Northport-East Northport SEPTA

Meeting dates for the 2011-12 school year are on the Home page.  

PAST MINUTES

October 2010 Meeting Minutes

Call to Order

Welcome:The October7, 2010 SEPTA meeting was called to order at 9:35 am by president-elect, Tammie Topel.The Pledge of Allegiance was said.Tammie welcomed everyoneto our newmeetingroom -- C109 in the Brosnan Building. She explained that all SEPTA meetings are now held here (as are CSE meetings) and that a half hour before the start ofmeetings we haveParent Forums. She suggested that everyone attending our meetings should enter the room, sign in on the attendance sheet, make a name tag,and check outthe informational flyersand sign-up sheets (for programs and committees) bythe window. Tammie mentioned that parking is not allowed in the back of the Brosnan Building (by the entrance to the C-Wing) during our daytime meetings, as previously thought. SEPTA's Executive Board was introduced. The new SEPTA logo -- created by Dayna Peters, theAccept & Include campaign's logocontest winner -- waspresented. The logo was adapted from the original drawing and now appears on all SEPTA materials. Tammie read our Mission Statement and explained SEPTA's purpose. She announced that we have several bulletin boards in the building --inside the entrance to the C-Wing andoutside the Pupil Services Office. She encouraged everyone to check these out whenever they are at the Brosnan Building, and to e-mail the Executive Board if any info is needed.Tammie asked for volulnteers toprovide refreshments at our meetings (excluding coffee).

Officers' Reports

Membership: You canstill join SEPTA for the 2010-11 school year. The fee is $10 per family. Last year's membership ended September 30 so we're just at the beginning of this year's drive.We have about 30 membersand usually end up with about 150 at the end of the school year. Forms are available at our meetings -- see Rita Drasdo -- orour website on theMembership page.

Minutes: The September meeting meetings were submitted and approved for filing.

Treasurer's Report: Jane Anastasi reported that some dues came in and the current balanceis $20,389.89. Tammie said webudgeted for almost $18,000which includes our programs throughout the year.

Board of Ed: Board Member Lori McCue toldusthere are 9 BOE members, 4 ofwhom are new this year, and that theyrepresent us; it isimportant to communicate with the Board --they want to hear from the community. She encouraged everyone to e-mailthe BOE any concerns and assured us that they do read and respond to every e-mail.

New Business

Flyers for the following events werereviewed (more info about them, and otherevents, can be found on theCommunity Events page of this website).

Halloween Party: A special needs kids Halloween party is scheduled for Tuesday, October 26 at Elijah Churchill's of Northport. All families with special needs kids are invited for some spooky fun. Buddy Walk: 4th Annual Long Island Buddy Walk for Down Syndrome isSunday, October 24 at Heckscher Park in East Islip. Workshop:Surviving Our Child's Adolescence --Practical Alternatives isscheduled for dates in October and November.This workshop is run by Tom Fazio. Participation is limited to 35 parents. For more info, call the Time Out Room at 631-262-6760. BOCES Transition Services Fair: Scheduled forFriday, October 29at James E. Allen Jr/Sr High School, this 2nd Annual Fair offers young adults and their families a chance to speak with agency representatives about their plans and goals. For info, call Wendy Lefkowitz at 631-549-5580.Self-Determination Conference: Scheduled for Friday, November 19at C.W. Post Campus of LI University, this conference features self-advocates, parents, and professionals who use funding from New York State's self-determination program, Consolidated Supports an Services (CSS), to construct full, productive and satisfyinglives. For more info, call Maggie Hoffman at 516-652-1136.

Program Info

More infocan be found on the Programs page of this website.

SEPTA Programs: We are offering a Music and Movement class on Mondays at Dickinson Avenue Elementary School starting October 25. To register, contact Tammie (631-239-6043). There is a parent co-pay.

District Programs: Bowlingon Tuesdays at Larkfield Lanes and Martial Artson Wednesdays and Thursdays at the Brosnan Building are in progress. For more info, contact the Office of Pupil Services.

K.I.D.S. Plus Programs: Soccer in "the Pit" on Sundaysand Track & Field at Northport High School on Thursdaysare in progress; Martial Arts on Saturdaysand Music Therapy on Sundaysstart the weekend of October 23, both programs are at Northport Physical Therapy. For more info, go to www.kidsplusinc.com.

