The South River Advocate |
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Vol.5 Issue 6 |
The Newsletter of SEPTA of South River | March 2004 |
| www.specialeducationpta.org | email: info@specialeducationpta.org | Information Line (732) 651-7157 |
March 3rd: SEPTA meeting, S.R. Public Library *Open Parent Forum starts at 6:30 pm General meeting 7-9pm
March 10th: Transition Planning Seminar Special Guest Speaker: Alice Hunicut ~SPAN South River Middle School Library
March 15th: SEPTA 2004 Scholarship Application available to students of the South River Public School District.
March 25th: “Helping Your Kids Cope with Teasing and Bullies.” 6:30 pm E. Bruns. Public Library. Call (732)745-3180 to register
April 3th: S.R. Recreation Easter Egg Hunt @Varga Park starts promptly at 10am
April 7th: SEPTA meeting, S.R. Public Library *Open Parent Forum starts at 6:30 pm General meeting 7-9pm *Planning for the 1st Annual Family Fun Day & Community Picnic.
April 30th:SEPTA 2004 Scholarship Submission Deadline.
March 10th 7-8:45pm
South River Middle School Library
Special Guest Speaker: Alice Hunicut
nce again, S.E.PTA is extremely pleased to be able to present a transition planning seminar for parents of students with disabilities who are or will be entering transition planning as part of their I.E.P.
Transition planning concerns student ages 14-21 years of age who are classified or section 504. This essential component of a student’s I.E.P. is an important part needed to address and prepare for life skills / job placement/ and adult services such as government assistance and various government / state programs, transportation skills and community supports to help the student succeed in having productive and smooth transition to life after public/private school.
Alice Hunicut presented this workshop to our members and the community last year- parents were extremely pleased with the wealth of information and direction she supplied during her last seminar.
Don’t miss it!
A support group for parents and guardians of special education students is sponsoring monthly morning coffees during the school year. This informal group meets monthly. For more information and meeting locations call Vivian Paulus (732) 297-4028
Meetings dates for next year are:
Thursday, March 11
Thursday, May 13
The Special Education PTA of South River 2004 Scholarship applications will be available to students of the South River School District on March 15th, 2004.
This scholarship is open to any special education student of the South River School District, graduating in June 2004 and enrolled in a secondary school, trade school, or college for the fall of 2004. Special education students of the South River School District can currently be enrolled “in district” or in a “public/private” or “private school” setting.
Deadline for scholarship applications is April 30th.
Students interested in applying can obtain an application from the Office of Special Education of South River Public Schools or visit the S.E.PTA website: www.specialeducationpta.org and print application from menu list.
Winner will be notified by Monday, May 10th 2004.
Good luck to all who enter!
As the parent of a child in the special education system it is essential that parents make every effort to attend this very important meeting concerning their child. This meeting outlines your child’s exposure to academic concepts, the various educational programs that the school will employ to help your child grasp, learn and utilize the topics and subjects presented to them over the course of the next year.
So how should parents prepare themselves for the I.E.P. meeting?
You have 10 days after the IEP meeting date to request changes to be made to the document you were given at the end of the I.E.P. meeting
BUT ALL REQUESTS MUST BE MADE IN WRITING! (that means NO PHONE CALLS) AFTER 10 DAYS THE I.E.P. WILL BE IMPLEMENTED AS WRITTEN
SEPTA held it’s first presentation of “Learn How to Manage It All”, a workshop designed to provide parents with tools, resources and an organizational system to help negotiate the special education system and provide insight on how to organize information concerning their child(ren). Parents who attended this workshop were given a binder/organizational system, informative CD Rom containing educational/state/government /web resources, information on related special education topics and recreational opportunities for the special needs population.
Parents left this workshop with a wealth of information and a sense that one step at a time they can “learn to manage it” and gain better advocacy skills to help their child now and in the future years.
Parent’s Information and Discussion Group of the Middlesex County Special Child Health Services will be hosting a Free Public Workshop on March 25th at 6:30 pm at the East Brunswick Public Library.
