Announcer (00:01):
Highlighting the amazing stories from inside the North Clackamas School District, this is the Proud To Be NCSD podcast, hosted by longtime principal and current community relations director, Curtis Long.

Curtis Long (00:17):
Just a little more than five weeks remain in this school year, but who's counting the soon to be first graders at Happy Valley Elementary sure are.

Students (00:25):
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.

Curtis Long (00:28):
It's math center time in Rebecca Stewart's kindergarten classroom where groups of lively learners have scattered across the carpet to take on different sensory tasks, such as building math equations out of Play-Doh...

Students (00:39):
I counted 20 on this

Curtis Long (00:41):
To matching cardboard photos to corresponding numbers.

Students (00:45):
That's 18. One first eight second.

Curtis Long (00:47):
Take a look around this classroom and it's hard not to have your heart warmed by these five and six year olds, not because of their genuine encouragement of each other.

Students (00:56):
20 is the biggest number we got to yet.

Curtis Long (00:58):
Or the way they echo their teacher's verbal cues.

Students (01:01):
My hands hanging from my side.

Curtis Long (01:06):
Perhaps the most heartwarming aspect of Stewart's classroom, like hundreds of other elementary, middle, and high school classrooms across North Clackamas is the emphasis on full inclusion. Meaning everyone participates regardless of student behavior, support plans, special needs or individualized special education plans.

Students (01:25):
Circle. Yes. You are working so fast

Curtis Long (01:26):
Today. So while during math time at Happy Valley, you'll hear some kids counting out loud.

Students (01:33):
1, 2, 3, 4.

Curtis Long (01:33):
You'll also hear 6-year-old JoJo Dezhnyuk who learns her numbers a little differently than her classmates.

Students (01:39):
10. 10. Good job. Good, good, good. So proud of you.

Curtis Long (01:43):
Jojo is legally blind and learns her numbers in braille alongside an assistant.

Students (01:49):
What shape is it? A star? Good job. I, this has but I can't trick you today. It does have bumps on it.

Curtis Long (01:54):
And just across the way from jojo is Classmate Axel. The energetic 6-year-old was born with a rare genetic disorder that increasingly weakens muscles over time. That means missing school for infusions twice per month and an individualized education plan to help the teacher and the school meet his unique needs. But Ms. Stewart's full inclusion classroom isn't unique across North Clackamas. Every classroom at every level contains students with individualized education plans or IEPs. Students who maybe need an extra boost academically or socially and want more than anything to be a part of a connected classroom community. Today on the Proud To Be NCSD podcast, it's a "Meet the Parents" edition. As we sit down with moms and dads of students with IEPs. What's it like knowing your student learns differently than many classmates? How do they partner with teachers and administrators when advocating for their children? And what are their biggest hopes for their students, whether they're in the final year of high school or their very first year of kindergarten?

Students (02:51):
I'm ready for the hall. I'm ready for Alright. Future first graders. Let's skedaddle.

Curtis Long (02:59):
And we're very excited and very happy to welcome in some very special guests to this week's podcast. In our 50 plus episodes, we featured NCSD staff members. We've certainly featured students, but this is the first time we've invited the perspective of a very important piece of our learning community, our parents and families. Please welcome Colleen Sackos. Sean Kriloff. Great to have both of you with us. Thanks so much for taking time out of your busy schedules to join us here at our district office studio. So there's no video attached here. So it's probably good to have each of you introduce yourselves and tell us where you have students in North Clackamas.

Colleen Sackos (03:30):
Sure. So my name is Colleen Sackos and I have three kids in North Clackamas. I have a seventh grader, Jack. He's at Happy Valley Middle School. I have a fifth grader, Ruby, she's at Happy Valley Elementary. And my youngest son is Axel. He is in kindergarten at Happy Valley Elementary.

Curtis Long (03:44):
And we heard a little bit about Axel at the beginning. We'll get into more of that later. And hopefully Jack and Ruby aren't too embarrassed that moms on the podcast.

Colleen Sackos (03:52):
. I'm hopeful. Sure. They'll be excited to hear their names. Yeah.

Curtis Long (03:54):
And Sean, how about for you? You have kids at different levels as well?

