knippenberg, M.S., OTR/L, ATP – WORKshop and/or Course (10/26 – Rutland) Chris and Patty have this offering down and will help you use the tools on your phone or tablet to create a variety of learning activities to meet the specific needs of your students.
• Tips and Tools for Early Childhood Special Educators – Judith Masson, M.Ed. -Workshops (10/4 & 11/7 – S. Burlington) Judith shares practical tools, charts, forms and practices that can be tailored to your work setting and students to help make you more efficient and effective.

Trauma, Anxiety & Behavior

• Transforming Trauma: How Schools Become Healing Communities – David Melnick, LICSW – Workshop (9/26 & 10/22 – Lake Morey) or Workshop/Course (Lake Morey days +11/15, 12/5, 1/10 in Windsor OR Lake Morey days + 11/17, 12/6, 1/11 in Windham). Dave has become one of VT’s most valued resources in the area of trauma. Two workshop days will provide a great introduction to all or kick-off two courses to be completed in Windham & Windsor counties.
• Interrupting the Worry Cycle: Advanced Strategies for Managing Anxious Students (& Parents!) -Lynn Lyons, LICSW – Workshop (10/10 & 10/11 – Stowe) For all the reasons we know well, anxiety has reached almost epidemic proportions. It can effect every facet of a student’s life and learning. Unfortunately, lots of things we adults think are good responses to address the problem can actually make things worse. Lynn shares strategies that have proven to work and will offer follow-up webinars to help with implementation.
• Power Struggles: What to Do When a Student Says, “Make Me!” – Jon Udis, M.Ed. – Workshop (11/15 – Montpelier) Jon has the answer to those problems that can leave you at your wit’s end as to what to do about challenging behavior – it may not always be easy but Jon can put you on the right track to make it better.
• Early Childhood Trauma: Causes, Impacts, and Effective Strategies for Addressing Relationships with Children and Their Families – Jennifer Auletta, MA, LCMHC, BC-DMT – Workshop (11/30 -Montpelier) An introduction to the impact of trauma and the strategies that work for young kids and their families. – Jennifer has impressive experience and lots of resources to share.

And there is more on the VT-HEC Drawing Board for the spring; check back often to see the latest news & opportunities. For more information and registration go to vthec.org.

How can schools respond to what seems like an epidemic of students affected by serious trauma and anxiety? 

The VT-HEC has made a commitment to support educators, administrators and others who work with students who have been impacted by trauma and anxiety.  Whether it is general introduction to the effects of trauma/anxiety, developing programs for specific students or building the capacity of schools’ MTSS, the VT-HEC has been developing coordinated learning opportunities and supports to help schools move forward to best respond to the needs of these students.

There are many introductions available on the impact of trauma and anxiety and the strategies that can help address them, but the VT-HEC is committed to going further and deeper developing an array of learning opportunities supporting the application of the most effective strategies and creating robust in-school expertise. Working with the Northeast Family Institute (NFI) and experts like Paul Foxman, Jon Udis, Joelle Van Lent, Gillian Boudreau and Lynn Lyons, we are planning a coordinated series of workshops, courses and other supports to continue over the next few years.

So far these plans have included:

Spring 2017

Developmental Trauma and Trauma-Informed Schools: Transforming Knowledge to Action In partnership with the Northeast Family Institute (NFI), the VT-HEC kicked off this new series with NFI’s David Melnick presenting a workshop on February 16, 2017 in Montpelier, VT attended by over 80 participants.  The workshop could be taken as part of a graduate course entitled: Developmental Trauma and Trauma-Informed Schools: Theory, Practice, and Implementation.  This course, taken by 28 students, was the first in what is planned to be a series of courses that will support school personnel as they work to apply the principles of Trauma-Informed Schools.

Fall 2017 

Developmental Trauma and Trauma-Informed Schools: Transforming Knowledge to Action, with David Melnick, LICSW, in Rutland, VT ~ Over 80 educators and others participated in two workshop days while 30 folks attended the three additional dates for the level I graduate course. The workshops gave participants a firm foundation in the basics and the optional course took participants deeper into planning and implementation of these strategies in each of their school settings.

