Category Archives: SEPAC

Please join the Newton SEPAC for a School Committee Candidate Forum

  • Thursday, October 24, 2019
  • 7:30-9:30 pm
  • 100 Walnut Street, Room 304

Candidates running for Newton School Committee will be sharing their perspective on questions related to special education in Newton. There will also be time for parents to meet with the candidates. Please note that elections for School Committee are city-wide, so Newton voters elect School Committee members in all wards, not just their own.

The format of the forum will be similar to the one the SEPAC organized two years ago. A moderator will ask candidates questions that have been submitted by SEPAC members, and there will be an opportunity for parents and caregivers to speak informally with the candidates.

(The presentation date was changed from 10/23 to 10/24 to accommodate scheduling conflicts; please also note that we will be in Room 304.)

*** Please email your questions for the candidates to parlikar@yahoo.com by Tuesday, October 22. We will try to get through as many questions as we can during the forum. ***

Have Special Ed Questions? Join us for “Role of the SEPAC ” Workshop

Role of the SEPAC – a MassPAC/FCSN workshop

Parents of children receiving special education services (IEP, 504 plan) are welcome to join us to learn more about the role of the Special Education Parent Advisory Council here in Newton.

WHEN: Wednesday, September 25, 2019 at 7:30 PM – 9 PM

WHERE: Newton Public Schools Education Center, 100 Walnut Street, Room 21

DESCRIPTION: A local Special Education Parent Advisory Council or SEPAC is a district-level, parent-driven group that provides input to the local school district on system-level challenges in special education and the safety of students with disabilities. An effective SEPAC has parents in the role of advisors who use families’ experiences, unique perspectives and expertise to influence decisions and help shape programs and policies at the district level. This workshop outlines the purpose and function of a SEPAC as well as an overview of activities and outreach strategies to solicit diverse input.

Presented by Leslie M. Leslie who serves as Project Director for the MassPAC and APPLE projects under the Federation for Children with Special Needs. Since 2011, she has provided technical assistance to both SEPACs and District special education administrators.

10th Annual SEPAC Special Educator Awards – Nominations due May 15!

Thursday, May 30th
Newton South High School Cafeteria*
140 Brandeis Road Newton Center, MA 02459
6:00pm
*please note new location

The SEPAC Special Educator Awards are presented to Newton faculty and staff members who have done exceptional work with students receiving special education services.  Parents, guardians and students may nominate any NPS staff member who they believe has gone above and beyond in their work with special education students (i.e.: special ed staff, regular ed staff, principals, aides, BT’s, administrative staff, custodians, crossing guards, etc).

Please note that the awards do not identify you or your child by name; only the honoree is given the name of the person who nominated him/her.

Click on the link below to submit your nomination by May 15th!

https://forms.gle/QxVPC22kG8h3Sy979

Executive Function Skills in Children and Adolescents

Join parents, caregivers and educators for this insightful discussion about how to teach children to manage their time, space and materials — and keep their emotions in check!

Executive Function Skills in Children and Adolescents

  • Wednesday, February 13, 2019
  • 7:30 – 9 pm
  • Free admission
  • Auditorium
    Newton North High School
    457 Walnut Street
    Newton, MA

Kristen Jacobsen, MS CCC-SLP

This presentation is co-sponsored by Newton Public Schools
This presentation will cover powerful strategies to help your child develop independent executive function; teach students to internally sense the sweep of time, self-monitor in order to sustain concentration, manage pace, and complete tasks in allocated time frames; improve students’ motivation and task initiation, help them to plan homework and long-term projects/papers, and coach students to think in an organized way; and encourage self-initiative to manage homework and personal belongings.
Ms. Kristen Jacobsen, MS CCC-SLP is a trained speech-language pathologist who is Co-Director at the Cognitive Connections Executive Function Practice. She is currently working with Newton Public Schools to develop an Executive Function program for middle school students. She provides training and coaching for teachers and professionals, parent consultations, as well as student coaching services. Ms. Jacobsen has worked as an educational consultant and speech-language pathologist in public education, private schools and hospital settings, and has provided teacher training seminars and school consultations nationally.
Contact info@newtonpac.org with any questions. Please check this website for weather updates and cancellations.
For more talks & information : https://newtonpac.org/

SEPAC Seminar January 30th

The Newton Special Education Parent Advisory Council (Newton SEPAC) is hosting a seminar on Basic Rights in Special Education for the Asian American Communities.  Our speaker will be Susan Ou from the Federation for Children with Special Needs, who will present and can answer questions in English, Cantonese and Mandarin, depending on the needs of audience members.  Anping Shen, who is a Newton School Committee member, will speak.  Eileen Sandberg from the SEPAC will give a short talk about special education in Newton, and her experience with her children.  We plan to leave lots of time for questions.

We will discuss the student’s and parent’s legal rights, how to explore whether special education services would be helpful, and the support that the parents in the Newton SEPAC can provide.

The presentation will be held on January 30, 2019 in room 210 of the Education Center, 100 Walnut St. in Newton.  It is a free event and all are welcome.   We will begin with refreshments and networking at 7:15 pm., and the presentation and question session will be from 7:30 pm. to approximately 9:30 pm.

Join us for the Special Education Basic Rights presentation next week

Please join us for this important special education event!

WHAT: Basic Rights in Special Education
WHO: Dan Heffernan, Esq., Partner, Kotin, Crabtree & Strong presented by the Newton SEPAC
WHEN: Wednesday, November 7, 2018
(Networking 7:15-7:30)
7:30 – 9 pm
WHERE: Newton Education Center Room 210
100 Walnut Street (map)
Newton, MA

Dan Heffernan, a Newton parent and Super Lawyer in special education law will present on parent and student rights in special education. This presentation includes an overview of special education law, a discussion of IEPs, the responsibilities of the school district, approaches to resolving disagreements or disputes, etc. There will also be time for Q&A.

The Basic Rights presentation helps parents and guardians to understand the legal foundation of all special education services for their children and how to work with their child’s team and the school district. It is the only presentation that the SEPAC is mandated to offer each year. It is strongly recommended that all parents and guardians new to the world of special education attend. The presentation is also helpful for anyone who hasn’t attended it in the past couple of years since new legal rulings and guidelines can change special education law over time. We hope to see you there!

Daniel T.S. Heffernan is a partner with Kotin, Crabtree & Strong and concentrates his practice on representing families of children with special needs in education and civil rights matters. He is a 1987 cum laude graduate of Harvard Law School. From 1995 to the present he has served on the board of directors of the Federation for Children with Special Needs and was board president from 1995 to 2007. He also serves on the Massachusetts Down Syndrome Congress Education Task Force. Mr. Heffernan has been named a Super Lawyer in special education law every year since 2005 and was named as a Top Rated Lawyer in Education by The Boston Globe. He has two daughters and a son who has Down syndrome.