SEPAC
Palm's Special Education Parent Advisory Committee (SEPAC) is open to all who have an interest in Special Education. The purpose of the SEPAC is to provide education and support to parents and guardians, encourage community acceptance of students with special needs, improve communication between parents and guardians, teachers, and site administrators, and to enhance the quality of special education services at the school. The SEPAC desires to make available to individuals with disabilities and their parents or guardians a forum where they may express the general needs of educational programs for students with disabilities. The SEPAC meets with the purpose of sharing resources, information, and ideas. It provides a place for parents to network with other parents and school staff and a forum to raise questions and express concerns.
For more information, please contact Susan Young, Assistant Administrator of Instructional Improvement and Academic Coaching at syoung@mvusd.net.
SEPAC Meeting Notes
September 1, 2023
Palm SEPAC September 1, 2023 Meeting Notes
Attendees: Susan Young, Kristina Horta, Jennifer Grisham, Marco Sanchez, Maria Perez, Melissa Neri, Erica Melendrez
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Meeting began at 9:05am
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Introductions
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Dates and times for meetings will continue as set.
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September 1, 2023, November 3, 2023, January 12, 2024, March 1, 2024, May 3, 2024
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Name change: SEPAC (Special Education Parent Advisory Committee)
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Define the group:
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Agreed with the blurb on the descriptions that was distributed to parents
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Will provide feedback on the SPSA
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Will provide feedback to general education teachers on SPED issues and extra curricular activities
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How can we provide improved communication about events?
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Mrs. Melendrez introduced herself
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Activities specifically for SPED students
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Discussed a SPED dance
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District goal is to provide inclusion
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Different students respond to stimulus in diverse ways
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Mrs. Horta appreciated that our staff and administration keeps an eye on all students, especially students with special needs
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Question regarding the Inland Circle after school sports program and how to access it
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One suggestion was to go through the IEP process
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All students have access to all activities
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Club Rush is September 19, 2023
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Notify parents in advance
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Have SPED teachers notify via ParentSquare
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Ice Cream Social
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Friendship between SPED and CSOs
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Parents will donate the ice cream
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Discussion about the Music Makers class
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CTA Special Education Conference
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8 teachers including one general education teacher are going to attend
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Concerns regarding the rotating schedule
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Students get confused
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Students getting pulled out during same/different periods
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Mrs. Horta’s student takes extra class due to the rotating schedule
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Skills class means students don’t get the electives
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ELLs have the same issue
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Hand out flyers as well as electronic invitations, maybe email them
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Meeting ended at 10:20am
November 3, 2023
January 12, 2024
Palm SEPAC January 12, 2024
Attendees: Susan Young, AAIIAC, Maria Perez, Maria Espinoza, Darlene Waheed, Rebeckah Cardiel, Moses Cardiel, Tamra Overstreet
Mrs. Young presented the presentation linked here and answered questions. She also encouraged attendees to provide any suggestions for potential adjustments to the SPSA for 2024-25.
March 1, 2024
Palm SEPAC March 1, 2024 Meeting Notes
Attendees: Susan Young, Erica Melendrez, Kristina Horta, Jennifer Grisham, Shenise Johnson, Maria Perez, Rochelle Wright
1. Review of the SEPAC Spring 2024 Survey
A. Mrs. Young shared the results of the survey. Only 9 responses have been recorded so far. The survey remains open and Mrs. Young hopes more people will respond. She send two ParentSquare messages to parents of students who receive special education services with the survey link.
B. Most parents are available for meetings any day of the week. The most availability is in the evenings. The numbers are very close though. Mrs. Young noted that ELAC also meetings from 9am-10am.
C. Mrs. Young presented a draft calendar for next school year's meeting. One parent noted that she is unavailable on Fridays, but could attend on Wednesdays. The parents agreed to changing the meetings for next school year to Wednesdays from 9-10am.
D. One survey response requested at least one combined ELAC/AAPAC/SEPAC meeting next school year. Mrs. Young said she'd add that to the schedule as an evening meeting in order to give ELAC and SEPAC parents at least one opportunity to meet in the evening in case they are unavailable during the day.
2. Mrs. Melendrez Update
1. Mrs. Melendrez introduced herself and thanked parents for attending. She highlighted Best Buddies and the Music Makers, and informed parents that Open House is on April 11. Parents were invited to volunteer at the PAAC Festival on April 24.
