SEPAG UPDATE:
The 2022-2023 SPF SEPAG End of Year Recap has been posted to our site. This gives an update of the work done over the last school year, by the SEPAG to gather parent and caregiver feedback and advise the district accordingly. It also demonstrates the efforts on the part of the SPF SEPAG to update and streamline communication to broaden outreach in order to effectively execute our mission.
The Scotch Plains-Fanwood Special Education Parent Advisory Group posts our monthly meeting minutes on the SEPAG site. If you are ever unable to make a meeting, visit our site for those and many other resources and information.
UPCOMING MEETING INFO:
*Last week's communication incorrectly shared the wrong meeting date. Please note that the November SPF SEPAG meeting is scheduled for Monday Nov. 13th at 7pm. The meeting will be in person as well as with a virtual option for those that cannot attend in person. Meeting links and other meeting dates can be found here. Stay tuned for meeting details and topics in the coming weeks.
We aim to gather parent/caregiver feedback for this school year, as it is our goal to provide informed input that can shed light on systemic matters and is useful to and actionable by the district. If you are new to the SPF SEPAG, or are a parent/caregiver of a child receiving services in/out of the district, this form can be used to communicate information with us so that we can share with the district. Feel free to share with any other parents/caregivers that may find this communication useful. Remember that case specific information should be shared with your Child's case manager.
SPF HIGHLIGHTS:
Nettingham Middle School's word of the Month is Respect
SPECIAL EDUCATION RELATED RESOURCES AND EVENTS HAPPENING THIS WEEK
SEPAG recognizes that as parents and caregivers time is limited, therefore the majority of the events we share are online events:
Monday, Oct. 30th
10am-The Arc of NJ- Mondays With Michael (FB live). Requesting an Out-of-District Placement Mondays with Michael is a Facebook Live series that addresses individual topics related to special education. Episodes take place every Monday at 10am during the school year and feature a 10-15 minute discussion with The Arc of New Jersey's Director of Children's Advocacy, Michael Pearson Jr
6pm-The Arc of NJ-6:00 pm Turning 18: What Every Parent of a Child with Disabilities Needs to Know (Guardianship, Entitlements & Waiting Lists)
7pm-Scotch Plains Library-Conservation in the Classroom. "Join us for an informative and fun presentation by Zach Rittner, advisor for the Conservation in the Classroom program at the Scotch Plains Fanwood High School! Conservation in the Classroom provides a head-start for several local species, including Rainbow trout, Northern Bobwhite Quail, and Northern Diamond Terrapins. Students raise these species in the classroom during the school year, helping them to develop a deep appreciation for the value of wildlife".
Tuesday, Oct. 31st- Halloween
Having an Autism Friendly Halloween
Halloween for Children with Special Needs
Giving NJ kids with sensory challenges a fun Halloween
Wednesday, Nov. 1st
4pm, SPAN- The SPAN Youth Chat for Ages 14-26. A community of youth supporting youth.
Thursday, Nov. 2nd
7pm-Zoom-SPAN's NJTSS-ER - Preparing for Parent-Teacher Conferences: Discussing Early Reading. Join the NJTSS-ER Project of SPAN Parent Advocacy Network to learn about science-based reading strategies and what you can do to make the most of your child's Parent-Teacher Conference. Guest Presenter, Deborah Lynam, will discuss the key Early Predictive Reading Skills for Kindergarten - 3rd Grade. Step-by-step tips for parents to use before, during and after the conference will also be shared.
UPCOMING & ONGOING EVENTS:
10/4-11/8-Union County Rec Programs for people with Special Needs-Yoga, Ceramics and Developmental Golf for Teens And Adults With Disabilities And Special Needs.
Nov. 7th, 7pm-SPAN-SPAN Awareness. Join to learn about all of the information and resources that SPAN provides for families, youth/young adults & professionals in NJ!
Nov. 7th, Children's Specialized Hospital-Ask the Therapists: Psychologists, Speech & Occupational Therapists
Nov. 14th-12pm, SPAN-What is AT and Why Is It Important? The Training will provide you knowledge on why Assistive Technology is important.
MONTHLY THEMES:
Learning Disabilities Awareness Month
& "Disability History and Awareness Month" in New Jersey
The Learning Resource Center (LRC) Network is a project of the New Jersey Department of Education, Office of Special Education funded through IDEA Part B funds. The materials and resources at the LRC's are provided to support the education of students with disabilities, helping them to succeed and to achieve in the least restrictive environment. LRC shares these resources as a part of it's Learning Disabilities Awareness and Disability History Month theme for the month of October:
Browse their curated list of resources on learning disabilities and neurodiversity for families and educators.
November is National Family Engagement Month & National Parental Involvement Day
Conversation starters to use with your child's teachers- Understood's Family guide for initiating discussions with teachers about their child's struggles in school, school services, evaluations, and teaching approaches.
Support through Partnerships-Part of the LRC-South's Family & Community website, this page features resources that support families in developing strong partnerships with schools, parent advocacy groups, and their local community. Click on the "Partnering with Schools" accordion for online resources specifically about the family-school partnership, including a list of resources for parent-teacher conferences.
Bridging School & Home Through Shared Tools: For Families-Video designed to introduce families to differentiated instruction and support them in implementing the learning cubes strategy at home. Families will learn how to create and use learning cubes as a way to make learning at home more engaging and interactive.
IN THE NEWS, BROADCASTS AND UPDATES:
NJDOE Office of Special Education-Special Education in Action Newsletter NEW! Issue 9 (Fall 2023):Highlighting the Benefits of a Farm to School Initiative to Increase Community-Based Inclusive Opportunities
TOOLS YOU CAN USE:
CPIR ( Center for Parent Information & Resources)- Supports, Modifications, and Accommodations for Students.
CPIR ( Center for Parent Information & Resources)-Student-Centered Transition Planning. This IRIS module will help users to better understand the benefits of student-centered transition planning, identify ways to involve students in collecting assessment information and developing goals, and be able to prepare students to actively participate in their own IEP meetings.
NJ Dept. Of Human Services- Autism, A Family Guide to Navigating the NJ Service System for Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder and other Developmental Disabilities
Understood.org-Setting annual IEP goals
NJDOE Office of Special Education-IEP Development and Resources
AT YOUR LEISURE:
NJCIE-The Inclusion Think Tank Podcast:Episode 32: Special Education is not a Place, It Is a Service, Part 2
READING NOOK:
LRC-Picture Book Month is an international literacy initiative that celebrates the print picture book during the month of November.
Sharing Wordless Picture Books-Part of Reading Rockets' monthly tips for parents, this article provides families with tips for enjoying wordless picture books with their child. Also available in Spanish.
The information on this website/newsletter is for general informational purposes only. SPF-SEPAG makes no representation or warranty, express or implied. Your use of the information is solely at your own discretion. This website/newsletter may contain links to third party content that are not controlled or operated by the SPF SEPAG. Your use of third-party websites is at your own risk and subject to the terms and conditions of use for those websites.
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