Welcome to Student Services!

At Sparta Area Schools, we are here to serve every Spartan by “creating valuable relationships and innovative learning experiences within our schools and community that empowers ALL learners to thrive and excel.” In collaboration with parents, guardians and the community, we are here to support the needs of our students.

If you have any questions or need additional information please contact Erin Kavanagh, Director of Student Services, at erin.kavanagh@spartaschools.org.

** Please note** The Student Services Office is located on the north end of the Early Childhood Building.

Student Wellness

Why?

At Sparta Area Schools we know the importance of partnering with our parents, guardians and community members to help our students be successful in all areas of life, including both academic and personal wellness.

Personal wellness is acquiring and applying the knowledge and skills to:

develop a healthy character
manage emotions and achieve personal and collective goals
demonstrate empathy for others
establish and maintain supportive relationships
make responsible and caring decisions

What?

Personal wellness skills include the following five competencies:

Self-Awareness - knowing all about your strengths and weaknesses and understanding when to seek support or help from others
Self-Management - recognizing your emotions and setting meaningful goals
Social Awareness - recognizing and respecting the emotions and perspectives of others.
Relationship Skills - managing conflicts in a healthy way and building and maintaining positive connections with others.
Responsible Decision Making - making choices that not only benefit oneself but also have a positive impact on those around you.

How?

A district team of our social workers, counselors, school psychologists, occupational therapist, behavior coach and teachers are working collaboratively to identify a curriculum we can implement across the district to help our learners develop and practice the skills we have outlined above. More to come.

Social Emotional Learning K-5

Links to Wellness Wednesday Spartan News

McKinney-Vento (Homeless Student Services)

English Language Learners

English Language Program

What?

Sparta Area Schools seeks to provide every child, regardless of national origin or native language, quality and meaningful educational instruction. Consequently, students who are English Learners (ELs) are provided instructional services through an English Language (EL) program which is designed to meet their unique needs.

Who?

Sparta Area Schools has a full-time EL teacher in each school building.

Ridgeview:
Teacher: Sara Cinadr (Spanish/espanol); sara.cinadr@spartaschools.org
TA: Rebecca Faulkner; rebecca.faulkner@spartaschools.org and Shelly Brower; shelly.brower@spartaschools.org

Appleview:
Teacher: Rebecca Chronowski; rebecca.chronowski@spartaschools.org
TA: Shannon McTear (Spanish/espanol); shannon.mctear@spartaschools.org and Lisa Schaner; lisa.schaner@spartaschools.org

Middle School:
Teacher: Wendy Allen; wendy.allen@spartaschools.org
TA: Shannon McTear (Spanish/espanol);shannon.mctear@spartaschools.org

High School:
Teacher: Leah Metivier-Kearney; leah.metivier@spartaschools.org
TA: Sandra Dymerski (Spanish/espanol); sandra.dymerski@spartaschools.org

District Coordinator: Allison Dykstra; allison.dykstra@spartaschools.org

District Special Populations Data Coordinator: Susan Narvaez (Spanish/espanol); susan.narvaez@spartaschools.org

The EL teacher is certified in his/her teaching area and has an EL endorsement. The EL teacher has primary responsibility for providing English language instruction to the EL student. The EL teacher also shares the responsibility with general education teachers for ensuring that the EL student receives content instruction while learning English.

The EL teacher supports the instruction of the general education class by discussing the content using EL, sheltered or content specific instruction taught in the student’s home language and English. The EL teacher is responsible for language development and content specific instructional support.

How?

English Language Development (ELD) course is designed for English language learning (ELL) students who are acquiring grade-level language and literacy skills. The course focuses on reading, writing, vocabulary and grammar within the context of State curriculum and performance standards. It provides accommodations and modifications to grade-level curriculum, and utilizes strategies that benefit EL students striving to gain the English language and literacy skills needed to be successful.

Additional supports can include:

Team teaching: The EL teacher collaborates with the general education teacher to plan, organize, instruct and make assessments for a class of students. The EL teacher joins the class for the reading/language arts and/or math block and co-leads/instructs the whole class.

Push-In: The EL teacher collaborates with the general education teacher to plan, organize, instruct and make assessments for the EL students in the class. The EL teacher pushes into the classroom to address the immediate learning and language needs of EL students for additional tier one instruction over the content presented by the general education teacher.

Pull-Out: The EL teacher collaborates with the general education teacher to plan, organize, instruct and make assessments for the EL students in the class. The EL teacher pulls a small group of EL students out of the general education classroom for additional tier one instruction over the content presented by the general education teacher.

Title III/English Language Learner Program Handbook

Michigan Seal of Biliteracy

The Michigan Seal of Biliteracy has been created to recognize students that have shown dedication to the study of world languages and/or embraced their native and heritage languages. The Seal of Biliteracy will provide employers with a way to identify individuals with strong language and biliteracy skills. The Seal may also serve as an additional tool for colleges and universities to recognize applicants' language abilities for admission and placement. Students who earn a score of four (4) or higher on either an AP or exam would be eligible for the Seal, which would be added to the students’ transcript.

Resources:

Community Resources

504 Information

Section 504 Plan

Sparta Area Schools is committed to ALL students learning at high levels and providing the interventions and accommodations students need to be successful and thrive.

What?

A Section 504 Plan is collaboratively developed with the building 504 coordinator, teachers, other school staff as needed (school social worker, counselor, administrator), parents/guardians, and when appropriate the student. The plan is based on data collected through teacher observations, classroom performance (academically and behaviorally), parent/guardian input, student input and when applicable data and input from a doctor or mental health professional. The 504 Plan can include accommodations, modifications and/or services so that the student can gain access to the environment and/or the curriculum.