Sean Kriloff (03:57):
Yes. So I have three kiddos. My oldest Benjamin is at Rock Creek Middle School in sixth grade. And then my daughter's Charlotte and Anna, third grade. And in kindergarten at Verne Duncan.

Curtis Long (04:09):
At Verne Duncan Elementary, home of the Dragonflies for sure. . Now one of the terms used during the introduction of this podcast is IEP individualized Education plan. Some of our listeners may not be familiar with that term. Would any of you be willing to explain IEP to our listeners?

Colleen Sackos (04:24):
Sure. I can talk about Axel's journey to having an IEP. So as it was stated, he was born with a rare genetic disease called Pompei disease. So, um, very early on he was diagnosed at about three weeks old, started treatment at about five weeks old and he has mild to moderate hearing loss. So even when he was a baby, we started getting a lot of support in the home, uh, through early intervention. So speech therapy, physical therapy, as well as a lot of appointments and therapies through, uh, Kaiser and Dorn Becker. So we, um, knew early on he might need, um, more support just in life. And then certainly in school when he started preschool, he did two years of preschool. He had what's called an IFSP Mm-Hmm. . And that's when students need support in accessing instruction in school. So in preschool, one of his primary goals is around speech therapy.

Colleen Sackos (05:09):
His language is very high. He will tell you all about Spider-Man and Hulk. Mm-Hmm. . Um, although his articulation is impacted. Okay. Which means oftentimes it's harder to understand those amazing things he's telling you about his favorite superheroes. So when we prepared for kindergarten this spring before we knew he was going to kindergarten, the team of educators who helped him in preschool met with the team at the elementary school to talk about what supports he might need in school. And out of that came his IEP, which has basically says, here's what additional supports he might need in school to be successful. So we meet every year to talk about the IEP, but we can meet more frequently as needed. So we have a really great team that supported his transition to kindergarten and the IEP kind of helps us all be on the same page and understand what his unique needs and strengths are and how to support him while he is at school.

Curtis Long (05:54):
And Sean, I assume similar process for you with your children?

Sean Kriloff (05:57):
Yes. Uh, just like Colleen explained. So both Charlotte and Benjamin have IEPs for their different needs. And so Benjamin, from very early on, uh, we knew that due to complications at birth would need, uh, some extra supports. And we moved purposely to North Clack School District because we knew, uh, where we wanted him to go to high school. And so feeding in through the schools, the elementary, middle school to high school to help get those supports, knowing that the way that North Clackamas supported students of all levels, we really wanted that inclusiveness for him and for Charlotte as well. And I mean, the journey for us started with Benjamin and just, you know, continued for each of our kids. And really it's just, it's been a great resource just 'cause we know other districts are a little different in the way that they support with the IEP requirement.

Sean Kriloff (06:50):
And North Clackamas has really been, you know, each school has given a little bit different avenue, but we've been able to work with the staff to help and make sure that the supports that are needed for each of our children is met. It's just something that, like even my wife, Emily, we talked about it the other day about how each of our kids has had the right support in the right way. And the staff has really been open to the communication of, Hey, this is what we need or this is what we're seeing. What are you seeing and is it similar? And how can we bridge that to make sure that the supports are there.

Curtis Long (07:26):
And it sounds like both of you have had positive experience with your respective schools. 'cause 'cause those IEP meetings, those involve the learning specialists. They involve the principal, they may involve other members of the staff. And, and really the goal is to get everyone on board. So we make sure that this particular child gets the needs that they particularly need to succeed in school.

Colleen Sackos (07:43):
Absolutely. We are super thankful for our team at Happy Valley Elementary. Axel has an amazing teacher, as you heard, Ms. Stewart, but he also has, like you said, a learning specialist, a speech and language pathologist who supports him. And I would say just the greater team at the elementary school, um, is really aware of his needs. He also attends, um, the care program after school at Bval Elementary. So their team is really on board with, um, any support supports he might need medically or just supporting him with his speech. So there are a lot of people on Team Axel and he's gotten a ton of support from the get go and has really just been thriving in kindergarten. And we're really grateful to all the members of the team because it's just been everything we could have hoped for. And him being excited to go to school, motivated at school, making friends, accessing instruction, reading, learning, math, navigating the ups and downs that come with any child starting school. And there's just some added complexity with him and not everyday or moment is easy. But I certainly feel like that's parenting in general. and with, um, all of the great resources that we've been given by North Clackamas and the greater community, he's been as successful as he can possibly be, which is amazing to feel as a parent.

