Arlington SEPAC Newsletter: March 11, 2025

3/14/2025 7:03 am

Please respond!  The Annual SEPAC Survey Supports Change

As a parent or caregiver of a student(s) with additional support needs, please share your experiences in APS (regardless of whether or not your student has an IEP or 504). In our role as advisor to the School Committee on policies related to Special Education, the SEPAC survey is a critical tool for supporting improvement.

Take the 10-minute survey.

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New Resource:  What Parents Need to Know About the New IEP

A quick reference guide to preparing for IEP meetings, collaborating with school professionals to use the new IEP form and partnering with your child’s school throughout the year.

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Spring Inclusive and Adaptive Sports Programs

• Incluyousion Sports is offering spring programs for hockey, flag football, basketball and track and field. Learn more here.

• Registration for Franciscan Children’s spring adaptive sports programs for track, cheer, gymnastics, and bike riding is open. Find flyers for each here.

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Arlington SEPAC or APS-hosted Events

• NEXT WEEK! Workshop on Basic Rights in Special Education – eligibility and the evaluation process (Webinar) 3/19

• Special Education Mediation and Facilitation with Bureau of Special Education Appeals (BSEA)  (Webinar) 3/25 

• Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions (SPACE) - APS workshop series (April)

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Events Hosted by Other Organizations

More information can be found in past newsletters on the SEPAC website (right hand column).

• Helping Neurodiverse Students Thrive in College (Webinar) 3/12

• Malden and Medford High Schools Hosts Transition-to-Adulthood Fair (3/12) 

• College & Transition Fair (sponsor: Woburn SEPAC): Woburn Memorial High School, 88 Montvale Ave. in Woburn, 3/26 from 6:30-8:00 p.m

Park Ave Safety Meeting Monday March 31

3/14/2025 7:02 am

Many Dallin students cross Park Ave to get to and from school every day, and Dallin alumni cross on their way to the middle schools or high school.  After many pedestrian injuries, car crashes, and significant neighborhood activism, the town is studying safety improvements to the street.   Students and parents are encouraged to attend this meeting to share their experiences and evaluate potential suggestions.

The Park Avenue Safety Improvement Project will be hosting an in-person public meeting on Monday, March 31^st from 6:30 p.m. -8:00 p.m. in the Town Hall Auditorium. Building upon the ongoing efforts to enhance safety and accessibility along the Park Avenue corridor, this meeting will provide residents with the opportunity to review and provide feedback on the project’s preliminary conceptual designs. Stantec, the Town's consultant, has completed an existing conditions analysis that has laid the groundwork for the development of these potential design solutions. More detailed information, including presentation materials and any additional updates, will be shared following the public meeting. 

See  https://www.arlingtonma.gov/Home/Components/News/News/14699/16?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery#!/  for more details on the project.

Question of the Week!

3/14/2025 7:00 am

Dance Party, Friday March 28

3/7/2025 7:09 am

Dance Party! DJ Dee is back Friday 3/28 at 6pm in the gym. Pizza and snacks will be available. Benefits the 5th Grade Celebration of Learning.

Coming soon: new date for Culture Night

3/7/2025 7:08 am

Dallin Culture Night was inadvertently scheduled during Ramadan.  To make sure all community members have an opportunity to participate, a new date will be announced soon.

APS Elementary Nurse Newsletter

3/7/2025 7:07 am

Please read the APS Nurses's Newsletter for updates on the following topics:

• Community Health Update: Respiratory Illnesses
• Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) H5N1 Virus
• SNAP Health Portal: Multi-Factor Authentication
• Managing Seasonal Allergies at School
• Grade 5 Postural Screenings
• National Nutrition Month
• World Down Syndrome Day: March 21
• Reminder: Fourth Grade Physical Exams Needed

Crossing Guard Appreciation, March 19

3/7/2025 7:05 am

March 1 – March 19, 2025 is Massachusetts's Crossing Guard Appreciation campaign and March 19 is Crossing Guard Appreciation Day.  Please thank our hardworking crossing guards for helping to keep us all safe!  You can download thank-you card templates and nominations for Crossing Guard of the Year from the Safe Routes To School Crossing Guard resources page.

Kids' Sculpture Workshop at the Dallin Museum

3/7/2025 7:04 am

Kids Sculpture Workshop

Saturday, March 22, 10-12 pm

Cyrus Dallin Art Museum
611 Mass. Ave., Arlington Center

During this fun, hands-on program, kids aged 6-12 will explore how young Cyrus Dallin taught himself to sculpt by observing the wildlife and people around him. An age-appropriate tour of the Dallin Museum will be followed by a hand-building workshop where kids will learn Dallin’s method for making armatures to create their own clay masterpieces. A materials fee of $20 per child ($15 for members) is due in advance of the program.