Other Business

Parent Members: The district is in need of Parent Members to sit on CSE meetings. A training session is on Tuesday,October 26 from 9 am - noon. Any parent of a child with an IEP is eligible to participate.It is not only a great opportunity to support other parents but to inform yourself and become more educated about the process. For more info, call the Office of SpecialEducation: 631-262-6616.

Boundless Playground: This isa beautiful new facility onBellerose Avenue for children of all abilities -- check it out!

Next Meeting

Join us on Wednesday,November 3. TheParent Forum is at 7 pm and the Meeting is at 7:30 pm. Our guest speaker, Lorianne Hoenninger, from Accessible Learning Technology Alternatives, will present Adaptive Technology. Don't miss it!

Adjournment

Tammiereminded everyone to check our website frequently for updated information, including our meeting dates. Today's meeting adjourned at 10:10 am. Our guest speaker, Valerie DeClara from the Long Island Advocacy Center, then presented Navigating the World of Special Needs Services: Birth to Age 21 and Beyond.

Respectfully submitted,

Susan Eisenberg, Recording Secretary

Copies of Ms. DeClara's Powerpoint presentation are posted on the bulletin board next toPupil Services, as are all of the flyers distributed duringthe meeting.

September 2010 Meeting Minutes

Call to Order

Welcome:The September22, 2010 SEPTA Open House and Meeting was called to orderat 7:45 pm by new SEPTA president, Will Burg.The Pledge of Allegiance was said.Willwelcomed everyone in attendance, includingdistrict Administrators and Board of Education members. The 2010-11 SEPTA Executive Board was introduced.

Officers' Reports

Membership: You can now join SEPTA for the 2010-11 school year! The fee is $10 per family. Forms are available at our meetings -- see Rita Drasdo -- or on our website onMembership page.

Council Report: Trisha Faltings gave an overview from the September Council Meeting: Dr. Marylou McDermott visited all 9 schools at the start of the year. The district remains focused on providinghigh quality education to every student despite economic hardships.The State Commissioner and the Board of Regentselevated standards for students by redefining proficiency in Grades 3 8.The State has raised the score required for students to meet the Level 3 proficiency standard in English Language Arts and Math. This changewill now identify more students throughout the State who were once considered proficient and will now be designated as Level 2 Meets Basic Standard. Although the Commissioner has given districts a years grace to provide Academic Intervention Services (AIS) for these newly identified students, our district believes that this kind of intervention is very important and will begin working with these students during this school year. Instructional practiceswill be refined sostudents will receive additional targeted instruction from their classroom teacher as well as the help provided by AIS and reading teachers. The district will also continue to provide professional development to support the faculty and staff in their efforts to meet theneeds ofstudents. And the districtwillcontinue to develop skills in core subject areas like language arts, math and science, as well as 21st century themes such as global awareness, and financial and civic literacy. This requires an increase inproficiency in the areas of learning and innovation skills; information, media, and technology skills;and life and career skills.Faculty and staff will haveaccess to technology tools (such as online curricular documents and interactive virtual learning spaces). The district remains "green" -- less paper (flyers and other materials) coming home in backpacks.All school and PTA events now require permission slips duedue to liability issues.

Treasurer's Report: Jane Anastasi reported that our current balanceis $20,099.89.

Board of Ed: Members of the BOE who attended tonight's meeting encouraged everyone to attendthe two monthly Board of Education Meetings (check district calendar for dates), which are open to the public. The BOE members stressed that they want to hear our concerns and can becontacted through the District Clerk's office (631-262-6608). Attending BOE meetings is a good way tocommunicate what is important to you.

Proposed 2010-11 Budget/Programs

Only SEPTA members could vote-- membership is still active from last year for tonight's meeting. Will reviewed the proposed budget and slate of programs for this year -- monies to be spent as follows: High School Scholarships (6 Merit Awards, 1 Future Special Educator Award, and6 Buddy Awards); SEPTA-sponsoredPrograms (Art Therapy, Yoga, Dance, Music and Social Skills); Annual Events ("Family Movie Day" at Elwood Theaters; Family Picnic at CrabmeadowBeach; and the Bowl-A-Thon fundraiser); Workshops; and Discretionary/Misc. The budget was voted on and approved. SEPTA subsidize the cost ofour programs and ask families for a 25% co-pay; fees range per program.