Power Struggles: What to do When a Student Says, “Make Me!”  65 educators and others worked with Jon Udis in Killington, VT on 11/8. Jon shared both what not to do and the strategies that work to de-escalate the situation and get students back on track. Participants left with an overall plan of action including being prepared for the next confrontation. 

Spring 2018 

Fostering Resilient Learners: Creating Trauma Sensitive School Communities, with Joelle van Lent, Psy.D, and Gillian Boudreau, Ph.D., in Montpelier, VT ~ Four workshop days (1/18, 2/16, 3/16, 4/12) with an additional date (5/17) for the 3-credit optional graduate course. 86 people attended the first workshop with 30 signed up for the course. Day 1 focused on the basics of the impact of trauma on kids’ ability to form relationships. The remaining workshops will address building resilience utilizing mindfulness and other strategies. These offerings will put participants and their schools on track to support students impacted by trauma within their classrooms & MTSS.

Managing Anxiety in the Classroom, Paul Foxman, Ph.D., in Montpelier, VT (1/26) Daily headlines and events over the recent past have only added to the many sources of anxiety that are putting more and more kids in the situation of trying to deal with chronic and serious anxiety without the supports or tools to help. Over 100 participants are registered to hear Paul help them recognize the symptoms of anxiety and begin to develop strategies to help students cope and succeed.

Level 2 Course – Trauma Transforming Schools: Advanced Skills and Systems Change Dave Melnick and VT-HEC partnered to develop this 2^nd level course for educators who completed the level 1 course. This course focuses on the application of the principles of trauma-informed schools.

Fall 2018 

SAVE THE DATE – Managing Anxiety in a School Setting – Lynn Lyons LICSW– – October 10-11, Stoweflake Resort, Stowe, VT –  Lynn has been featured on NPR’s On Point, NY Times Magazine, Time Magazine as well as her own books and publications. In these workshops, Lynn explores concrete and often counter-intuitive strategies that normalize worry for families and provide an “umbrella approach” that is applicable to all of the anxiety disorders.

These workshops will demonstrate HOW to interrupt anxiety and OCD’s cognitive patterns with simple, process-based strategies that challenge the use of strategies that inadvertently support avoidance of anxious symptoms. There will be an option to receive extended implementation support from Lynn through interactive video seminars.

On the Drawing Board – Encore offerings of our Level I & II courses plus workshops focused on trauma and young children, autism/developmental disabilities, mindfulness and more.

Go to vthec.org for more information & registration. 

VT-HEC has a full schedule of learning opportunities planned for the spring covering a variety of topics within the general education area including the practical use of learning scales, gender diversity, using technology in early elementary grades and a series on where proficiency & personalization is working in Vermont. We welcome some of VT-HEC favorites such as Jen Patenaude and Bill Rich as well as some new presenters that we are very excited about including Paul Foxman on anxiety in the classroom and Joelle van Lent and Gillian Boudreau on trauma and resilience. In short, there is something for just about everyone.

Creating Gender-Affirming School Environments: What Leaders Need to Know and Do in S. Burlington, VT (2/15) Experts from Outright VT will help leaders and their teams understand gender-related issues, the challenges, legal implications and, most importantly, what you can do to create a system-wide environment accepting of all kids.

Where is it Working? Studying VT-Made Models of Student-Centered, Proficiency-Based Learning in Action with Bill Rich in Montpelier, VT ~ Two more workshop dates (3/22, 5/15) presenting real examples from VT schools that are working hard to implement the ideals of personalization and proficiency-based instruction.

