A Note from the President
Now that school has started, parents are busy attending
Open Houses and helping their child adjust to the new school year and schedule. SSEPAC has
intentionally backed off from scheduling workshops and events this month to reduce the
frantic pace that September brings. The biannual bulb fundraiser was presented and closed
on September 19th. This fundraiser provides SSEPAC the funds to continue with the
well-received workshops we have introduced to our community. Thank you to all families who
participated and supported this fundraiser!October will be
our kick off month. This is also Learning Disability Awareness month. Our premier workshop
will be held on Thursday, October 23, 1997 at the Middle School Auditorium from 7:00 to
9:00 PM. The speaker, Sally Grimes, Ed.M., has worked in the field of learning
disabilities for 25 years. She is currently director of the Cape Cod Education Center and
is an adjunct instructor at Lesley College, Graduate School of Education in Cambridge.
Learning Styles:How Is Your Child Smart,Not How Smart Is
Your Child?
October 23, 7-9 PM
Middle School Auditorium
This workshop is geared for all parents and will not be exclusive to special needs
children. SSEPAC cordially invites parents and educators to learn about Howard Gardner's
theory of multiple intelligences and how it contrasts with the traditional notion of a
single, general entity called intelligence.
The Sharon Special Education Parent Advisory Council's Program
Schedule for this academic year is attached. Please save this for future reference, and
mark your calendars. The officers of SSEPAC look forward to another dynamic year and
welcome the opportunity to meet families and educators who have special needs interests.
Suzanne Peyton
The Academy of Physical and Social Development
This after-school enrichment program called "Fair
Play" was cancelled because of low enrollment. Eight were needed, and only five
signed up. Please let us know if you would have considered it if the cost were less, or if
the program had been presented in the brochure in a more positive manner.
Resources
for Parents
Disability Law Center
11 Beacon Street, Rm. 925
Boston, MA 02108
800/872-9992
Mass. Advocacy Center
100 Boylston Street, #104
Boston, MA 02116
617/357-8431
Family Autism Center & SNARC
South Norfolk Assoc. for Retarded Citizens
789 Clapboardtree Street
Westwood, MA 02090
781/762-4001
CHADD-Metro West
P.O. Box 561
Franklin, MA 02038
508/528-9053
Parent Information Network
109 Rhode Island Road
Lakeville, MA 02347
508/947-8824
How
to Reach SSEPAC
If you have questions regarding workshops, need
information, referrals for advocates or attorneys, there are several ways to reach this
organization. Please note:
Sharon Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SSEPAC)
One School Street
Sharon, MA 02067
Phone: 781/784-8316
E-mail: ssepac@ssharon.k12.ma.us
Web: http://www.ritop.com/ssepac/
Did You
Know?
Did you know that the Jewish Community Center in Stoughton has a special needs services
department? They are offering children's programs (for nonmembers, too). The programs
include adapted physical education classes, adapted aquatic classes, girl’s social
group, music and movement classes, pre-teen friendship groups, teen activity groups, art
classes, and a teen drop in on Sundays. If you would like more information contact Nancy
Present who is the coordinator of the special needs services at the Striar JCC. Call
781/341-2016 x201. |
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Parent Connections
The Parent Connection schedule is included with the
attached Program Schedule. The general parent to parent meetings will occur in 1998.
SSEPAC will roll out this program with two evenings in 1997 set aside for parent to
principal meetings. Feedback from parents consistently supports the need for a forum for
parents to share their individual and collective concerns with their school's principal.
These meetings are your opportunity as a concerned parent of a special needs child to come
forth and provide feedback that may make the difference for your child and others. These
meetings will be professionally moderated so we can cover as much ground as possible in
the time allocated. Note your evenings NOW:/4/97 Cottage, East, & High School at
Middle School, 7-9 PM/5/97 Heights & Middle School at Middle School, 7-9 PM If these
parent to principal meetings are well attended and constructive feedback is generated, a
follow up schedule will be developed for the spring when we can provide the principals a
chance to share with us what has been implemented, improved, changed, etc., from the
feedback received at the November meetings. Let us make the most of these! Advisor Panels
we have received wonderful responses from parents who have volunteered to be SSEPAC parent
advisors. We have eight at the High School and three at the Middle School. We are looking
for at least two or three more individuals at the Middle School. As mentioned in the
previous newsletter, these panels will be very informal and do not require attendance at
any meeting, nor do they have public exposure. Feedback from and to SSEPAC will only
involve occasional phone calls by one of the officers. Liaisons Liaisons are in place at
each school except Middle. This is a very important role, which requires very little
effort and exposure. Liaisons are in place so we can coordinate having a special ed
section in each school newsletter each month. This information is sent to each liaison to
ensure its timely submission. If you would like to be more involved, but do not have too
much free time; this could work for you. Please call 784-8316 if interested.Library Update
SSEPAC is pleased to announce the new location of the
Special Education Resource Library, which should be effective, by the beginning of the new
year. This will be located at the Middle School Library. We are looking for parent and
student volunteers to help Mrs. Walker (the librarian) with the project. This is a very
exciting development and we hope to grow our library to be an excellent tool and resource
for parents, educators, and children.