New Business

SEPTA Meetings: We are not having monthly meetings this year -- check dates on theHome page of this website. Every meeting has a guest speaker -- wehave a great presentation scheduled for November 3: Lorianne Hoenninger will speak about Assistive Technology. (Note: After tonight's meeting, it was decided to hold a SEPTA meeting in October -- it will take place on Thursday, October 7 at 9 am and our guest will be from the Long Island Advocacy Center.)

New Home for SEPTA:All SEPTA meetings,and CSE meetings, will now take place is Room C109 at the Brosnan Building on Laurel Avenue, unless otherwise noted. Parking is available in the back of the building, near the C-Wing entrance. We thank Mrs. Pulaski and Dr. McDermott for making this possible.

School Captains: We need volunteers to be captains at each school --you will collect the mail from the SEPTA box at your school each week. Contact Will or Tammie if you can help out.

Parent Members: The district is in need of Parent Members to sit on CSE meetings.A training session is onTuesday,October 26 from 9 am - noon. Any parent of a child with an IEP is eligible to participate.To learn more, call theOffice of Special Education at 631-262-6616.

Boundless Playground: The Town of Huntington has been working for many years to make a Boundless Playground and Skate Park at Veteran's Park on Bellerose Avenue. The park officially opened on September 20. This is a great new facility for children of all abilities.

Adjournment: Will reminded everyone to check our website frequently for updated information. The meeting adjourned at 8:45 pm.

Respectfully submitted,

Susan Eisenberg, Recording Secretary

May 2010 Meeting Minutes

Call to Order

Welcome:TheMay 6SEPTA meeting was called to order at7:10 pm by Carina Ranieri, SEPTA president. The Pledge of Allegiance was said. Carina thanked those in attendance -- tonight's meeting was brief; it was followed by our guest speaker for the evening, Superintendant of Schools, Dr. Marylou McDermott, who presented the proposed budget.

ThreeBOE candidates were in attendance and, prior to the presentation,introduced themselves and encouraged everyone to get out and vote. The district's official "Meet the Candidates"night is Tuesday, May 11 at 8 pmin the High School Library. Voting forBOE Members and the School Budget is Tuesday, May 18 all day at the Brosnan Building.

SEPTA Logo Contest Winner

Congratulations to our winner, Dayna Peters, a5th grader from Dickinson Avenue Elementary School!Dayna's submission will become the new SEPTA logo! Shealso gets a $50 gift card and will be highlighted in an article in the Northport Observer (as will our "honorable mention" submissions.

Past Events

Tropical Smoothie Fundraiser: Carina reported that our one-dayfundraiser at Tropical Smoothie in East Northport on Tuesday, May 4 was a big success! Thanks to Trisha Faltings for organizing this event-- SEPTA is receiving 20% of the total orders, whichwill go towards our programs and scholarships.

Upcoming Events

SEPTA BakeSale:Our annual bake sale is onBudget Vote Day (May 18), all day at the Brosnan Building while the polls are open. This is a nice way to get involved, meet new people, and create awareness in the community for our organization. Contact Carina if you can volunteer to work a shift.

Annual SEPTA Picnic: This is scheduled for Friday, June 4. It is a great way to end the school year together -- parents and kids. It is family fun for all andis a catered event! A motion was made byCathie Josephson to allocate $1500 for the caterer which we may not need in total since we have a $400 credit from last year'sdeposit (the picnic was cancelled twice due to bad weather). The motion was seconded and approved. Cost: $10 per family. Check the "Home" pageof the website for RSVP info.

SEPTA Installation Dinner: This has been rescheduledto take place on Tuesday, June 15 (instead of on June 17).It is atCrossroads Cafe in East Northport at 7:30 pm. The cost is $30 per person, which includes house salad, entree, soda/juice, coffee, tea, dessert, tax and gratuity. It is a fun night out and we will "pass the baton" from this year's Executive Board to next year's newly elected Board. RSVP info is on the "Home" page of the website.

SEPTA Programs

There is a 25% co-pay from parents for our programs. Seethe "Programs" page of our website for more info.

