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Welcome!
 

Welcome back to another exciting school year!  The White Plains PTA Special Needs Committee is looking forward to serving you and strengthening those important bonds between school, parents, and community.  Please read our weekly e-blasts, monthly newsletters, and come out to our activities.  What better way to assist your child then getting involved.



Come out for a First Get Together of the School Year!!
Monday, September 26 at 7:30 pm at WPHS.

Helping your Child with Study Skills and Reading Strategies
Parents will learn skills and strategies to help their child achieve higher grades, motivate their child and teach him or her to become an independent learner and more successful student.   All are welcome! 
 

Shannon Nella & Donna Keane
Co-Chairs, PTA Council Special Needs Committee
 

Remember, if you missed any of our past newsletters or workshops please check out our newsletter archive & meeting notes page: http://www.whiteplainspublicschools.org/Page/10173
 

Stay Informed!
To subscribe to the Special Needs PTA emails, send an email to:
wpspecial1@gmail.com
 


Resources, Workshops & Advocacy

 


WORKSHOPS/PROGRAMS

 

UPCOMING WORKSHOPS 


White Plains Special Needs PTA Workshops


Helping your Child with Study Skills and Reading Strategies

Monday, September 26 at 7:30 pm at WPHS.  FREE Open to All


Managing ADHD: What Works, What Doesn't and Why

Wednesday, November 16, 7:30 PM, Post Road School Media Center


Basic Behavior Management Strategies - Managing Behaviors In Everyday Situations

Wednesday, January 25, 7:30 PM, WPHS
 

Special Needs Trusts, Determining The Financial Future Of Your Child

Tuesday, March 21, 7:30 PM, Post Road School Media Center 
 


The White Plains Special Education Department and Special Needs PTA invite you to a series of workshops presented by Hudson Valley Special Education Parent Center (HVSEPC) 


Referral, Evaluation & Eligibility Determinations:
A Look at the First Steps in the Special Education Process

Wednesday, October 26, 7:00 PM Ed House Assembly Room


Understanding Your Child’s IEP

Wednesday, December 14, 9:00 AM Ed House Assembly Room


Annual Reviews – Parents as Partners

Monday, February 6th, 7:00 PM, Ed House Assembly Room 
 

 

Mindful Parenting Group

Led By Sara Steinberg, PhD, Licensed Clinical Psychologist

Learn how to feel more present and fully engaged with your children! Group is intended for parents who have high levels of stress, strong emotional reactions in response to their child, and/or difficulty feeling compassion or kindness to their child. Goals of the group include reducing stress, increasing self-care, improving your relationship with your child, and cultivating calm within yourself and your home environment. Each group will consist of learning and practicing different types of mindfulness exercises, and a discussion of how mindfulness can help with specific parenting challenges.

Fee: $75 per each session

If you are interested, or want more information, please call Dr. Sara Steinberg at 914-505-6578 or email: drsarasteinberg@gmail.com. See www.drsarasteinberg.com for more information on the practice.

Click Here for Flyer
 


 

ARTICLES


Assistive Technology for Students with Disabilities in New York State.

NYSED is pleased to announce the release of a webcast on assistive technology for students with disabilities in New York State. An Assistive Technology Consideration Checklist has also been developed to assist school districts in the consideration of assistive technology devices and services for students
with disabilities. The webcast and checklist are available at: http://www.p12.nysed.gov/specialed/publication s/2016- memos/assistive-technologywebinar.html.


New CDOS Pathway to Graduation

At the March Board of Regents meeting, the Board approved a new graduation pathway for all students. Beginning in June 2016 and thereafter, a student may graduate with a regular high school diploma if the student completes the credit requirements; meets the requirements to earn the Career Development and
Occupational Studies Commencement Credential (CDOS); and passes four Regents assessments, one in each of the four discipline areas of math, English, science, and social studies. In addition, the regulations were revised to expand the opportunity to earn the CDOS Commencement Credential to all students, not just students with disabilities. See http://www.regents.nysed.gov/common/regen
ts/files/316p12a1.pdf


Special Advice For Special Needs Parents

When H. Mark Friese’s son, Christopher, was very young, his doctors said the boy wasn’t meeting his cognitive development benchmarks for attentiveness and interaction. When Christopher was age 1 and a half, the doctors diagnosed autism. Mark Friese, of the Washington, D.C.-based Menick-Friese Group of Merrill Lynch, said the diagnosis changed his life. “We went through planning and realized there were things we didn’t know about,” says Friese, whose son is now 19. “There were fewer resources available at the time, and we struggled. It’s expensive to bring up a special needs child.

http://www.fa-mag.com/news/special-advice-for-special-needs-parents-26585.html

Don’t Delay Residential Planning

There are hundreds of thousands of individuals with developmental disabilities, mental illness and other special needs who live with aging parents. As these primary caregivers become unable to continue in that role, who will replace them? Well-meaning relatives may initially promise, in all sincerity, to provide a home, but personal circumstances can change dramatically. Depending on siblings or other family members to step in can be a gamble. My attorney colleagues report that finding adequate housing for adults with disabilities is one of the biggest challenges that families face. The obstacles are daunting: cost, accessibility, waiting lists and patently illegal housing discrimination. 
http://www.specialneedsalliance.org/dont-delay-residential-planning/

RECREATION  


White Plains Rec & Parks Fall 2016 Registration

To register for Rec activities, visit the White Plains Recreation and Parks Department at 85 Gedney Way, White Plains, NY during normal business hours, 8:30 a.m. – 5:15 p.m. Monday – Friday and Saturday 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.. For more information call (914) 422-1336.


 

 

Who We Are:

White Plains
Special Needs PTA


Providing a forum for parents of children with special educational needs to communicate, become informed and support each other for the benefit of the school community. 



Stay Connected:

Please continue to periodically stop by our website to
keep up to date on all our news and happenings. 
Click Here
 


PTA Council
Special Needs Committee
Contact Information:

 

Co-Chairs:

Shannon Nella, 
shannon@nellacreativegroup.com

Donna Keane, 
dmkeane73@yahoo.com

 

Parent Resource Chair: 

Michelle Brady, 
mbrady66@verizon.net


Programming Chair:

Tracy Viola,
tracyaviola@gmail.com

 

Communication Chair: 

Shannon Nella, 
shannon@nellacreativegroup.com

 

Secretary: 

Caroline Furry
wpspecial1@gmail.com


Parent Support Group Coordinator

Denise Donn
denisedonn3@optimum.net      


Parent Outreach

Adys

Denise Donn
denisedonn3@optimum.net      
Translations

Josie Cardona
josiejjg@gmail.com    

 

 

White Plains City School
District Contact Information 

 

Office of Special Education (District Wide): 

422-2041
 

Co-Director, Special Education Department

Susan LeCointe, 914-422-2037
susanlecointe@wpcsd.k12.ny.us

 

Assistant Superintendent of Pupil Personnel Services

Deborah Augarten
deborahaugarten@wpcsd.k12.ny.us
 

 

Copyright © 2016 WP PTA Special Needs committee, All rights reserved.


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