SPF-SEPAG COMMUNICATION FOR THE WEEK OF April 9th
SEPAG update:
The SPF-SEPAG April meeting will be on 4/10 at 7pm at the BOE office. Join in person, or virtually via Google Meet link. The Guest Contributor at the meeting will be Rebecca Ledingham, Global Vice President of Mastercard with responsibility for Cybersecurity, Thought Leadership and Threat Intelligence.
SPF Highlight:
Evergreen Kindness Pledge
Here's a List of Special Education related resources, events and updates going on this week:
Monday, Apr. 10th
- 10am-The ARC of NJ, My Child Is Falling Behind Socially. Join every Monday at 10am on Facebook Live for a brief chat with Michael Pearson Jr., Director of Children's Advocacy at The Arc of New Jersey. Each week, Michael will discuss a topic related to special education and share helpful tips and resources for families. No registration is necessary, just visit the link above every Monday at 10am.
Tuesday, Apr. 11th
- 6pm-The ARC of NJ, Preparing To Get The Most Out Of Your High School Experience. As a parent, you want to help your child make choices that are best for his or her needs. This workshop will explain the role your school district will play in the transition process and how you can prepare your child for adult life.
Wednesday, Apr. 12th
- 12pm- Span, Basic Rights In Special Education Basic Rights: An introduction to rights and responsibilities as parents of children with disabilities.
- 6pm-The ARC of NJ, PFAL Webinar: Does My Child Need A Guardian? Guardianship, Legal Alternatives and Supported Decision-Making
Saturday, Apr. 15th
- 7:30 pm-Night Out with the NY Red Bulls, a part of Union County's Recognition of Autism Acceptance Month
Upcoming:
- Monday, Apr. 17th, 10am-The ARC of NJ, Extended School Year (ESY).
- Tuesday, Apr. 18th, 6pm- SPAN, ALL Kids Belong: The Importance of LRE/Inclusion. This workshop will review the IEP process with specific focus on the Legal requirement of Least Restrictive Environment.
- Wednesday, Apr. 19th, 7pm- Span, Communication Strategies For an Inclusive Education. This workshop will provide strategies and tips for having more effective conversations around inclusive education in IEP meetings.
- Thursday, Apr. 20th, 1pm-2pm-The ARC of NJ Special Educations Webinar Series: Overview on ABA. Attendees will leave with a greater understanding of Applied Behavior Analysis.
- Friday, Apr. 21st, 9am-1pm-ESCNJ Best Practices in Transitioning Planning Workshop
- Friday Apr. 21st, 10am- Center for Parent Information & Resources, Marvelous Math Apps-Are your kiddos frustrated by math? Are you looking for new ways to teach or practice concepts? Discussion will cover over a dozen math apps geared toward early math, elementary, middle and high school.
Later Events
- May 3rd, 4pm- RAFT School Based Youth Services- Pediatric Mental Health post COVID
- May 5th-7th- New York Metro Abilities Expo
- May 11th, 10am-12:30pm- RWJBH Children's Specialized Hospital, Navigating the Journey: A Medical Overview of Autism Spectrum Disorders
- May 14th-20th-Special Education week in New Jersey
- May 18th, 6pm-8pm- RWJBH Children's Specialized Hospital, Parent Workshop on positive Behavior Change
- June 9th, NJCIE Inclusion Leadership Conference
- Tuesday, June 20, 2023, 12:00 PM-AAC in the Cloud 2023: The Power of One
Monthly Themes:
April is Autism Acceptance Month
This year's NJDOE theme is "Colors of My World". The theme encourages schools to take part in fostering ASD awareness to promote understanding and acceptance for individuals with ASD in their schools and surrounding communities. It also encourages schools to celebrate the diversity, and unique contributions individuals with ASD make daily in the classroom.
Rowan University and the NJDOE Learning Resource Center share several Online Resources for Autism Acceptance Month. Here are a few:
- Welcome to the Autistic Community-This website features a book by ASAN for autistic people who want to learn what being autistic means and non-autistic people who want to learn how to support autistic people. Read online or download for free.
- IPL Shorts: Neurodiversity Informational Series with Amy Accardo | LRC-South- In this series of four short videos, Dr. Amy Accardo explores the question: What is neurodiversity? Learn about language usage and definitions, the importance of self-advocacy, and strategies to improve executive functioning skills.
- Autism New Jersey Ambassador Program Autism New Jersey's campaign to increase awareness, education, understanding, and compassion for autistic individuals and their families. Explore resources and ideas for engaging your community, such as your local police department, neighborhood, workplace, and local government. Check out the educator resources, social media toolkit, and Fact-a-Day Calendar as well!
In the News, Broadcasts and other updates:
- On Apr. 5th, The New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE) made publicly available, The New Jersey School Performance Reports for the 2021-2022 school year. See here for the SPF School District Report and options for a summary report, as well as detailed info by individual schools, helpful info, and reference guides.
- NJ Learning Standards testing will take place in May. See here for Proposed Revisions to the New Jersey Student Learning Standards in English Language Arts and Mathematics. Also the NJDOE Seeks Public Comment on Proposed Revisions to the NJSLS for English Language Arts and Mathematics
Tools you can use:
- NJ Coalition for Inclusive Education-Behavior Support: Getting Behavior in Shape at home: Quick Tips for Families: Using Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) at Home
- NJSLS testing will take place in May. New Jersey Assessments Resource Center provides parent resources for understanding.
At your Leisure:
The Inclusion Think Tank- Episode 23: A Disability-Inclusive Curriculum Benefits All Students
Reading Nook
NJDOE Learning Resources Center, shares a curated list of resources for families and educators about autism and "how to promote acceptance in communities and schools".