Social Skills: This is no longer a SEPTA-funded program;it is run by Once Upon a Time for our kids and parents are paying a reduced fee. If you areinterested in having your child participate in a summer session (in Commack), contact Will Burg.

Art Therapy: Two groups (a teen/tween art studioand art socialization)meetat the Brosnan Building (for 5 weeks). First session: May 5.Contact Beth Dolginko for more info.

Music Class: We have a new music teacher! This is meeting for 6 weeks at the Brosnan Building. First session: April 27. Group 1 (younger kids)is full -- but there is a Wait List. There is still room in Group 2 (older kids). For more info,contact Carina.

Yoga: We will be offering a summer Yoga program to run for 10 weeks (which could carry over into the fall depending on the session dates). Rita Drasdo made the motion to allocate the $1000 to pay for this program; it was seconded and approved. Registration info willbe posted on the website.

Adjournment

This is our last meeting for the school year. Check our end-of-year events on the "Home" page of the website. The meetingadjourned at7:40 pm.

Respectfully submitted,

Susan Eisenberg, Recording Secretary

April 2010 Meeting Minutes

Call to Order

Welcome:TheApril 23rdSEPTA meeting was called to order at9:30 am by Carina Ranieri, SEPTA president. The Pledge of Allegiance was said. Carina thanked those in attendance -- this meeting had been rescheduled from its original date (April 16). Everyonewas reminded that only SEPTA members are allowed to vote. Due to thesmall turnout, however,voting was not possible. As it is almost the end of the school year, Carina reflected on some of the changes that took placewithin SEPTA and the district, particularly the creation of our website which has been a good way to get info out to the community; a way to stay informed both on the parent side and the district side. We hope it continues next year.

Officers' Reports

Council Report: There was no SEPTA rep in attendance so there was no report.

BOE Report: Carina spoke about the importanc of making an effort to attend BOE meetings and the importance of staying informed.The Annual Budget Vote is Tuesday, May 18. Polls are open from 6 am - 9 pm. SEPTA is having its annual Bake Sale that day at the Brosnan Building.One of the BOE candidates, Jennifer Thompson,stopped bytoday's meeting and introduced herself. All candidates are welcome to attend SEPTA meetings-- some will be at our next meeting onMay 6when wewill hear a presentation of the budget from Dr. McDermott. We will also vote on SEPTA'sslate for the 2010-11 Executive Board that night. The district's official "Meet the Candidates"night is Tuesday, May 11 at 8 pmin the High School Library. BOE Member Donna McNaughton was also at today'smeeting and spoke about the budget and the upcoming vote. She wanted to give usthe facts because there are a lot of rumors going around.

Treasurers' Report: The current balance ($24,938.69) reflects the Bowl-a-Thon fundraiser. This money will help fund our scholarships, spring classes (art therapy, music, etc) and classes we will offernext year.

New Business

Scholarships: Carina reported that our scholarship recipients have been selected. The end of year Awards Ceremony is held in June at the High School.We are thinking of re-naming our Future Educator Award forJohn Lynch in honor ofhis 35 years of service to the district. We could not vote on that at today's meeting since we did not have enough members inattendance.

SEPTA Installation Dinner: This has been rescheduledto take place on Tuesday, June 15 (instead of on June 17).We plan to have it once again at The Crossroads Cafe in East Northport.

Past Events

Theguest speaker at last week's SEPTA meeting wasLorianne Hoenninger of Accessible Learning Technology Alternatives. She had a lot of great information. She can be contacted at:

Accessible Learning Technology Alternatives
Lorianne Hoenninger
PO Box 597
Shirley, NY 11967
(631) 399-5750 accessiblelearning@verizon.net.

Lorianne provides assistive technology evals, staff development and related follow-up services, as well as special educaiton and related therapy services for students ages 5-21.

Upcoming Events

SEPTA Logo Contest Winner: Congratulations to our winner, Dayna Peters, a5th grader from Dickinson Avenue Elementary School!Dayna's submission will become the new SEPTA logo! Shealso gets a $50 gift card and will be highlighted in an article in the Northport Observer (as will "honorable mention" submissions).

Wrights' Law Lecture Series:Only 6 people signed up and that is not enough to hold this event. If wereceive more interest we will try to offer it sometime in thefuture, possibly in the fall.