Space is limited! Early registration is recommended. For more information, please contact Nancy Blanton at nblanton@dallin.org. All children must be accompanied by a caregiver. To learn more and register, visit Dallin.org/events.

Arlington SEPAC Newsletter: March 3, 2025

3/7/2025 7:03 am

Arlington SEPAC Newsletter: March 3, 2025

Upcoming Arlington SEPAC or APS-hosted Events

• *March SEPAC Meeting* March 11, 2025 | 7:30pm - 8:30pm | Zoom (info at end of newsletter) 

• Workshop on Basic Rights in Special Education – eligibility and the evaluation process (Webinar) 3/19

• Special Education Mediation and Facilitation with Bureau of Special Education Appeals (BSEA)  (Webinar) 3/25 

• Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions (SPACE) - APS workshop series (April)

• What’s love got to do with it? Sexuality, Puberty, and Autism with Dr. Eileen Crehan of Tufts University (Recorded 2/6 webinar and handouts) 

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Please respond!  The Annual SEPAC Survey Supports Change

As a parent or caregiver of a student(s) with additional support needs, please share your experiences in APS (regardless of whether or not your student has an IEP or 504). In our role as advisor to the School Committee on policies related to Special Education, the SEPAC survey is a critical tool for supporting improvement.

Take the 10-minute survey.

__________________________________

March is National Cerebral Palsy Awareness Month 

Cerebral palsy (CP) is a permanent disability that impacts a person's mobility and muscle strength. Learn more about it and how you can support the CP community.

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Protect Disability Rights

• Department of Education: 

From The Arc’s recent newsletter: “While the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) would remain law, losing federal enforcement could weaken funding, erode rights, and leave millions of students behind. We cannot and will not let that happen. Act now and share this alert to tell Congress that the Department of Education must be protected.”

• Section 504: This important law that protects people with disabilities is under threat. Here’s how you can support it.

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Children's Adaptive Sports - Spring 2025

Registration for Franciscan Children’s spring adaptive sports programs for track, cheer, gymnastics, and bike riding is open. Find flyers for each here.

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Resources for Parents and Caregivers

• Free monthly Therapeutic Activities from Mightier, a biofeedback program designed to help children build emotional regulation skills through play, 

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Events Hosted by Other Organizations

More information can be found in past newsletters on the SEPAC website (right hand column).

• Bringing Literacy to the Light with Kareem Weaver: In-person event, Wed, 3/6/25 (Concord) 

• Visions of Community Conference, (Saturday, 3/8) hosted by the Federation for Children with Special Needs (FCSN) is the largest disability-related conference in Massachusetts. Learn, find resources and share experiences. Sessions will be available in nine languages.

• Helping Neurodiverse Students Thrive in College (Webinar) 3/12

• Malden and Medford High Schools Hosts Transition-to-Adulthood Fair (3/12) 

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What We’re Reading and Watching

• The Podcast, Sold a Story: How Teaching Kids to Read Went So Wrong is out with two new episodes

• The Reading League has launched a new website for families and caregivers

============= SEPAC ZOOM INFO ==================

Zoom link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/85412052274?pwd=iKNefvVmbpbrtYAKYBEGnbEW1RhcID.1
Meeting ID: 854 1205 2274
Passcode: 378204
Join by phone: 309 205 3325

New Digest Feature: Question of the Week!

3/7/2025 7:02 am

From the Principal: Welcome back from break!

2/28/2025 7:11 am

Hello Dallin families,

It’s great to be back in full swing! I hope everyone had a wonderful February Break. While the local weather wasn’t my favorite, I’ll never complain about a little extra family time.

The stretch between February and April Break is one of the most engaging and productive spans in the school year. This excitement is even more noticeable as our students dive into new units in the EL curriculum. From freaky frogs and animal defense mechanisms to rainforest conservation, paleontology, astronomy, and world weather, our students are thinking, talking, reading, and writing about their world in meaningful ways. The engagement is truly inspiring!

Upcoming Community Events

March is a long month, but it’s packed with exciting events for our Dallin community!

6th Annual Family Culture Night – Saturday, March 15 at 5:30 PM

Join us for a night of celebration, where Dallin families share and learn about each other's cultures and histories. This event provides a wonderful opportunity for our community to explore our similarities and differences through family stories, food, and traditions.

