Please join us to discuss SEPAC Business and plans for the upcoming year on Tuesday, September 18, 7 pm, at the Medway Public Library.
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Congratulations to our 2018 SEPAC Educator Award recipients
The following educators were presented with the SEPAC’s Outstanding Educator Award on August 28, 2018:
Christin Brink (Memorial)
Karen Fillion (McGovern)
Allison Jasmin (MHS)
Jenna Keenan (MMS)
William Lovett (MHS)
Thank you all for your dedication to students with special needs!
Next Meeting: May 1: IEP Presentation and Elections
Please see this post about our need for volunteers to run for SEPAC Offices: https://medwayspedpac.wordpress.com/2018/04/19/april-sepac-updates/ 
April SEPAC Updates
SEPAC Members and Friends,
We have several important updates for you in this email. They include:
1. Officers Badly Needed for Next Year: Elections May 1
2. “An IEP for My Child” May 1
3. Educator Award: Last Call for Nominations
4. Updates from School Department, including a relevant vote at next Town Meeting.
Keep reading for details… and please come to our next meeting on:
Tuesday, May 1, 2018
6:45pm
Medway High School Library
1. Officers Badly Needed for Next Year: Elections May 1
Officer elections for next school year will be held at our regular meeting on May 1. Nominations were accepted beginning at our April meeting, but only one person (current Secretary Lisa Jackey) was nominated for any SEPAC Office. Our other 3 current board members are unable to continue next year due to other commitments. This means that WE REALLY NEED NEW PEOPLE TO VOLUNTEER to serve as SEPAC Officers next year. Not only can I (Lisa) not manage it all by myself, but as a public board, we are legally required to have multiple elected officers. So if no one else steps up to volunteer,*there will not be a functional SEPAC next year*. That means no speakers, no educator award, no social events, and no formal connection between special education parents and the school department or school committee. We have made some good progress in building up the PAC and its connections with the district over the past few years, and it would be a shame to lose momentum now. So if you appreciate any of the things the SEPAC does – or if you have ideas about what it should be doing differently – please come to the May 1 meeting willing to serve on the board. No experience or knowledge are needed, and you can do it for just 1 year. If you have questions about board membership for current officers, email them to us at medwayspedpac@gmail.com.
2. “An IEP for My Child” May 1
Also at our May 1 meeting, we will have a presentation by Jonathan Smith of the Federation for Children with Special Needs titled “An IEP For My Child”. This is the presentation that was originally scheduled for March, but had to be cancelled due to snow. This training explains the Individual Education Program (IEP) document, its development, how to articulate a vision, write measurable annual goals, monitor a child’s progress and understand how the document will support a student.
3. Educator Award: Last Call for Nominations
We are approaching your last chance to submit nominations in for the Special Educator Award. Nominations must be received by Monday, April 23 so that we can review and select recipients at the board meeting on Tuesday, April 24th (which all are welcome to attend). As a reminder, the form should only take 5-10 minutes and you may nominate any member of the MPS faculty or staff who has made a difference for a special education student this year. Thank you for helping us recognize Medway’s Outstanding Educators!