Community
Youth Coalition (CYC)
SSEPAC has two liaisons to CYC and hopes to find one
more to alternate meetings. These are luncheon meetings held on the third Wednesday of
each month (usually) from 12 - 1:30 PM and are at the Public Library Community Room. The
first meeting of the year was held September 17. The next two meetings are October 15 and
December 17, 1997
Internet
Live! Web Sites to Visit
Davis Dyslexia Association
http://www.dyslexia.com/
National Information Center for Youth w/Disabilities
http://www.aed.org/nichy
SSEPAC-Sharon Special Ed PAC
http://www.ritop.com/ssepac/
Mass. General Hospital Neuro Information
http://neuro-www3.MGH.
Harvard.edu/interaction$/
chat/index
Special Needs Education Network
http://schoolnet2.carleton.ca/
sne/snews/
Officers, Coordinators and Liaisons
President: Suzanne Peyton
Vice President: Margy Davidson
Vice President: Diane Pankow
Secretary: Lee Berkowitz
Treasurer: Susan Linehan
Treasurer: Susan Horne
Public Relations: Mark Baron & Lee Berkowitz
Abilities and Challenges: Diane Pankow
Youth Coalition: Katie Baker & Barbara Strassman
Early Childhood: Wendy Dagle
Cottage Street: Denise Hebb
East Elementary: Cheryl Weinberg
Heights Elementary: Nancy Safran
Middle School: volunteer needed
High School: Venera Emmi |
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Table of
Contents
A Note from the President
Future Problem Solvers of America
The Academy of Physical and
Social Development
Resources for Parents
How to Reach SSEPAC
Parent Connections
Library Update
Community Youth Coalition
Internet Live!
Officers, Coordinators and Liaisons
Special Education Handbook
Chapter 766 Regulations Update
Book Reviews
Program Schedule
Events
Did You Know?Special
Education Handbook
SSEPAC has reviewed several chapters of the proposed
handbook, and work is ongoing. Readers and reviewers are welcomed!
Chapter 766 Regulations Update
The Massachusetts Legislature is considering changes to
Chapter 766, which will directly impact the services your child receives. There will be
several meetings statewide during October to discuss these and provide an opportunity to
receive information about the changes. Your voice is needed to ensure that the legislature
does not repeal important provisions of Chapter 766 and to ensure that the state provides
adequate funds for special education.
The meeting closest to Sharon is:
Waltham, October 8, 7-9 PM, Brandeis University, Intercultural Center
Should you be interested, we have directions available for you. Call
784-8316. These meetings are sponsored by the Disability Law Center, Mass. Advocacy
Center, and the Federation for Children with Special Needs.
Book Reviews
Something's Not Right: One Family's Struggle with Learning
Disabilities by Nancy Lelewer.
Author, dyslexic researcher and parent, Ms. Lelewer writes about her
experience raising four children, three of who had some form of learning disability, at a
time when very little was known about learning disabilities. This book speaks to parents
and teachers clearly, realistically, and nonjudgementally about the plight and the
potential of bright children who march to different drummers. This book goes a long way to
help reduce the needless corrosive guilt that is often born by parents when their children
fail to develop as expected. You can meet author Lelewer on January 22, 1998 when she will
address a SSEPAC workshop in Sharon on this topic!
Helping the Child Who Doesn't Fit In, by
Stephen Nowicki, Jr., Ph.D., and Marshall P. Duke, Ph.D.
From the moment we are born, nonverbal language plays a vital role
in our daily lives. A child who misunderstands or misuses nonverbal language may not
"fit in" and, as a result, may face painful social rejection. Authors Nowicki
and Duke offer parents, teachers, and caretakers a guide to the puzzle of social rejection
and its relationship to nonverbal language. Many children with learning disabilities and
special needs often experience this rejection. This book may really make a difference in
your child's life.
Program
Schedule
Enclosed with this newsletter is the 1997/1998 Program Schedule for the Sharon
Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SSEPAC). Please keep this for future reference
or share it with a neighbor, friend, or someone you work with. If you know of someone who
would like to receive notice of these, please let us know. We will gladly forward them
their own copy. All workshops are open to the public and to neighboring communities. We
will be offering Professional Development Points and Certificates of Attendance for
workshops listed. Registration for any of these can be made by calling 781/784-8316.
Events
Also enclosed is an upcoming
events listing. This also shows the Sharon workshops but includes other meetings and
workshops that are held across the state, either by other PAC's and organizations. If you
know of a conference or workshop, please share it with us so we can include it.
Future Problem Solvers of America
We have had no parents come forth to act as coaches for
this program. Until this happens, LD and special needs children can still sign up with the
regular program. |
