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Unsung Heroes M a r b l e h e a d S p e c i a l E d u c a t i o n
T u e s d a y , J u n e 3 , 2 0 1 4 C o r i n t h i a n Y a c h t C l u b
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“Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not.” Dr. Seuss
Donna Zaske, Principal, Bell School It is true that the worst of times can show you a person's true character. Last year we had a challenging time and asked to meet with Donna to discuss it. Donna asked us to summarize our perceptions of the challenges we were having and once finished told us that our perceptions were consistent with her own. She clearly communicated to us how she was not only aware of the situation but had conducted her own classroom visits to fully understand the classroom dynamics. She also provided a plan for changing those dynamics and in the follow year took great care to ensure that our child was provided with a completely different and positive classroom experience. Donna's character is one of dedication and vision. She knows what it will take for every child to have a positive school experience but is willing to make the changes needed to make it happen. Nominated by: Scott Solberg
The Marblehead Special Education Parent Advisory Council thanks you for taking part in this event. The purpose of the SEPAC is to advise our Marblehead school committee on “matters that pertain to the education and safety of students with disabilities” and to “work closely with our school district officials in the planning, development, and evaluation of special education” programs and activities. We constituted the MHD SEPAC in the spring of 2014 with two goals – establish a new website and host the Unsung Heroes event. Our intention is to establish the SEPAC as a positive, collaborative force that advocates for programs and services that benefit all of our children, especially those with special needs. We thank you for being a part of this special event, and look forward to doing more exciting programming going forward. Co-‐Chair – Kate Bailey Roeser Co-‐Chair – Scott Solberg Treasurer – Jason Glass Secretary – Meagan Taylor Committee Members – Amy Carnavale Cindy Loewen www.mhdsepac.org mhdsepac@gmail.com
All the Heroes in My Brother’s Life The heroes of my brother's life are very important people to me. This includes my loving parents and my loving nanny, aloof my family and friends that have helped by brother through his sensory powered times. And many more like his baseball coaches and his Cub Scout leaders. I definitely want to give a shout out to the editor and writer of "The Reason I Jump." Also, the car we drove by that cared so much about this topic that they painted "Autism Speaks” with puzzle pieces so all who drove by could see it. The most I can say about my loving brother is that he bounces back up when he realizes that he did something wrong or hurt someone's feelings. He instantly apologizes and gives a hug. Nominated by: Zoe Solberg
Heroes
Adam Angelopolus Gigi Breed, Phil Murphy & Joanne Steadman,
Cortney Cummings Meredith Davies Dawna Dieana Jennifer Elliott
Emily Fransworth-‐Brankman Patty Frawley Alyssa Galante Nicole Gallant Marian Gaskell Becky Gilbert
Michael Gablicky Cara Herendeen Brad Knittle
Amanda Lacaillade Liz Landry & Katelyn Smith
Liz Landry Holly Landry Rick Mace Mary at LBK Tracy Nesbitt Jackie Paige Shea Pillsbury Paige Rochford
Bill Ross Alex Rosenstein
Polly Raimo, Ronnie Traynor Jordan Smith Zoe Solberg
Leigh Webster All the Heroes in My Brother’s Life
Donna Zaske
Adam Angelopolus, 6th Grade Teacher, Village School Mr. A. has high expectations for all of his students. Mr. A. is a grade 6 teacher who has worked with inclusion and program students. He creates a safe place for all students to take risks and continues to raise the bar of academia for all. He incorporates his love of the Patriots into the love of the educational playing field know as Village. We know it takes a village to educate a child-‐but the Village is better with Mr. Angelopolus in it. Nominated by: Anonymous Phil Murphy, Joanne Steadman & Gigi Breed, PE Teachers, Village School Phil, Joanne, and Gigi are our fabulous PE teachers at the Village School. They do amazing things with all of our children, but they must also make adaptations in their programs so that every child has a chance to try new things and be successful. They have a range of abilities within every class they teach, but they seem to effortlessly teach the children about teamwork, building lifelong skills, and having fun! They also run our after school sports programs which are open to students of all abilities as well. They are an amazing team of teachers and, I think, deserve to be recognized. Nominated by: Joy Purdin
