Student Support Staff
- Center-Based Classrooms
- Resource Teachers
- School Psychologist
- School Social Worker
- Occupational Therapy
- Speech
- English Learner
- Talent Development
- Interventionists
- Nurse Finnigsmier
Center-Based Classrooms
The center-based Strategies program in our inclusive learning community foster high levels of learning in order to support our work of helping students in reaching their full potential. We build communication, functional, social, emotional, and behavioral skills in addition to the core academics, differentiated for individual students with social communication and self-regulation needs.
Resource Teachers
Resource educators teach students who have been identified through the child study process and meet state criteria for one or more of the following categories:
- Specific Learning Disability (SLD);
- Other Health Disorder (OHD);
- Autism Spectrum (ASD);
- Developmental Cognitive Disability (DCD), or
- Emotional Behavioral Disability (EBD).
The Resource teachers are also consultants to both classroom teachers and parents. They are members of the Child Study team working with the District 196 staff evaluation team on initial evaluations. They work with students in small groups or in the general education classroom through a co-teaching model to provided systematic, direct instruction of academic or social thinking skills.
School Psychologist
School psychologists work with a team of people to help students succeed academically, socially, and emotionally. School psychologists are trained in both education and mental health to know how to identify and lower barriers to learning.
For more information about school psychology, visit the National Association of School Psychologists website.
Resources for families are also available through the National Association of School Psychologists.
JENNIFER ZASKE
Titles: Psychologist
Email: Jennifer.Zaske@district196.org
Phone Number: 651-683-6890
VM 30630
School Social Worker
The social worker takes on many roles at Thomas Lake Elementary. They provide educational support groups, track student attendance and provide resource information for students and families in crisis.
The social worker provides supportive services to the students through group and individual work. Groups are designed to build self-esteem, while offering students opportunities to learn life skills such as, problem-solving, making appropriate choices and conflict resolution.
Students requiring individual attention may meet with the social worker for a few sessions to several weeks, depending on student need. Contact the school, if you are interested in having your child participate in a group or work with the social worker individually.
The social worker notifies the parents/guardians of their child’s attendance records. Regular school attendance is important for student’s educational and social development.
The social work position offers services to families dealing with transition or crisis. The social worker may assist families needing informational materials, strategies for school performance or to locate community resources.
Occupational Therapy
Danielle Schoenbauer
Speech
Speech teachers provide services to students who have significant needs in the area of communication. Communication disorders encompass:
- Articulation Disorders: difficulty producing speech sounds
- Language Disorders: difficulty with understanding and expressing thoughts and ideas.
- Voice Disorders: having an inappropriate pitch/quality of voice
- Fluency Disorders or Stuttering: Inappropriate repetitions of sounds, words or phrases
English Learner
Talent Development
- Parent Resources
- Twice Exceptional (2e) Resources
- Gifted and Talented Advisory Council (GTAC)
- Service Model
- Identification
- Grades 3-5 Cluster Classrooms
- Acceleration
Parent Resources
Twice Exceptional (2e) Resources
Gifted and Talented Advisory Council (GTAC)
Join our Gifted and Talented Advisory Council and help shape the curriculum for future students. Visit our Gifted and Talented Advisory Council (GTAC) page for meeting information, dates and times.
Service Model
Click here for more information- District 196 Talent Development Services
Talent Development in District 196 Middle Schools
Flexible and Fluid Service Model:
District 196 elementary schools cluster identified students in grades 3-5. Talent Development specialists support cluster classroom teachers with differentiating for advanced academic needs in core instruction and in guided groups.
Students whose advanced academics needs extend beyond what can be provided in a cluster classroom may be referred for single subject and/or grade level acceleration.
Talent Development services in District 196 is an inclusive, flexible and fluid model. A student does not need to be formally identified to receive support for their high academic and learning ability needs. Talent Development services are provided through flexible grouping based on district assessments and ongoing assessments in the classroom which are based on the content and standards being presented at that time.
