Paraprofessional Appreciation DayApril 5, 2023 SEPAC SOMA and the SOMSD PTA/HSAs love our paras!We’re celebrating Paraprofessional Appreciation Day! We are grateful for their hard work, commitment to and compassion for the children in our district. So, the next time you see a para, be sure to say THANK YOU! ❤️ What do Paras do?Some students require theContinue reading “Announcement: Paraprofessional Appreciation Day, April 2023”
Category Archives: SOMSD
ACTION: Emergency Drills Policy Changes, February 2023
ACTION ALERT!BOE MEETING: Thursday, February 23, 2023, 7:00pmAt tonight’s SOMSD Board of Education meeting, there will be a First Reading of changes to Policy 8420 (Emergency & Crisis Situations), which covers how emergency drills are handled in our schools. In recent years, parents and experts in our community, including SEPAC SOMA, strongly advocated to makeContinue reading “ACTION: Emergency Drills Policy Changes, February 2023”
Meeting: Anxiety in High School, January 2023
Anxiety in High SchoolTuesday, January 24 @ 7:30pm Tuesday, January 24 @ 7:30pmHIGH ANXIETY: High school can be hard to handle in the best of times and, after the events of the last few years, even more teens are struggling. We’ll hear from a panel of CHS experts about anxiety and mental health in theContinue reading “Meeting: Anxiety in High School, January 2023”
Resource: SOMSD Special Services Contact List, Summer 2022
Summer 2022: SOMSD Special Services Staff Note from Susie Budine, SOMSD Assistant Superintendent of Special Services:Please see below the appropriate staff to contact for the summer. Also, kindly note that the district is on a skeleton crew from mid-August until school starts in September. You may experience a longer than usual delay in response duringContinue reading “Resource: SOMSD Special Services Contact List, Summer 2022”
2021 BOE Candidate Questionnaire
Each year SEPAC SOMA invites Board of Education candidates to respond to several questions about issues related to Special Education in our district. We are pleased to share with you the 2021 Candidate Statements on Special Education. We thank all the candidates for taking the time to share their perspectives. SEPAC is not a political organization,Continue reading “2021 BOE Candidate Questionnaire”
Letter Read at BOE Meeting (10/18/21): EBR Staffing Shortages and MMS Elevator
The following letter submitted by SEPAC was read during the public speaks portion of the SOMSD Board of Education meeting on 10/18/21. Good evening Board of Education members, I’m speaking to you on behalf of the board of SEPAC SOMA — the Special Education Parent Advisory Committee — to bring your attention to TWO criticalContinue reading “Letter Read at BOE Meeting (10/18/21): EBR Staffing Shortages and MMS Elevator”
Letter Read at BOE Meeting (8/16/21): Vaccination Mandate
The following letter submitted by SEPAC was read during the public speaks portion of the 8/16/21 Board of Education meeting. Good evening Dr. Taylor, Administrators and BOE Members, The Executive Board of the Special Education Parent Advisory Committee (or SEPAC) here in our district is advocating for you to mandate COVID-19 vaccinations for all schoolContinue reading “Letter Read at BOE Meeting (8/16/21): Vaccination Mandate”
SEPAC Letter to Dr. Taylor & BOE (8/11/21): Vaccination Mandate
The following letter was submitted on 8/11/21 on behalf of SEPAC to SOMSD Superintendent Dr. Ronald Taylor, the members of the SOMSD Board of Education and other Maplewood/South Orange community leaders. Greetings Dr. Taylor, Administrators, BOE Members and South Orange – Maplewood Community Leaders, I hope this email finds you well and enjoying your summer. Continue reading “SEPAC Letter to Dr. Taylor & BOE (8/11/21): Vaccination Mandate”
SEPAC Letter to BOE Regarding 2018-2019 SOMSD Budget
March 23, 2018 Dear Members of the Board, We are writing to express our support for the proposed 2018-2019 SOMASD budget and to ask that you approve it on Monday evening. We are encouraged that the current Administration seems to realize that the solution to historical programming and budgetary problems in special education is investmentContinue reading “SEPAC Letter to BOE Regarding 2018-2019 SOMSD Budget”
SPED PTO Meeting 11/13 – 7:30pm
Got questions? Get answers! SPED PTO meeting Monday, November 13 7:30-9 pm BOE building, 525 Academy, Maplewood Topic: Overview of SOMSD Special Education Administration featuring : Dr. Lauren Reisenauer, Executive Director of Special Services and Youth Development, Elizabeth Baker, President of the Board of Education, and Maureen Jones, BOE trustee and liaison to the SpecialContinue reading “SPED PTO Meeting 11/13 – 7:30pm”
SEPAC SOMA 