Bridge the Gap
Bridge the Gap is a special education academic fund that was created to help meet the needs of students with disabilities. Funds are awarded to applicants across the district as needs arise to help reduce and eliminate barriers to learning and participation. Since this program was created, we have awarded various items such as: field trip zoo admission, Kindle readers, adaptive recess equipment, arts enrichment tuition, and adaptive learning equipment.
We are currently accepting applications for scholarships to attend the WAAA Blueprints for Special Education Online Workshop on October 15th. This is a great way to enhance your Special Education knowledge!
February 2022 BTG Recipients
Student, Lincoln High School
This student received a Learning Program Library Literacy Pack from Down Syndrome Foundation of Orange County. This Literacy Pack supports language and vocabulary development, sight word acquisition and sentence building.
"The Bridge the Gap fund has provided an entire reading curriculum for my child. Adopted internationally at 14 years old she had no previous access to academics and her school team has been unable to develop a plan to meet her unique needs. The fund provided access to a reading program that meets her individual goals & strengths that she wouldn’t have otherwise had access to. We fully expect an engaged and happy reader meeting her full potential in life. Thank you!!"
Speech Language Pathologist, Birney Elementary School
This educator applied to receive items to establish a safe and regulating sensory space for students who benefit from sensory input so that they can be ready to learn and engage in academic and social opportunities at school. Purchased items included: therapy balls, fidgets, play tunnel, light machine, fluorescent light covers, bubble machine, mini trampoline and more.
"The sensory room has been so well received by students and staff. In approximately 1 month of use, we’ve logged over 50 sessions, not including students who access the room on a regularly scheduled basis.
The room has become a staple of our school community and we are all grateful for your support in bringing the idea to life through the Bridge the Gap grant. We’ve increased our collaboration, sensory regulation, learning readiness, communication and, perhaps most importantly, glee! The room and the Special Education PTA's contribution will continue to be celebrated and appreciated."
"The sensory room has been so well received by students and staff. In approximately 1 month of use, we’ve logged over 50 sessions, not including students who access the room on a regularly scheduled basis.
The room has become a staple of our school community and we are all grateful for your support in bringing the idea to life through the Bridge the Gap grant. We’ve increased our collaboration, sensory regulation, learning readiness, communication and, perhaps most importantly, glee! The room and the Special Education PTA's contribution will continue to be celebrated and appreciated."
January 2022 BTG Recipients
Special Education Teacher, Lincoln High School
This teacher received funding for admission tickets to bring two classrooms of students (RISE and Developmental Skills) to the Point Defiance Zoo for a field trip.
1st Grade Teacher, Mary Lyon Elementary School
"Having the materials for my students is very helpful! We love the SEL curriculum, it has provided so many opportunities to discover the many emotions that we have and knowing how to regulate our emotions and resolve conflicts. Having the amazing little spots (plushies) are great to have as visuals.
The writing tools are very helpful to my kiddos that need to work on their confidence and legible writing, which is also thanks to the variety of strength putties that were provided.
The variety of seat options for the wiggle cushion and ball are allowing my students that can't sit still and help provide that movement and continue their learning. As well as manage their noise tolerance with the Noise Cancelling headphones.
Thank you so much for the support and amazing opportunity that you have given my kiddos!"
The writing tools are very helpful to my kiddos that need to work on their confidence and legible writing, which is also thanks to the variety of strength putties that were provided.
The variety of seat options for the wiggle cushion and ball are allowing my students that can't sit still and help provide that movement and continue their learning. As well as manage their noise tolerance with the Noise Cancelling headphones.
Thank you so much for the support and amazing opportunity that you have given my kiddos!"
December 2021 BTG Recipients
K-3 RISE Teacher, Edison Elementary
"Here are some pictures of my students playing with the cash register and the accessories that you sent to us. They LOVE it. We started by talking about what is in a grocery store and how it is organized. We talked about how to shop on a budget and then we started register training!
I have one student use the register, one bags the groceries, and then two shoppers. They each have to help each other with their jobs and make sure to have good customer service skills. They have also been working on their manners while doing it. It really has been a fun project that they love! They haven't noticed that they have been having to do math along the way either.
Thank you so much for your help with this project! The kids love everything about it!"
I have one student use the register, one bags the groceries, and then two shoppers. They each have to help each other with their jobs and make sure to have good customer service skills. They have also been working on their manners while doing it. It really has been a fun project that they love! They haven't noticed that they have been having to do math along the way either.
Thank you so much for your help with this project! The kids love everything about it!"
3-5 Success Program Teacher, Lyon Elementary
The students in this classroom received a variety of sensory items and fidgets to help them throughout the day.
Special Education Preschool Teacher, Jefferson Elementary
This teacher received iPad wall mounts, so that she could use her iPads for communication with her non-verbal students.
"It has been an amazing addition to the classroom. I have 3 students currently using iPads as an augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) device to support their speech / language impairments to communicate. Being 3 years old, they initially thought it was an iPad to play games. However, mounting them and using them in communication corners, has helped tremendously to establish their purpose. They now understand they use these to communicate and have picked up on several buttons to get what they want/need. They will now come over to an iPad and use it appropriately to request something to drink/eat, a toy they desire or to go outside. We are very grateful for the generosity of the PTA, that allowed us to create our communication corners."
"It has been an amazing addition to the classroom. I have 3 students currently using iPads as an augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) device to support their speech / language impairments to communicate. Being 3 years old, they initially thought it was an iPad to play games. However, mounting them and using them in communication corners, has helped tremendously to establish their purpose. They now understand they use these to communicate and have picked up on several buttons to get what they want/need. They will now come over to an iPad and use it appropriately to request something to drink/eat, a toy they desire or to go outside. We are very grateful for the generosity of the PTA, that allowed us to create our communication corners."
LRC Teacher, Lyon Elementary
This teacher received an educator pack of curriculum to help her 14 students with their social emotional goals.
"My para educator is working with a group of 6 boys using the curriculum I am Not a Scribble. They find it very engaging. Often there is a story book to read at the beginning of the week to set up the rest of the lessons and then leads up to an art project towards the end of the week. This is very engaging for the boys. (They are ages K-3rd grade.) They are learning a strong social emotional vocabulary from the curriculum. They are beginning to use these words with adult guidance in their everyday activities. They love the feelings cards and the plushie emotions!
Thank you so much for this curriculum! It has made a big difference in the social emotional learning in my room!"
Thank you so much for this curriculum! It has made a big difference in the social emotional learning in my room!"
2020-2021
Last year brought a lot of unknowns, but our community of students with disabilities clearly needed support.
With the help of a grant from Greater Tacoma Community Foundation, we were able to purchase and distribute
$15K of adaptive learning equipment across our District to facilitate learning at home.
Last year brought a lot of unknowns, but our community of students with disabilities clearly needed support.
With the help of a grant from Greater Tacoma Community Foundation, we were able to purchase and distribute
$15K of adaptive learning equipment across our District to facilitate learning at home.
Contact Us
Tacoma Special Education PTA
PO Box 6929
Tacoma, WA
98417
PO Box 6929
Tacoma, WA
98417