Franklin SEPAC: September 2017 Newsletter

September 2017 WELCOME BACK!! We hope that you had an enjoyable and relaxing summer! With school back in session, we thought this would be a great opportunity to let you know that we have been working hard all summer to deliver a strong workshop schedule and activities for families throughout the year.  First, here are the members of the 2017-2018 Franklin SEPAC Board: Co-Presidents: Jennifer Hiscoe and Jennifer O'Duggan Co-Vice Presidents:  Sara Mulcahy and Holly Perkins Secretaries: Monisha Kallianpur and Laurie Wrobleski Regional SEPAC Liaison/Outreach: Caryn Budd Community Relations: Mark Thompson Treasurer: Sharon Taylor For many children with Special Needs and their families, back to school time can be a welcome return to schedule and predictability.  For others, the thought of a new year with new teachers or a new environment can be anxiety-provoking.  For many it is a combination of both.  We at SEPAC are here to help!  Our goal is to create a strong community of special needs families here in Franklin, where we can learn from each other while providing support and understanding.   September Workshop Introduction to Special Ed. Programming in Franklin/Parents Rights and Regulations By Director of Student Services, Ms. Debbie Dixson followed by Ms. Laura Gillis, Esq. When: Tuesday, September 12, at 7:00. Where: Remington School Library, 628 Washington Street.   We look forward to seeing you there.  This will be a great opportunity to ask questions and learn about changes to your rights.  Take a look at our website, www.franklinsepac.org, for the complete list of workshops and dates for the year.   Parent Support Group When: Thursday, September 28, at 7:00. Where: Cole's Tavern, 553 Washington Street. In addition, we will be providing monthly opportunities for parents/caregivers to get together in a relaxed environment to share stories, make connections and learn from one another.   Other Information This year, one of our main goals is to provide more social events for families. Our first event would be:- Halloween Hayride  When: Friday, October 27 Where: Tanderini's Farm, Millis More information will follow soon, so stay tuned.  These events will provide families with an opportunity to come together for some fun in a "judgment free" environment.   We are looking forward to a great year and are very excited to meet you!          Mark your calendars!  We have scheduled the following workshops all year round!! ***All workshops are free and open to the public*** All workshops are held 7:00 pm in the 3rd floor training room of the Franklin Municipal Building, 355 East Central Street, unless otherwise specified. *October 16, 2017: Helping Children Cope: Putting Humpty Dumpty back together again - a look at building resilience in children; presented by Jeanine Fitzgerald -  workshop will be held in the Horace Mann auditorium *November 16, 2017: Camps and Activities Fair; a variety of local & state agencies will be on hand to provide information on special needs camps and activities - workshop will held at the Keller cafeteria January 18, 2018: Non-verbal Learning Disorders; presented by Joseph Moldover, PhD, Developmental Neuropsychologist February 15, 2018: I Feel Worried! Tips to Help Kids Overcome Anxiety; presented by Ms. Nadine Briggs, CEO, Simply Social Kids March 15, 2018: ADHD Essentials; presented by Brendan Mahan,MEd.,MS *April 26,2018: Defining Autism from the Heart; presented by Mr. Kerry Magro, national speaker and best-selling author shares experience of growing up with autism - workshop will be held in Horace Mann auditorium. Friday, May 4, 2018: Night of Comedy fundraiser - Join us for a fun night at CBS Scene! Tickets will be on sale soon. May 17, 2018: Coping with Bullying; presented by Ms. Carolyn Wnuk, MSW, LICSW, Compass Social Skills and Counselling. *Workshops will be held in an alternate location  The mission of the Franklin Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SEPAC) is to promote a network for parents of children with disabilities and provide a forum to share information and discuss matters of relative interest and concern regarding our children. This group provides regular forums for Pupil Personnel Services and parents to share information and discuss pertinent issues; develops, maintains and shares tools and a resource guide; and raises awareness of children with special needs. We host monthly workshops educating parents on special-needs topics. We also hold support groups, fun meet-ups for the kids and donate educational supplies to the Franklin Public School Special Education programs. We are a volunteer-run organization and need donations to help alleviate the costs of the above-mentioned programs. We receive our primary funding through an annual "Evening of Comedy" fundraiser that we host in April. www.franklinsepac.org   We are always looking for feedback and ways that we can help meet the needs of our community here in town.  Please don't hesitate to reach out to us via email at franklinsepac@gmail.com, follow us on Facebook at @franklinsepac, and now on Twitter at @franklin_sepac. Stay updated about our workshops, support groups and events. Get social with us!

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Franklin Special Education Parent Advisory Council 355 East Central St. Franklin, Massachusetts 02038 US Read the VerticalResponse marketing policy.

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Franklin Public Schools: Special Education Presentation - June 27, 2017

This is scheduled for discussion at the Franklin (MA) School Committee meeting on Tuesday, June 27, 2017.