Curtis Long (08:50):
And Sean has like a smooth transition to Duncan Elementary for your two as well.

Sean Kriloff (08:54):
Yeah, I mean we, at different schools we've had where we've started, we have had some challenges in the past, but where our kids are now, it's been this year it was a transition. We moved within the school district and, but it was to different schools. Mm-Hmm. . And so like for Benjamin, he went to middle school and so that was a big transition year going from elementary to Sure middle school. And his teacher and the staff have been just amazing with the way that they've supported him and his growth throughout the school year. We've also seen that for Charlotte and Anna at Vern Duncan. Just going from Anna went from preschool to kindergarten. Mm-Hmm. . And so this year they're starting a little earlier than they did last year. They get on the bus at seven. And so it's a much earlier transition. So going, you know, Anna especially, she started 8 45 for preschool and so now she's starting at seven 30

Curtis Long (09:49):
A little earlier morning at the Kriloff house, little earlier morning, getting people ready. I can relate to this as well. I have, uh, my youngest son who's now a sophomore at Clackamas High when he started in kindergarten. And this is something we kind of felt was coming as a family, very similar to your son. Colleen had everything to say, but when he started talking, it was very, in fact the way they described it to me was unintelligible. I mean, we, it's kind of a, a language that as a parent you can kind of understand, but I was certainly worried sending him to kindergarten on how that was going to be. And I knew that conversation was probably going to come eventually where your son needs some extra help. How was that for the two of you, knowing that your children maybe need a little extra support? How was that sending them off to school knowing that?

Colleen Sackos (10:31):
Yeah, absolutely. Like I said, I think there's always that sort of excitement and, and the nerves when you send your child to kindergarten for the first time and when you know there's additional supports that might be needed, it's, it's certainly a little bit nerve wracking. Axel had the opportunity to participate in a program called Kindergarten Exploration. Mm-Hmm. , which was really fantastic. I think specifically for him. Kids go to school for a couple weeks in August, just for half days, a couple days a week. And it's just a chance to experience school. And it also gave, I think the school team a chance to kind of check in with him and, and see what school felt like for him. So I think an IEP is great, but it's, it's on paper, right? Mm-Hmm. . And it doesn't always allow you to get to know the, the whole child.

Colleen Sackos (11:09):
So that was a great program that allowed the team to get to know 'em with some fewer kids in a little smaller setting before kindergarten actually started. There's also the gradual entry program where that first week of school kindergartners only attend one day. And again, I think it's a chance to just get to know kids a little better. 'cause all the kids are gonna have their, their unique strengths and unique areas where they might need more support. But with a child, with an IEP, you have those, those sort of sure, you know, nerves as you send your kid off to school. But having those steps in place to allow us to try a little bit of school to see how it went. Adjust, oh, maybe we need more of this or less of this, or I think actually we're gonna be okay in this area, really helped us feel as confident, I think, as we could have been to join school. And I've had the opportunity to volunteer a couple times and it really warms my heart to see how much the community and the kids have embraced Axel.

Curtis Long (11:57):
And, you know, I wanna talk about that later too. And I think that's the case in a lot of our classrooms. Mm-Hmm. , which is kind of the purpose of this podcast as well, is to, to help families who are maybe getting ready to send their kids off to kindergarten next year, how inclusive our classrooms can be, which is really a great aspect of that. Now Colleen, you knew going in that Axel was going to need extra support. Mm-Hmm. sometimes families start, maybe it's partway through kindergarten where they learn that, or maybe it's in a later grade. Sean, what was the situation for you and your family?

