SEPAG UPDATE:
The SPF SEPAG meeting held on 1/08/2024 was led by the Department of Special Services.
Dr. Rebimbas, Mrs. Tomesko, and Mrs. Peneno conducted a presentation that provided updates on the following:
Program Review Indicators
Student Needs
State Mandates
General Education Curriculum
Tri State Consortium Recommendations
Individual And SEPAG Parental Input
The presentation demonstrated that DOSS is taking actions towards the strategic plan, specifically;
Goal 1: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.
Objective 3: Increase opportunities for students of color/BIPOC (black, indigenous, and people of color), special education/ELL, and other marginalized groups in all curricular and programmatic areas. Analyze the data to increase these opportunities.
Some of those actions shared included educator training simulations, training, and activities at individual schools. Inclusive activities such as students sharing their individual perspectives, i.e., what it's like to be dyslexic.
Actions taken by DOSS based on feedback from SPF SEPAG:
Executed training based on parent/caregiver feedback as well as mandated training and others based on the Tri-State Consortium.
Focused on Access to Equitable Material. Special Education Teachers to have their own resources and purchased necessary material for Special Education Teachers
The District has inventoried individual teachers for needs and purchased for each building, a set of leveled decodable books ensuring access to equitable materials.
Continued communication of Transition Programs from Elementary to Middle School and Middle to High School. This will continue for the upcoming school year.
Shared SEPAG resources to be distributed at schools and by CST Members.
Upcoming:
As a response to Consortium feedback, there will be a Parent Literacy workshop.
Megan Hurns from Montclair state will be explaining the process of Transitioning from HS to adult life in Feb.
The Presentation can be viewed here and the January Meeting Minutes add detail and Q&A.
SPECIAL EDUCATION RELATED RESOURCES AND EVENTS HAPPENING THIS WEEK.
Monday, Jan. 15th
10am Opening,11am-5pm Volunteer- SPF YMCA 15th Annual SPF MLK Day Of Service. "For over a decade the Scotch Plains/Fanwood community has joined together to remember, learn and give our time on MLK Day. Created by volunteers for volunteers, this day has become a celebration of the interwoven and compassionate community we create together."
10am-The Arc of NJ- Mondays With Michael (FB live)-What is Respite. 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, Jan. 16th
1pm-ADDITUDE-Live Webinar on January 16: How Seasonal Affective Disorder Uniquely Affects People with ADHD
1pm-ADDITUDE-Live Webinar on January 23: The Emotional Lives of Girls with ADHD
Wednesday, Jan. 17th
7pm-SPAN-Using a Strengths-Based Approach to an Inclusive Education
6pm-The ARC of NJ-How Series: Planning For Transition: Why It Is Vital For Your Student's Future
Thursday, Jan. 18th
12pm-Center for Parent Information & Resources-Webinar: Sifting Through Your Parental Rights
UPCOMING & ONGOING EVENTS:
Jan. 23rd, 12pm-SPAN-AT Supports for Students with Hearing Impairments or Deafness
Jan. 24th, 1pm-Center for Parent Information and Resources-Ask An Expert - Special Needs Trusts
Jan. 25th, 6:30pm-Children's Specialized Hospital-Preparing your Child for Adulthood: Special Education Transition Rights - Children's Specialized Hospital
Jan. 30th, 7pm-SPAN-Look to the Future: Transition from school to adult life
Jan. 31st, 4:15pm-SPAN-The SPAN Youth Chat for Ages 14-26
Feb. 5th, 10am-The ARC of NJ-What is a Special Education Parent Advisory Group (SEPAG)?
Mar. 5th, 6:30pm-SPAN-Virtual Gathering on Stress Management and Self Care -LEAD project
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. The following information is a selection of some of the resources and information shared by the LRC as they highlight Awareness Themes for the month of January.
National Braille Literacy Month
January is Braille Literacy Month, in honor of the birthday of Louis Braille, creator of the braille writing/reading system, who was born on January 4th, 1809. The observance raises awareness of the importance of Braille to the blind and visually impaired community.
