School Committee Policy on Special Education
The Sharon Public Schools recognizes the unique needs of children with disabilities, and is committed to identifying children at risk and providing quality programs and services, consistent with state and federal requirements.

All efforts will be undertaken to ensure that the regular classroom can accommodate children with disabilities. If it is determined that the needs of the child cannot be met in the regular classroom, an alternative educational plan will be developed by the TEAM.

Harassment and discrimination will not be tolerated. The Sharon Public Schools encourages an atmosphere of open communication and mutual respect to the benefit of all children.

This policy was adopted and accepted by the School Committee on July 3, 1997.

This revised and updated policy statement was generated by SSEPAC and after several rounds of discussions with Pupil Personnel and the School Committee. This policy lays the foundation on what parents should expect in terms of treatment for their children and what the school system is striving for. We believe the harassment statement included in the last paragraph is crucial. Since harassment will not be tolerated, instances of it should be reported either to the school, or certainly to SSEPAC to add to the collective effort. Effective change will occur in our schools if we provide volume and substantiation of expressed concerns and instances of harassment and intolerance. SSEPAC can present these to the School Committee and provide family anonymity.

The School Committee will also be reviewing and revising the general harassment policy later this summer. The Special Education statement will be incorporated in that policy as well.

Legislation Issues
Chapter 766 is being reviewed by the House and Senate. We are keeping tabs on the committees and reports being submitted. We will keep members informed of events and hearings.

Community Youth Coalition
SSEPAC is looking for a volunteer to act as the SSEPAC liaison to Sharon's Community Youth Coalition. Many issues addressed by the Youth Coalition do impact our children, but many LD or social issues have not been addressed. It is important to be an active, participating member in this community organization and to provide the special needs perspective.

Volunteer Opportunities
Individuals to attend monthly meetings at School Committee, Sharon Commission on Disabilities, Superintendent meetings, Disability Awareness (or AKA Abilities and Challenges) Programs at the elementary schools through the PTO's, Newsletter Editor, Parents' Resource Fair Coordinator.

Resources for Parents
We are adding this new feature to our quarterly newsletter. We will include different references in each publication.

Organizations
Learning Disabilities Association of Mass. (LDAM), 1275 Main St., Waltham, MA 02154 781/891-5009 (T, W, Th 9AM-2PM)

The Learning Disabilities Network, 72 Sharp Street, Hingham, MA 02043 781/340-5605

Orton Dyslexia Society of New England, Area-Massachusetts,Pine Ridge School, 1075 Williston Rd, and Williston, VT 05495 802/434-2161, local: 617/964-4485, WEBSITE http://ods.org

Department of Education, 350 Main Street, Malden, MA 781/388-3300

Federation for Children with Special Needs, 95 Berkeley Street, Boston, MA 02116, 617/482-2915

Recordings for the Blind and Dyslexic, 800/221-4792

Hot Web Sites- Internet Live!
Department of Education
http://info.doe.mass.edu/

Orton Dyslexia Society
http://ods.org

Federation for Children
http://www.fcsn.org

SSEPAC (with links to other SPED sites)
http://www.ritop.com/ssepac/

Family Education Network
http://www.familyeducation.com

President: Suzanne Peyton

Vice President: Margy Davidson and Diane Pankow

Secretary: Lee Berkowitz

Treasurer: Susan Linehan and Susan Horne

Chapter 766 Regulations Update
The state legislature has issued its recommendations for changes in Special Education and in Chapter 766. SSEPAC will be monitoring developments and will be advising the community regarding hearings or events that may impact the current regulations. SSEPAC can provide you with your own copy. Call 781-784-8316 with your request. If you wish to add your voice or attend any hearings, please contact SSEPAC so we can notify you directly. We will also include updates in the local papers.

Special Education Handbook
SSEPAC will be assisting the Pupil Personnel Department in developing a special education handbook and guide for Sharon Public Schools. There is a lot of review and work to be done on this project and volunteers are needed! This will require some familiarization with current Chapter 766 regulations. Reading and editing will also be required. One or two meetings (maximum) might be required to put it all together. Please call 784-8316 if you are interested in participating in this project.

School Liaisons
SSEPAC is looking for individuals to serve as school liaisons at all levels, including preschool. Liaisons act as the interface between SSEPAC and their facility relative to news and events, provide an internal resource for who to contact and when to submit news for individual school newsletters, submit SSEPAC updates to the monthly newsletters. Liaisons have also been asked to help coordinate the bi-annual fund raising activities at each school.

