Parent Resource Center Monday Message: 4.10.23

Monday, April 10, 2023

Good afternoon, Happy April, and welcome back! We hope that each of you had a chance to make some wonderful spring break memories with your family. Spring tends to be a busy season for families and schools, and as we begin preparing for the last quarter of the academic year, the Virginia Department of Education’s Training and Technical Assistance Center (TTAC) at George Mason University has compiled helpful assessment resources for educators and and families.

April is Autism Awareness/Acceptance Month
Arlington Public Schools vision is “To be an inclusive community that empowers all students to foster their dreams, explore their possibilities, and create their futures”. One way to ensure that we support students in having the skills to create their futures is by fostering self-determination. Join us for a session with our wonderful Autism/Low Incidence Disability Specialists on April 19th to learn more about this important topic. A registration link is in our Events section below.

April is the Month of the Military Child
Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps Exceptional Family Member Program Managers (EFMP’s) are equipped to provide information, resources, skills and support to help military families with special needs navigate systems of care. Learn more at: https://www.militaryonesource.mil/special-needs/efmp/ and refer to the Exceptional Family Member Program Managers document to connect to a Virginia military EFMP.

Assistant Principals’ Week
We join the APS Community in celebrating APS Assistant Principals this week!

Spring 2023 SOL and VAAP Assessment Resources
Virginia Department of Eduction Training and Technical Assistance Center (TTAC) at George Mason University
This Resource Spotlight features Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) Standards of Learning (SOL) and Virginia Alternate Assessment Program (VAAP) resources for educators and families.

RESOURCES:

• SOL Testing Participation and Inclusion: VDOE guidance for SOL assessment participation and special test accommodations for students with disabilities
• SOL Test Practice Resources:TTAC Online compilation of practice assessment resources to promote student understanding and fluency with the format, content, and skills included in SOL tests
• How to Beat Test Anxiety: Child Mind Institute archived video featuring Dave Anderson, Ph.D. and strategies to beat text anxietyFAMILY SUPPORTS:
• Testing Accommodations for Students with Disabilities: Parent Educational Advocacy Training Center (PEATC) resources on instruction and assessment accommodations for students with disabilities
• Virginia Alternate Assessment Program (VAAP) Family Resources
• Additional resources are online at:

LAMP Words for Life Sale
Our AAC Implementation Coaches have shared a time sensitive updates – for families of AAC users, the LAMP Words for Life App is on sale at 50% off from April 12-18, 2023.
Learn more at this link.

Please visit the Parent Resource Center’s Events page at www.apsva.us/prc-events for updated event information.