District Programs
District Vision
St. Helens School District inspires all students to learn, connect, and commit to a thriving future
District Mission
Strengthening Our Community Through Exceptional Schools
Our Committment
The St. Helens School District is committed to reversing the trend of isolation and segregation of students with disabilities by ensuring all students have access to high-quality instruction responsive to their needs and delivered by effective and culturally responsive educators within the Least Restrictive Environment.
District Programs
Resource Rooms
This program provides specially designed instruction through general education or specialized curriculum. Services are provided through either pull out services in small group special education setting, instruction in the general education class settings, and/or collaborative teaching with general education teachers. The specially designed instruction is provided by certified staff and instructional assistants under the supervision of the resource room teacher. Instruction is focused on the Individual Education Plan (IEP) goals which support continued progress toward the student’s learning targets.
Susan Donovan-Columbia City Elementary/Yankton Arthur Academy
Shayne Ochoa-Lewis & Clark Elementary
Haylee Griffin- Lewis & Clark Elementary
Brian Langford- McBride Elementary
Michelle Pieper- St. Helens Middle School
Traci Wolfe- St. Helens Middle School
Janice Gonzales- St. Helens High School
Jordan Leland- St. Helens High School
Mark McQueen- St. Helens High School
Meghan Richey- Plymouth High School
Renee Selby- St. Helens Virtual Academy K-12/Homeschool K-12
Social-Emotional Learning Centers
These programs focus on students who are in need of intensive social-emotional and behavioral supports, and social skills. The program philosophy is guided by research-based developmentally and age-appropriate best practices. Students who receive services through the Social Learning Center have mainstreaming opportunities that can vary from small chunks for elective type classes to full time with check-in support with the Social Learning Center. We use a variety of strategies for progress towards grade-level learning targets including but not limited to:
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Collaborative Problem Solving
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Small Structured Setting
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Highly Structured
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Social Skills Training
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Individualized Behavior Support Plans
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Increased Adult to Student Ratio
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Structured Schedule and Transition Plans
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Support from local Community Mental Health Therapists
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Collaboration with Community Based Partners As Applicable
Alex Panagopoulos- Lewis & Clark Elementary
Liz Davidson- Lewis & Clark Elementary
Jillian Sederburg- St. Helens Middle School
Tamera Lewno- St. Helens High School
Structured Learning Center Program
The Structured Learning Center Program is a specialized program that provides services to students whose Individual Education Plan (IEP) demonstrates a need for intensive academic, adaptive, life skills, socialization, emotional, and communication development. Students typically receive the majority of instruction through special education supports and services in this specialized program. Strategies researched to be effective are implemented with significant adult support including but not limited to:
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Modified curriculum
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Life skills curriculum
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Social skills curriculum
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Structured classroom settings
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Small group instruction
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Modified environmental stimuli
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Carefully planned schedules and transitions
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Sensory support
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Visual systems for work completion, communication, and organization
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Language enriching opportunities
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Clear, consistent routines
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Access to general education classes and opportunities when appropriate
Students in this program exhibit the ability to learn routines quickly and follow them with minimal support. Students exhibiting behaviors that impede their learning or the learning of others that cannot be addressed with the above strategies may make more progress on their goals in a different setting which offers more intensive supports based on their individual needs.
Bridgett Harkins- McBride Elementary
Leanna (Klee) Komp- McBride Elementary
Lindsay Burke- St. Helens Middle School
Lisa Buchco- St. Helens High School
Functional Life Skills-Elementary/Middle School
Functional -Middle/High School
These two specialized programs provide services to students whose Individual Education Plan (IEP) demonstrates a need for intensive cognitive, medical, communication, socialization, motor skills, and/or adaptive skill development. Skills are developed with the use of research-based curriculum, strategies, and techniques:
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Visual systems for work completion and communication
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Functional routines
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Social Skill routines
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Pre-vocational skill development
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Adaptive motor skill development
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Functional academic development
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Multi-modal communication
Emily Aragon- McBride Elementary