Sean Kriloff (12:22):
So with Benjamin, we knew just very early on, I mean at birth Mm-Hmm. . Um, but we also knew that he had a lot to share. Mm-Hmm. . And so, I mean, this year especially has been really amazing to watch the school because it, it's a new school for him. They embraced and they've given him opportunities to share his skills, share what he is about, but also embraced him in just the way that he is. So someone, he doesn't have the normal communication skills as most of his peers. And so he has a communication device where he tells jokes and he's able to use that to voice his voice, really, uh, share his voice. So that's been really nice to see that grow because we've seen it at home where he tells his sisters jokes or he's Mm-Hmm. , he can, he has a select vocabulary, but he's able to utilize his communication device to share what he's trying to tell us. So we've seen the progression from when he was very little to now where he's gained as his sisters have come along and grown. He's grown with his vocabulary or with his mobility to, you know, expand and kind of help him be able to have his voice. But then those that are around him kind of embrace him and share what he's about and so that it makes it a community.

Curtis Long (13:46):
I'm glad you brought that up, Sean. I, I do want to get into that for sure. I've had a chance to visit Axel's classroom. I've been to Vern Duncan's kindergarten classrooms before. But I wanna talk about the sense of community. 'cause it sounds like your son comes home very happy about what's going on, even with the limitations that he has, the kids understand who he is and what he's able to bring to the classroom. And Colleen, the same for you. I'm interested to see what are your kids' attitudes about school when they come home?

Sean Kriloff (14:09):
So, with Benjamin, so he's at Rock Creek and having kids at different schools, we've been able to see the community support from the staff to the kids, you know, to the fellow students. When Benjamin gets ready for school in the morning and he's waiting for the bus, he gets excited 'cause he knows like, Hey, I'm going on the bus, I'm going to school. Like, he likes to be around his peers. And that's been something that we have tried to support through his life, but also through his school life. Early on when he was in kindergarten, we wanted him in as much immersion with his peers, so general ed and uh, special education. And he chose, like he would, would go into general ed and he would cry and scream Mm-Hmm. . And they would pull him out and they'd walk him around. And then, you know, as he was there longer, he kind of like realized, oh, okay, well if I do this, they don't put me in that classroom. And so he kind of chose. And so we supported that choice and the school supported what he needed. Mm-Hmm. . And so from kindergarten to now sixth grade, he's been able to be more in general ed than he was originally because of what he wanted, what he needed. And so he was able to have choice and that's what we really wanted for him. And just being able to have the best supports, but also have the best experience. And that's what we've seen with North Clackamas.

Curtis Long (15:36):
Of course, we want kids to be excited about going to school no matter how they present at school. And I think the fun part, especially in kindergarten, where I saw in that room Colleen, is those kids love each other for who they are. And they don't know any different. Oh, oh, that's Axel. He has those cool hearing aids on. Check out what those can do and they're just excited about it. Has that been the experience for Axel and for you as a family?

Colleen Sackos (15:55):
Absolutely. And that's, that's exactly right. You know, a couple times during the first few weeks of school, Axel would say, yeah, my friend asked me, why wear those in my ears? You know, and we've always really embraced his hearing aids. You know, he gets to pick out, you know, they have sharks on him and he gets to pick out the different colors, you know, so it's, it's a part of who he is, right? That's, that makes that part of his identity. And he wears hearing aids and they help him here. And so we knew when he went to school, he'd get questions and we'd talk through that as a family. And one thing that I really appreciated that his teacher did is when they were learning about the five senses, she had him talk about his hearing aids and show his hearing aids and stand up in front of the class and present about how they are something that help him with hearing with one of his senses. And I was just so, I told myself I wasn't gonna ,

Colleen Sackos (16:37):
I was so grateful. Mm-Hmm to the adults to recognize the importance of embracing exactly who he is. And not just that, but celebrating all of the unique aspects and characteristics of what helps him stay healthy and strong. And that's how we describe it to him. That everybody needs something different to stay healthy and strong. And hearing aids help you. So for the teacher to give him that sense of empowerment and pride in his hearing aids and to explain to his friends rather than having a lot of questions. Now when I go in, I mean pretty early on in the year when I go and I see that he has a ton of friends, they've really created this beautiful community of learners that all of us are unique, all of us are different, all of us are individuals. And I'm just so grateful that that's been his first experience at school because it's really been a positive one for him. And I think for our family, we've breathed a sigh relief knowing his needs are being met. You know, we, we know there'll be, again, challenges along the way. But for this first year of school to be so amazing, I'm really grateful to the adults and staff.