The Why, What, and How of Taking a Brain-Based Approach to Student-Centered, Proficiency-Based Learning with Bill Rich in Killington, VT ~ Two more WORKshops covering performance assessment and how to put it all together in your classroom and school (3/7, 5/11)

It Came from Outer Space: Integrating Technology and Writing Across the K-3 Curriculum with Arlyn Bruccoli and Jennifer Fitch in Montpelier, VT (3/9) The title says it all…. Arlyn, a library/media specialist, and Jennifer, an accomplished classroom teacher, will show you how. They will have you practicing with the tools they use working together using technology to help younger students express their ideas and reactions about science, social studies, literature, etc.

Creating a Gender Inclusive Classroom with Lisa Estivill in Montpelier, VT (4/5) How to move past basic understanding of gender diversity to reviewing examples of classroom resources and strategizing how to implement gender inclusive language, curriculum and group expectations in your own classroom.

Fostering Resilient Learners: Creating Trauma Sensitive School Communities, with Joelle van Lent, Psy.D, and Gillian Boudreau, Ph.D., in Montpelier, VT ~ Four workshop days (1/18, 2/16, 3/16, 4/12) and an additional date (5/17) for 3-credit graduate course. From the basics on the impact of trauma on kids’ ability to form relationships to utilizing mindfulness and other strategies to build their resilience, these workshops and course will put you and your school on track to support students dealing with or recovering from trauma.  Joelle and Gillian form a dynamic team with complimentary expertise and experience.

Managing Anxiety in the Classroom, with Paul Foxman, Ph.D., in Montpelier, VT (1/26) Daily headlines seem to bring more sources of anxiety that are difficult enough for adults to deal with but are putting more and more kids in the situation of trying to deal with chronic anxiety without the supports or tools to help. Paul will help you recognize the symptoms and develop strategies to help your students cope and succeed.

MTSS Ground Level Systems Planning: What does effective, daily implementation look like? (K-6) with Jen Patenaude in Rutland, VT (4/4 & 4/5) Do you need to make changes to your MTSS structure and systems in order to more effectively implement multi-tiered programming designed to serve all students? If so, this intensive two-day workshop is the perfect time to plan with your team for the next school year. Strategies and suggestions are drawn from the collective experience of schools from across Vermont that are well underway with implementing MTSS. Jen is the perfect person to lead your team to assess your needs and design the changes your system should put in place for next year.

Proficiency-Based, Personalized-Learning within an MTSS System: What does effective, daily implementation look like? (7-12) with Jen Patenaude in Rutland, VT ~ A two day offering (5/8 & 5/9) A middle/high school version of the above offering taking into account the efforts toward personalization and proficiency-based learning.

Check out our other series for offerings that may also address your interests and needs including: Special Education and Early Childhood – Grade 3

 VT-HEC WORKshops are learning opportunities that are planned to have participants practicing, applying and tailoring the concepts, skills and models that are being shared for much of the day and often include a course option to support implementation in your own setting.

VT-HEC has a full slate of offerings planned for the spring covering topics ranging from the practical use of learning scales to a series of “Make & Take” WORKshops focused on young students with developmental disabilities.  We welcome some of VT-HEC favorites such as Jen Patenaude, Chris Knippenberg and Bill Rich as well as some new folks that we are very excited about including, Heather Lynn on Special Education law, Paul Foxman on anxiety in the classroom and Jayne Singer from Boston Children’s Hospital.  In short, there is something for just about everyone.

Our spring offerings that most relate to young children through grade 3 include:

Connecting the Dots: Using Best Practices to Support Infants, Toddlers, and Their Families in Montpelier, VT ~ Three more workshop dates (2/9, 3/23, 5/3) Supporting young children and their families is one of the most important things we can do for Vermont’s future.  Next up is Jayne Singer from Boston Children’s Hospital and then Dee Smith from UVM. Don’t miss these experts as they explore the most effective practices and research findings.

Getting Ready to Learn Series: Three Make and Take WORKshops with Patty Piotrowski and Chris Knippenberg in So. Burlington, VT (2/2, 3/13, 4/10) – One of our most successful WORKshop series for a reason. It is focused on creating materials to meet the specific needs of young students with learning challenges. You will leave with an arm-load of learning materials tailored to support your toughest kids and tips on how best to use them. This year we have added the option of earning credit focused on implementation of these concepts and materials.