Special Guest Speaker: Helene Knee -St. Peter’s Univ. Hospital Please call (732) 745-3180 for more information or to confirm attendance – please leave your name and telephone number.
If you have a question concerning the Special Education System (how it works), educational issues, goals and objectives, or resources for your child- S.E.PTA would like to extend an open invitation for Parent’s to bring their question(s)
“Open Parent Forum” held from 6:30 -7pm at the South River Public Library on the following dates:
Wed. March 3rd,
Wed. April 7th
Wed. May 5th
Wed. June 2nd
Writing & Implementing an IEP: A Step-By-Step Plan
By Thomas Lovitt
(Available at the LRC-C)
Steps to Independence
By Baker and Brightman
(Available at the So. River Public Library)
Creative Play Activities for Children with Disabilities
By Lisa Rappaport Morris and Linda Schulz
Carolina Curriculum Guide
*basically pre-k to k, early grade school
(Available at the LRC-C)
Hawaii H.E.L.P. Strands / HELP Program
Centers basically on birth through3 years and 3- 6 years of age
(Available through Therapo Co. and LRC-C)
Addison-Wesley Active Learning Series:
Active Learning for Twos
Active Learning for Threes
Active Learning for Fours
Active Learning for Fives
By Cryer, Harms, Ray
(Available at the LRC-C)
The IEP Primer and the Individualized Program: Preschool through Postsecondary Transition
By Beverly A. School PhD And Arlene Cooper PhD
(Available at the LRC-C)
Linking IEPs to State Learning Standards: A Step-By Step Guide
By Lynda Miller and Lauren Hoffman
(Available at the LRC-C)
Individual Transition Plans:
The Teacher's Curriculum Guide for Helping Youth with Special Needs
By Paul Wehman
(Available at the LRC-C)
Action Alphabet: Sensorimotor Activities for Groups
By Kathleen L. Herring BA and Suzanne Wilkinson, B.S. OTR/L
ISBN: 076-1647-597-MT399 $41.95
Practical Ideas that Really Work for Students with ADHD
By Kathleen McConnell, Gail Ryser and Judith Higgins
ISBN: 076-1618-481-MT399 $51.00
Teaching Spontaneous Communication in Autistic and Developmentally Handicapped Children
By Linda Watson, Catherine Lord, Bruce Schaffer and Eric Shapler
(Available at the LRC-C)
IEP Companion- Communication Goals for Therapy in & Out of the Classroom
By Carolyn C. Wilson, Janet R. Lanza and Jeannie S. Evans
Grade: from birth to adult.
(Available at the LRC-C)
The Source for Aphasia Therapy
By Lisa A. Arnold
(Available at the LRC-C)
Speech & Language Difficulties in the Classroom
By Deirdre Martin and Carol Miller
(Most public library can interlibrary loan this book - listed in the Suny College at New Paltz)
Visual Strategies for Improving Communication: Practical Supports for School & Home.
By Linda Hodgdom
OT Goals: Occupation Therapy Goals & Objectives Associated with Learning
By Partners in GOALS
Grade level k-12
(Available at the LRC-C)
Curriculum Based Activities in Occupational Therapy an Inclusion Resource
By Lisa Loiselle and Susan Shea
(Available at the LRC-C)
The Consulting Therapist: A Guide for OTs and PTs in Schools.
By Barbara E. Hanft and Patricia A. Place
(Available at the LR-C)
Motor Development Program for School-Aged Children (2nd Ed.)
By Jeanne Shanks Sellars Ed. D., PT
Fine Motor Dysfunction: Therapeutic Strategies in the classroom
By Kristin Johnson Levine M.S. Ed., ISBN: 076-1647-04X-MT399
Hands at work and play: Developing Fine Motor Skills at School and Home
By Janice Miller Night M.S. Ed and Mary Jo Gilpin Decker B.S. OTR
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