Curtis Long (17:32):
And you could hear the emotion and Colleen's voice and it very understood. And Sean, I'm sure you can relate to that as uh, a family with students who have different needs than other kids. What's it feel like to have an emphasis on inclusion? At least North Clackamas teachers, administrators really try to put a focus on that, that everyone belongs in our schools, everyone has a place. How has your family felt about that?

Sean Kriloff (17:53):
Really supported. So my youngest Anna, she's off the charts, you know, academically and socially as a kindergartner. Right. And so we've had the challenges with learning supports and you know, some behavioral supports for Benjamin and a little bit with Charlotte who are both on IEPs. So it's, it's been really nice to see the supports and just the inclusion overall for the spectrum. Right. And so, kind of like you talked about the community and how they're supported, we've seen it through different schools and the way that the teachers and the staff and the team, they try and make it as much of a community as possible.

Curtis Long (18:32):
We've talked about this a little bit already and I want to kind of build on that a little bit more. It sounds like for both of your families, school has been a positive experience. We probably have people listening right now, maybe are sending kindergartners to school next year. Maybe you're making the transition like your family did to a middle school, a little nervous about the transition. What advice would you have for families who know that their student learns a little bit differently about the level of support they'll get within our district? And especially for families that might be a little nervous, well, how do I approach that? Are they gonna come to me? Can I advocate for my own family? How does that work? What would you say to those families?

Sean Kriloff (19:05):
I mean, really, it's okay to be nervous. It's okay not to know everything. 'cause nobody knows everything. Mm-Hmm. . And it's important to be the advocate for your student because you know your student best. And if the staff and the school district doesn't know, then they can't support your student the best way possible. And so that was really something that we wanted and we, we voiced it. And you don't have to be angry and, you know, sue the school district. Get what you want. I know that's happened in Yeah, many school districts across the country. And we've had friends that have gone through that in different school districts. Just because some school districts don't necessarily have the supports that are needed. And I know that North Clackamas really tries to do that. Nobody's perfect. And we understand that if you can be really communicative about it, that goes a long way. Say, Hey, I don't know it all, but hey here I, this is what we need or this is what is going on in our family, or this is what's going on in our student. We think this may be what we need. But we're open to having that communication back and forth is key to success for the student.

Curtis Long (20:11):
What are more keys to success for students with individualized education plans and also for families who partner with district staff every step of the way? So far we've heard why these two proactive parents in our district are so thankful for the way NCSD professionals not only recognize their students' unique needs, but celebrate them.

Colleen Sackos (20:30):
I was so grateful. Mm-Hmm to the adults to recognize the importance of embracing exactly who he is and not just that, but celebrating all of the unique aspects and characteristics of what helps him stay healthy and strong. So for the teacher to give him that sense of empowerment and pride in his hearing aids and to explain to his friends, rather than having a lot of questions.

Curtis Long (20:52):
Still ahead, we'll take a deeper dive into everyday life for families whose students may just need a little extra help with certain school activities.

Colleen Sackos (20:59):
It sounds maybe a little bit silly, but like Axel decided, he wanted to try hot lunch, you know, be at the conversation about like he has some mobility issues. So like, is he gonna be able to carry that tray ? Yeah, sure enough, every Monday, Tuesday he's having that hot lunch. But you know, it wasn't without a conversation with physical therapist about, okay, what about the tray? So I think he also is a voice and a part of that team.

Curtis Long (21:17):
And a shout out to the village of staff members beyond the classroom teacher who make each day so special for every North Clackamas student.

Sean Kriloff (21:24):
And then seeing Benjamin's sisters also having the supports that they've needed, whether it's educational supports or sometimes they've had a hard day at school and their teacher is the one, or the paraeducator has been the one that has kind of helped bridge the issue or whatever the concern was that they had. And then they've communicated that to us so we are aware. And so then it becomes a full circle. And that's really been something nice

Curtis Long (21:48):
And it's been really something nice to continue our conversation with Colleen and Sean. The second half of the Proud To Be NCSD podcast is next, right after this.