May 6 SEPTA Meeting:This will bea quick meeting as the evening will be devoted toDr. McDermott's Budget presentation.

Annual SEPTA Picnic: This is scheduled for Friday, June 4. It is a great way to end the school year together. Family fun for all. It is a catered event, very relaxing! Cost: $20 per family. Check our website for more info.

SEPTA Programs

There is a 25% co-pay from parents for our programs. Seethe "programs" page of our website for more info.

Social Skills: This is no longer a SEPTA-funded program; the parents have taken over the cost. It is possible there will be a summer session. Allquestions should be directed to Will Burg.

Art Therapy: There will be two groups (a teen/tween art studioallso art socialization) which will meet onWednesdays for5 weeks starting May 5. Contact Beth Dolginko for more info.

Music Class: We have a new music teacher -- the program's start date: April 27. For more info,contact Carina.

Adjournment

There is always aninformationtable at our meetings withinfo on community programs. We also havelots of info on our website --check it out! Sign-up sheets for our committees are also at our meetings. Please get involved! Today's meeting wasadjourned at10:45 am.

Respectfully submitted,

Susan Eisenberg, Recording Secretary

March 2010 Meeting Minutes

Call to Order

Welcome:The March 25th SEPTA meeting was called to order at 7:30 pm by Carina Ranieri, SEPTA president. All were welcomed. The district administrators were acknowledged. The Pledge of Allegiance was said. Everyonewas reminded that only SEPTA members are allowed to vote. Tonight's meeting was the last chance for new members to sign up for this school year.Carina thanked everyone for their participation inour Bowl-a-Thon fundraiser and for supporting SEPTA. It is greatly appreciated.

Officers' Reports

Council Report: Tricia Faltings and Carina both gave an overview of what took place at the Council Meeting: SEPTA received a new closet -- it is now in the pre-school wing at the Brosnan Building;Discussion involved parentsconcerns regarding lockers (locks not working, students having to share lockers) and theirrequests to have the situation fixed(by installing working locks) being ignored. In addition, maintenance issues were discussed with Tony Resca from the Department of Buildings and Grounds, but again parents felt he was not receptive. After that report, Karen Orlandorequested that one of our reps bring up an issue of concern at the next Council meeting: cars that consistently block the handicapped spots in the back at Dickinson Avenue School during afternoon pickup.

BOE Report: Karen Wells and Rob Ingraham reported on the difficulties the district is facing this year to fix the budget -- how to minimally tax the community (2% increase would be reasonable) while sustaining quality programs -- with state aid being drastically cut.We are facing $7.5 million in cuts; top-level employees (superintendants, administrators, directors, principals, etc) are voluntarily taking pay freezes (170 employees have done this);the BOE is asking other employees to voluntarily take pay freezes to preserve jobs; however,40 full-time teaching positions are being elimnated. This was a long discussion and Carina eventually reminded everyone to attend Board of Ed meetings in order to be seen and heard and to discuss these issues at greater length.The budget is being finalized April 21; the Vote is May 18.

Treasurers' Report: The current balance ($18,612) does not reflect theBowl-a-Thon fundraiser (net $7500). This money will help fund our scholarships, spring classes (art therapy, music, etc) and classes we will offer in the fall.

New Business

Scholarships: Carina reported that we have received many applications -- ifyou are interested in helping us select this year's recipients, there is a sign-up sheet at our meeting. It is a very rewarding experience to read the essays and choose the students to receive our awards.

May 6 SEPTA Meeting: Our guest speaker will be superintendant Dr. Marylou McDermott. She will be presenting the budget.

Wrights' Law Seminar: An attorney who runs this seminar can provide this for Northport-East Northport SEPTA starting in April. Sign up if interested.

Past Events

Bowl-a-Thon: Carina requested that we provideour childrens' signatures which she will have printed onto thank-you notes to be sent out to this year's contributors.

SEPTA Programs

There is a 25% co-pay from parents for our programs. Seethe "programs" page of our website for more info.

Social Skills: The spring session is ending. We may run another session over the summer. All questions should be directed to Will Burg.

Art Therapy: There will be two groups (a teen/tween art studio and also art socialization) which will meet onWednesdays for5 weeks starting the last week in April. Contact Beth Dolginko for more info.