It Came from Outer Space: Integrating Technology and Writing Across the K-3 Curriculum with Arlyn Bruccoli and Jennifer Fitch in Montpelier, VT (3/9) The title says it all…. Arlyn, a library/media specialist, and Jennifer, an accomplished classroom teacher, will show you how. They will have you practicing with the tools they use working together using technology to help younger students express their ideas and reactions about science, social studies, literature, etc.

A Systematic Approach to Teaching Socialization and Play for Young Learners with Chris Knippenberg in Burlington, VT (5/4) Learning to interact with peers is one of the most important skills a child can learn and for some it doesn’t come easily. Chris will help you develop and plan for those students in a way that will benefit all kids.

Fostering Resilient Learners: Creating Trauma Sensitive School Communities, with Joelle van Lent, Psy.D, and Gillian Boudreau, Ph.D., in Montpelier, VT ~ Four workshop days (1/18, 2/16, 3/16, 4/12) and an additional date (5/17) for 3-credit graduate course. From the basics on the impact of trauma on kids’ ability to form relationships to utilizing mindfulness and other strategies to build their resilience, these workshops and course will put you and your school on track to support students dealing with or recovering from trauma.  Joelle and Gillian form a dynamic team with complimentary expertise and experience.

Managing Anxiety in the Classroom, with Paul Foxman, Ph.D., in Montpelier, VT (1/26) Daily headlines seem to bring more sources of anxiety that are difficult enough for adults to deal with but are putting more and more kids in the situation of trying to deal with chronic anxiety without the supports or tools to help. Paul will help you recognize the symptoms and develop strategies to help your students cope and succeed.

Special Education: Suggested Approaches to Case Management with an Eye to Recent Cases and Legal Requirements with Heather T. Lynn Esq. in S. Burlington (2/8) Heather will share the practical implications of recent court decisions and current regulations and how you can navigate the often- confusing legal waters of special education to avoid the danger zones, resolve conflict and stay on a safe and productive course.

MTSS Ground Level Systems Planning: What does effective, daily implementation look like? (K-6) with Jen Patenaude in Rutland, VT ~ Two workshop dates (4/4 & 4/5) Do you need to make changes to your MTSS structure and systems in order to more effectively implement multi-tiered programming designed to serve all students? If so, this intensive two-day workshop is the perfect time to plan for the next school year. Strategies and suggestions shared are drawn from the collective experience of schools across Vermont that are well underway with MTSS. Jen is the perfect person to lead your team to assess and design the changes your system needs for next year.

Check out our other series for offerings that may also address your interests and needs including: Special Education; Trauma, Resilience & Anxiety; Gender and where Proficiencies & Personalization are really working in VT.

VT-HEC WORKshops are learning opportunities that are planned to have participants practicing, applying and tailoring the concepts, skills and models that are being shared for much of the day and often include a course option to support implementation in your own setting.

Jen Patenaude, Bill Rich, Jon Udis & David Melnick

Every year the VT-HEC has gotten requests to hold more events in the Rutland/Killington area and this year we have made a special effort to do just that with 13 days scheduled; including major offerings with some of our finest presenters covering many of our most requested topics: Trauma, Proficiencies & Personalization, Behavior, Advanced Assessment and MTSS. In addition, these offerings provide extended learning opportunities and/or support for implementation in your own setting. We hope to see you there.

