Meeting: Annual Race & Special Education Panel, February 2026
FEBRUARY 20266th Annual RACE & SPECIAL EDUCATION PanelSpecial Education & the Multicultural Experience: How do culture and language shape the special education journey? Join our panelists for an insightful discussion on the unique intersection of race, language, and disability. This session will dive into the real-world barriers that multicultural and multilingual families face and highlight the…
Keep readingEvent: Inclusive Resource Fair, February 2026
FEBRUARY 2026INCLUSIVE RESOURCE FAIRComing soon … our 3rd Annual SEPAC SOMA Resource Fair! Add it to your calendar now, then stop by on February 28th to connect with local providers, groups, and organizations in the South Orange-Maplewood area who offer inclusive opportunities, activities, and services to individuals with disabilities. Huge thanks to Together We Bloom’s Traveling Sensory Room for hosting…
Keep readingSave the Date: Race & Special Education, February 2026
FEBRUARY 2026COMMUNITY MEETINGSave the date for our annual look at the intersectionality of race and special education at SOMSD with a panel of special guests. More info soon! Thursday 2/12/26 @ 7:30pm▣ Virtual Meeting (link to come)
Keep readingRecap: Dec 2025 Mtg – Understanding Executive Function
DECEMBER 2025WHAT IS EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONING?Stephanie Cannon, an Executive Functioning Coach and local mom, joined us in December to share an overview of executive functioning and strategies to encourage skill development at home. Missed the meeting? Check out the presentation slides and meeting recording for loads of helpful info about the essential skills that help our…
Keep readingSave the Date: Inclusive Resource Fair, February 2026
FEBRUARY 2026INCLUSIVE RESOURCE FAIRSave the date for our 3rd Annual SEPAC SOMA Resource Fair! Stop by to connect with local therapists, groups and organizations in the South Orange-Maplewood area who provide inclusive opportunities and services to individuals with disabilities. Saturday 2/28 @ 3:00-5:00pm◉ Columbia High School Cafeteria17 Parker Ave, Maplewood
Keep readingAsk: Exec Function Questions, December 2025
DECEMBER 2025 QUESTIONS WANTED!Executive Functioning … it’s a term we hear frequently as we learn more about our kids with disabilities (like ADHD), especially as they move into middle and high school. But what is it? How can we help support growth in these essential life skills? We’re so excited to dive into this topic…
Keep readingMeeting: Executive Function Skills, December 2025
DECEMBEr 2025EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONING SKILLSExecutive function is an essential set of skills that helps us learn and manage daily life. Without these skills, it can be difficult for students to focus, manage time, and stay organized, especially as their workload increases and their schedule becomes more complicated in middle and high school. Stephanie Cannon, an Executive…
Keep readingMeetup: Out-of-District Virtual Cup Chat, December 2025
DECEMBER 2025CUP CHATS: Conversation, Connection & CommunityDo you have a child in an out-of-district school?SEPAC SOMA is hosting a meeting exclusively for parents and caregivers of neurodiverse students with an out-of-district placement, whether it’s through SOMSD, unilateral, or private. Join our Out-of-District School SEPAC SOMA Liaison Jennifer Wiezorek for an evening informal conversation* about common experiences,…
Keep readingSave the Date: Executive Functioning, December 2025
DECEMBER 2025 EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONING SKILLSSave the date for our next SEPAC SOMA Community Meeting! Staying organized and planning ahead can be difficult for many children (and adults!) with disabilities. We hope you’ll plan to join us in December to learn more about Executive Functioning skills with EF Coach Stephanie Cannon, and how we can encourage…
Keep readingRecap: Oct 2025 Mtg – Special Education @ SOMSD
OCTOBER 2025 MEETINGSPECIAL EDUCATION @ SOMSDDid you miss our first community meeting of the year? Kathleen Gesumaria, SOMSD Assistant Superintendent for Special Services, joined us to share an overview of the programs, classes, and services available in our district. ▣ WATCH HERE
Keep readingAnnouncement: BOE Candidate Questionnaire, October 2025
SEPAC SOMA 2025 BOE CANDIDATE QUESTIONNAIREEach year SEPAC SOMA invites SOMSD 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 2025 BOE Candidate Responses to our questionnaire. We thank all the candidates for taking the time to share their perspectives.…
Keep readingMeeting: Special Education Overview, October 2025
SPECIAL EDUCATION @ SOMSDWe hope you’ll join us for our first SEPAC SOMA community meeting of the year! Kathleen Gesumaria, SOMSD Assistant Superintendent for Special Services, will share an overview of the programs, classes, and services available in our district. Wednesday, October 15, 2025 @ 7pm▣ Virtual Meeting
Keep readingWorkshop: Transition to College, October 2025
OCTOBERNOW WHAT?! COLLEGE TRANSITION WORKSHOPJoin Matt Endlich, CHS Transitions Coordinator, to learn about starting college with a 504 or IEP. This is a great meeting for juniors, seniors and their parents/guardians. Learn more here and register here (by 10/28, please). Wednesday, October 29 @ 7:00pm◉ CHS Black Box Theater
Keep readingMeetup: Cup Chat + BOE Candidates, October 2025
CUP CHATS: Conversation, Connection & CommunityOur informal, in-person gatherings are a great way to connect with other parents and caregivers of kids with Special Education-related needs in our district. The six candidates running for the SOMSD Board of Education have been invited to join us to hear your experiences with Special Education in this district. Sunday,…
Keep readingStatement: Support for Paraprofessionals, Fall 2025
“When we fail to value experience, our students pay the price.” – Vicky Bond, SEPAC SOMA Board Member, speaking at the 8/28/25 SOMSD BOE Meeting in support of district paraprofessionals. ▣ WATCH HERE Powerful words from Vicky! Continue watching to hear from current and former SEPAC Board Members Beth Cosentino, Jocelyn Ryan, and Lindsey Stone.…
Keep readingSave the Date: Special Education Overview, October 2025
OCTOBERSPECIAL EDUCATION @ SOMSDWe hope you’ll join us for our first SEPAC SOMA community meeting of the year! Kathleen Gesumaria, SOMSD Assistant Superintendent for Special Services, will share an overview of the programs, classes, and services available in our district. Wednesday, Oct 15 @ 7pm▣ Virtual Meeting (link soon!)
