Williamsville SEPTSA* - Supporting Education by providing opportunities for education and information regarding the needs of exceptional children
All SEPTSA events are free and open to the public!
Unless otherwise noted, we meet Thursday evenings in the conference rooms
at the Williamsville School District Offices, 105 Casey Road, East Amherst 14051.
Our alternate location, Casey Middle, is located at the same address, but uses different entrances.
Look for the yellow SEPTSA --> lawn signs!
We begin at 6:30 pm with a PTA business meeting. Programs start at 7 pm.
Click here to download our full brochure
Meeting/program dates for the 2010-2011 school year:
October 28 -" Helpful Strategies to Organize and Empower Your Child"
WCSD OT Department - Eileen Hodson, Diane Rusek, Ann Bruscia, Jeanine Collier
December 2 - Parent Advocacy in Action
Kathy McCarthy-Prouix - The Advocacy Center- Rochester, NY
January 27 - Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorders
Greg Fabiano, Asst. Professor - UB and Rebecca Vujnovic - UB
February 17 - Supporting the Needs of Gifted Students
March 31 - Response to Intervention
Dr. Anna Cieri, Charles Galluzza - Principal of Maple West, Linda Cimusz -
Asst. Superintendent for Instruction
April 28 - The Nurtured Heart Approach to Challenging Behavior
and Transformation
Joe Clem, MA, LMFT
May 26- Living Wills, Guardianship, and Special Needs Trusts
Daniel Kautz, financial advisor & Lisa Allen, Esquire
Coffee hour support groups are held at 10:00am at Wegman's,
5275 Sheridan Drive, Williamsville 14221, in the 2nd floor dining area of the Market Cafe.
Some of our board members will be there to share information,
answer questions and celebrate success stories. Dates are as follows:
November 3rd, January 12th, March 2nd and May 4th
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VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!
Help us spread the word about SEPTSA.
We need liaisons to PTA or PTSA at each school
to share information about our organization and events.
Thank you to Christi Carroll for volunteering to serve on the district-wide SDM
(Shared Decision-Making team) as the parent of a student with special needs.
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For more information about programs, coffee hour or volunteer opportunities,
please send an email to septsaweb@gmail.com,
or contact Dave Whalen at 565-9338 or davidvwhalen@yahoo.com .
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Parent Members are always needed to serve on CSEs (Committee of Special Education) to create effective IEPs (Individualized Education Plans) for students. The Parent Member must be the parent of a child who is classified to receive Special Education services, and serves as an objective voice representing the student’s best interests, as well as a liaison between the family and district decision-makers. The annual CSE Training Workshop is scheduled for January 21, 2010, at the district offices. This daytime program will review changes in state regulations in response to reauthorization of IDEA (the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) and other topics related to IEP development. This knowledge is critical to understanding the process - whether you use it to advocate for your own child or as a Parent Member for other families. Parents attend in conjunction with district school psychologists and building CSE chairs, which helps build cooperative relationships. Participants are qualified to serve as a Parent Member for two years following training. Contact Kathleen Steel at 626-8065 to register.
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SEPTSA is a branch of the NYS PTA and the National Congress of Parents and Teachers
Membership is $7.00 per person, per year, and $4.00 for each additional household member.
Click here for application.
Membership is not required to attend our events.
SEPTSA’s Executive Committee for the 2010-2011 school year is:
President: Dave Whalen
Co-Vice Presidents for Programming: Susan Sharp and Margie Pawloski
Vice-President for Membership: Terry Menza
Treasurer: Pam Schenkel
Recording Secretary: Rosalind Sulaiman
Corresponding Secretary: Lisa Maher & Judy Kemp
PTSA Council representative: Dave Whalen
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Are you confused by all the acronyms used by education professionals? Download this GLOSSARY of terms:
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Williamsville School District website links:
Transition Services and College Planning
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Notes from some of our prior workshops are available to download:
(These files are all in Word format. If you need a PDF version, please email Marie Evans at septsaweb@gmail.com)
Understanding the CSE Process (presented by Parent Network & district personnel)
Gifted Programming in Williamsville
ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) [incomplete notes]
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Links to related organizations:
Attention Deficit Disorder Resources Education and Support Services
Clarence SEPTSA (no website currently)
Exceptional Education, Williamsville Central School District
CAPS: Challenged Athletes Participating in Sports
Center for Children and Families (UB)
Eating Disorders Association of WNY, Inc.
Mental Health Association of Erie County, Inc
NYS PTA Legislative Advocacy page
AGATE Advocacy for Gifted and Talented Education in NYS
IDA: the International Dyslexia Association
National Center for Learning Disabilities - check out the Parent Center!
National Association for Gifted Children
SensoryNanny This is a BlogTalkRadio call in show (with online archives for your convenience) with practical advice for parents raising children with autism, ADHD, developmental delays, and sensory issues from an occupational therapist who also happens to be a mom who has "been there." Sensorynanny does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. All contents of the Sensorynanny blogtalk radio show are for informational purposes only. The content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical or therapy advice, diagnosis, or treatment.