Identification
Under revision, information coming soon.
If a student has been identified in another district or state, contact Amy Miller, Talent Development Coordinator, Amy.B.Miller@district196.org, for information about documentation for identification in District 196.
Grades 3-5 Cluster Classrooms
Click here for more information-Elementary Cluster Classrooms
A cluster classroom is a regular grade level class with a small group of identified students together in the same class. The cluster classroom teacher receives support to meet the learning needs of advanced students in math and/or literacy in their class. Cluster classrooms in 3rd-5th grades is an efficient way to provide advanced learning strategies to students throughout the school day.
Every District 196 elementary school has cluster classrooms in 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade. Many schools have more than one cluster classroom in each grade level. A cluster class includes identified students with a range of abilities. The number of identified students in a cluster class varies. It is recommended that the number of identified students in a cluster class not exceed one third of the class.
Acceleration
District 196 recognizes that students with superior abilities may have their needs best served by grade acceleration or single subject acceleration. Grade acceleration or single subject acceleration will be recommended only after other appropriate program changes or modifications have been deemed inadequate to meet the academic and emotional needs of the student in the student's current grade placement. This determination will be made by an assessment team.
For more information- District 196 Acceleration Information
Grade Acceleration (grade skipping)
Single Subject Acceleration
- Single Subject Acceleration of Students in Grades K-8
- Request for Consideration of Single Subject Acceleration Form
Early Entrance to Kindergarten
TRISHA MILLER
Titles: Gifted and Talent Development Teacher
Email: Trisha.Miller@district196.org
Phone Number:
School: 651-683-6890
Interventionists
Nurse Finnigsmier
Healthy students are successful students
Our school staff provide a variety of services that support a healthy learning community. We are committed to providing students with health conditions access to their education by facilitating their independence and creating a community of support by working collaboratively with the student, their family and district staff. School nurses promote optimal student health for optimal learning.
ESTABLISH HEALTHY HABITS EARLY TO ENSURE YOUR CHILD’S SUCCESS
Instilling healthy habits and routines (adequate sleep/nutrition) and consistent attendance ensures a student’s success in school even as early as kindergarten. We know that too many absences/tardies, for whatever reason, can cause children to fall behind both academically and socially.
To help ensure healthy habits consult with your health care provider regarding well-visits and immunizations, as well as maintain good hygiene. Also:
- Get the appropriate vaccines.
- Wash your hands frequently.
- Practice physical distancing from members outside your household, when appropriate (staying more than 6 feet apart).
- Stay home if you are sick (so you do not spread the illness to other people).
- Use a tissue, or cough and sneeze into your arm, not your hand and turn away from other people.
- Use single-use tissues. Dispose of the tissue immediately.
- Wash your hands after coughing, sneezing or using tissues.
- If working with children, have them play with hard surface toys that can be easily cleaned and disinfected.
- Do not touch your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands (viruses can enter your body from unwashed hands).
- Do not share cups, glasses, dishes, cutlery, cigarettes or cellphones.
- When recommended by public health authorities, wear a non-medical mask when in a public space and physical distancing cannot be maintained.
The school district will follow the guidelines from the Minnesota Department of Health for recommended exclusion and notification for vaccine-preventable diseases including coronivirus, mumps, measles, rubella, pertussis, diphtheria, viral hepatitis, chickenpox and meningitis. Families will not be notified and students are not excluded for lice, pink eye or strep throat.
COMMUNITY CLINICS
We are fortunate to have two community health clinics in Dakota County to support children and families who are in need of minor and routine health care services. Please see the links below if you are looking for routine physicals, sports or camp physicals, initial mental health screenings, and other basic health care needs. All families welcome regardless of insurance status.
- Diamondhead Clinic (Eagan, Burnsville and Savage)
- Dakota Child and Family Clinic (Dakota County)
