Services We Provided

Special Education and related services are provided to students with identified needs at all South Milwaukee schools. Most identified students attend their home school. Special education is a service, not a place, and operates in cooperation with all school staff. The School District of South Milwaukee offers a continuum of services in order to meet student needs. All students are educated in the least restrictive environment as determined by the Individual Education Program (IEP) team.

School nursing services support students by managing health related barriers to learning. Direct services are provided to students through the combined efforts of the District Nurse, South Milwaukee Health Department, school clerical staff, designated teachers, and health room/instructional paraprofessionals.

The District nurse provides direct health services to students and works to promote a healthy school environment, student health, and learning. This person also trains our staff to care for students when the nurse is not in the building, how to use emergency rescue medications such as EpiPens, albuterol, and diastat.  Additionally, the District nurse:

• monitors epidemics and disease outbreaks and connecting with public health officials.
• identify threats to health in the school community (allergens, safety hazards, broken equipment, and facilities) and work to eliminate those problems as a cause of ill health.
• provide leadership for the provision of health services, health policies, and programs.
• provide a critical safety net for the most fragile students.
• provide screening and referral for health conditions such as vision.
• enable children with chronic health conditions to attend school.
• serve as a liaison between school personnel, family, community, and healthcare providers.
• educate students and their families on health and safety concerns.

Medications and Health Concerns

If your child needs medication administered during school hours specific forms must be completed BEFORE the medication can be administered. These forms can be obtained in the main office at your child's school, or at the link on the right side of this page.

Diabetes:

A Diabetes Management Medical Order for the School Year is the first step in assuring your child's success at school when he or she has diabetes.  The Medical Order is a doctor-provided form and must be delivered to your child's school and reviewed with a District Nurse before your child attends school.

Life-threatening Allergy:

In order for us to appropriately care for your student with severe allergies, we need to know a little about your student.  All students who have been prescribed an epi-pen should have an Allergy Action Plan completed by parents and their physician on file in the school office.  We cannot use old forms and must receive a new form at the start of every school year.

Asthma:

If your student is prescribed a rescue inhaler for Asthma, we need to know more about it.  Whether mild or severe, any student with a rescue inhaler should have an Asthma Action Plan completed by parents and their physician on file in the school office.  We cannot use old forms and must receive a new form at the start of every school year.

Seizures:

So that we can respond appropriately at school, we need to know more about your child and how to respond. A Seizure Action Plan will need to be completed by parents and the child's provider and delivered to the District Nurse.  Once the District Nurse has received the plan, it will be sent to your student's school to be kept with their emergency medication in the office. We cannot use old forms and must receive a new form at the start of every school year.

Other health concerns:

When registering your child for school, completing the "health concerns" section is the first step for assuring appropriate care will be provided for your child while attending school.  If your child's health professional has ordered a special healthcare procedure to be performed during the school day, Authorization Forms for Healthcare Procedures (general, catheterization, and g-tube feedings) are available from a District Nurse.  Knowing something about your child is just the first step, however; we will want to work with you to develop a plan so your child can be safe and successful in school!

We work to assist English Language Learners in their acquisition of Standard American English and help them feel comfortable in all classrooms as they strive to assimilate into American culture. The ESL program will help students to develop skills necessary for success in American schools, universities, and the workplace. We model an appreciation for diversity so that the South Milwaukee Learning Community will value and welcome individual differences as they learn about other cultures.

Newcomer Center

The mission of the South Milwaukee Newcomer Center is to provide newly arrived students and families with a means to learn basic English skills along with learning to function in American society.

Caring for the Mental Health of our Students & Families

The School District of South Milwaukee is committed to the health and wellbeing of our students and school community. We are proud to offer a comprehensive array of supports and services for our student body that includes a team of professionals including therapists, counselors, social workers, nurses and other specialized staff who care for our students and make sure that they can reach their full potential.

Through our partnership with Wellpoint, a community provider specializing in school based mental health, the School District of South Milwaukee operates onsite mental health clinics at each district school available to all students and families. The purpose of these clinics is to provide our students and families access to therapeutic mental health support services that complement district provided services. This functions as an outpatient clinic providing individual and family therapy, as such, the student’s insurance is the primary method of payment for these services.

Therapy services can support students who may be struggling with:
● Anxiety and depression
● Thoughts of self-harm
● Grief and loss issues
● Inattention and executive functioning challenges
● Self-Image and Self-esteem
● Peer relationships and social skills

We encourage you to access this professional counseling opportunity if you think that your child or family would benefit from gaining tools to help with many of the challenges, we face in our lives today. SaintA’s therapists are available to schedule appointments both during the school day and some limited after hours.