Polly Raimo Special Education Tutor & Ronnie Traynor, Academic Skill Paraprofessional, Bell School Polly Raimo and Ronnie Traynor are two of the most amazing women I have ever known. They are my unsung heroes. I had the privilege of working with both these women for several years in the Academic Skills program at the Bell School. They were dedicated, full of love and selfless when working with our students. Not a day went by where they didn’t think about the kids first. Working in special education takes a special type of person, and both these women fit the bill. They both always greeted the kids with open arms and ensured their success and happiness in the Bell School environment. When I say they went above and beyond their daily duty, it truly is an understatement. They spent their free time at night to attend baseball games and soccer games of their students, always showing encouragement and support. To this day they continue in their endeavors to be a special part of their students lives and I am honored to have had the opportunity to have worked with them and to call them my friends. Nominated by: Kristin Xiarhos
Cortney Cummings, Grade 6 Inclusion Teacher, Village School Ms. Cummings infuses positive energy into her students and co-‐workers. She is a champion of students and works endless hours making sure the special education and regular education students attend a weeklong science camping trip. Kudos-‐Ms. Cummings. Nominated By: Anonymous Meredith Davies, Special Education Tutor, Bell School Meri Davies has been a dedicated special education tutor for the past three years at the Bell School. She has worked closely with general education faculty and many students from Kindergarten through grade 3. Meri displays a positive outlook daily, which results in her students thinking positively and believing in themselves. Meri has supported young elementary school children socially, emotionally and academically and always provides engaging learning experiences for her students. She guides her students to take academic risks and encourages them to always challenge themselves. I have been lucky to have the opportunity to teach with Meri the past 3 years! Nominated by: Jennifer Finnegan
Bill Ross, Bus Driver, Marblehead Schools Our youngest son was gravely behind for his age. As one of his specialists said, “He is utterly unintelligible.” Mj was to start the Bell in January of 2014. My husband and I did not have concerns about him attending the Integrated program, as we already felt so “at home” with Miss Laura. However, because we both work full time, he would be taking a bus from Bell, to the YMCA. This was our three-‐ year old son, who could still hardly speak, and we were going to trust him with a total stranger. Mj’s first few days, we would ask, “do you have any friends?” And he would respond to us “Bill” over and over again. It didn’t make sense to my husband or myself, because we knew there was not a student in his class named Bill. One day I asked him, “What does Bill like to do?” (as we were still trying to figure out who this person was). Mj said “Hmmm, drive bus.” It all of the sudden made sense to us. His friend was in fact, his bus driver. The thing we had been MOST scared of turned out to be the most exciting for Mj. Because of our work schedules, we have never been able to thank Bill. So, Bill, from the bottom of our hearts, thank you so much for the care you give our son, and for making him feel like he had a friend those first few days. Nominated by: Keith and Nara Scheib, MJ Scheib’s parents
Dawna Dieana, Grade 4 Inclusion Teacher, Village School Dawna Deiana is a strong, positive role model who makes learning fun. She is especially gifted with making reading contagious. Village school is lucky to have such champion for students and adults alike. Nomination by: Anonymous Jennifer Elliott, Administrative Assistant, Lower Bell School Jennifer is there every morning when I drop off my son, and every afternoon when I pick him up. Some mornings drop off goes smoothly. Sometimes -‐ not so much. Jennifer is always there with a smile, a tissue or a "he's fine, I will check on him if you want." I can't count how many times she has gone the extra mile for me -‐ calling me to let me know he is just fine, handing out tissues, listening to my stories. I just know everyday she will be there, helping me and my son get through the day without a hitch. She is my hero. Nominated by: Kate Bailey Roeser
Paige Rochford, OT, Bell School Paige is an exceptional Occupational Therapist!! Always greeting children and staff with a warm and genuine smile. So very approachable and all the children love her, feel welcomed and safe to be themselves. She makes a huge difference in their lives. Thank you Paige! Nominated by: Angela Corcoran Zoe Solberg, Big Sister Our daughter Zoe is a tremendous big sister to her brother. She is his safe person that he wants to be with more than anyone in the world. She does the little things and big things to make sure her brother feels care for and loved. Thank you Zoe for being such a great big Sister! Nominated by: Scott Solberg Leigh Webster, ABA Tutor, Bell School Leigh goes above and beyond each day with the students she works with. She has been an amazing asset to Bell School for many years. She is so creative and patient beyond words. She cares deeply about the students she works with. When something isn't going well for her students, she finds a way to problem solve. She creates her own reward systems that motivate students to reach their goals. Leigh thinks outside of the box and always finds a way to connect and reach her students. We are so lucky to have Leigh! Nominated by: Anonymous
