Support Services
ESOL
ESOL-Loretta Whiting
I am here at Aiken School five days per week. If you would like to contact me about questions you may have, please call me at 233-6994, ext. 137 or email me at Loretta_Whiting@Whps.org
During conferences, please feel free to contact me or your child’s classroom teacher if you would feel more comfortable having a translator
Reading Specialists
Early Intervention Mrs. Joanne Brielmann ext 119 joanne_brielmann@whps.org
Reading Specialist Mrs. Jennifer Leander ext 120 jen_leander@whps.orgSpeech
Carolyn Golbabai, M.S., CCC-SLP
Speech-Language Pathologist
My role as a speech language pathologist involves the assessment and treatment of children with all types of communication difficulties. Since most academic and real-life learning occurs through spoken and/or written language, it is important to consider the language competence of a student who is having learning difficulties. These difficulties are often evident in learning to decode words and understanding what is read. In addition, language deficits can also be seen in a child’s ability to comprehend written or spoken information and his/her ability to accurately understand and use proper grammar. In the area of expressive language, difficulties are seen in speech sound production, stuttering and social language skills. At Aiken Elementary School, treatment for weaknesses in the above mentioned areas involve small group instruction utilizing a collaborative approach between the Speech-Language Pathologist and the Classroom teacher. Children who are already identified through the Planning and Placement Team (PPT) process and have specific Individualized Education Plan (IEP) objectives receive services. Other children that have difficulties in the areas of speech and language are referred by teachers and/or parents. Observations of the child and strategies to implement in the classroom are tried prior to the initiation of the Planning and Placement Team process. I am here at Aiken school five days per week. If you would like to contact me about questions concerning your child’s speech and language skills, please call me at 860-233-6994, ext. 112 or email me at mailto:carolyn_golbabai@whps.org. For further information about speech and language please visit the American Speech and Language Association website:www.asha.org/public/speech development/
School Psychologist
My role as school psychologist includes supporting students, families, and teachers in a variety of ways. I offer individual and group counseling, with an emphasis on developing social skills and coping abilities. I am particularly interested in enhancing students’ social thinking abilities and helping all students establish meaningful relationships at school. I often consult with teachers to address challenging behaviors and support student learning in the classroom.
I also conduct psychological evaluations to help determine eligibility for special education services. When needed, I participate in crisis intervention and assist families in locating resources outside of school. I work with students who have individual plans, such as IEPs or 504 plans, as well as regular education students who are experiencing difficulties, such as anxiety, social difficulties, attention problems, and many others.
This is my eleventh year working as a school psychologist but my first year at Aiken. I’m thrilled to be joining the Aiken team! Outside of school, I enjoy music, hiking with my family and energetic dog, traveling, and cheering for the UConn Huskies!
If you have a concern about your child, please don’t hesitate to contact me by phone or email.
Karin Mrotek, MS, CAGS
Resource
At Aiken Elementary School the special education and general education teachers work closely together to foster learning environments that support students in their work toward attaining West Hartford's academic standards. Individual student needs are identified and programs are planned through the Planning and Placement Team (PPT). The PPT identifies students who are eligible to receive special education services and then design Individualized Education Plans (IEPs). To the maximum extent possible, students participate in the general education curriculum with supports, services, and instruction designed to allow them to demonstrate their knowledge, skills, and abilities in a variety of ways.
Quest
 Ms. McKeown & QuEST Welcome You !
Welcome to QuEST, West Hartford Public Schools Gifted and Talented Program serving the needs of high ability, highly creative, motivated students. We hope you will be intrigued and enlightened about the unique and diverse opportunities that QuEST offers throughout the school year for students in grades 4 – 8. Ms. McKeown is at Braeburn School all day on Tuesday and Thursday. Wednesday she is in the building until 10:30 am. She can be reached at theresa_mckeown@whps.org QuEST, West Hartford Public School’s Gifted and Talented Program, has been addressing the learning needs of highly capable students since 1994. Guiding students to become independent, lifelong learners who will know how to act upon their own interests and talents to become the innovators, the artists, the scientists, the political and philosophical thinkers, the humanitarians and the leaders in our community and beyond has become the hallmark of the program’s work. A student centered program, QuEST is founded on the principles of the Enrichment Triad Model (Renzulli, 1977) and the Schoolwide Enrichment Model (Renzulli and Reis, 1985). The program supports National and State Standards in Education, and is guided by a well developed Scope and Sequence of skill training activities tailored to participating students as they progress toward the excitement of independent discovery through research, diligence, and creative productivity.
Encouragement and support from parents is tremendously important to the success of our students. Support from parents is also vital for the success of the program. Some parents mentor students, others have volunteered to give presentations, still more have become involved in state organizations.
MISSION STATEMENT The mission of the QUEST Program is to ensure that students have an opportunity to develop their unique gifts and talents by creating a learning environment that encourages students to:
Question the world around themUnderstand the need to learn and growExplore the past, present, and futureSearch for solutions and meaningsThink creatively and criticallyGOALS
Math Quest is an accelerated math program that allows students to grow two grade levels beyond their current grade placement. Math Quest is offered in grades 4 and 5 for student who qualify based on specific criteria. Elementary Quest teachers deliver the instruction. In grade 6 students take grade 7 Honors Math. Students must qualify each year to continue in Math Quest. Art Quest invites any incoming 5th grade student across the district to submit a portfolio for review as the new school year begins. Approximately 30 fifth graders are selected for 20 weeks of after school art classes in two school locations, staffed by 4 art teachers. An Art Quest Exhibit celebrates the students’ work at the conclusion of the program.
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West Hartford Public Schools
50 South Main St, West Hartford, CT 06107
T: 860-561-6600
F: 860-561-6910