Special Education Presentation (update) from Franklin Matters

sunrise over Horace Mann

Franklin SEPAC hosts Touch-a-Truck - June 4

Join Franklin SEPAC, Franklin Police and Fire for a Touch-a-Truck event

Sunday, June 4th, 10-noon on the field behind ECDC

Kids can interact with our community heroes or jump on the moon bounce while parents can learn a little more about programs that can help keep their children with disabilities safe. Come on out for this final event of the school year.

the Franklin Fire Dpet Tower truck ladder at a previous open house event

SEPAC: MAY 2017 NEWSLETTER

MAY 2017 INTERESTED IN JOINING US? We are taking nominations for all board positions!! We would love to expand the board. If this is something that you would be interested in, please let us know as soon as possible. The election will be held on May 18th before the workshop. IDEAS FOR DONATIONS We are looking for your ideas for making donations from the funds that we raised. Please email us!!  Franklin SEPAC invites you to join us on  Thursday, May 18th at 7 PM for the following workshop: Mindfulness and Nutrition  Presented by: Ms. Christene Gerardi and Ms. Janice Houlihan Join us for our final workshop of the year! We will be hearing from two wonderful presenters about ways to help your children both in school and out by focusing on two topics: Mindfulness and Nutrition.  Mindfulness is paying attention in a particular way non-judgmentally.  Research is showing us that a daily mindfulness practice for kids can help counter act many symptoms of stress that we are seeing in our schools and that mindfulness can be the foundation to SEL programs as a way to get students "ready to learn".  Come and hear more about this practice and learn how you can do some mindfulness of your own at home.  Janice Houlihan, M.Ed. is a Co-Founder of a non-profit organization called Inner Explorer whose mission is to unlock academic potential and foster lifelong well-being for millions of children.  Inner Explorer currently operations nationwide and in 20 countries. We will then hear from Christene Lee Gerardi, EdM, an Integrative Medicine Educator, Consultant and Wellness Teacher who has studied both mainstream and integrative health and medicine for over 20 years. She began studying her now 18 year old stepson's sensory processing disorder 15 years ago and is making holistic decisions as she raises her now 9 year old daughter in an effort to prevent, recognize if needed and naturally treat. Because she enjoys food so much, it's her first line of defense!  Christene will show us 5 of the most important nutrients your child should be getting, and how to get them; along with 4 of the most detrimental foods your child is probably eating now and how to replace or eliminate them. In addition, Christene will provide a few natural and complementary therapies that have been shown to be beneficial to children with special needs.    This workshop will be held in the Third-floor training room of the Franklin Municipal Building, 355 East Central Street. As always this workshop is free and open to all. Please email us at franklinsepac@gmail.com with any questions. To learn more, please take a look at our website: www.franklinsepac.org or like us on Facebook : http://www.facebook.com/franklinsepac Stay updated about our workshops, support groups, and events Reminder: Parent-to-Parent Support Group 7 PM on Thursday, May 25th at Coles Tavern, Franklin Hope you can come join us for a drink and a few laughs!  About Franklin SEPAC: The mission of the Franklin Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SEPAC) is to promote a network for parents of children with disabilities and provide a forum to share information and discuss matters of relative interest and concern regarding our children. This group provides regular forums for Pupil Personnel Services and parents to share information and discuss pertinent issues; develops, maintains and shares tools and a resource guide; and raises awareness of children with special needs. We host monthly workshops educating parents on special-needs topics. We also hold support groups, fun meet-ups for the kids (like October's Halloween Party at Tangerini's Farm), and donate educational supplies to the Franklin Public School Special Education programs. We are a volunteer-run organization and need donations to help alleviate the costs of the above-mentioned programs. We receive our primary funding through an annual "Evening of Comedy" fundraiser that we host in April. www.franklinsepac.org

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Franklin Special Education Parent Advisory Council 355 East Central St. Franklin, Massachusetts 02038 US Read the VerticalResponse marketing policy.

Franklin SEPAC: APRIL 2017 Workshop Reminder - Please join us!!

REMINDER!

Franklin SEPAC invites you to join us on

Thursday, April 27th at 7 PM

for the following workshop:

Financial Planning for Special Needs Children

presented by
Michael Weiner

We are pleased to welcome back certified financial planner, Michael Weiner. Michael is an expert in helping special needs parents plan for the future of their children. He uses his own experiences to speak to families, breaking down complex legal and financial terminology in a way that is easy to understand, helping parents to take advantage of the programming that is out there for their loved ones. If you are parent thinking ahead about your child's financial future then this workshop is not to be missed.

It is never too early to start planning!

This workshop will be held in the third-floor training room of the Municipal Building, 355 East Central Street, Franklin.

As always, this workshop is free and open to everyone. Please spread the word! We hope to see you there.

Franklin SEPAC: APRIL 2017 Workshop Reminder - Please join us!!

About Franklin SEPAC: 

The mission of the Franklin Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SEPAC) is to promote a network for parents of children with disabilities and provide a forum to share information and discuss matters of relative interest and concern regarding our children. This group provides regular forums for Pupil Personnel Services and parents to share information and discuss pertinent issues; develops, maintains and shares tools and a resource guide; and raises awareness of children with special needs. 

We host monthly workshops educating parents on special-needs topics. We also hold support groups, fun meet-ups for the kids (like October's Halloween Party at Tangerini's Farm), and donate educational supplies to the Franklin Public School Special Education programs. We are a volunteer-run organization and need donations to help alleviate the costs of the above-mentioned programs. We receive our primary funding through an annual "Evening of Comedy" fundraiser that we host in April. www.franklinsepac.org

SEPAC Reminder: Parent to Parent Night Thursday!

Parent to Parent Night!

Please join us on Thursday, March 30th, 2017
At 7PM Coles Tavern

Come for a casual night out for some laughs, good food and a few drinks!

Look forward to seeing you there!

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Franklin Special Education Parents Advisory Council 355 East Central St. Franklin, Massachusetts 02038 US Read the VerticalResponse marketing policy.