Developmental Trauma and Trauma-Informed Schools: Transforming Knowledge into Action Presenter: David Melnick, LICSW September 26 & October 23, 2017 ~ Rutland Holiday Inn

This workshop with course option will focus on the global impact that chronic traumatic stress has on the developing child through examination of the “Seven Domains of Impairment” and their application by educators in schools.
Click Here for More Details and Printable Flyer

Spring: Level 2 Course on Creating Trauma-Informed Schools for completers of Course I

The Why, What, and How of Taking a Brain-Based Approach to Student-Centered, Proficiency-Based Learning – WORKshops Designed by Bill Rich

Overview of Series:
Each WORKshop will begin with compelling activities and findings about the remarkable adolescent brain, followed by guided application devoted to participants accessing resources, ideas, and each other to draft and refine products they’ll use back in their settings with their learners. Throughout the series, we strive to model what we teach. One of the greatest compliments we’ve received came from a participant who wrote, “Your medium is your message.” Come learn how to take a brain-based approach to student-centered, proficiency-based learning…by experiencing it. Click Here for More Details and Printable Flyer
WORKshop 1: The Fundamentals of Brain-Based Learning Design (October 4)
WORKshop 2: Designing & Using Learning Scales that Create Competence (November 14)
WORKshop 3: Keeping It Real: The Promise and Perils of Performance Assessment (March 7)
WORKshop 4: Pulling it All Together: Just How Great Can Learning Get?  (May 11)

Power Struggles: What to do When a Student Says, “Make Me!” Presenter: Jon Udis – November 8, 2017 ~ Killington Mountain Lodge

During this engaging and fun seminar, participants will:  explore assumptions about why adult-student power struggles occur; learn adult responses that escalate the conflict; and learn multiple strategies for avoiding and minimizing power struggles, as well as skills that de-escalate and productively resolving the conflict. Participants will also develop a take-home strategy to use during the next power struggle. Click Here for More Details and Printable Flyer

The following workshops will be open for registration in December.

Cognitive Profile Analysis for Struggling Learners: Advanced Assessment Topics
Presenter: Jen Patenaude – March 28 and 29, 2018 ~ Killington Mountain Lodge

If you are interested in learning how to use comprehensive evaluation information to deepen your understanding of varied learning disability profiles to provide more diagnostic, targeted programming, this workshop is for you! An overview/ comparison of most current measures of cognitive abilities, discussion of the causal relationship between cognitive and academic achievement abilities, selective decisions for choosing the tools that best align with evaluation concerns, and review of common learning disability profiles and suggestions for subsequent program planning will be covered.  This workshop is designed for experienced practitioners with a solid foundational understanding of norm referenced assessments and comprehensive evaluations.

MTSS “Ground Level” System Planning – What does effective, daily implementation look like K-6? Presenter: Jen Patenaude – April 4 and 5, 2018 ~ Holiday Inn, Rutland, VT

 Audience: This workshop is designed for K-6 systems. We strongly suggest you attend with a team that might include: building administrator, classroom teacher, interventionist, special educator, guidance counselor/behavior specialist, district level coaches and district administrators. 

Do you need to make significant changes to your MTSS infrastructure and systems in order to more effectively implement multi-tiered programming designed to serve all students?  If so, this intensive two-day workshop is the perfect time to plan for the next school year.  Strategies and suggestions shared are drawn from the collective experience of schools from across Vermont well underway with MTSS.

Proficiency-Based, Personalized-Learning Within an MTSS System – Grades 7-12
What does effective, daily implementation look like in grades 7-12? Presenter: Jen Patenaude – May 8 and 9, 2018 ~ Holiday Inn, Rutland, VT

Audience: This workshop is designed for 7-12 systems. We strongly suggest you attend with a team that might include: building administrator, classroom teacher, interventionist, special educator, guidance counselor/behavior specialist, district level coaches and district administrators. More Details Coming Soon!

vthec.org

Dave Melnick, Jon Udis, Joelle Van Lent, Gillian Boudreau, Paul Foxman

There are many introductions out there on the impact of trauma and anxiety and the strategies that can help address them but the VT-HEC is developing an array of learning opportunities that will go much further & deeper in supporting the application of the most effective strategies and creating in-school expertise. Working with the Northeast Family Institute (NFI) and experts like Joelle Van Lent & Gillian Boudreau, we are planning a coordinated workshops series and course sequence for 2017-2018 & beyond.  