Music Class: We still hope to offer Music-- it has been difficult to get this finalized with the instructor.We do not have a start date but expect this to beworked outsoon. The class will meet on Tuesdays. Contact Carina with any questions.

SEPTA Logo Contest

We need to select our winner. There will be a story about this inThe Observer in April. Anyone who is interested in helping us choose our new logo, please contact Carina.

Nominating Committee

We need to present our new slate of officers for the 2010-11 school year at our April meeting and have it voted on at our May meeting. Please sign up if you can sit on the committee.

Adjournment

Check out the informationtable at our meetings -- there is info on community programs. We also have this info on our website --check it out! Also, sign-up sheets for our committees are at our meetings. Please get involved! Our guest speaker tonight is Lorianne Hoenninger of Accessible Learning Technology Alternatives. The meeting was adjourned at 8:40 pm.

Respectfully submitted,

Susan Eisenberg, Recording Secretary

February2010 Meeting Minutes

Call to Order

Welcome: TheFebruary 13th SEPTA meeting was called to order by Carina Ranieri, SEPTA president. All were welcomed. District Administrators were acknowledged.The Pledge of Allegiance was said. Everyone was reminded that only SEPTA members are allowed to vote.

Officers' Reports

Membership Report: Carina announced that our membership drive isover as of February 27 so anyone still interested should sign up now!

Treasurers' Report: Karen Orlando stated our opening balance was $17,106. Money came in from our Arbonne fundraiser. A credit came in. Our ending balance was $17,183. This figure will decrease as providers for our spring programs need to be paid, and there will be upcoming Bowl-a-Thon expenses.

Concil Meeting Report:PTA repsmeet with Dr. McDermott as a way of staying connected to all district info -- discussionat the last meeting involved the budget (very challenging, trying to preserve jobs), the retirement of John Lynch after 35 years (BOE looking to fill this coveted position), technology (staff development taking place in-house, teachers teaching teachers), and English/Grammer improvements needed (students ehibiting poor habits).

BOE Report: There were no Board of Ed members at today's meeting but it was mentioned that discussion at the last BOE meeting was aboutthe proposed budget,thelack of financial aid from the state, and how there wil be major cuts effecting all of us. Everyone is welcome to attend BOE meetings.Check the district website for more info.

Scholarship Committee Report: We needmembers to volunteer to sit on this committee -- this will take about an hour of your time in the spring to read essays ofstudents hoping to receiveour end-of-year scholarships. This is something very nice to be a part of. We will award these scholarships:Achievement Awards tosix graduating seniors who have IEPS; A Future Eduator Award to a senior who is pursing a degree in Special Education; and Buddy Club Awards to three seniors who volunteered as peer models during the year. The winners will be listed in the program at the Senior Awards Ceremony that takes place in June at the High School. Last year, our Future Educator Award winner not only received our scholarship money but the Northport Rotary Club kicked in a substantial amount. If you know of a student you think should be nominated forthese awards, please let us know.

Past Business

Accept & Include Logo Contest: Our winner will be announced soon. Continue to check our website for details.

Nominating Committee: We still need SEPTA members to sign up to be on our nominating committee to elect the Executive Board of the 2010-11 school year. Newguidelines prohibits you from being on the committee if you have served in the last 2 years, nor can you serve 2 years in a row. We need everyone's help to continue our traditions.

Upcoming Events

Bowl-a-Thon: This isMarch 7.It is a fun evening -- come out and support SEPTA. You can bowl or not. It's a great night out.

SEPTA Movie Day:We scheduled a viewing of "The Tooth Fairy"to take place during the break on Monday, February15 at 10 am at Elwood Cinemas. Rachel Friedman is handling the RSVPs.

SEPTA Programs

Remember all SEPTA programs are on a first-come, first-serve basis and there is a 25% co-pay per student. Here's what we are offering in the spring (seethe "Programs" section on our website for more info):

Social Skills:Once Upon a Time is thefacilitator. Will Burg is setting this up. Contact him for more info.

Art Therapy: We will offer two classesa teen/tween art studio and socialization arts. The instructor and contact is Beth Dolginko. E-mail her for registration and info at ddolginko@aol.com.

