The Multi-Tiered Systems of Support Committee has worked over the 21-22 school year to draft a cohesive plan to meet student needs. The MTSS Committee shared the draft plan with the Board of Education at the May 24th meeting. Supports are provided for students with a focus on academic, behavioral and social-emotional needs so that every student meets their fullest potential. The plan also includes an emphases on the importance of attendance in student success. Students receiving special education supports may be considered for tiered support as well as their services. This does requires time constraint considerations as well as programmatic confusion discussions.

Does your child need a prescription for OT or PT? Summer is a great time to get these taken care of particularly if you have a well visits planned. If you need assistance please reach out to the Special Education Department. 369-5484

We have been fortunate to have four new facilitators supporting the Special Education and Registration Departments.

Ms. Brianne Tully works with the Director of Special Education and Pupil Personnel Services to oversee registration. She come to us from the DOE where she was the Dean of Special Education in a middle school most recently. Ms. Tully also served as a teacher of ELA/Reading, a youth facility instructor and a preschool teacher. She is excited to work with our incoming families in registration and considers herself to be an advocate for underrepresented groups. Ms. Tully resides on the North Fork with her husband and two children. She is a welcomed addition to the PPS Blue Waves Family.

Ms. Melissa DeRosa supports elementary special education students, families and staff. She chairs CSE meetings, primarily on the K-6 levels. Ms. DeRosa has a background in special education/general education with a focus on curriculum and instruction. She was a special education teacher for many years and also served as a Director of Curriculum and Instruction and MTSS Intervention Specialist. Ms. DeRosa also worked at Stony Brook university helping to develop assistive technology that would help meet the needs of multiple subgroups. She is dedicated to building relationships with staff and families and helping students meet their goals by working as a team to develop individualized programs for students. In her free time she enjoys riding horses.

Ms. Daria Hagemeyer works to support our families, students and staff at the Middle and High School levels. You will find her Chairing CSE meeting for these buildings. She has a background as a social studies, reading and special education teacher. She is dedicated to supporting staff and encouraging individual programs for students which foster independence. She has been in education for almost 20 years and has assisted student from elementary through college level. When she is not in school, the proud mother of two can be seen with her children and dog, Charlee.

Mr. Matthew Prahl also is a welcomed addition to the Special Education team and acts as a CSE Chairperson for the Middle and High School. Mr. Prahl began his career as a special education teacher in Deer Park School District. He than continued helping students as a Special Education Administrator for the past 12 years. During his free time, Mr. Prahl enjoys traveling and cooking with his daughter.

One of the goals of the special education department is to provide students with the opportunity to attend school within their home building. This will require time and planning in order to be able to meet the needs of our learners while trying not to disrupt the current programs and placements.

During the 20-21 school year we were able to add a 15.1.1 Special Class at Aquebogue Elementary and an 8.1.1 Special Class to Phillips Avenue Elementary Schools.

For the 21-22 school year, an additional 15.1.1 classroom was added to Phillips Avenue School, as well as several Integrated-Co-Teaching classrooms at Pulaski Street school.

For the 22-23 school year, we are planning to increase resource room/consultant teacher support at Aquebogue Elementary School, establish a 12.1.1 class at Phillips Avenue School and increase Special Educations supports at RMS and RHS for the 9 period day.

Moving forward supporting Integrated Co-Teaching models in all elementary schools will be a focus of the district. We will also continue to support specialized reading instruction, social emotional learning and restorative practices.

This year, K-6 special education teachers participated in professional development around sensory-cognative functions that support reading comprehension. These functions include phoneme awareness, symbol imagery and concept imagery. Moving forward the special education department will continue to support reading instruction for our learners who are in need of a more systematic, explicit and research and literacy based instruction.

ABOUT SEPTA

SEPTA stands for Special Education Parent Teacher Association.

We would like to invite you to be a part of the Riverhead Special Education Parent Teacher Association (SEPTA). SEPTA’s primary function is to offer information, resources and support to parents, students, educators, and those who are interested in supporting quality education for children with special needs.

If your child receives speech, counseling, resource room, reading, occupational therapy, physical therapy or if your child is in a special education class, inclusion class or out of district placement, you should be a member of SEPTA. We aim to foster opportunities that bring together parents and educators of our community and encourage a sense of unity. It is our hope that you will join and be an active member in our SEPTA organization.

What is SEPTA?

SEPTA – is a PTA within a school district bringing together people interested in children with educational needs that cannot be met in the regular classroom setting.

Organized to support, strengthen and promote a greater awareness of special education.

Encourage and promote an understanding of students' needs, while striving to discover and implement ways of best meeting them.

What are our SEPTA's Goals?

To insure each child the best possible program which will allow him/her to reach full potential. To bring together parents and teachers of all special children regardless of their specific needs, in order to share the experiences involved in educating their children. We promote effective communication between parents, teachers, administrators, and students by seeking and then providing accurate information and resources.

MEMBERSHIPS

We encourage everyone whose child receives any service from the Riverhead School District to join SEPTA.

SEPTA is a collective group of volunteers who understand the struggles and support one another. We would like to invite you to be a part of Riverhead SEPTA.

BY joining SEPTA your membership helps us to provide programs and scholarships for graduating special education students. Even if you don't have children receiving services, please join to help us promote disabilities awareness district wide and our other advocacy efforts for our children.

Please fill out a membership form today in Member hub or email us.

http://riverheadsepta.weebly.com/membership.html

COMMITTEES

Riverhead SEPTA is always looking for volunteers for committee positions for the school year. If you are interested in helping, please email us

at riverheadseptaevents@gmail.com

You can register your student online.

Use this LINK: https://parentportal.eschooldata.com/riverhead/register/0/en

If you need assistance, please call the Registration Office Phone: (631)-369-6706.

You can also use this number to set up an appointment.

Do you have a student entering Kindergarten? It is time to get registered!

March 2022

June 2022