News and information for staff members and the Madison community
Vol. II No. 3 - December 22, 2006
Where else in the district would you be allowed to attend school in your bed, where IV poles are the norm and laughter and tears go hand in hand, all while learning in a K-12, one room school? This is the type of learning environment quite common at the UW Hospital School - a school that provides a safe sanctuary from medical procedures, while providing normalcy in an otherwise abnormal, scary environment.
The University of Wisconsin Hospital School has been in operation for over 75 years, serving the educational needs of school-age children who are receiving treatment at UW Hospital. Educational services are provided at no cost to parents or their local school district. Three full-time teachers, Connie Kane, Marianne Tripp, and myself are employed by MMSD and provide a wide range of curricular and instructional opportunities.
The staff has years of experience working with students who have special needs. The teachers work closely with each child's school district to obtain books and materials from their own school/classroom. Flow through funds from the state, reimburse the district for the cost of this program and teacher salaries.
The purpose of the hospital school is threefold: Offer every school-age child a school experience designed to meet his/her needs; provide a normal daily routine for hospitalized K-12 students; and allow students to keep pace with their classmates at home.
The hospital school staff provides a caring, safe learning environment in the hospital classroom or at the student's bedside, if necessary. In addition to providing formal schooling, the teachers also spend time providing educational support to students along with enrichment activities that foster learning. The teachers are members of patient care teams and consult with other hospital professionals involved with each patient's care.
The hospital school will be moving to the new American Family Children's Hospital in the summer of 2007, currently under construction on the campus of UW Hospital and Clinics.
MMSD's Marianne Tripp works with Aaron, a student receiving treatment for a brain tumor.
Hospital School teacher Connie Kane instructs hospital patient Jennifer Frakes from Green Bay.
Last Updated: Tue Jan 16 10:27:11 2007
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