link to nomination form: https://goo.gl/forms/Q5sDKF3fez6oUYUo1
4. Updates from School Department, including a relevant vote at next Town Meeting (May 21).
At April’s meeting, we had informative presentations by Kat Bernklow, MPS Director of Student Services and Don Aicardi, MPS Director of Finance and Operations
Ms. Bernklow’s presentation, focusing on a review of the work the district has undertaken this school year pertaining to special education services can be found here: https://goo.gl/U3YSMa
Mr. Aicardi’s presentation provided a helpful overview of the way that special education services are funded and the ways in which these funds fit into the broader picture of the school district budget and the town budget. We do not currently have a copy of this presentation to share, but it will be summarized in April’s meeting minutes when they are completed. In the meantime, one important take-away from the presentation is that the school department has requested the establishment of a Special Education Stabilization Fund. As explained by Mr. Aicardi and Ms. Bernklow, this fund would be used as a reserve to cover unanticipated large special education expenses that arise during the year (e.g., new or modified out-of-district placements that occur mid-year and were therefore not budgeted for). If you have an opinion about the establishment of such a fund, you may wish to attend the upcoming Town Meeting on May 21 to vote on the issue (see the Town of Medway’s website for info on Town Meeting:
Love, Tolerance, Acceptance for All…
Medway SEPAC Officers 2017-2018
Sarah Brady – Chair
Mendy Tarkowski – Vice Chair
Lisa Jackey – Secretary
Jennifer Pavlov – Treasurer
Jennifer Pavlov – Treasurer
Next Meeting: April 10
The Medway SEPAC’s next general meeting will be on Tuesday, April 10, 2018. Medway’s Director of Student Services, Kathleen Bernklow, and Director of Finance and Operations, Donald Aicardi, will speak with SEPAC members about a variety of topics related to special education in Medway, including the special education funding process and Extended Year Services.
At the April meeting, the SEPAC will also begin the process of electing officers for the 2018-2019 school year by selecting an election coordinator and accepting nominations for officers. Elections will occur at the May 1 SEPAC meeting. At the moment, the current board is only aware of one individual (Lisa Jackey) who is planning to run for any SEPAC Office. We can’t function with only one person, so PLEASE consider running! See our previous post for more info about elections and officer roles, and contact medwayspedpac@gmail.com with any questions.
Additionally, because our March meeting was cancelled due to snow, we have not yet had the opportunity to vote on our updated bylaws. We will vote to approve/reject those changes at the April meeting, as well. If you are able, please review the changes prior to the meeting so that we can discuss and vote efficiently.
Finally, don’t forget to nominate an educator who has been instrumental in your child’s learning this year for our Educator Appreciation Award!
2018 SEPAC Educator Appreciation Award
SEPAC Members and Friends,
Medway SEPAC (Special Education Parent Advisory Council) would like your input for our Second Annual Educator Appreciation Award
We would like to honor some of the Medway Public school Faculty & Staff who go above and beyond to help our children to succeed. Please help us to identify those educators who deserve this recognition.
If an educator who has worked with your child this year deserves this award, please take 5-10 minutes to nominate him or her via the 2018 Educator Appreciation Award Google form before April 23, 2018.
Nominees can be any member of the Medway Public Schools staff. They do NOT have to be a special educator, if they have made a difference for a child with special educational needs.
All nominees will be recognized. Award recipients will be selected based on the content of the nominations, and awards will be presented at the opening convocation of the 2018-2019 school year.
There is no limit to the number of staff members a family may nominate. However, please use your discretion so that we can be sure to recognize truly outstanding efforts.
Thank you for taking the time to help us celebrate those in our district who go the extra mile for our students. We look forward to reading your nominations!
SEPAC Board Members Needed for 2018-2019
We are seeking members willing to help lead the SEPAC next year! The SEPAC’s joint functions are to support parents of students with special educational needs and to advocate on behalf of those parents and students. The group can’t effectively work toward those goals without parents willing to step in and help out.
Officer positions include Chair, Vice Chair, Secretary, and Treasurer. Complete information about the roles of these offices can be found in our current and proposed bylaws. In summary, all officers work collaboratively to plan SEPAC meetings and events, identify and carry out SEPAC priorities and initiatives (e.g., Educator Appreciation Award, Social Events), and bring parent concerns forward to school district and/or school committee personnel. The Chair is responsible for leading meetings, appointing subcommittees, and communicating with school district personnel. The Vice Chair advises and fills in for the Chair as needed. The Secretary keeps meeting minutes and ensures that meeting agendas are posted in compliance with Open Meeting Laws. The Treasurer manages the SEPAC’s finances in collaboration with the School Distict’s Business Office. Typically, the Board meets once a month in addition to the monthly general SEPAC meeting. If you have questions about serving on the board, feel free to ask current officers via this email address.
Elections will be held at the May SEPAC meeting on Tuesday, May 1. Nominations will be accepted beginning at the April SEPAC meeting on Tuesday, April 10.
