About this Office:
The Office of Pupil Personnel is responsible for the provision of support services in the Elmont School District. Our district's Special Education Program provides appropriate publicly supported education programs for all individuals with handicapping conditions.
The identification, evaluation, and placement of students follow a well-defined sequence that begins with the referral of a student thought to have special needs to the Child Study Team. It is a continuous process, reviewed on an annual basis, which ends when the student goes to the high school or no longer needs special education services.
Within the district, we offer a continuum of special education services. The continuum begins with the Educationally Related Support Services of Speech Improvement, Academic Support, and both Individual and Group Counseling. We then offer:
- Related Services -- Speech/Language Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, Counseling and Socialization Therapies
- Consultant Teacher
- Resource Room
- Inclusion Classes
- Self-Contained Classes of varying sizes
If the Committee on Special Education agrees that an out-of-district placement is the least restrictive environment for an individual student, we will seek placement in a Nassau BOCES program or NYS-approved non-public special education school.
Social Work Services
Teaming with the County Department of Drug and Alcohol Addiction and the NYS Education Department, we utilize the services of social workers in all our schools. Our programs deal with drug and alcohol abuse prevention. Home visitations and individual counseling are also provided.
Special Education Parent-Teacher Association (SEPTA)
SEPTA consists of parents whose children have varying degrees of ability. Special education teachers and respective department chairpersons in our public elementary and high schools are also actively involved with SEPTA.
SEPTA serves as a clearing house for information of interest to parents of children (birth to 21 years) with special needs on various programs, funding, state and federal laws, and advocacy. SEPTA is also a source of information on the many challenges of adjustment, growth, and development our members face.
Membership in SEPTA is not restricted to parents/students enrolled in special education programs or receiving special services. It is open to any interested parent, student, teahcer, or administrator. In fact, we would gladly welcome your support.
SEPTA has regular meetings, just as any other PTA, with speakers to run lectures or workshops on pressing issues, such as ever-changing federal and state legislation. The following is the schedule of meetings for the 2008-09 school year (all are held on Mondays, at 7:00 p.m., at Sewanhaka High School, in the second floor library):
- October 6
- December 1
- January 12
- March 9
- May 4
- June 1
SEPTA is a warm place where members can network and share information, referrals, or books. It's a place to share our worries and successes and it's nice to have someone there to lend an ear. Please join us!
|
