PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND CURRICULUM DAY CONFERENCE 2025

Session 2: Speech and Language Disorders- What happens when kids go to speech?

Presenter: Crystal Brooks, Ed.S., CCC/SLP, Inclusion Solutions, LLC

Speech therapy is the most common support service provided to young children and students. This session will demystify what speech therapy is by defining articulation, expressive and receptive language, as well as the social language skills addressed in therapy and how these skills impact literacy, numeracy, and the nonverbal social rules of communication.

This session will provide attendees with:

1. Participants will define articulation, expressive and receptive language, and pragmatic skills and be able to describe how each impacts academic success.
2. Participants will identify signs of speech and language delays and intentionally plan to build skills within lesson plans for the general education class.
3. Participants will analyze standards and skills to break down the language demands required for mastery and scaffold supports for students with speech and language disorders.

Who should attend: Educators for grades K-8

3 clock hours

Session 3: Crucial Conversations: Fostering Strong and Supportive School Communities

Presenter: Caitlin Lyons, Educational Consultant, Wild Ones Consulting 

In this interactive professional development session, educators will explore strategies to create a culture of trust, reflection, and support in their school communities by building skills for navigating crucial conversations with students, families, and colleagues. Through hands-on activities, collaborative discussions, and guided practice, participants will examine actionable strategies for before, during, and after crucial conversations. They will leave the session equipped with a concrete plan to bring back to their communities to strengthen relationships and accountability.

This session will provide attendees with:

1. Understand and implement strategies for consistent community check-ins and deep self-reflection before crucial conversations.
2. Practice and refine skills in facilitating and participating in crucial conversations using language stems and reflective listening.
3. Develop actionable follow-up plans to strengthen relationships and ensure accountability within their school communities.

Who should attend: This session is ideal for 6-12 educators, including teachers, school counselors, and instructional leaders, seeking to foster trust, collaboration, and reflective practices in their classrooms and broader school communities.

3 clock hours

Session 4: Rethinking Teacher Supervision and Evaluation

Presenter: Kim Marshall, Consultant/Writer. Author.

The traditional teacher evaluation process rarely improves teaching and learning and burns up large amounts of supervisors’ time. This workshop makes the case for short, frequent, unannounced classroom visits with a face-to-face coaching conversation after each one, followed by a short narrative summary sent electronically to the teacher. These interactions, along with other points of contact (teacher teamwork on curriculum unit planning, PLCs analyzing student assessments, parent outreach, and other professional activities) are summed up in end-of-year rubric evaluations, with teacher input. Mini-observations take about the same amount of time as the traditional approach but are far more effective at building trust and continuously improving teaching and learning.

This session will provide attendees with:

1. Being convinced of the moral imperative to move on from the traditional teacher evaluation system.
2. Understanding what is involved in shifting mini-observations
3. Thinking through the process of stakeholder persuasion to make the shift.

Who should attend: Principals, other school-based administrators, instructional coaches, teachers, union leaders, and central office leaders

3 clock hours

Session 5: Building Resilient, Independent Learners Who Will Thrive in High School and Beyond

Registration for this session is full

Presenter: Jenell Kheriaty, Founder, Consultant, & Coach at Thrive Consulting and Coaching

In this interactive workshop, we will explore practical strategies to foster the skills, habits, and behaviors that middle school students need to thrive academically and socially—both in and out of school. We will focus on building resilient, independent learners by addressing key areas like teaching essential life skills, managing classroom behaviors and strengthening relationships with students and parents.

Attendees will leave with actionable tools to support students’ success in middle school, prepare them for high school, and equip them with lifelong skills.

Enhance your teaching strategies and support your students’ long-term success! Join us to leave with practical insights, tools, and strategies that will help you build resilient, independent learners who are prepared to thrive in high school and beyond!

This session will provide attendees with:

1. Practical insights into fostering the expectations, habits, skills, and behaviors students need to successfully navigate middle and high school.
2. Specific tools you can provide students and parents to help them understand how to succeed in middle school, and prepare for high school and beyond.
3. An understanding of how to maintain high expectations for students while also fostering an environment that promotes self-confidence, resilience, and independence.

Who should attend:

• Teachers, 5 – 8
• Principals, K – 8
• Assistant Principals, K – 8

3 clock hours

Session 6: Innovative Teacher Mindset 

Registration for this session is full

Presenter: Trevor Muir, Teacher, Author, Speaker. trevormuir.com

Being different in education isn’t about abandoning tradition but embracing what works while staying open to change. With the constant introduction of new technologies and strategies, this is a mindset teachers need. It’s one that encourages creative risks and continuous improvement, making educators adaptable in a constantly evolving world. Education demands innovation and a willingness to evolve to become a different kind of teacher. This workshop is about developing this mindset, strategies to employ it well, and using it throughout a teacher’s career so they AND their students can thrive.

This session will provide attendees with:

1. Develop an Adaptive Mindset: Participants will cultivate a mindset that balances the value of traditional practices with openness to innovation, enabling them to effectively navigate the evolving landscape of education.
2. Employ Creative Strategies: Participants will explore and apply concrete strategies that encourage taking thoughtful, creative risks in their teaching practice, fostering continuous improvement and adaptability.
3. Acquire Practical Tools and Resources: Participants will gain access to effective classroom management resources and explore new technologies that enhance teaching and learning, equipping them with practical tools to support their students’ success.