Commercial Voice (21:58):
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Curtis Long (22:52):
And another key is that you can meet with specialists or the teacher at any time and review that individualized education plan that IEP. So as parents do have that option, if they see things that maybe aren't going as planned or maybe we could do a little bit better here, you can meet with teachers. And I would assume that teachers and learning specialists and administrators have been very helpful with that.

Colleen Sackos (23:11):
Oh, absolutely. And that's, it's funny 'cause that's so similar to the advice I would say is just don't hesitate to reach out to send that email to say, can you gimme a quick call? And I, I'm an educator myself and I know the more we learn about kids and learn about their families and learn about what amazing kids they are, the more it helps us just provide our supports at school. So yeah, I think that would be my advice too. Like, you know, I think sometimes we're hesitant. Oh, I don't know if I should send that email or Oh, I don't wanna bother them. But I've felt, the more that I've shared about here's something we tried at home or we found this or we learned this or this is what's going on, the whole team. We have an amazing school nurse at Happy Valley Elementary who's, um, Axel has a port.

Colleen Sackos (23:47):
So she's reached out to me with questions about that. You know, Hey, what about this? Does this look okay? Yeah, we're fine. But just to know that there's a two-way dialogue set up that there's that comfort level to say, okay, I can send the email, I can pick up the phone. I know that someone from the team will be able to connect with me and we can work through this together. And that's how it doesn't feel like it's the school and then it's the family. It feels like we're really all working together to support, we all want the same things, right? We all wanna see our kids feel happy at school, feel safe at school, feel successful at school, be accessing academics. So I think the more we can work together and have that ongoing communication, the more we can ultimately continue to see those outcomes and, and see those schools being met.

Curtis Long (24:24):
And I came to this position, uh, with the communications department being an elementary school principal, and I used to tell our teachers, Hey, you know what? That student only gets one chance at third grade. We're gonna make it the very best we can. Mm-Hmm. for Mm-Hmm Benjamin only gets one try in sixth grade. We wanna make it the best year accidentally gets one year in kindergarten. We're gonna make it the best year that we possibly can. Would you say that that's kind of the attitude that you feel in North Clackamas, that students and staff are, are giving it their all to give your students the best experience they can in that particular grade?

Sean Kriloff (24:51):
Yeah, absolutely. It's hard not to like be apprehensive. Mm-Hmm. , right? Yeah. Parent. 'cause you want the best and you want them to have the best experience and be successful, but kind of letting them, letting the school and the staff do their job. Mm-Hmm. is it's key, right? It like, we can't be there to do it for them and we can't be do it for our children. And so like, I think that's the big apprehension of like, okay, I'm letting them do this

Curtis Long (25:16):
or sending them off to your care. Yeah.

Colleen Sackos (25:18):
And then I think also like letting your child be a part of that team too. Mm-Hmm. we're learning that more too. You know, like I think about, it sounds maybe a little bit silly, but like Axel decided he wanted to try hot lunch. You know, we had the conversation about like, he has some mobility issues, so like, is he gonna be able to carry that drink? Yeah, sure enough. Monday Chicken Nugget and Tuesday pizza day. Right. every, every Monday, Tuesday he's having that hot lunch. But you know, it wasn't without a, you know, conversation with a physical therapist about, okay, you know, what about the tray? So I think he also is a voice and a part of that team. So, you know, he said, I wanna try this, you know, and I wanna do this. And so we work together and, and he's being very successful with that.

Colleen Sackos (25:53):
So, you know, there's all those pieces of school, you know, the first field trip we went on. Sure. You know, we had a conversation, you know, when you first started riding the bus. And again, like I feel like we've had so much preparation and conversation that he's been extremely successful in all of those things. Sure, there might be slight modifications along the way in certain parts of his school day, but on the whole, he's very much a student accessing everything the other kids are accessing and, and he knows things might be a little bit different for him, but he also knows everybody's a little different and everyone's getting what they need to be successful. And there's a great team there to help us walk alongside him so we can do all the things.

Curtis Long (26:25):
What was the conversation like when he said, you know what, I wanna try hot lunch.

Colleen Sackos (26:28):
Oh, he, because he saw the other kids, he needs chicken nuggets. He was like, wait a minute, , I want try that. Oh, it's better than the

Curtis Long (26:33):
Now, did the school have someone on hand for him in case that didn't go well? Were you prepared for that?