Jackie Paige, Special Education Paraprofessional, Bell School I would like to nominate Jackie Paige special education aide for Mrs. Berg and Mrs. Xiarhos integrated kindergarten class for Unsung Hero. Jackie stepped in as an aide and hit the ground running a few weeks into the year to work with our son and other children in the class on IEP’s. Every day she greets our son with a big happy smile and curiosity of what different item he may have brought into school that day, a book, action figure guy, etc. How she separates that item from him during the day is a skill in and of itself. She has gone way out of her way to purchase Star War stickers to motivate our son for certain tasks and is that calming figure in the classroom when my son’s engine is running too high. People like Jackie is what makes the special education program in Marblehead so special and we are so happy to have had her part of our child’s school year. Nominated by: Jason Glass Shea Pillsbury, Nanny Poem to Shea Shea. She plays with me. Really happy. Beautiful Shea. Awesome. Nominated by: Ian Solberg
Emily Fransworth-‐Brankman, Owner Jack-‐Tar Restaurant, Marblehead Emily is co-‐owner of Jack Tar. She has created an atmosphere that is so comfortable for our whole family. Having a child with "sensory power" issues there are times when dinner works and sometimes when it doesn't. On one occasion, the sudden noise outburst from another table was just too much for our son to handle. Emily walked over and we indicated that we really needed to find move our son and she responded with great compassion, indicating that she understood completely, and found place outside in the lovely patio for he and I to finish our meal. These gestures of kindness are tremendous in helping our family know that we are welcome in her establishment and is a great testament to how the Marblehead community supports our children with special needs. Nominated by: Scott Solberg Patty Frawley, Lead Teacher SAILS Program, Lower Bell School My child has been in Patty’s class for two years and the impact she has made in his life, in my life, has been nothing short of amazing. Patty has a full room, but every time I have a question or a need her, she is there for my family and me. Sometimes I think she doesn't get enough credit for the AMAZING work she does. Patty, you are my hero, and I am so lucky we have had a chance to be in your classroom. Nominated by: Kate Bailey Roeser
Patty Frawley, Lead Teacher SAILS program, Lower Bell In 2008, our two and a half year old son, Drew was diagnosed on the autism spectrum. It was a very scary thing to be faced with because the laundry list of things he needed to overcome felt enormous. Drew had been receiving therapies since he was 15 months old, but nothing really felt adequate until he started in Patty Frawley’s preschool room. When Drew started Bell at three years old, he spoke in one word sentences with a lot of jargon in between. He was very active, had a hard time socializing with his peers and had frequent temper tantrums. When people ask me about Patty, I refer to her as the “autism whisperer.” I haven’t met a person yet who understands kids on the spectrum better than her. She is kind, approachable and means business when it comes to getting these kids to overcome their deficits. There were several occasions that I felt Patty went above and beyond her job description to help us as a family. There were times she made social storybooks to help Drew understand frustrating things that were happening at home. She also would occasionally walk Drew out of the building when I had a little tired baby in the car. She made home visits to help Drew potty train. Which was the most dreaded milestone he needed to learn. Today, Drew is a happy, talkative, social boy who loves sports. He actually lost his autism diagnosis this past February. Although he still has some learning disabilities, he is keeping up with his classmates academically and socially. I do not think Drew would be where is today with out the hard work and fundamental skills he learned from Patty. I am truly grateful for her expertise and dedication. Nominated by: Meredith Nelson