Who should attend: Any educator: teachers, admin, or support staff

3 clock hours

Session 7: Maximizing Resources for Inclusive Education: Serving All Learners in Catholic Schools

Presenters: Julie Cantillon, Ph.D. & Jeannie Ray-Timoney, Ed.D.

This 3-hour virtual professional learning session aims to equip educators and school leaders within the Archdiocese of Seattle with essential knowledge, strategies, and resources for implementing inclusive practices in their Catholic classrooms and schools.

The session will begin by defining inclusion in Catholic education before exploring the benefits of inclusive education, drawing from current research and best practices in both religious and secular educational settings. After establishing this foundation, we will review how the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) can support students in private Catholic schools. We will discuss the child find process and the development of Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) and services plans. We will then delve into practical strategies for fostering inclusive environments, focusing on establishing a strong foundation of universal instruction and implementing effective Tier 2 interventions.

Throughout the session, participants will engage in interactive discussions, case studies, and collaborative problem-solving activities to apply these concepts to their specific Catholic school contexts. Following the session, participants will receive resources and tools to support implementation.

This session will provide attendees with:

1. Understand inclusion in Catholic education and its benefits.
2. Learn how IDEA supports students in Catholic schools.
3. Explore practical strategies for creating inclusive Catholic classrooms.

Who should attend: Teacher leaders and administrators (grades 3-12).

3 clock hours

Session 8: Foundations of Social Justice (DEIB)

Presenter: Richard D. Kim, M.Div., Cultures Connecting

In the world today, we are learning to become multicultural in a way where we benefit from our differences, rather than expecting people to assimilate into the dominant culture’s norms, values, and customs. In the process, we must have the courage to unpack how we’ve been socialized to think about one another and the willingness to recognize institutional advantages and disadvantages people and communities face due to race and gender. This session will develop participants’ appreciation of their role in supporting social justice and contributing to positive change by providing a framework on how to address issues affecting equity, inclusion and belonging.

This framework takes a look at deepening awareness of self, increasing knowledge of each other, developing skills to work effectively across cultures, and advocating and taking action to initiate change. Participants will leave with a common language and inspiration for entering into discourse that bridges the divides.

This session will provide attendees with:

1. Gain understanding of key terms related to diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging (DEIB).
2. Learn a framework for the work we need to do to engage effectively across cultures and undo systems of oppression.
3. Begin to explore how they were socialized around race, racism, and race relations.

Who should attend: All school staff

Capacity: 60 participants

3 clock hours

Session 9: Strategies for Engaging in Courageous Conversations (DEIB)

Presenter: J.P. Anderson, Ph.D., Cultures Connecting

In this workshop participants develop their skills for engaging when tension exists across cultures. Strategies include how to engage when you offend, how to engage when you are offended, and how to engage when you witness an offense. Participants will learn how best to approach tense situations through vignettes, role playing, video, and small and large group discussion.

This session will provide attendees with:

• Learn norms and strategies to engage in cross-cultural interactions.
• Practice through role play and gracious feedback from participants.
• Individually identify what is most difficult for them in race conversations and commit to practicing a new way of engaging.

Who should attend: All school staff

Capacity: 60 participants

3 clock hours

Session 10: Growth Mindset and 5 Keys to Raising Resilient Students Workshop

Registration for this session is full

Presenter: Megan Choitz, Licensed Clinical Social Worker, School Counselor – Holy Rosary School, West Seattle

“Mistakes make your brain grow.” We like that idea, but cultivating a growth mindset is about so much more. In truth, it’s what you do after the mistake that’s most important. 

Resilience is a skill. Just like our kids take lessons to learn an instrument or get better at math, we can teach them fundamental skills to face and overcome anxiety & adversity. 

This session will provide attendees with:

• Boost self-worth and confidence
• Coach kids/teens to take on “boring” tasks
• Learn practical life-long coping skills

Who should attend: All are welcome to attend.  Administrators, Teachers, Parents and anyone who supports kids and teens will benefit from attending this workshop.

3 clock hours

Session 11: Finance and Budget Success for Catholic School Principals and Aspiring School Leaders

Presenter: John Sullivan, Assistant Superintendent of Finance, Office for Catholic Schools

This session covers three broad areas that will lead a Catholic School Leader to successful Financial Management. It starts with how many of a leader’s relationships must be cultivated with a long-term vision of the School’s success in mind. Next, it outlines what reports are useful to a School leader and how each can be used successfully. Finally, the development of several types of School Budgets and related metrics is discussed. The goal of this session is to share many best practices while giving participants an opportunity to raise questions about finance in their unique communities.   

This session will provide attendees with:

1. How and where to build relationships that will create financial success for a Catholic School in a Parish ?
2. What Financial Reporting should a Catholic School leader expect and how to use them successfully ?
3. How to create a successful Catholic School Budget and other financial measures to successfully manage a School’s Finances ? 

Who should attend:

1. New Principals and Principals in the first few years of that role.
2. Those who aspire to be a Principal.
3. Other School Leaders with administrative responsibilities

3 clock hours