October in Korea!

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Autumn has arrived and brought cooler weather and beautiful colors. With it, the time for collaborating and supporting one another is here! While our meetings are virtual these days, we can still encourage our colleagues and share resources.

SENIA Korea’s October meeting is coming soon.

We look forward to

  • planning for the  SENIA 2021 Conference watch parties
  • sharing “what works for us” with others
  • asking and answering questions
  • being a support system

Happy Fall!

 

Learn more about the conference at SENIA Int’l

 

Meet our 21-22 SENIA Ecuador Board Members

Soledad Valencia

Soledad Valencia is a Clinical and Educational Psychologist from Quito, Ecuador. She graduated from Universidad San Francisco de Quito with a bachelor degree in Clinical Psychology and a specialization in Sexology in 2015. After graduation, she worked as a Personal Assistant and then as an Instructional Assistant for the Learning Support Department at Academia Cotopaxi for three years. Soledad coursed her Master ‘s degree in Educational Psychology with a specialization in Inclusive Education at McGill University from 2018 to 2020.

She is passionate about inclusion and has participated in several research projects with Ecuadorian youth. Soledad is currently working as a Learning Support specialist at Academia Cotopaxi.

Meet our 21-22 SENIA Ecuador Board Members

Belen Zavala

Belen Zavala is passionate about inclusion.  She found her second home in the Middle School Learning Support Department at Academia Cotopaxi International School in Quito, Ecuador.  Belen holds a Bachelor in Business Administration, a Master in Business Administration and a Master in Teaching and Curriculum. She made a career change from business to special education when she experienced first hand the impact that good, passionate, dedicated teachers had on her kid ‘s lives. Her favorite time of the day is when she gets to “witness the awesomeness and magic happen” in her students’ lives as they realize they can accomplish different tasks. Belen is excited to be able to share her experience with SENIA Ecuador and help make her home country, Ecuador, a more inclusive safe place for all students.

Meet our 21-22 SENIA Ecuador Board Members

Chelsea Toller

Chelsea Toller has been an educator for over 25 years as a classroom teacher, instructional coach, English Language Development Coordinator, Vice Principal and Principal.  Her favorite role so far is serving as the Director of Student Support Services which combines all of her passions: Counseling, Learning Support, and English Language Learning at Academia Cotopaxi in Quito, Ecuador.  She holds a BA in Community Studies and a MA in Educational Leadership. She believes that making the world more inclusive benefits everyone and she loves working alongside her SENIA Ecuador colleagues to grapple together as we move from “inclusion in theory” to “inclusion in practice”.

Meet our 21-22 SENIA Ecuador Board Members

Devon Hehl

 

Devon is starting her second year, and 20th year in teaching, at Academia Cotopaxi American International School as a Learning Support Specialist.  Prior to that, she worked at NIST International School for 8 years where she was an Elementary Learning Support Specialist and 3-year SENIA Representative.   She has also worked and lived in Zambia, Switzerland, and the United States.  Devon holds a Masters of Science in Special Education and a Bachelors of Arts in Education.  She is committed to embracing diversity and is thrilled to be a part of both small and large inclusive communities.  Devon is inspired by her family, colleagues, and the students she works with.

Welcome From Our Leadership

Welcome to SENIA Korea! We are all so glad you’re here, visiting our corner of the internet.

At SENIA Korea, we work together to support our students, teachers and families in and connected to our schools. In the international community, having special needs can be daunting for families, so we want to be the best support system possible.

SENIA Korea’s Leadership team, 2021-2022: 

Chairperson: Tonya Garrick, Yongsan International School of Seoul

Team Member: Rachel Arnold, Korea Foreign School

Team Member: Rafael Jimenez, Seoul Foreign School

Team Member: Courtney Pakos, Yongsan International School of Seoul

…more to come! Stay tuned!

 

SENIA Europe Fall Theme: TEAMING!

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Announcing Our Fall Theme…

 

Teaming LEAVES all feeling supported!

Every student has a team: teachers, specialists, para-professionals, administrators, outside providers, parents and other adult advocates. We all support each other with the goal of inclusion for every child.

From now through December, SENIA Europe will be sharing research, models, and stories all focused on teaming. Some of this will be curated research. It will also include our popular 10-minute interviews, now with digital Q&A! Upcoming topics include:

  • Team teaching in the IB classroom 

  • True collaboration with paraprofessionals 

  • Involving parents as active team members

  • Team benefits of including outside professionals 

AND MORE!

Articles, videos and more will be available in the following places:

Shenzhen Board Member: Raji Siva

Raji is currently working the Special Educational Needs Teacher at Shen Wai International School in Shenzhen. She has a Masters in Special Education from the University of Southern Queensland. She has been trained in various methods of multi-sensory remedial intervention to support the learning of students. Raji is passionate about teaching students with Dyslexia and is an advocate in supporting students with this specific learning need.

Prior to arriving in China starting from this academic year, Raji has been living in Singapore for the past 33 years and has been working with children with learning needs for over 20 years. She has worked with the Dyslexia Association of Singapore as an Educational Therapist and in various international schools in Singapore as a learning support teacher.

When not working, Raji is interested in keeping herself physically and mentally fit with yoga and exercise. Her interests are cooking, badminton, hiking, and reading.

raji.siva@swis.cn

 

 

 

New Shenzhen Board Member: Ross Salerno

Ross is an English Language Learning Coordinator at BASIS International School in Shenzhen, China. Originally from the United States, he has a Master ‘s degree in Education with a focus on Integrative Learning and Technology in Education.
Professionally, he is working on developing better strategies to integrate more students into support services, with better allowances for second language learners, as well as furthering techniques for differentiation across student populations that have many concerns.

Ross’ non-educational interests include reading, dancing, and various flavors of role-playing games.

New Shenzhen Board Member: Vani Veikoso

Master of Education
Bachelor of Education Studies
Certificate in Advanced Leadership

I possess over 30 years of experience in education at both national and international level and have taught in ten countries. Currently I am the Early Years and Primary Assistant Principal responsible for PreK ““ Grade 2 at Shen Wai International School. I have led teams and committees to develop curriculum, influence and mentor new teachers and empower them to take risks and affect positive outcomes.

My varied international experiences and cultural background has enabled me to value trust, collaboration and building positive and firm relationships with the professional community. As an experienced international educator, my collective core competencies contribute to my commitment to building a community of inquirers and knowledgeable professionals.

As a researcher, writer, regional conference presenter, school evaluator and educator promoting inclusion, inquiry and self-determined learners, I believe that all students can learn when given the best fit transactional support to make them successful. This I hope to achieve as I serve our community here in Shenzhen and beyond.