Mary, Bus Driver, LBK Transportation Mary was assigned to my son for his first time on a bus route at 3 years old. She went above and her duties as the driver. She sang songs with him, walked him in to school with he other mothers, he was always happy when he got on Mary's bus and happy when he it off Mary's bus. She became part of our family that year. We miss Mary everyday. Nominated by: Suzanne Reilly Tracy Nesbitt, Reading Tutor, Village School Tracy puts special into special education-‐by treating all children and adults-‐like they are sunshine. Tracy is always upbeat, encouraging, and supportive. The 6th grade has benefited from her positive energy and kindness to all. She is truly a dazzling gem and we are so fortunate that she makes the community of learners sparkle. Nominated by: Anonymous
Rick Mace, Custodian, Glover School Mr. Mace is not a just a janitor. He is an every day presence in the life of all of the children at the Eveleth Glover School. I have two children on IEP's in the Marblehead Public Schools. Mr. Mace took the time to get to know each of them and greeted both every single morning at school. While my boys always felt special, Mr. Mace greets all the children. He knows them by name and he knows the parents. He comes out each morning and makes parents feel safe and secure knowing he is watching over the kids not just at drop off but throughout the day. My youngest child, now a 1st grader, had a great deal of anxiety each morning when being dropped off at school. He would cling to me; cry and some days refuse to go into school. To take the focus off of drop off and leaving me, Mr. Mace would give my son small tasks. Some days he rand the bell alerting the children it was time to enter the building, other days he would hold open the door, other days he would just stand beside Mr. Mace and greet the students. If my son started to cry, Mr. Mace would personally take him from my side and escort him safely and calmly to his classroom. Within seconds of leaving me, Mr. Mace had the crying stopped and made sure my son was ready for the day. Mr. Mace is such an important part of the Eveleth/Glover community. His official job may be janitor but he does so much more than look after the school. He looks out for all of the students and the staff. He engages the parents and truly loves the students. The new Glover is not Mr. Mace's site of employment is it his second home. If it were not for the efforts of Mr. Mace, I have no doubt my son would still have anxiety while entering school. Thank you Mr. Mace for all that you do!! Nominated by: Melissa Kaplowitch
Alyssa Galante from Northshore Infant and Toddler Program-‐ early intervention servicing town of Marblehead I would like to recognize Alyssa Galante from Northshore Infant and Toddler program. Alyssa has worked with many families in Marblehead (including my two boys) over the years. She is a wonderful specialist who is able to work with very determined toddlers with varying needs. She has been there for me personally for well over 4 years. She came to my very first IEP meeting and held my hand. She was the very first person I called when my second child needed intervention services. She is an asset to families on the Northshore and a lovely lady that I am happy to know. Nominated by: Allison Duarte Nicole Gallant, Elementary Special Education Coordinator, Bell School Nicole works tirelessly to ensure the well-‐being and success of all students with special needs. I have worked closely with her this year and she has been a phenomenal resource and makes herself available to support special education teachers whenever needed. Everything she does is for the students and she always has their best interest in mind. Nominated by: Liz Landry
Marian Gaskell, Special Education Tutor, Bell School Marian Gaskell has been teaching elementary school in the Marblehead Public System for 44 years! Since her retirement in 2004, she has been working directly with special education students in Kindergarten through third grade. I have worked closely with Marian for the past ten years in a resource room setting as well as a supported first grade classroom. Marian has touched the lives of hundreds of Marblehead elementary schools students and is a favorite teacher among special education children. Every year teachers throughout the years continually request Marian for a special education tutor in their classrooms. Beyond her work supporting classroom projects on frogs, whales, Dr. Seuss, and Amazing Americans, she has a passion for helping special education students with sometimes very little confidence feel successful so they may reach their highest potentials. As a result students form close bonds with Marian that often result in increased self-‐confidence. One of my favorite stories is related to her former special education student who recently began volunteering at the Bell School. As soon as the student encountered Marian she immediately hugged her and filled up with tears! This particular student always mentions that Marian was ultimately one of her favorite teachers and that she helped her tremendously in elementary school. Nominated by: Jennifer Finnegan
