CSEPACChelmsford Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SEPAC) is a parent led group with membership open to all interested parties the community. Archives
June 2020
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Parent Workshop: 504 Plans3/26/2019 504 Plans
Presented by: Federation of Children with Special Needs Explains the rights and responsibilities of a 504 Plan, who is eligible, what it contains, and the major differences between a 504 Plan and an IEP. What is Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act? Why is Section 504 Important? What is in a Section 504 Plan? Who Qualifies for a Section 504 Plan? ADA and 504. Accommodations under 504. Strategies for Success and more! Wednesday, May 1, 645-845PM Chelmsford Public Library, McCarthy Room RSVP will be available April 5 Please contact Joan Murphy, [email protected], with advanced notice to request babysitting for future CSEPAC events. Baby sitting is provided at no cost to families and is on site during CSEPAC events.
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Parent Workshop: Executive Functioning3/26/2019
Notice: Due to lack of registration, babysitting will not be available at this event.
Please contact Joan Murphy, [email protected], with advanced notice to request babysitting for future CSEPAC events. Baby sitting is provided at no cost to families and is on site during CSEPAC events.
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Spring is here - That means elections for the 2019-20 school year are just around the corner.
We are looking for a nomination coordinator to help oversee the process. A nomination coordinator would be a parent volunteer who has a vested interest in CSEPAC, but is not running for a board position. Duties include: - distributing your contact information so that nominations can be sent to you - attending the next 2 CSEPAC meetings to collect nominations (March & April) and announce nominations (April) Email [email protected] if you are interested in this position. A nomination coordinator will be appointed at the March 28th meeting. Voting Membership shall be open to parents/guardians of children with special needs who are receiving services through the Chelmsford School System. Members must have attended at least one previous business meeting during the current school year to vote in elections. Officers shall be elected by a majority vote, of all in attendance, at the General Meeting in May.
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The Chelmsford and Westford SEPACs are invite you to join us for a Day on the Hill, hosted by Rep Jim Arciero and Rep Tom Golden. The day will include a private tour of the State House, followed by lunch. This is a great opportunity to connect with our State Representatives and share your thoughts regarding Special Education in MA.
Schedule · Thursday, April 18, 2019 10:30 AM Gather at the Grand Staircase 11:00 AM Private Tour of the State House and Senate Chamber 12:30 PM Lunch 2:30 PM Wrap Up 3:00 PM Depart State House for home Date: 04/18/2019 (Thu.) Time: 10:30am - 3:00pm EST Location: Massachusetts State House, 24 Beacon St, Boston, MA 02133 Important Note: RSVP is required. Sign up here and let us know about any dietary requests. This event is FREE and open to SEPAC students, their parents, and siblings.
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FY2020 CPS Recommended Budget2/11/2019 Attached below is the current edition of the FY2020 recommended budget. The line item for CSEPAC is on page 23. Currently, it is listed as $750. We estimate that we need a minimum of $1500 for parent workshops and operational costs. CSEPAC received great feedback at the school committee presentation on Feb 5. If we wanted to invite a big name speaker to the district, that would cost an estimated $500. Budget will be discussed in detail at the February 26th School Committee meeting and will allow for input. The public is welcome to attend. If you/PTO would like more information or a presentation on this document, the Superintendent and staff are available to respond to questions, discuss the budget etc. Questions, suggestions, etc. are encouraged ahead of the meeting. Please consider writing to the school committee in support of funding CSEPAC events. A budget of $2000 would allow us to host 3 workshops from the Federation of Children with Special Needs, support district wide activities, cover operational and materials costs, and allow us to bring in an expert for a workshop for parents and professionals.
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Sending out a big thank you to everyone who helped with the parent needs assessment survey, school committee presentation, parents who provided input at CSEPAC meetings or via the Chelmsford Special Education Parent Support Group, and parent who participated in the survey.
A recording of our presentation to school committee begins at 21 minutes. The full report and a copy of the power point are posted below.
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VOC Winner!2/2/2019 We had 4 parents enter their names to win admission at no cost to the Visions of Community conference on March 9 in Boston. This afternoon I entered them into the list randomizer on random.org. I will contact the interested parents in the order it created.
