Good Afternoon, Georgetown Community,

Without a doubt, one of my favorite nights of the year is sponsored by the Georgetown SEPAC.  I am so thankful for them hosting their annual Shining Stars celebration.  This year’s event will take place at the Penn Brook School on Wednesday, May 25th, at 6:30 PM.  The community is so lucky to have such a large number of individuals who work with students to help them overcome their challenges.  This year, the SEPAC is honoring the following people, who have truly gone above and beyond during this difficult year.

Principal Margaret Maher                               Matt Condon

Heidi Begin                                                         Kristin Power

Amy Wahl                                                            Cathleen McManus

Meghan Kelley                                                    Sherri Pittella

Corey Chenette                                                   Sophie Slade

Malcolm Cepeda                                                Kristin Kennedy

Heather Shupenko                                             Andrew Kavanagh

Officer Taylor Ford                                            Sue McCarter

Erica Juliano                                                       Sue Caulfield

I so hope that many of you will join us in celebrating these amazing individuals.  Please take a moment to review the attached brochures with information regarding the event.

Jack

Yet another huge thank you to the Georgetown SEPAC for reminding us to keep disability awareness in our minds, and for helping our community become even more inclusive for students with special needs.  Keep up the great work!  I encourage you all to take a peek at their flyer.

Jack

Plans are in place for the 2022 Extended School Year Program.  Although different programs run at different times, all programming will take place between July 5th and August 18th.  All programming will be determined at the students’ IEP Team meetings.

This year, we will be offering:

• Full summer programs
• Tutoring
• Adventure Camp
• Penn Brook Pals Camp
• Penn Brook Pals Reading Academy
• Related Service Support

Please see the extended school year tab for a full description of each program.  Always contact me with questions.

The Georgetown SEPAC is sponsoring Autism Awareness Spirit Week at all of our schools from March 28th through April 1st.  Please see the attached flyer for more information.

On March 24, 2022, your Georgetown Special Education Advisory Council will be sponsoring a workshop entitled “Managing Anxiety: Understanding Anxious Behaviors”.  The Keynote speaker is Ali Meeker, a school psychologist and member of our community.  You do not want to miss this event!

Where:   Penn Brook School Library

When:     March 24, 2022

Time:       6:00 PM

March 16 – Coffee and Conversation
9 am   Cafe Sarina
March 16 – Cocktails and Conversation
6 pm  Off the Vine

March 24 – Managing Anxiety: Understanding Anxious Behaviors
6 pm  Penn Brook School Library
*Please register by 3/18 at georgetown.ma.sepac@gmail.com

April 5 – General Open Meeting
6:30 pm Penn Brook School Library

All are invited to attend the meeting of the Georgetown SEPAC on Monday, January 24th, at 6:00 PM at the Penn Brook Elementary School library.  Join the officers for a presentation from Jack Tiano, Katelin Kennedy, and Kris Oldoni.  They will be discussing the IEP from start to finish.  Go directly into the software to get a behind the scenes look at how your child’s IEP is written.  Ask questions about any part of the document, and gain a better understanding of how services and programming are determined.  We look forward to seeing you all there!

Respectfully & Sincerely,

Jack

I have always said that the important thing is what we do for our students, not necessarily if all the Ts are crossed and the Is dotted along the way.  But it is nice to be recognized when you do follow all of the rules.  Georgetown Public has been found to be 100% compliant in all areas reviewed through the Tiered Focused Monitoring process conducted by the Department of Education.  It is simply an honor for me to represent the district for everything involving student services, and to have such amazing students, staff members, and community support.  Know that I appreciate you all.  The results are embedded below.

Georgetown TFM Cover Letter

Georgetown Final TFM Report

Jack

Please see the SEPAC brochure for things to be aware of in January.