Families are invited to participate in a variety of ways, including:

• Bringing a dish that represents their cultural heritage.
• Sharing crafts or activities (past activities have included henna tattoos, drawing Celtic knots, and writing names in other languages).
• Creating a poster with interesting facts about their culture.
• Teaching a song, dance, or game from their background.

We’d love to see as many families participate as possible! Sign Up here: Dallin Family Culture Night Sign up

Dallin Student Science Expo – Wednesday, March 26, 6:30–7:30 PM

The Dallin Student Science Expo is fast approaching, and now is the perfect time for students to get started on their projects!

Key details:

• Guidelines and resources can be found HERE and on the attached flyer.
• Registration deadline: by March 19 (one parent/guardian must register each participant or team HERE).
• Location: Dallin Gym
• Questions? Email the Science Expo team at dallinsteamteam@gmail.com.

A Few Reminders & Requests

By this point in the year, we’re all old friends 😉, but it’s always helpful to revisit how we can work together to keep our school safe. This same reminder is being shared with our staff.

To ensure that only authorized individuals are inside our school, please be mindful of exits and entrances:

• Never prop open exterior doors. Doing so could allow an unauthorized person to enter the building.
• If you see a propped door, close it immediately.
• If you see someone inside the building you don’t recognize, ask them if they need assistance or direct them to the main office.
• Be mindful of unauthorized individuals following you into the building. If this happens, kindly ask them to check in at the main office.
• Thank you for helping us keep Dallin a safe and welcoming environment for all!

Thank you for your continued support in making Dallin a great place to learn and grow. As we move through this stretch of the school year, we see our students showing Courage in their learning, Respect for one another, and Responsibility in their school and community. March is full of opportunities to connect, explore, and celebrate together, and we appreciate the engagement of our students and families. As always, feel free to reach out with any questions. We look forward to seeing you at our upcoming events!

Be well,

Thad 

Boston Saxophone Quartet Brings Music and History to Life at Dallin

2/28/2025 7:10 am

On Wednesday morning, students and staff at Dallin were treated to a wonderful musical experience to celebrate Black History Month. The Boston Saxophone Quartet filled the gymnasium with vibrant music, performing a diverse selection of songs that honored the contributions of Black artists and showcased a variety of musical styles spanning over a century—from early ragtime to modern movie soundtracks. The quartet featured a variety of instruments, including soprano, alto, tenor, and baritone saxophones, along with flute, oboe, clarinet, and bassoon and highlighted jazz greats like Duke Ellington’s The Mooche and W.C. Handy’s St. Louis Blues. 

Students loved the special arrangements from The Wizard of Oz and We Don’t Talk About Bruno from Encanto but the Star Wars Medley was a huge hit and the favorite among the second graders. Parker noted, “I’m a big fan and they played it loud!” Kindergartener Sophia said she really liked the song A Whole New World because she saw the real show and the cartoon show and remembered it. During several songs, students joined in clapping (sometimes even on tempo) and snapping along enthusiastically during The Pink Panther Theme. The quartet ended the concert with Hedwig’s Theme from Harry Potter, which had students moving in their seats. 

The concert’s mix of old and new music, from pieces written more than 100 years ago to modern favorites, made for an engaging and educational experience. Students and teachers alike loved the performance and give a big “thank you” to the Boston Saxophone Quartet for bringing such a joyful musical celebration to Dallin! 

From the Gym: Ninja Warrior PE Unit Helpers

2/28/2025 7:09 am

From the School Council: Join Us in Building a Stronger, More Inclusive Dallin Community

2/28/2025 7:08 am

Hi Folks,

We’re the Dallin School Council, reaching out to say hello and share our appreciation for the Dallin community. The School Council is a collaborative team of parents, teachers, and school leaders who work together to support our school’s mission, guide improvement efforts, and strengthen the connection between school and home.

Save the Date for the Dallin Spring Auction, April 11!

2/28/2025 7:07 am

Please join us at Arlington Town Hall on Friday, April 11th from 6:30 to 10 pm for the Dallin biennial in-person auction gala! Remember this is a grownups-only event, so book your babysitters now. Tickets will go on sale Friday, March 14th, so keep an eye on our auction website for more details.

We're still seeking more family donations to add to the fantastic offerings we've received so far. Fill out the form or contact us at dallinschoolauction@gmail.com if you have any questions.

Hope to see you there!