Liz Landry, Teacher, ACCESS Program, Bell School We met Liz for the first time when parents and children were invited to visit Bell School to meet their new teachers. Liz had redesigned a special room that would serve as a special place for taking breaks from the classroom. It was amazing to see the care with which Liz had learned about our child prior to our visit and purchased items and designed a space that he was immediately comfortable to enter. Throughout the year, she has been amazingly responsive to his needs as they change. Her data has allowed us all to see what wonderful gains he has made throughout the year and most important are so comforted to know what a great team of professionals we have at Bell to support our child's development. Thank you Liz for everything you do! Nominated by: Scott Solberg Holly Landry, ABA tutor and Paraprofessional, Bell School Holly is the best paraprofessional support in the world. We are so comforted by how well she is able to understand him and celebrate the many successes that she has helped our son achieve this year. He is doing things we never dreamed he would be able to do and it is in large part because she makes him feel safe, loved, and cared for each and every day. Nominated by: Scott Solberg
Amanda Lacaillade, Special Education Paraprofessional, ACCESS I, Bell School I would like to thank Amanda and her lifelong friend Maura (from Emarc) for presenting their experiences growing up with siblings with special needs at the Bell parent series. It was really helpful to listen to them talk about their experiences with growing up with a sibling with special needs. Their love for their siblings was very touching. They were open with the ups and downs of their experiences and answered questions from parents in attendance. It does not surprise me that these two lovely women are working with children with special needs. Nominated by: Allison Duarte Katelyn Smith & Liz Landry Teachers, ACCESS Program, Bell School Katelyn and Liz are both caring teachers that my son has had the pleasure of being in their class. They have made the transition to Bell a positive experience for my child and our family. Beyond their very challenging day jobs they also are running a parent series, which I would like to recognize them for this. They choose, research and present very interesting topics for parents in the special education program. I would like to thank them for going above and beyond for parents in the community. Thank you!!! Nominated by: Allison Duarte
Becky Gilbert, Grade 6 Inclusion Teacher, Village School Becky is a mild mannered inclusion specialist, like Diana Prince, but secretly she is Wonder Woman. She is caring, considerate, and her classroom feels like home. Becky is there for her students, before, during, and after school. So many of her former students visit her and share their success stories. Stories that they attribute to her for providing the support they needed to be successful. Kids in the past gave her the nickname G Mamma. Becky is just like a nurturing mother that gives love, support, and inspiration via education. Remember Marblehead starts with Ma-‐and like G Mamma-‐we would be lost without her...rblehead? Take the Ma out of Marblehead and it would just be Rblehead...Think about it and applaud her. Nominated by: Anonymous Michael Glabicky, Paraprofessional, Village School Mr. G. puts the cool in sChOOL-‐Marblehead students are lucky to have him. Nominated by: Anonymous
Brad Knittle, Senior, Marblehead High School I have been a special educator in the Marblehead school system for almost 20 years, and I am truly honored to nominate Brad Knittle as an Unsung Hero. I am the lead teacher for the high school’s Life Skills Transition Program, which is a substantially separate program for students with developmental and cognitive delays. I can’t express enough positive praise about Brad and his unwavering dedication and commitment to my program. Brad is the type of individual that brings a kaleidoscope of talents to the table. Brad has been a volunteer for my program in many capacities. Brad has consistently demonstrated commitment, dedication and genuine passion for the education community and the students in the Life Skills Transition Program at Marblehead High School. Such characteristics are a wonderful reflection of his personality and keen interest in special education. Brad is a senior at Marblehead High School who has volunteered his time and energies working with my students. He has developed multi-‐modal lessons that he presented in coordination with the teacher for the students. Brad has also been a volunteer with our Best Buddies Program and his work with the students has been exemplary and outstanding. Brad enjoys participating in many of our in-‐school events that involve my students. Whether it’s helping with homework, developing mini-‐lessons, teaching PowerPoint, or assisting on field trips, Brad has always been there.