• Developmental Trauma and Trauma-Informed Schools: Transforming Knowledge to Action, with David Melnick, LICSW, in Rutland, VT ~ Two workshop days (9/26 & 10/23) and three additional dates for 3-credit graduate course (11/30, 12/15, 1/25) The workshops will get you started with a firm foundation in the basics and the optional course will take you deeper to help planning and implementation of these strategies in your school setting. We are working on a Level II course for the spring that will focus further on implementation and building capacity.
• Power Struggles: What to do When a Student Says, “Make Me!” with Jon Udis in Killington, VT (11/8) Jon shares both what not to do and the strategies that work to de-escalate the situation and get students back on track. You will leave with an overall plan of action including being prepared for the next confrontation.
• Fostering Resilient Learners: Creating Trauma-Sensitive School Communities, with Joelle van Lent, Psy.D, and Gillian Boudreau, Ph.D., in Montpelier, VT ~ Four workshop days (1/18, 2/16, 3/16, 4/12) and an additional date (5/17) for 3-credit graduate course. After a review of the basics of trauma, its causes, impact and strategies to address them, Joelle and Gillian will explore building resilience, using strategies like mindfulness and yoga and how to prevent and respond to compassion fatigue. There are lots of options for accessing these offerings or benefiting from it all from theory to practice by taking the course.
• Managing Anxiety in the Classroom, with Paul Foxman, Ph.D., in Montpelier, VT (1/26) Everyone deals with anxiety and Paul will spend the day focused on its impact on kids and the adults that work with them. He will share what we know about the best ways to deal with this common and often debilitating challenge.
• Check out our other series for 2017-18, including:  General Education – Proficiencies & Personalization; Special Education; Young Children: Birth through Primary Grades

Special Education, Early Childhood, Autism, Reading, Trauma, Behavior

We hope we can help you get the year off to a great start with offerings in key areas of need that focus on gaining practical knowledge and skills as well as applying them in real ways to benefit students.

The VT-HEC began in 2000 as an effort of the VT Department of Education, VSC & UVM.  Our first program was the Pathway to Special Education Endorsement course series that continues to this day and has had over 350 completers. In addition, we have offered a selection of workshops and single courses for all those who work with struggling learners and students with disabilities.

Registration will open August 10^th for these Fall offerings:

1. Trauma & Resilience– There are many introductions out there on the impact of trauma and the strategies that can help but the VT-HEC is developing an array of learning opportunities that will go much further & deeper in supporting the application of the most effective strategies and creating in-school expertise. Working with the Northeast Family Institute (NFI) and experts like Joelle Van Lent & Gillian Boudreau, we are planning a coordinated workshops series and course sequence for 2017-2018 & beyond.  

Trauma-Informed Schools – September 26 & October 23, Rutland, VT:  David Melnick of NFI will kick things off with a two-workshop series that has an extended course option.

Spring 2018 Workshops & Courses: We have three additional offerings in this series for the spring– a Part II course presented by David Melnick, a workshop series & course by Joelle van Lent and Gillian Boudreau focusing on resilience, compassion fatigue and mindfulness and Paul Foxman on anxiety.

2. Tips & Tools for Early Childhood Special Education, September 29 & October 26; Montpelier.  Judith Mason shares practical tools that will benefit both the newest and your most veteran staff member and give them an opportunity to tailor these tools to their own settings.

3. Special Education Orientation, October 5 & 6; Montpelier. If you, your principal or your staff members are new to your position or to VT, this session is one you want to mark on your calendar now. Andrea Wasson, accomplished special education administrator and presenter/instructor, surveys the special education rules, process and best practices to help you and your staff get off to a confident start in this complicated field. 

4. Autism Spectrum Disorder in Young Children, October 12; Patty Prelock, one of the most knowledgeable and distinguished experts in the field, will present this “can’t miss” presentation focusing on the latest research on ASD in younger children. 