Conference information is available online: https://fcsn.org/voc/ Registration for Visions of Community is $80/person before 2/8/19 and $95/person after 2/8/19. The cost for our Becoming a Leader Youth Forum is $50/person. Partial, scholarships are available. A Conference for Families of Children with Special Needs and the Professionals Who Serve Them Saturday, March 9th, 2019, 7:30am – 4:30pm | Seaport World Trade Center | 1 Seaport Lane, Boston, MA Workshops on: assistive technology, Autism, IEP goal-setting, self-care, transition planning, …and more! Sessions in English, Español, Português, 中文 (Chinese), Tiếng Việt (Vietnamese), Kreyòl Ayisyen (Haitian Creole), Somali, and عربى (Arabic) Exhibition hall with vendors and service providers from across Massachusetts Networking opportunities with other families and professionals Special programming for youth ages 14-22
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January 24 Meeting1/27/2019 School Committee Presentation Subcommittee
February 5 at 6PM A report of CSEPAC business, accomplishments, goals, and budget projections will be share alongside the results of the Parent Needs Assessment Survey. Concerns and recommendations will be shared. Afterward, it will be posted on the website. A recording will be on chelmsfordtv.org/watch/youtube/ "Teamwork is the ability to work together toward a common vision. The ability to direct individual accomplishments toward organizational objectives. It is the fuel that allows common people to attain uncommon results." – Andrew Carnegie CSEPAC Email A vote was taken and members unanimously approved a new SEPAC email address for business. [email protected] is the business email. This is a public email used to schedule agenda items and attend to PAC business, subject to OML and FOIA. This email can be accessed by the public when requested. [email protected] is a private and confidential email for parents to request information and resources. No SEPAC business will be conducted via this email. Zen Den for BSA event Feb 2, 530-730PM CSEPAC will host the Zen Den at BSA Sweetheart Dance. Volunteers needed. Zen Den is a sensory friendly play space. CSEPAC is interested in helping to host activities/booths at school wide events. We have materials for Zen Den. Executive Functioning Chelmsford Public Library, McCarthy Room April 4, 7-830PM Presented by: Speech and Language Pathologist, Karen Grabowski, and Special Educator & BCBA, Kristine Wiltz. Together, they will describe executive functioning deficits and focus on how to address your child’s needs at home. Tools and techniques will be offered across all grade levels. This is a free event, open to the public. RSVP appreciated. Upcoming Workshops TBA We are working on setting up a workshop for this spring on (1) 504 Plans and (2) Anxiety. Visions of Community Seaport World Trade Center Host: FCSN Mar 9, 730AM-430PM https://fcsn.org/voc/ A Conference for Families of Children with Special Needs and the Professionals Who Serve Them
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Are you thinking about attending visions of community?
Chelmsford SEPAC has the opportunity to sent one interested parent at no cost as a benefit of our MassPAC membership. Send in your letter of interest to [email protected] by February 1st and you will be registered to win! Additional information including key note speaker, workshops, and registration information can be found here: https://fcsn.org/voc/ A Conference for Families of Children with Special Needs and the Professionals Who Serve Them Saturday, March 9th, 2019, 7:30am – 4:30pm | Seaport World Trade Center | 1 Seaport Lane, Boston, MA Workshops on: assistive technology, Autism, IEP goal-setting, self-care, transition planning, …and more!
Registration for Visions of Community is $80/person before 2/8/19 and $95/person after 2/8/19. The cost for our Becoming a Leader Youth Forum is $50/person. Partial, scholarships are available
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Introducing our new Secretary!1/25/2019 We are so excited to have Laurie McCarron back on the board as secretary.
She was unanimously voted into the position at the January 24th meeting. Laurie held the position in the spring of 2018 and took a short break to focus on training and education. She co-runs the Chelmsford Special Education Parent Support group, which is a parent organization that hosts in person and on online forum. Laurie is active on the State level, networking with other SEPAC's and promoting #SEPACAWARENESS. |