Brad Knittle -‐ Continued He will be very much missed by them. My students always look forward to seeing him. Brad has an exceptional way of connecting with my students. And he has a unique way of interrelating with them and having them engage in conversations. As a special education teacher, I am profoundly impressed by the way Brad creates a culture of kindness in our classroom We will miss Brad very much and we certainly wish him all the best in his academic endeavors. Brad will be a wonderful member of any college community. I highly and enthusiastically for my students nominate Brad Knittle. Nominated by: Susan B. Wales, M.Ed. Life Skills Transition Teacher Brad Knittle, Senior, Marblehead High School Brad is a senior at Marblehead High School. Brad has spent every minute of his free time over the last three years volunteering in our Life Skills Program. In addition, he has been a leader in our Best Buddies Program over the past few years by taking students with disabilities for outings on weekends and through Best Buddy events. Brad treats every student with respect and kindness and has truly added so much to many of the students social lives. He has also been a huge support for the teaching staff. Nominated by: Paul Tentindo
Cara Herendeen, First Grade Teacher, Bell School Ms Herendeen is our son's first grade teacher at Bell School. She makes everyday the best day for our child. We receive a daily email that always talks about the positive gains he has made and reframes any meltdown as a "bump" in the day. She really "gets" our son and expresses joy when he is able to make even the seemingly simplest gains. She knows just how hard it is for him and her genuine celebrations make him feel loved and cared about. She is one of three heroes working with our son this year that have made this his best year in school ever. Thank you Ms. Herendeen! Nominated by: Scott Solberg
Dr. Alex Rosenstein, PhD, School Psychologist, Village School My experience with special education in Marblehead is limited to the Village School, but it’s ane xcellent experience. From the Team Chairperson, to the OT, Special Educators, Guidance Counselors, Teachers, Specialty Teachers, Administration, Front Office Staff, Library, you name it, there are supportive people everywhere you turn. They are caring and dedicated and I could easily write a page or more on each. For this writing though, I would like to focus on one unique and effective standout, School Psychologist, Alex Rosenstein, PhD. Dr. Alex, as most know him, is irreplaceable. School psychologists are quality professionals, sharp, calm, learned, and insightful. Dr. Alex is this, but he has additional intangible qualities that are tough to replicate or articulate. He is the glue, which in terms of special education, connects the school staff together. He takes an IEP off the paper and makes it live by helping staff understand and implement the accommodations and supports. This is no small task. In many districts, complex IEPs never rise from the paper, thanks to Dr. Alex, here they do. Dr. Alex will listen, truly listen to parents, take their insights, concerns, even their pleas, and make sense of them and find a way to appropriately respond. Ditto for teachers and staff. Ditto for students. There is a lot of emotion in special education. Alex knows this, and through his gifts of listening, deciphering, and follow through, calms a given situation and pivots toward solution. When it comes to people that matter in the lives of our children, Dr. Alex is top of the list. Nominated by: Steven Alexander
Jordan Smith, One-‐on-‐One Support Specialist, Village School My name is Camden Alexander, a fifth grade student at Village School, and I am writing to recognize Mr. Jordan Smith as an Unsung Hero. Mr. Smith, for so many reasons, is deserving of this special recognition. I have Tourette Syndrome, which is a neurological disability which causes me to say, move, and do things I do not want or intend to do. Tourette can, and often is, very confusing for others, teachers included, to understand. Luckily for me, to bridge the understanding divide, Marblehead school system hired Mr. Smith to assist my school day as my one-‐on-‐one Support specialist. Mr. Smith knows that a sense of humor really helps with my TS, so he brings humor into my day, which not only helps me handle Tourette but makes the day a lot more fun. I know that on his own time, after work, he looks up jokes and riddles which he’ll bring back to school. He does much more than make me laugh though, he supports me in academics, helps me regulate my internal engine level, knows when not to interfere with tics, and helps others understand what is going on with me even if I’m not able to communicate it.
Jordan Smith -‐ Continued Mr. Smith has very good instincts about my TS symptoms, he knows just what to do in times of challenge. One great thing about Mr. Smith is even though he’s my one-‐on-‐one support; he is adept at blending into the background. In other words, he lets me have my independence with friends and schoolwork, yet he’s there when needed. I have come a long way with learning to cope with Tourette, each year is better than the year before, and this year I’ve made great progress with the assistance of Mr. Smith. While he is a one-‐on-‐one support specialist, he feels a lot like a teacher friend. Mr. Smith is witty, outgoing, nice, helpful, he is determined to bring out the best in me. Lastly, I would like to add that Mr. Smith is a very challenging, but fair, tetherball opponent. Three cheers for one of my hero’s, Mr. Jordan Smith! Nominate by: Camden Alexander
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