Category 5 plus

Hi,
I'm curious to know how many teachers of the deaf hold a diploma in education of the deaf (from UBC) and are classified on their district's pay scale as a category 5plus, or sometimes it is known as a 5 +15. This is a category that is between a category 5 and category 6(Master's) which pays 90% of what a category 6 would receive.

My school district does not have this in-between category and so I've always been paid as a category 5. With the possible harmonization of pay, via Vince Ready's recommendations, it is possible that all school districts will have this in-between category.

Could you please reply as to whether:
My school district has a category 5 plus: Yes/no
I have a diploma in deaf ed: yes/no
I'm being paid as a category 5 plus: yes/no

It may be that we should let our districts know that we want this category maintained when discussions start around the harmonization of salary.

Thanks,
Pam

Pam Guilbault
Itinerant Teacher for the
Deaf and Hard of Hearing
Frank Hobbs Hearing and Vision Center
Phone: 477-1334
pguilbault@sd61.bc.ca

Interesting Website: National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders

Information for Educators and Student Activities

Youth Transition Program

“A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step”
Lao-Tzu

Have you ever felt pressured or rushed to make decisions regarding your future? Overwhelmed with too many decisions? Not sure about your short and long term goals? Where to start? Who can help me? Those questions are common feelings of those who are transitioning into adulthood.

The transition into adulthood can be challenging for deaf and hard of hearing youth and their families. As adolescents near adulthood, many important decisions about education, employment, living arrangements, and finances need to be made.

Good news! The Provincial Services for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing is excited to offer a new program – The Youth Transition Program (YTP).

The YTP is a resource program for deaf, hard of hearing, and deaf blind youth (ages 17-21). The transition years, from adolescence to early adulthood, present a critical developmental period. Planning for the future is a vital task to ensure successful transition.

As a resource, YTP offers a unique link for youth towards building their network of support and creating their path towards adulthood. YTP services include one-to-one support from a Youth Transition Specialist in the development of an Individual Transition Plan (ITP), client/family/community planning meetings, goal setting, appointment support, assessment of strengths and interests, and connection to community resources.

Melissa Campbell and Teresa Kollias have been hired as Youth Transition Specialists. Both have experience and training in working with youth and have personal transition experience as deaf people.

For more information about the Youth Transition Program, you can view the website at: http://www.mcf.gov.bc.ca/psdhh/ or contact us at: 604.660.1800v, 604.660.1807 TTY or 604.660.1859 Fax or Email: Melissa.Campbell@gov.bc.ca or Teresa.Kollias@gov.bc.ca .

Unique opportunity that is available to hard of hearing students in British Columbia.
The timelines are short but I hope this is of interest to you and your teenage students.

Sennheiser, in association with the band “Simple Plan*”, is making available a small number of free concert tickets for hard of hearing students to attend Simple Plan's concerts in various cities of the group's current tour. During the concerts, Sennheiser, a pioneer of wireless technology and an innovation leader in the music industry, will provide FM systems for use by the students which will be directly linked to the artists through the sound board. An audiologist and a Sennheiser representative will be available at each of the concerts to provide assistance should it be needed.

Selected students will not only be able to experience the concert with the use of assistive listening technology, but will also have the opportunity to attend an autograph session with band members. Interested students may also be selected to appear on a Sennheiser promotional poster with the band.

For additional information or to submit student names**, please contact: either myself (vcurrie@sd47.bc.ca) Joe Coelho (jcoelho@sd47.bc.ca) or Sennheiser representative Cory Allan at allanc@sennheiser.ca

Concert dates and tickets available are as follows:

Nov. 22nd - Victoria Tickets available- 5
Nov. 23rd - Vancouver Tickets available- 12
Nov. 24th - Kelowna Tickets available- 4

* For those of you in my age bracket, who may be unfamiliar with this band, they are a pop-punk group based in
Montreal with a strong teen following. They are currently doing a national and international tour.

** Please note that students under the age of 18 will be required to submit a signed parent permission form in order to participate. For your convenience, I am attaching a nomination form supplied by Sennheiser for the Lower Mainland concert, where demand for the free tickets is likely high.


Vernon Currie
Administrator- Provincial A.T.E. Program
4351 Ontario Ave,
Powell River, B.C.
V8A 1V3

Phone - (604) 485-6271 ext. 2249
Fax - (604) 485-2886
email - vcurrie@sd47.bc.ca

Listen-up website is a good source; their Audiology Resources page has links to online sites with simulations, including c.i. www.listen-up.org/haid/audio.htm

Barbara Doedel

www.listen-up.org/haid/audio.htm

URGENT Request for Immediate Feedback:

CAEDHH has its next executive meeting on November 14th.

Due to the recent job action, the CAEDHH conference scheduled for October was cancelled along with several other BCTF endorsed conferences. The CAEDHH executive is exploring a "Plan B" with respect to hosting a conference in the near future. The Association would appreciate a response to the following questions generated by Terry Parson-Tylka to assist the executive in reaching a consensus from across the province:

1. Would you be interested in attending a CAEDHHH conference on February 17th?? Y/N
2. Would you be able to attend a conference on this date? Y/N
3. Would you have access to video conferencing technology in your community if this was an option? Y/N
4. Would you take advantage of the video conferencing to attend to save travel costs? Y/N
5. Do you have any other comments/questions/feedback for the conference planning committee to review/consider?

Please email your responses to me by November 9th. ktaylor@south.sd41.bc.ca Thanks a bunch ...

Karen Taylor
Provincial Administrator
Outreach Services - BCSD
c/o South Slope Elementary
4446 Watling Street
Burnaby, B.C. V5J 2B7

(v) 604-664-8300
(tty) 604-664-8304
(fax) 604-664-8308
(mobile) karenmarie@rogers.blackberry.net

Phonak eSchool Desk
Dear Colleague,

Phonak recently launched a new section to our website entitled eSchool Desk. The link is

http://www.phonak.com/professional/eschooldesk.htm

In it you will find useful information about many FM topics including:

Why use FM
Identifying FM equipment
How to use the Teacher transmitter
How to use the student receivers
How to synchronize the frequency
How to connect to AV equipment
How to care for the equipment.
Troubleshooting
Teacher User Guides

The site also contains interactive animations on how to use the FM. I am sure that you will find this new use site to be very useful and informative,

I am also pleased to announce that we have several new DVD’s available free of charge. These are as follows:

1. MicroLink DVD for Teachers: Covers all of our more popular systems used in Education. Also includes the new iLink and EasyLink transmitters. It is suitable for Audiologists, Hearing Resource Teachers, and Speech and Language Pathologists.

2. EduLink S DVD. This DVD is suitable for Educators who work with students with LD, APD, AD, or ADHD. It is also suitable for Audiologists, and Speech-Language Pathologists.

3. iLink and EasyLink DVD. This DVD is designed for Audiologists and Hearing. Instrument Practitioners/Specialists who work with adults with hearing loss.

4. SmartLink SX DVD. This DVD is already included with all SmartLink SX purchases.

If you wish to order a DVD, please email Andrea Neilson at andrea.neilson@phonak.com.


Peter Stelmacovich

Phonak Canada.