3. Review of SPSA
1. Mrs. Young provided copies of the current SPSA and guided the group through the document, highlighting areas that specifically provide resources to students with disabilities.
2. Parents made the following suggestions for the 2024-2025 SPSA:
a. Community based instructional opportunities for students who receive special education services but are not in the mod/severe program. This could also include field trips that are career-minded, either falling under career technical education or work ability.
b. Adding electives into skills classes in a push-in model or 7 period day
c. Prepare for Club Rush earlier and notify parents ahead of the event so they can prepare their students
d. Extra hours for IAs, using college tutors/AVID tutors for support in SPED classes, perhaps through work study. A question raised regarding the current BIA 3.75 hours - do they have to be scheduled at the same time every day or can they have long days and short days, or work every other day?
e. Professional development opportunities for general education teachers to attend special education conferences. Also training for instructional assistants
f. Mrs. Horta would like to see the rotating schedule eliminated as it restricts scheduling opportunities for students such as a modified day.
May 3, 2024
Palm SEPAC May 3, 2024 Meeting Notes
Attendees: Susan Young, Erica Melendrez, Rochelle Wright, Hilda Crisantes, Kristina Horta, Reyna Galindo, Jamie Galindo, Olga Hernandez, Maria A'Alba Franco, Maria Perez, Norma Dominguez
1. Meeting dates for next year
A. Mrs. Young shared the revised Educational Partner Group Meetings schedule for 2024-2025. SEPAC meetings were changed to Wednesday mornings per feedback from the March meeting. Also in response to a suggestion from Mrs. Horta in March, a combined ELAC/AAPAC/SEPAC meeting was scheduled for October 1, 2024.
B. Mrs. Galindo appreciated the combined meeting idea. Ms. Horta explained the reasons for adding a combined parent meeting in order to support dually identified students. Mrs. Young added that there are many commonalities between student groups, so a combined meeting could help parents see the power in collaborating to support all students.
C. Ms. Horta noted that the district CAC meetings will be changing to quarterly meetings, so she will try to ensure that the dates for those meetings don't conflict. She suggested adding information about school board meeting dates either to the Palm meeting document or in the principal's update emails so parents are informed.
2. Modernization project
A. Mrs. Young informed parents about the Palm Modernization Project, which is scheduled to begin October 2024. She described the vision for the F Building (the STEAM Innovation Center), the science labs in the G building and center of the B building, and the new ceramics classroom in the G building. She also spoke about concrete improvements throughout the campus. Ms. Horta would like to see a more inclusive space for lunch for students in the mod/severe program.
3. Mrs. Melendrez Update
A. Mrs. Melendrez introduced herself and thanked parents for attending. She thanked the parents who volunteered at the PAAC festival. Mrs. Young said that next year we could have two festivals - one in January to reward PAAC 1-3 students, and one in April to reward PAAC 4-5 students. Mrs. Galindo asked if it would be possible to add more inclusive activities during the festival, or may provide support from Best Buddies students.
B. Mrs. Melendrez is proud of the parents who attended SEPAC in this first year of existence. She wants to grow the program and recruit more parents. She'd like to find volunteers to have an information table at the registration event before school and at the Back to School Night events. Ms. Horta suggested that maybe a district SELPA administrator could come support an information table. Mrs. Young encouraged parents to attend meetings and have their voices heard.
4. Sharing Issues
A. Ms. Horta said that the rotating schedule is not inclusive and gave reasons based on her son's experience. Mrs. Melendrez said the issue needs to go through the site Restructuring Committee. Mrs. Galindo said that the rotating schedule causes stress in scheduling other services, but on the other hand, his son misses different schedules instead of the same one regularly. She suggested that the Restructuring Committee ask students if they want to keep the rotating schedule.
5. Counseling Update and CAASPP Testing
A. Mrs. Crisantes said she was available to hear any concerns about the 8th grade promotion ceremony. She also reminded parents that CAASPP testing is the week of May 13-17. Mrs. Wright spoke about the importance of preparing for CAASPP testing by getting enough sleep and having non-electronic things to do for when they finish the tests. Testing will take place in period 4/5 classrooms, unless students have an IEP that states the accommodation of a separate testing environment. Instructional assistants will be available to support. Ms. Horta suggested that we should create a student advisory group so that they could learn how to review their own IEPs and advocate for themselves.