5. Teaching Reading Comprehension to Students Who Require More Explicit Instruction, October 16 & November 13; Montpelier- with Tina Newman, Ph.D; Heather Flynn, Ph.D; and Kimberly Marshall, MA, BCBA. A very practical review of the specialized instruction needed to teach reading to many students with challenging disabilities delivered by three experts in the field – a necessity for every reading interventionist and special educator.

6. Special Education Law Update – November 2, Montpelier – Art Cernosia is a fount of knowledge and perspective on what is important to pay attention to and what is coming down the road concerning special education & related law, court decisions and regulations. 

7. Power Struggles: What to do When a Student Says, “Make Me!”, November 8, 2017 Killington, VT – Jon Udis. Jon shares both what not to do and the strategies that work to de-escalate the situation and get students back on track. 

8. Connecting the Dots: Using Best Practices to Support Infants, Toddlers, and Their Families, Montpelier ~ Four workshop dates (11/3, 2/9, 3/23, 5/3) with a 3-credit course option. Covering topics important to everyone working with young children.

• Check out our other series including: Early Childhood; Trauma, Resilience & Anxiety; General Education – Proficiency & Personalization
• Go to vthec.org for more information & registration.  Watch for the full year VT-HEC calendar

VT-HEC Mission Investment Fund Supports Development of New Series

In partnership with the Northeast Family Institute (NFI), the VT-HEC is developing a new series focusing on childhood trauma and trauma-informed schools.  NFI’s David Melnick will kick off the series with a workshop on February 16, 2017 in Montpelier, VT.  The workshop can also be taken as part of a graduate course entitled: Developmental Trauma and Trauma-Informed Schools: Theory, Practice, and Implementation.  This course will be the first in what is planned to be a series of courses that will support school personnel as they work to apply the principes of Trauma-Informed Schools.

The workshop and course will focus on the global impact that chronic traumatic stress has on the developing child. Research and clinical practice has helped clarify the expansive effects of chronic trauma, often referred to as the “Seven Domains of Impairment” (The National Child Traumatic Stress Network). Participants will examine these seven domains with an eye towards their application by educators and schools, noting the specific and often innovative strategies necessary to help children learn and develop.

For more information, see our flyer at: https://www.vthec.org/wp-content/uploads/David-Melnick-11-18-16.pdf

You can contribute to the VT-HEC Mission Investment Fund to help make quality professional learning opportunities available to meet the needs of Vermont educators. vthec.org

Expanding VT-HEC’s Capacity to Provide Quality Professional Learning Opportunities

The VT-HEC Board of Directors has established the VT-HEC Mission Investment Fund for the purpose of advancing the goals of the VT-HEC to provide high quality professional learning opportunities to help ensure the success of every Vermont student.  The VT-HEC Mission Investment Fund will be focused on developing new professional learning programs in high need areas and supporting increased access to current VT-HEC offerings.

So far in FY’17 the VT-HEC Mission Investment Fund is supporting:

1. the new VT-HEC Early Childhood Workshop series, Connecting the Dots, which will begin on November 30, 2016 with the workshop, Strengthening the Foundations for Best Practice and Effective Curriculum with Jim Squires.
2. a limited number of scholarships for our Early Childhood/Early Childhood Special Education endorsement pathway and other courses and workshops.
3. development of a new program focused on Trauma-Informed Schools. This will include a series of graduate courses partnering with Northeast Family Institute as well as related workshops.  The first course, Developmental Trauma and Trauma-informed Schools:  Theory, Practice, Implementation, will start this spring. The first workshop, Truama-Informed Care, is scheduled for November 9 & 10.
4. development of a professional learning offering for paraeducators and others based on the Registered Behavior Technician competencies of the Behavior Analyst Certification Board. We hope to begin offering this course in the spring of 2017.

You Can Help….

Please make a tax-deductive contribution to help us expand the impact of the VT-HEC Mission Investment Fund so that we can offer additional scholarships and develop new programs to meet the most critical professional learning needs in education in Vermont.

If you are going to make a donation this tax season please consider helping us help those that educate and support Vermont’s children and youth. Go to: vthec.org