Colleen Sackos (26:39):
Well, yeah. and, and that's a, I mean I, we should also acknowledge our amazing paraeducator. Yes. Because I think they're very much part of the team. And I know we have great people in all parts of our school, but if I think about like when you're in Axel's classroom, there's a amazing team of pair of educators that are right there alongside students. Very much a part of the team in the cafeteria on the playground.

Curtis Long (26:57):
And you heard the one working with Jojo. Yeah, yeah,

Colleen Sackos (26:59):
Exactly. So I think there are really wonderful people in all parts of our school right there along and just who truly you can, you know, it's palpable care about our kids so much and want to see them successful. So we've got a great team and those paraeducators in the classroom and our classified staff in the office, I mean, they're just amazing. They're the backbone of our school for

Curtis Long (27:18):
Now. I can imagine school lunch for him. That's a milestone moment for Axel and Sean. I bet in your family you've had those milestone moments. Can you think of any of those milestone moments where you had the, maybe the conversation, oh, oh gosh, I don't know how this is gonna go. And the child rises to the occasion.

Sean Kriloff (27:33):
It's every year. I mean, ,

Sean Kriloff (27:34):
So we've been in north Clackamas since Benjamin started kindergarten. And so just like Axel Benjamin has gone through each year and each year he's just flourished in his way, right? And he's found things that he's been able to access for him. A lot of it's physical supports that he needs. And so having some of these abilities that aren't as maybe strong as others, he's been able to utilize what he has to make that work for him. Mm-Hmm. . And so that in combination with the community, it's really been something nice to see. And then seeing his Benjamin Sisters also having the supports that they've needed, whether it's educational supports or sometimes they've had a hard day at school and their teacher is the one, or the paraeducator has been the one that has kind of helped bridge the issue or whatever the concern was that they had. And then they've communicated that to us so we are aware. And so then it becomes a full circle. And that's really been something nice.

Curtis Long (28:32):
Colleen Axel's a kindergartner, lots of years ahead. I know you have older kids as well. Mm-Hmm. more years ahead in North Clackamas. Sean, same for you. Benjamin's in sixth grade. So we still got the rest of the middle school and high school. As you think about their future, what are your hopes as they go through North Clackamas schools, what are your hopes for the future for those kids?

Colleen Sackos (28:49):
I think as we've seen in kindergarten, we've collectively broken down a lot of barriers for him to accessing instruction, accessing just being a student and being a part of the community. When you sit down and do an iep, you know, the first thing you do at the meeting is talk about like your strengths and your hopes for your child. And I'm so glad we do that because I think it's so important for the entire team to remember like, this is what we want for our kid. And it, it may look different for every child and that's okay, but to keep that at the forefront of your mind. So, you know, I, I do think about the transition in middle school someday, right? And there's an apprehension, you know,

Curtis Long (29:20):
You got, you've got a middle schooler right now,

Colleen Sackos (29:22):
. I know, I know what an adventure that is, you know, but also I know how wonderful it can be. So if I look at being involved in, you know, band or choir, right? If I look at being in electives and, you know, doing different amazing things that happen in the middle school, I feel reassured knowing that there's a really amazing team that will work to say, okay, this might look a little differently for Axel, but how do we make sure we remove as many obstacles as we can to help him be successful and help him feel good about what he's doing at school. So it's, yes, there's always gonna be the, the worries, but I think as much as possible, knowing that we've got a team that believes in him, that knows, you know, he's highly capable of many things and pulled high expectations for him. I mean, he's reading, he's doing math. It's been really exciting to see that he's thriving in so many ways. And I just, I envision, I'm hopeful, I feel confident that that will continue every step of the way.

Curtis Long (30:06):
And that must be very encouraging for both of you knowing, I mean, you mentioned that both of your children had issues right from birth Mm-Hmm. You didn't know what the future would hold and look how they're thriving now. Yeah.