Book Reviews
SSEPAC will do book reviews on newly published Special Ed titles and will share this information with you. If you read books on special ed topics, please provide SSEPAC with a brief summary so we can include it in upcoming newsletters!

Book Review: Shadow Syndromes by John J. Ratey, M.D., and Catherine Johnson, Ph.D.

Millions of people who attribute their daily life problems to bad parents or low self-esteem or lack of will power are in fact struggling with a shadow syndrome. Chronic sadness, obsessiveness, outbursts of anger, the inability to finish tasks, disabling discomfort in social situations-these and other problems are all mild forms of serious mental disorders that can affect the very course of our lives. They are Shadow Syndromes. Drs. John J. Ratey and Catherine Johnson explode they idea that these problems are brought on by aberrations in upbringing or relationships, and that they are prolonged by a willful refusal to change. They make it clear that, on the contrary, these patterns of behavior have their origins in the inherent structure and chemistry of the individual brain, that they are distinctly identifiable, and that for all of us, understanding our own unique biological makeup is the key to freeing ourselves from biology’s bonds. Knowing who we are biologically as well as psychologically is the key to living a free and full life. Ratey and Johnson describe methods for tempering shadow syndromes and their traces.

Book Review: In the Mind's Eye: Visual Thinkers, Gifted People with Learning Difficulties, Computer Images and the Irony of Creativity, by Thomas G. West.

This book argues against the myths of conventional intelligence and envisions a bright future for many individuals with learning difficulties. West bases his argument on the premise that dyslexia may in fact be a gift in disguise. As the world changes, more and more value is being given to the global visual thinker. West asserts that is will be their kind of minds that will more easily solve future problems in fields not traditionally thought of as requiring creativity and visual proficiencies. Computers have made areas of difficulty typical to dyslexics less important (such as spelling and calculation). According to West, new opportunities are unfolding that may require the special talents and abilities in just those areas where many individuals with learning difficulties have their greatest strengths. West, himself a dyslexic, spoke at the annual conference of the Orton Dyslexia Society held in Boston this past fall.

1997-1998 Officers

Workshops

Chapter 766 Update

Academy of Physical & Social Development

Special Education Handbook

School Liaisons

Legislation Issues

Parent Connections

Book Reviews

Youth Coalition

Volunteer Opportunities

Parent Advisor Panels

Resources for Parents

Future Problem Solvers

Hot Web Sites

Did You Know?

The Year in Review

Upcoming Workshops
Discussions are underway for workshop topics. We have confirmed four topics/dates:

Mark those dates on your calendar NOW! We are looking to add two to three more workshops, a resource fair, and parents’ forum.

Academy of Physical & Social Development
SSEPAC has arranged through our Public Schools to bring The Academy of Physical and Social Development to Sharon. The Academy is a fabulous non-competitive athletic program designed to build self-esteem, self-control, cooperative skills, and make everyone a winner! The Academy is recommended by Children's Hospital and other health care professionals as a rewarding athletic and social skills program. The program will be listed in the Community Education booklet and mailed to families in late August or September. Only eight (8) children will be able to register with this first session. Those enrolling will determine the grade level. Because we cannot exclude children without special needs, you will need to keep your eyes open and register early! If successful, additional sessions and classes will be added.

Parent Connections
In addition to workshops, SSEPAC will introduce Parent Connections. The business meetings will be alternated with Parent Connection evenings. These will be exclusively used for parents to come together and share issues, concerns, strategies, and IEP's. These informal meetings allow parents to get together and discuss whatever is of relevance to them.

Parents are each other’s best resources for information, literature, referrals, tips, and strategies.

Parent Advisor Panels
We are looking for parents at the Middle School and High School to be on our Parent Advisors. These panels will be very informal and will not require attendance to meetings or to have any public exposure. We need parents at each of these schools to advise SSEPAC of current issues and problems so these can either be addressed at a School or School Committee level as a collective issue. Since the current officers are all elementary level or preschool levels, we need ears and eyes at the secondary levels. Feedback from and to SSEPAC will involve occasional phone calls by one of the officers. Your participation would be discreet.

Future Problem Solvers of America
SSEPAC is looking for parent volunteers to serve as team coaches for the Future Problem Solver of America program. This involves coaching a small team of kids (after school) on key issues determined at the beginning of each school year. Many of our kids have felt excluded from this program because some coaches have felt unable to "handle" LD and behavioral issues. We can customize our own teams this year so our kids can participate in this great program. But the only way that can happen successfully is if we have parents of LD kids that are coaches. Call 784-8316 if interested or if you want more information. This program will be coordinated through the after school program. Look for application dates and fees.