Music:This is still being worked out. Check the website -- Programs section -- for more info.Contact is Carina Ranieri.

Programs in the Community

K.I.D.S. Plus: Tammie Topel's organizationoffers sports and therapeutic recreation programs for children with developmental disabilities. Basketball and Yoga are currently running. For more info, go to www.kidsplusinc.com.

New Business

Supporting Family in Need: SEPTA would like toprovide meals to a family that recently suffered a tragedy. As a PTA we can't collect funds but we have allocated $100 from our Discretionary Fund. If anyone would like to volunteer to help this family, contact Carina.

Special Olympics: Applications are due to the Office of Pupil Services by March 1. If you would like your child to participate and need more info, contact the Office of Pupil Services.

Nominating Committee

Adjournment: There will be a guest speaker at the March SEPTA meeting at the High School. We are also putting together anotherWrights Law seminar. Info regarding both of these events will be posted on our website. We will also send out informational g-mails.Support SEPTA. Get involved! The meetingadjourned at 10:10 am.

Respectfullysubmitted,

Susan Eisenberg, Recording Secretary

January 2010 Meeting Minutes

Call to Order

Welcome: The January 14th SEPTA meeting was called to order. All were welcomed. SEPTA's Executive Committee, District Administrators and School Board members were introduced. Everyone was reminded that only SEPTA members are allowed to vote. The minutes from our November meeting were approved. There was no meeting in December.

Officers' Reports

Treasurers' Report: Karen Orlando said the Executive Board met and wants to ammend the budget -- they want toreduce the budget for the spring session of the Yoga program by $1000 and move $500 to the High School Scholarships and $500 into the Discretionary. We need to vote on the ammended budget as a membership.

Scholarship Committee Report: Donna Koons stated that committee members are needed.

Past Events

Accept & Include Logo Contest: SEPTA members are meeting on January 19 at the Brosnan Building at 8 pm to pick the winner. T-shirts are still available for $10.

Holiday Shopping with Arbonne Fundraiser: 30% of sales were donated to SEPTA.

Upcoming Events

Bowl-a-Thon: This is scheduled for March 7. We are seeking SEPTA members to join this committee and help us with invitations, mailings, solicitations, creating signage, setting up the venue, etc.

SEPTA Movie Day: We have scheduled "The Tooth Fairy" for February 15 at 10 am at Elwood Cinemas. Vote on funds -- $500 with a $5 co-pay per family to offset cost. We would use money from Discretionary funds.

Programs

Remember all SEPTA programs are on a first-come, first-serve basis and there is a 25% co-pay per student. Info on our upcoming spring programs will be posted on our website soon. Here are the programs that will be offered:

Social Skills:Once Upon a Time is thefacilitator. Will Burg is the contact for this program.

Art Therapy: We will offer two classesa teen/tween art studio and sensory arts. The instructor and contact is Beth Dolginko.

Yoga: This is currently running thru K.I.D.S. Plus. Contact is Tammie Topel.

Music:No info yet -- will be presented at the February meeting. Contact is Carina Ranieri.

New Business

Teen Social Skills/Buddy Club with High School Junior Honor Society: Very few interested parties have contacted us. If seeking after-school opportunities for teens, please see info on tables at our meetings. There are afternoon and evening programs at YDA as well as other organizations in our community (Town of Huntington programs, National Institute for People with Disabilities programs and K.I.D.S. Plus programs).

Nominating Committee: We need SEPTA members to sign up to be on our nominating committee to elect the Executive Board of the 2010-11 school year. Newguidelines prohibits you from being on the committee if you have served in the last 2 years, nor can you serve 2 years in a row. We need everyone's help to continue our traditions.

Adjournment: Everyone was reminded to sign up for our committees and programs (sheets available at our meetings) and to check out our website regularly for updated info and links.

Respectfullysubmitted, Susan Eisenberg, Recording Secretary

November 2009 Meeting Minutes (there was no December meeting)

Call to Order

Welcome: TheNovember 12th SEPTA meeting was called to order at7:45 pm by SEPTA president Carina Ranieri. Everyone stood for the Pledge of Allegiance. All were welcomed. Carina thanked everyone for coming out on this cold and windy night. The Executive Board was introduced. Adminisrators Christina Pulaski and Ally Giaimo were also introduced. Rachel Friedman made a motionto approve last month's minutes and Lynn Leonard seconded it. Carina reminded everyone that they must be a SEPTA member in order to vote.