How Braille was invented: Moments of Vision 9 - Jessica Oreck - A two minute TEDEd video detailing the origins of braille, along with resources to explore and a prompt to discuss.
The power and possibilities of braille: A community conversation with Matthew Shifrin - In this webinar from Career Launch @ Perkins, Brian Switzer (author, deafblind athlete, and Assistive Tech Instructor) and Matthew Shifrin (podcaster, entrepreneur, and founder of Lego for the Blind) talk about why braille matters in the 21st century.
Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service
Classroom Resources - The King Center - Classroom resources are designed to help educators teach about Martin Luther King, Jr., Coretta Scott King, nonviolence, and the civil rights movement. From bite-sized educational videos to interactive lesson plans, our resources support social-emotional learning; character-building; diversity, equity, and inclusion learning objectives; and, social justice learning objectives.
MLK Day of Service | AmeriCorps -Find a volunteer opportunity near you, register your volunteer opportunity for others, or explore resources to start your own service project.
MONTHLY THEMES cont'd:
National Mentoring Month
Each January, we celebrate the power of mentoring and encourage others to explore how mentoring programs can have a positive impact on society by enabling people and organizations to create more productive, engaged and satisfied individuals.Follow #MentoringMonth and #ThankYourMentor.
National Mentoring Month -Use MENTOR's toolkits to engage your public officials, corporation, digital sphere of influence, or local media channels with the mentoring movement. Other resources include a wheel of inspiration, a process for finding local mentoring opportunities, videos, and their multimodal resource for mentors: "Becoming a Better Mentor."
Students Teaching Advocacy through Mentoring Program (STAMP) | LDANJ -STAMPNJ wants to "stamp out" feelings of shame and lack of information about learning disabilities through student mentoring for elementary through postsecondary students. Student leaders share about their own disabilities, the importance of self-advocacy, and the value of assistive technology in their lives, empowering their mentees to recognize, accept, and understand their learning disability; cultivate self-advocacy and communication skills; and build self-esteem and confidence.
Your Input Helps!
We continue to seek out ways to connect and gather feedback from Parents and Caregivers. Please share any information that may be helpful, via this form. It is one of the many means that the SEPAG uses to gather information. It can be used at any time and also ahead of our meetings to communicate relevant topics and information. 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.
IN THE NEWS, BROADCASTS AND UPDATES:
Educational Services Commission New Jersey (ESCNJ)-ESCNJ Parent Support Program: School Refusal- From Assessment to Intervention. Join us virtually on Wednesday, January 24, 2024 from 6:30 - 8:00 PM. Presented by Bianca Coleman, Ph.D., NCSP, BCBA-D Behavior Therapy Associates. RSVP by Monday, January 22 to Meena Pasupathy at mpasupathy@escnj.us to receive a Zoom link.
Rowan University-NJ school counselors discuss issues, share strategies at Rowan
RESOURCES & TOOLS YOU CAN USE:
Child Mind Institute-School Success Kit for Kids With Executive Functioning Issues
NJDOE-Statewide Parent Advocacy Network (SPAN) Family Literacy Event (In Person and Online) to Help Families Improve Early Reading at Home. SPAN Parent Advocacy Network's NJTSS-ER Project. One of the most important roles a parent has in their child's education is supporting their reading ability, but what does that look like? Join us to unlock key strategies that parents can do at home to support their child's reading.
NJDOE-Disability Awareness, Inclusion, and Self-Advocacy Resources: Tips4Inclusion
Montclair University Disability Resource Center-Key differences Between High School and College
AT YOUR LEISURE:
NJCIE- The Inclusion Think Tank Podcast:Episode 35: The Power and Importance of Collaboration Part 2
Center for Parent Information & Resources-(SPAN) REAL Transition: How Do I Get the Job I Want?. Employment should be an expectation for youth/young adults with disabilities. In this webinar, we will discuss the following:
Ideas to help you figure out what type of job you want
Things to consider before starting a job search
Tools to help you complete applications
Preparing for interviews
READING NOOK:
The Fanwood Memorial Library: Monica Reiss Autism Resources Collection
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.
