Nestled in an East Tacoma neighborhood stands Impact Commencement Bay Elementary School (CBE). CBE offers Transitional Kindergarten to 2nd grade, with plans to add a grade each school year until 5th grade. Seneca’s partnership began with Impact CBE when they first opened their doors in Fall of 2021. CBE is part of Impact Public Schools, Washington’s first homegrown charter network that currently operates two other elementary schools in the Puget Sound region with plans to open another one in the Fall of 2023.
Similar to their mascot, The Unicorns, the school team at CBE is magical and rare. Our Seneca staff at CBE include – Dr. Alivia Kremer (School Psychologist), Mollie Ito-Washington (Occupational Therapist), Abby Hall (Speech Language Pathologist) and Natalie Greben (Speech Language Pathologist Assistant). Our team of specialists work closely with CBE staff to support the school in identifying students with disabilities, conducting evaluations, providing speech and OT therapy, and working alongside the school to ensure scholars receive the services they need. See what a Seneca staff says makes CBE unique:
Similar to their mascot, The Unicorns, the school team at CBE is magical and rare. Our Seneca staff at CBE include – Dr. Alivia Kremer (School Psychologist), Mollie Ito-Washington (Occupational Therapist), Abby Hall (Speech Language Pathologist) and Natalie Greben (Speech Language Pathologist Assistant). Our team of specialists work closely with CBE staff to support the school in identifying students with disabilities, conducting evaluations, providing speech and OT therapy, and working alongside the school to ensure scholars receive the services they need. See what a Seneca staff says makes CBE unique:
“Commencement Bay Elementary (CBE) school is unique in that it has teaching teams that allow students to get more individualized attention in the classroom, as well as preparing a new generation of teachers through mentorship and hands on teaching. CBE is growing with the mindset of inclusion and equity for its scholars and families, as well as a willingness to try new avenues and gain perspective from others who work with scholars in a different capacity. “
As a newer school, CBE’s processes and systems are developing. This year, the team has made monumental progress in the pre-referral process. Guidance Team meetings are held for students of concern, and it is standard practice that the School Psychologist is present for every one of those. If there is a concern around speech or OT, we also invite those specialists to join. During the Guidance Team meetings, the team discusses strengths, concerns, data available and interventions tried. They then discuss next steps for support including Response to Intervention (RTI) and progress monitoring, referring to the 504 Accommodation team or referring for a special education evaluation. This process has been so helpful in supporting students with Tier 2 interventions and has allowed for scholars to receive support within the general education setting without a special education evaluation. While we are constantly improving and making changes to the process, the overall foundation has been a huge success at CBE.
The Seneca specialists work closely together with the school’s learning specialist (special education case manager) to approach situations as a multi-disciplinary team. The learning specialists, Seneca specialists, Seneca partnership manager and Impact’s special education administrator meet bi-weekly to discuss scholars, processes and systems, and problem solve together as a team. Read what a Seneca specialist says about the team at CBE:
The Seneca specialists work closely together with the school’s learning specialist (special education case manager) to approach situations as a multi-disciplinary team. The learning specialists, Seneca specialists, Seneca partnership manager and Impact’s special education administrator meet bi-weekly to discuss scholars, processes and systems, and problem solve together as a team. Read what a Seneca specialist says about the team at CBE:
“At CBE, the case manager is quick to include the whole team when a scholar needs extra support including the scholar’s classroom teacher, paraprofessional when applicable, the principal, any specialists on the team, and parents when they are willing and available. Every member of the team contributes both what they’ve observed and brainstorms solutions together. I feel it is helpful to have all the necessary context and information when making decisions from trying new strategies to recommending further support like an FBA or counseling.”
The multidisciplinary approach greatly supports scholars in accessing the education, care and services they need and deserve at school. Seneca specialists report about the impact our multi-disciplinary team has on scholars:
“When the team works together, scholars get consistent instruction across providers. This makes them feel safer and more in routine, which leads to more space for learning and progress towards goals rather than spending sessions managing behaviors. Teachers’ input informs our treatment decisions and our input informs their teaching. This includes sped teachers and paraprofessionals, too!”
“The multi-disciplinary approach at CBE allows for more comprehensive conversations and different perspectives from all those who work with a scholar, allowing for the student to be seen more as whole, thus creating more well-rounded support. The team members demonstrate great passion for seeing and meeting the needs of all scholars, allowing us to be able to see where the gaps and strengths are and problem solve to make the education experience positive for all scholars and families. “
We are excited to continue our work with the pre-referral and multi-disciplinary team approach at CBE again next year to better support the scholars and families at CBE.
Blog Post Written By: Gini Sanders, Director of Specialized Services
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