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Woburn SEPAC

Happy Holidays from SEPAC!

Did you catch SEPAC VP Alex Tisdell presenting at this week’s School Committee meeting?
Alex spoke passionately about the Goodyear’s therapy dog program: a high-impact, low cost tool that helps students with both social and academic struggles.
We’re happy to share that the School Committee is referring that program down to subcommittee to discuss expansion and additional supports.
This is just another example of how SEPAC is advocating for you and your family. We’ll continue to promote special education programs like these with the goal of district-wide adoption.
What’s something you’d like to see us advocate for? Come let us know at our Holiday Coffee Hour at the Studio Cafe on Wed. 12/17 from 11a-1p. Hope to see you there; coffee’s on us!

Can’t make it? Drop us a line! wps.sepac@gmail.com

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SEPAC Student Services Presentation

Download the slides here

Thanks so much to Chris Murphy and Greg Woodland from Student Services for walking us through the WPS Continuum of Special Education Services. Again: Download the slides here.

For more information, dive into the Student Services Procedures Manual. There’s also the Parent’s Notice of Procedural Safeguards from the Massachusetts Department of Education.

As always, we’re happy to go over the slides with you. Book a chat: wps.sepac@gmail.com

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December Virtual Workshops

Courtesy of FCSN

As MassPAC members, the Woburn SEPAC is able to offer the full slate of All-Access Workshops, in partnership with the Federation for Children with Special Needs.

It’s simple: choose your preferred topic and date, then click here to register.

SEPAC Board members attended the Monday, October 27 Evaluation and Eligibility Workshop. If you missed out, get the slides and notes here.

We’re happy to go over the slides and notes with you, too! Just ask! wps.sepac@gmail.com

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What is SEPAC?

2025 SEPAC General Info Flyer

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SEPAC needs YOU!

Join us in advocating for students and their families!

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Parent Support

Coming soon!

One of the SEPAC’s goals for the school year is to form a Parent Support Group. In the meantime, we’ll be providing space at our meetings for parents in search of support. The SEPAC Board is also staffed with parents with expertise in IEP meetings, transition, and advocacy. We monitor our email daily, so reach out anytime at wps.SEPAC@gmail.com.

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Did you know…

…about the PRS?

Through its Problem Resolution System (PRS), DESE handles complaints that allege a school or a district is not meeting legal requirements for education. Anyone, including parents, students, educators, community members, and agency representatives, may contact the PRS office for assistance.

Problem Resolution System Office
Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
75 Pleasant Street, Malden, MA 02148-4906
Main Telephone: 781-338-3700
Fax: 781-338-3710
Email: compliance@doe.mass.edu 

Director: Barry Barnett

For more helpful tools, visit our Resources page.

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The New IEP

Watch the narrated walk-through

Woburn Public Schools recently shared this video to explain the updates to the new IEP, which will go into effect for the 2024-2025 school year. As always, you can reach out to us with any questions you might have at wps.SEPAC@gmail.com.

Our outgoing Treasurer, Adam Chapman, attended the WPS New IEP Workshop, as well as FCSN’s New IEP Modules. Read his New IEP Workshop Notes for more details, context, and tips.

Also, the Commonwealth’s IEP Improvement Project has a number of resources–including the new IEP form, sample IEPs–complete with translated versions. Find them all here.

For more information, visit our Resource Page. If you’ve missed any of our great presentations recently, you can find those on in Past Presentations. or in our SEPAC Speaker Series.

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The Woburn Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SEPAC) is a state-mandated advisory group that provides education and support for parents, guardians and educators of children ages 3 to 22 years old with special education needs. We are a city-wide organization of parents working together with teachers, administrators, the school committee and the community to provide an educational environment that is innovative, challenging, safe and nurturing for all children.