Welcome to P.A.C.E.S.!
My name is Darlena Craig and I am the Special Education Teacher for the P.A.C.E.S. class and also the Department Head for the Special Education Program at GPJHS. P.A.C.E.S. stands for Positive Academic Classroom Experiences with Socialization. I joined the GPJHS faculty because I was eager to make a difference in the lives of the students that have a difficult time learning in their regular classrooms. I have been in the Special Education field for over 10 years specializing in behavior modification and social skills training. Although it offers many challenges, I find each day a 'new day' for learning new skills and practicing age appropriate behavior.
Mr. Henry Hall is my para-professional that will be assisting me in my class this year. I cannot emphasize Mr. Hall's importance to my classroom. He is very patient and understanding to all students and their limitations. Most of all, he is a wonderful mentor on and off the school campus. He is a current member of the Corpus Christi Hammerheads Arena football team and comes to us from Oklahoma.
We enjoy teaching all types of students and together, hope to make a difference in your student's education this year.
In our P.A.C.E.S. class, we work on various social skills that assist our students with being more successful in their school and community settings. Students are taught the proper ways to handle themselves amongst their peers and in their classrooms.
All lessons involve a social skills word to define, a daily journal to complete, a worksheet on the topic being discussed that is done together as a group or individually, and a social group discussion. Also, a daily sponge activity is completed at the beginning of each lesson.
More details about our weekly topic will be listed under my classroom calendar so please take the time to review to know what your child is learning that week.
Important for Parents AND Students:
Supplies: Please make sure your child brings paper and a pencil to my class everyday. They are required to complete a daily sponge activity, social skills word and social skills journal everyday when they come into class. Practicing good social skills does include being prepared for each and every class.
Dress code: Please make sure your child obeys the school dress code. Any student who is observed out of dress code will be sent to the school office. Administrators make decisions they see fit based on the situation but consequences can include, but are not limited to: after-school detention, lunch detention, school referral, and/or In-School suspension. Practicing good social skills does include following school rules and policies.
Tardies/Absences: Students should be on time to each class and also present every school day. School personnel are going to be flexible the first few days of school in order to give new incoming students a chance to get adjusted to the new change. However, past students are familiar with the school layout and should be on time to each class from the first day. Being tardy to a class results in a student being sent to the school office to receive a tardy slip and lunch detention for that school day. Parents will be notified if tardies become obsessive and students can be placed in ISS due to numerous referrals. Practicing good social skills does include being to class on time and present for each class day.
As always, if you have any questions regarding your child's education or concerns relevant to the Special Education Department at GPJHS, please do not hesitate to contact me. I will return your call or email as soon as I am free.
And always remember to SMILE because:
Success Means Increasing Learning for Everyone!