District's Child Find Committee off to a good start

The 2011-2012 school year is off to a successful start in the Blytheville School District. Special services director Jean Cole expects equally successful results from the district's Child Find Committee.

The committee is starting a new year with new faces, but its Aug. 31 meeting revealed its focus remains: to locate and assist children in the Blytheville area who are in need of special education and related services and can benefit from services offered by the district.

The committee works to ensure that all children with disabilities are provided with free and appropriate services.

In order to spread the word about services offered, the committee will disseminate pamphlets and posters promoting the district's special services and how the child's overall social and educational opportunities can be improved by taking advantage of the services.

The pamphlets and posters will be placed at the Blytheville School District's Parent Center (in the Administration Building at 405 W. Park St.), all individual school offices in the district, Department of Human Services, health clinics, City Hall, Home Health Centers, local doctors' offices, Great River Medical Center, Walmart, The Haven, First Baptist Daycare, Blytheville-Gosnell Area Food Pantry, Mississippi County Union Mission, Great River Charitable Clinic and Healthy Partners.

Members of the Child Find Committee are Blytheville School District nurses Rhonda Hodges, Amanda Atwill and Jeanette Nolden; district due process paraprofessionals Anita Miller and Patricia Smith; district speech pathologist Renee Craig, special education teacher Christie Kennedy, district social worker Shirley Byrd; district secretary Jan Wilkins, parent Tameka Harris and Jean Cole, director of special services for the Blytheville Schools.

Any person who has knowledge of a child living in the Blytheville are who may benefit from the services offered through the Child Find Committee is urged to contact Cole at 870-762-2053.