Special Education Parent Advisory Council

 
Special Education Parent Advisory Council is a group of parents helping other parents with information, resources, and moral support.  If you have one question or several, we can help!  Please email us or come to a meeting.  

Our Mission:

  • Work toward improved understanding and respect for all children with special needs in our community.
  • Provide a network of parents to share resources and to support one another through common interest and concern for our children.
  • Encourage a partnership between the families of special needs children and the Quabbin Regional School District and, in doing so, improve the opportunities and education of special needs children.
  • Promote and support an educational environment where each child is encouraged and provided with opportunities to attain their fullest potential.

Get Involved:

  • Become a SEPAC member: there are no membership fees
  • Attend a presentation:  Each year the Quabbin Regional SEPAC offers free presentations, in addition to a Basic Rights seminar.
  • Come to a meeting:  Attend our meetings, where experienced parents are available to answer your questions and to lend a supportive hand.

Parent Contacts:

  • Stephanie Uguccioni, Chairperson, email: [email protected]
  • Caitlin Bogue, Secretary,  email: [email protected]

    If contact information is not listed for the person you wish to speak with, please forward your request to one of the other officers or the district contacts and we will have that chair reach out to you directly.

District Contacts:

Meeting Schedule
Upcoming SEPAC Meeting

Join the QRSD SEPAC group for a presentation from The Quabbin Unified Sports Program on Tuesday 12/12/2023 from 5:00 - 6:00pm at Central Office & online through ZOOM 
Special Olympics is dedicated to promoting social inclusion through shared sports training and competition experiences. Unified Sports joins people with (athletes) and without intellectual disabilities (partners) on the same team. It was inspired by a simple principle: training together and playing together is a quick path to friendship and understanding. In Unified Sports, teams are made up of people of similar age and ability. That makes practices more fun and games more challenging and exciting for all. Having sport in common is just one more way that preconceptions and false ideas are swept away. 

 

Helpful Information and Links for Families:

Information from the Bureau of Special Education Appeals:  Often families and school districts are able to work collaboratively and develop IEPs and 504s to meet the needs of their students; however when they reach an impasse, it can be frustrating, upsetting, and sometimes leave the parties wondering how to move forward.
The BSEA Mediators/Facilitators aim to be both accessible and approachable and we are now offering monthly Informational Zoom sessions. The sessions are free and open to ANYONE who wants to learn more about our services; this includes parents, students, school districts, family support folks, attorneys, advocates, anyone wanting to know more about BSEA Mediation and Facilitation.
Please follow this link to get more information on our sessions along with their Zoom
Links:

Mediation and Facilitation Informational Sessions
IDEA, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and Americans with Disabilities Act Students with Disabilities Preparing for Postsecondary Education:  Know Your Rights and Responsibilities 
United States, Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, Office for Civil Rights (OCR) 
Notice of Procedural Safeguards (Parent’s Rights Brochure)
A Parent’s Guide to Special Education
Problem Resolution System
Disability Definitions