Multicultural Food Sampling-Wed., Feb. 10th

The Respect for Human Differences Task Force  will be hosting a free Multicultural Food sampling event, to take place in the Swampscott High School Lobby prior to the Swampscott  Middle School Chorus and Band Concert on February 10th, 5-6:30 pm. The concert will begin at 7pm.  There will be a variety of cultures represented, as well as beautiful temporary peace sign tattoos. 

 The Respect for Human Differences Task Force strives to  expose the community to some of the diversity that exists within our town.   Anyone interested in participating can feel free to call Jessica O’Gorman, Co-chair of the Swampscott Task Force on Respect for Human Differences (Cell 781-696 5031),  or Keli Khatib, Treasurer (781-598-2736).   Volunteers needed!

It is the hope that we will be able to grow the event every year and be able to reach some of the groups that we were not able to access the first time around, as well as be able to involve all schools on a broader level.   Hope you will attend

January Morning Meeting

The Swampscott Special Education Parent Advisory Council will be having a morning meeting on Friday, January 29^th, 10:00am at the Swampscott Public Library, in the Baldwin Room.  Join us at this general meeting to share your thoughts and ideas on future workshops, connect with other parents, and to network. 

 Meeting announcements are done in several ways 

• For personal email notification join our Yahoo! Group – groups.yahoo.com/group/swampscottspecialedpac.
• On line go to the school district web site located at swampscott.k12.ma.us (if a school building is booked)
• In the Swampscott Reporter on line and in the weekly edition.

 To send a message to the PAC, email swampscottspecialedpac@yahoo.com

 ***See the Workshops/Meetings in the Area tab for Marblehead Pac’s next workshop***

January 2010

Our January meeting has been postponed.  Please see the Calendar of Events for meetings scheduled for the remainder of the year.  Others may be added as well and will be advertised.

Check out the Workshops/Meetings in the area to see what other PAC’s and agencies are hosting.

December 2009

Swampscott will not be hosting a workshop this month, however please see information on a workshop Marblehead is presenting:

 Disclosure: To Tell or Not to Tell

 Presenter:            Dorothy Lucci, M.Ed., C.A.G.S.

Date & Time:        Monday, December 14, 2009,  7:00 – 9:00pm

Location:                Marblehead High School, 2 Humphrey Street, Library Conference Room, 2^ndFloor

Free and open to the public

Many of us have struggled with the questions of why, when and how to share diagnostic information. How and when should we tell the child who has the disability? How and when do we share this information with his/her siblings?  What about the extended family and others in the community, employers?  Dot Lucci, M.Ed. C.A.G.S., Director of Consultation at MGH/YouthCare, will discuss the answers to these questions.

Dot is a national consultant and speaker who specializes in the inclusion of children on the Autism Spectrum. She has an advanced degree from the Univ. of MA and is trained as a school psychologist with extensive background in neuropsychology while at the Boston Univ. Medical School. She holds teaching certificates in early childhood, elementary and special education.   She has published in a variety of journals and has a book chapter in the Exceptional Brain. She is on the Board of Directors, Co-Chair of the Strategic Planning Committee and a member of the Program Committee of the Asperger’s Association of New England and she teaches at Lesley University and Antioch College of New England.  As Director of Consultation for YouthCare she performs The Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) Needs Assessment Protocol to assist systems in analyzing their service delivery to students with ASD; consults to schools on individual students and on program development and design and conducts workshops and trainings for professionals and parents. Also, the PowerPoint presentation that Jennifer Nancy and I made to the School Committee regarding the parent is available for download from the home page on the SEACOM website

What Keeps You Up At Night?

Wednesday, November 18^th

7:00pm-9:00pm, Swampscott High School

One of the most challenging issues facing parents of children with special needs is planning for their child’s future without them.  This Swampscott PAC sponsored workshop is presented by a panel of three people who will speak for no more than 30 minutes then open the floor up for questions. 

George O. Eisenberg and John Geraci of Northwestern Wealth Management Company, have a wealth of experience behind them. Eisenberg was a high school principal and Geraci has a son who is legally blind and will be sharing his personal story and the planning he has done to protect his family, and especially the steps he has taken to ensure that his son will be well taken care of both emotionally and financially

Moschella & Winston, LLP will have a practicing attorney presenting a discussion of the various directives that families create to assure a sound financial future for their families and especially for the child who has special needs. There will be a review of a Special Needs Trust and how and why it works as well as the difference between a trust and a will.

There will be literature available to help the participants with some of the terminology and to review their own situation.

Tuesday, Oct. 20th IVY Networking Dinner

On Tuesday, October 20, The Institute for Vocational Training of Young Adults (IVY Program) at Swampscott High will be holding a free networking dinner and transition planning workshop from 6:00 to 8:00 PM in Room C123 at Swampscott High. The focus of the workshop is social opportunities for young adults age 19 to 22  who have special needs.  All families, schools, and organizations on the north shore are welcome to attend.

Representatives from Best Buddies will be speaking on socialization and job opportunities for young adults.   Best Buddies is a nonprofit organization dedicated to establishing opportunities for one-to-one friendships for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Best Buddies Jobs continues the integration of people with intellectual disabilities into the community through supported employment.

Kathy Passalacqua of Project Triangle will speak on social opportunities and  networking.  Peter Flint will be discussing a variety of fun activities that are organized through the North Shore ARC.  Representatives from the new Northshore  YMCA will discuss programs available.  Information will also be available on the CASES Program, a new Integrated Skills Workshop for young adults at Swampscott High.

If you have information you would like to share pertaining to social opportunities for young adults who have special needs or if you would like further information, please contact Pat Gorham, Director of the IVY Program, at gorham@swampscott.k12.ma.us.  

The IVY program will be preparing Chicken with Ziti so please RSVP.  Thank you.

October Meeting-Special Education Advocacy 101

Join us on Wednesday, October 14^th, 6:30-8:30, at the Swampscott High School to hear Ellen Chambers of SPEDWatch present a workshop on Special Education Advocacy 101.  If you are new (or not so new) to the world of special education this presentation will give you the basic information you’ll need to start advocating for your student with disabilities.  From building a strong independent clinical team, to working effectively with school systems, this training lays a solid foundation on which more sophisticated advocacy techniques can be built. 

 SPEDWatch, Inc. is a grassroots nonprofit social change movement fighting to secure the educational rights of all Massachusetts schoolchildren with disabilities, ages 3-21. This activist organization was founded by Ellen Chambers, a veteran special education advocate and parent of a daughter with high functioning autism.

SPEDWatch members are working to eliminate the root causes of educational discrimination against Massachusetts students with disabilities, including:

• Widespread noncompliance with, and poor enforcement of, special education laws
• Poor funding of education in general
• A pervasive misunderstanding about who these students are and what they are capable of achieving
• A parent population which is isolated, unorganized, and often too afraid of retaliation to speak out publicly

September Event

Results of the Coordinated Review with Dr. Maureen Bingham will be discussed.

Date and Place to be determined.