Keep readingSurvey: 2025-2025 Parent Input, September 2025
2025-2026 SurveyYOU INSPIRE US! The SEPAC SOMA team is hard at work planning our 2025-2026 meetings, and the more we know about YOU, the better we are able to support our amazing community of families! ► Have you taken our 2025-2026 Survey yet?! We’d love your input on topics, meetings, communication preferences and volunteer opportunities.…
Keep readingMeetup: Cup Chat, Sept 2025
SEPTEMBERCUP CHATS: Conversation, Connection & CommunityBack to School can be an exciting fresh start and a welcome return to structure, but it can also be a stressful transition for students (and their families). We get it. We really do. We hope you’ll join us for the first SEPAC SOMA Cup Chat of the school year. Our informal,…
Keep readingIdea: All About Me One-Pager, September 2025
ALL ABOUT ME!Here’s one of our very favorite Back to School tips: Create an “All About Me!” one-pager about your child to help their teachers and support team get to know them quickly. Share it with building administration so that they can share with teachers, therapists, paras, lunch and recess aides … any staff who…
Keep readingAnnouncement: ESY Website, June 2025
EXTENDED SCHOOL YEAR 2025Great news! SOMSD Special Services ESY has its very own website this year! It’s chockfull of info about Extended School Year, including a recording of the Parent Info Night on June 9th, ICYMI. ► ESY @ SOMSD Website
Keep readingMeeting: End-of-Year Meetup, June 2025
JUNE 2025: LAST MEETING OF THE YEAR!Join us for one of our favorite get-togethers of the year … our annual Dope, Nope & Hope meeting where we review how this school year went and look ahead to summer and next fall. But the school year isn’t quite over … we have one last bit of…
Keep readingAnnouncement: Resource Fair Guide, May 2025
MAY 2025: RESOURCE FAIR GUIDE What a joy it was to see our SEPAC SOMA community making connections! Huge thanks to the families who stopped by and to the local providers, groups and organizations who joined us, with extra gratitude for Together We Bloom, Beloved Bath, Lindsey Stone Homes, and the South Mountain YMCA for…
Keep readingMeetup: Mental Health & Special Education, May 2025
MAY 2025: MENTAL HEALTH & SPECIAL EDUCATIONLet’s Talk Meds … A parent- and caregiver-only virtual gathering to talk about medications for mental health and other learning and thinking differences such as ADHD and neurodiverse populations. We’ll chat about safety, efficacy, and use for managing and preventing symptoms. Moderated by fellow SOMSD parents Dina Roskin, MA,…
Keep readingEvent: Inclusive Resource Fair, May 2025
MAY 2025: INCLUSIVE RESOURCE FAIROur 2nd Annual SEPAC SOMA Resource Fair! Stop by to connect with local therapists, groups and organizations in the South Orange-Maplewood area who provide inclusive opportunities and services to individuals with disabilities. Huge thanks to Together We Bloom’s Traveling Sensory Room for hosting a sensory-friendly quiet space, Lindsey Stone Homes for providing refreshments, and the…
Keep readingWorkshop: Neurodiversity Acceptance, April 2025
APRIL 2025: PARENT WORKSHOP – Neurodiversity AcceptanceApril is Autism Acceptance Month! This in-person Parent Workshop, geared toward PreK-5th, is all about neurodiversity: the idea that we all think, move, process information, and communicate differently, including people with autism, ADHD, dyslexia, dyspraxia, and dyscalculia diagnoses. Join us to learn more about autism, how to be neurodiversity…
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