SEPAG UPDATE:
The November SPF SEPAG meeting is scheduled for Monday Nov. 13th at 7pm. The meeting will be in person, with a virtual option for those that cannot attend in person. Meeting links and other meeting dates can be found here.
The meeting will focus on effective collaboration with school administration. Guest Speaker will be School One Principal, Justin Fiory. Meeting attendees will have the opportunity to hear about the collaborative efforts of the School One SEPAG Liaisons, Principal Fiory and the School One staff, and the impact being made as a result of it.
*Note that at Monthly SPF SEPAG meetings (excluding Parent info sessions) SPF Schools' Superintendent Dr. Mast, and Director of DOSS, Dr. Rebimbas are present along with the Supervisors of Special Services. SEPAG meetings offer a great opportunity to engage and ask questions related to special education and related services in our district.
We aim to gather parent/caregiver feedback for this school year, in order 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. Case specific information should be shared with your Child's case manager.
SPF HIGHLIGHTS:
The Fanscotian-A Cuteness Overload: Meet Spiffy, Scotch-Plains Fanwood's Emotional Support Animal.
Mr. Lohn from McGinn shares books during his Read-A-Louds. Here are a couple-Different: A Great Thing to Be and Not Yet.
The Scotch Plains-Fanwood Public Schools October 2023 Newsletter was shared on October 30th and notes among other topics, the importance of standing up against bullying.
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, Nov. 6th
10am-The Arc of NJ- Mondays With Michael (FB live)-Transition Service Entitlements. 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
Tuesday, 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!
10am-Children's Specialized Hospital-Ask the Therapists: Psychologists, Speech & Occupational Therapists. Join this interactive Q&A session with a panel of expert therapists. Get tips about managing behavior, improving communication, social skills, feeding, sensory diet, motor skills, and general feedback about developmental milestones.
Wednesday, Nov. 8th
3pm-US DOE-Promoting Whole Student Health Through Safe Digital Habits. In this webinar, subject matter experts will talk about what cyberbullying and harassment can look like, the prevalence of the problem, and the impacts these experiences have on young people's physical and mental health.
UPCOMING & ONGOING EVENTS:
Through 12/13-Union County Rec Programs for people with Special Needs-Yoga for Teens And Adults With Disabilities And Special Needs.
Nov. 13th, 10am- The ARC of NJ-Making College a Reality
Nov. 13th, 7pm-SPAN Statewide Special Education Parent Leader Roundtable
Nov. 14th,12pm-SPAN-What is AT and Why Is It Important? The Training will provide you knowledge on why Assistive Technology is important.
Nov. 15th, 6pm-The Arc of NJ-PFAL Webinar Wednesday Series: What are ABLE Accounts, and How Can They Help Me Plan for My Child's Future?
Nov. 28th, 7pm-Terrill Middle School-Ask The Superintendent. A conversation with Dr. Mast, the Scotch Plains-Fanwood Board of Education, and members of the school district.
Dec. 19th, 6:30pm- Children's Specialized Hospital-What is the Purpose & Function of a Behavior? Using simple techniques of ABA therapy
MONTHLY THEMES:
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 November theme of National Family Engagement Month & National Parental Involvement Day:
Family Engagement Playbook-A collection of research-based approaches for meaningful, co-created family engagement from the Global Family Research Project. Explore ideas for shifting mindsets, building relationships, and transforming organizations. Each approach includes a brief description of what it is, how it works, an example of that approach in action, and additional resources to learn more.
Teacher Tips for Family Communication-A series of PL Shorts from the LRC-South with the goal of strengthening communication between teachers and families in order to enhance and support student learning. Each PL Short includes a professional learning guide to promote personal reflection, dialogue with others, and implementation of strategies.
As bullying was mentioned in the SPF October Newsletter, here are some Resources from the Learning Resource Center from their October theme for National Bullying Prevention:
Bullying and Youth with Disabilities and Special Health Needs - stopbullying.gov. Learn about creating a safe environment, federal civil rights laws, and bullying prevention for youth with disabilities and special health needs.
Harassment, Intimidation and Bullying (HIB) | NJDOE information and resources to aid schools in the establishment of HIB policies, the adoption of HIB program strategies, the implementation of proactive responses to HIB and the adoption of effective HIB reporting procedures.
Get Help Now - stopbullying.gov. Learn what to do if you or someone you know is being bullied. Includes resources for different audiences (kids, teens, and adults), as well as specific problem scenarios.
IN THE NEWS, BROADCASTS AND UPDATES:
NJ DOE Office of Special Education
Guidance for Graduation Requirements by Content Area for Students with Disabilities
New Jersey State Minimum Graduation Requirements by Content Area for students with disabilities
SPAN-Governor Murphy Declares November as Family Caregivers Month
TOOLS YOU CAN USE:
IncludeNJ-Parent Toolkit: Identifying Inclusive Classrooms
NJ DOE Office of Special Education
Strengthen and Fund Youth Mental Health Services
Student Wellness/Mental Health
NJDOE Office of Special Education-Autism Program Quality Indicators-Revised
AT YOUR LEISURE:
NJCIE- LRE and Inclusion. Utilizing a tiered-system of supports to support students with disabilities in general education settings.
READING NOOK:
Learning Resource Center-Dolly Gray Award Winning Books. Books that are honored with the Dolly Gray Children's Literature Award are of high literary quality and portray characters with developmental disabilities such as autism and Down syndrome.
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.
