SEPAC Newsletter
Watertown, May 2022
Update from April 26th, 2022 SEPAC Meeting
A Reintroduction to the Watertown SEPAC
The Watertown SEPAC's mission and function were presented by SEPAC Officers.
- Slides can be found here 4/26/22 SEPAC Meeting Presentation.
- SEPAC officers shared that they are looking to grow the SEPAC and encouraged anyone interested to continue to attend meetings, reach out to the SEPAC with questions, needs, and requests, and let the SEPAC know if there are items and topics they’d like added to future SEPAC meeting agendas.
- Information was shared about upcoming trainings, surveys, and open leadership roles (more details below).
Caregiver and Community Priorities
Caregivers and community members introduced themselves and shared some of their thoughts on how the SEPAC could structure their meetings, be a resource, and be a source of support to the community. Suggestions and priorities included:
- Provide resources and community-based support in navigating the special education process.
- A desire to build a community to help support one another both formally and informally.
- Provide opportunities during SEPAC meetings where parents, families, community members, etc. can share feedback, ask questions, and address concerns without WPS administrators present.
- Find ways to work together with existing groups within the community such as the Diversity and Inclusion Committees, the committee reviewing the recent WPS Equity Audit, the Watertown Commission on Disabilities, etc.
- Request for book recommendations highlighting people with disabilities, and/or explaining disabilities, for children of different ages (suggested adding some of these books to the school libraries).
Other Stakeholders in Attendance
We were excited to have the following administrators and community liaisons introduce themselves and share their passion for fostering accessible and inclusive education in Watertown.
- Kathleen Desmarais, Director of Student Services
- Jason DelPorto, Assistant Director of Student Services
- Marie Mele, Special Education Programs Coordinator
- Karen Feeney, Director of Early Childhood
- Lily Rayman-Read, School Committee Liaison to the SEPAC
- Naomi Ridge, Watertown Commission on Disabilities
- Sheila Krishnan, Co-Chair of the Lowell School's Parent Diversity Council
Thank you to everyone who joined us at our April 26th meeting. We found it to be open, collaborative, and energizing!
Tuesday, May 24th, 6:30 PM
Please join us for a discussion regarding programs and services for transition-age youth with disabilities.
We will be joined by Raymond Fox and Steve Ovalle:
Raymond Fox: Transition Specialist for Students aged 14-22, Coordinator LEAP: Learning Extended Adult Program, Watertown Public Schools
Steve Ovalle: Director of Day & Employment Services, Edinburg Center
Community Survey
The SEPAC Officer Board has an opening for a Public Relations officer.
APPLE Institute
Watertown was one of six Massachusetts districts accepted to attend the annual APPLE Institute offered through the Federation for Children with Special Needs.
- This institute is a training program to help parent leaders, special education administrators, and school community members build collaborative leadership teams to increase parent engagement in their school districts.
- Heather McManus (SEPAC Chair)
- Debi Cornelius (SEPAC Co-Secretary)
- Lily Rayman-Read (School Committee Liaison to the SEPAC)
- Kathleen Desmarais (Director of Student Services)
The Watertown APPLE team is excited to learn and share that knowledge with the SEPAC, WPS, and other community stakeholders.
About the Watertown SEPAC
Email: WPS_SEPAC@watertown.k12.ma.us
Website: https://sites.google.com/watertown.k12.ma.us/watertown-sepac/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wpssepac/