Sean Kriloff (30:15):
I mean, for Charlotte, some of her struggles and things that she's needed more supports with, we didn't know until a little bit later. And so already having the team for Benjamin kind of helped steer what supports or how we needed to navigate things. I mean, and then there's a lot of community-based supports outside of the school districts. And that's been something that I've kind of, when we knew about everything that was going on with Benjamin, I kind of jumped in both feet and said, okay, what do I need to do to do my best for him? And so, like I learned about a lot of the disability coalition Mm-Hmm. , the Oregon Disability Council, and then there's a bunch of other community based supports that have been there to help support us. And so that's something that has been helping make our journey a little bit easier.

Curtis Long (31:02):
So as we start to run outta time here on the podcast with two amazing parents in our district with children who are thriving in North Clackamas, it doesn't come easy. And it comes as a partnership between the school district and our families. Colleen, you've mentioned a, a couple of times how thankful you are to some of the members of the Happy Valley team, and we have teams at every elementary school, Verne Duncan, included, Rock Creek included. Sounds like you have a lot of gratitude for people within our district.

Colleen Sackos (31:25):
So, yeah, I, I, I know I feel like I won an Oscar . I'd like to thank the academy, right? ?

Colleen Sackos (31:31):
I should have brought a list. No, um, I mean, gosh, yeah, just a ton of people. I would say definitely Axel's classroom teacher, Rebecca Stewart, um, his learning specialist, Katie Meeker, his speech and language pathologist. Russ Carver, the physical therapist who supports multiple schools in the district. Craig Anderson. Absolutely. Um, yeah, I was gonna say, a lot of these people, you know, help a lot of kids throughout the district. They aren't just based at one school, so they get to see a lot of kids in the greater community. Happy Elementary Nurse Lindsay is amazing. The, um, sunny and Tammy in the office, and we've had two principals that have both been fantastic. Heather Hall and Marcus Reynolds. And then, yeah, all the paraeducators too, too many to name Jeannie King Care is amazing. So I know I could go on and

Curtis Long (32:10):
Should I start playing the music in the background? , tell her to wrap it up, up time to wrap it up. So

Colleen Sackos (32:15):
I, I probably left someone off, but they're just, the whole team has been really amazing. We're very, very grateful to them.

Curtis Long (32:21):
And our next recipient for Parent Advocate of the year, Sean Kriloff. Sean, anyone you'd like to thank? .

Sean Kriloff (32:26):
Just like Colleen said, Craig, we've known him for years. Uh, him and Nicole especially with all of the physical supports that Benjamin has needed, they have been amazing. Especially if I look back at four years ago, everything Covid school stopped, but I mean, it, it stopped being in person. So we look at supports that are needed and that changed a lot for a lot of our kids and how that affected. And so just the schools doing virtual, but then you have Craig and Nicole who they can't be there. And so doing the, the education at home, having that support, knowing that they're there to support, and just the staff, the paraeducators, I mean, one of the paraeducators, he retired in February and it was the first male paraeducator that Benjamin has had in his schooling here in the district. And so it was just, it was nice to see that. And I think, you know, just knowing that the school and the district trying to be supportive and do the best they can for each student just matters.

Curtis Long (33:25):
Well, the purpose of this podcast is to make sure that we bring in people, of course, that our listeners can relate to and who can't relate more than to some parents that maybe thought their children would have some issues entering school. And you've heard throughout the podcast how positive those experiences have been. And I know for some of the students listening, Jack and Ruby, I know you might have been a little embarrassed that you, hear mom was here on the podcast on behalf of Axel, and same for Anna and Charlotte on behalf of Benjamin. But I can tell you, you have two wonderful parents. Axel's mom is here, and of course Benjamin's father, Colleen Sackos, Sean Kriloff, thanks so much for being here today and thanks for being such an inspiration for all of our other families who have students with special needs.

Colleen Sackos (34:05):
Thank you so much for having us. Absolutely

Sean Kriloff (34:07):
Glad to be here. And, uh, glad to share my experiences.

Colleen Sackos (34:10):
And I would just say for those families, don't hesitate to reach out to other families too. We're all here to support, we're all in it together and we're happy to support along the way as well.

Curtis Long (34:18):
Thanks for listening to The Proud To Be NCSD podcast. In North Clackamas. We know that education is a community effort, and we're so thankful that you and your family are a part of our community. Until next time, remember, there are always great things to see wherever you go in NCSD.