Presentation:Two High School students gavea presentation on the upcoming ALS Fundraiser. It is taking placeJanuary 7 at Oheka Castle. They anticipate over 500 guests to attend. Over the past six years, this group has raised over 1 million dollars for ALS research. It enabled the opening of a medical lab in Stony Brook Hospital as well as initiated three other programs (a nation-wide summer research programin which students conduct ALS research with scientists; a patient services program in which students spend time with ALS patients; and an Assembly Program to inspire other students across the country). Tonight they thanked SEPTA for being supportive in the past andasked us to consider donating another gift basket for this year's event.Beth Dolginko made a motion to donate SEPTA monies to create this basket. Carina said that we can't actually vote to use money in this way -- in the past, our members have donated the items that filled out gift-baskets, so that is what we voted to do again this year. It will be an Italian-themed basket. Beth and Kathy Ioanidis volunteered to receive the items and put the basket together.

Officers Reports

Membership: Rita Drasdo stated that we currently have over 150 members. A family membership is $10. SEPTA (Special Ed PTA) is not just for parents; it is for teachers and administrators, too. You do not have to be a member to participate in SEPTA activities but you do have to be a member to vote. You also do not have to have a special needs child to be involved and to show support. We received money for Accept & Include t-shirts (as well as entries for our new SEPTA logo contest) inside envelopes containing memberhsip fees.

Board of Ed Council:Christine McBride reported on the district's four priorities: (1) maintaining the quality of our teachers andprograms, (2) reading, (3) technology (computers integrated into all subjects, staff training, smart boards in every classroom), and (4) food service operation (creating debit cardsto beused instead of money).

Treasurer's Report: A printed report was available at the meeting. Karen Orlando stated thatshe has been working on getting money wired from last year's Bowl-A-Thon -- there have been numerous problems getting the correct amounts and we are still waiting for $200.

SEPTA-Sponsored Programs

There is a 25% co-pay per student for each of our programs. We thank everyone who is participating and for supporting our changes.

Social Skills: The fall session is almost over. We had 15 students involved. It is run by Once Upon a Time (in one of our district buildings) and is ver structured.l the students have homework. Evaluation forms will be distributed to parents when the program ends for feedback. Once Upon a Time would like to continue running this program for us. Some parents at tonight's meeting voiced their preference for more communication from the facilitators about how their children were doing in the program each week. A suggestion was made thatthe facilitators should provide parents with progress notes. This is a new relationship that wedeveloped with Once Upon a Time and some tweaking of the program is reasonable. We anticipate a favorable response to our requests.

Art Therapy: The fall session has ended. Art Therapy will be offered again in the spring. Beth Dolginko runs this program and said she wasn't sure if she would offer her socialization art therapy group since many of the kids enrolled inSEPTA's other social skills program (with Once Upon a Time). She is planning on offering two programs in the spring -- the teen/tween art studio and, if the socialization class doesn't work out thenshe might offer Sensory Arts again.

Yoga: The fall session is almost over. It meets on Fridays for kids of all ages. Anyone with questions should contact Tammie Topel.

Dance: This program is only being offered once this year -- November 2 thru December 7).It will not be offered in the spring (the instructor is having a baby). The Movement Class for younger kids has been well attended -- our highest number of students to date. The feedback has been very positive.The Party Dance class for older kids is also doing well although we did not fill all the spots.

Teen Socialization Program: The Junior Honor Society expressed interest in running this program and picking up the cost but at the moment we don't have the student interest.

Programs in the Community

YDA (Youth Directions & Alternatives) is a non-profit community and youth agency which serves the school districts of Elwood, Harborfields and Northport-East Northport. It offers after-school activities for students in Middle School and High School. For more info, go to: www.ydaonline.org.

Ongoing Events

Logo Contest: The winner will be announced atthe December 11 SEPTA meeting. We received many submissions from children and adults -- some graphic artists. We are forming a committee to choose the winner. We have to decided if we want the logo to reflect the rawness of a child's rendering or to be something more professional looking. The winner will receive a $50 gift card and be featured in the Northport Observer. Honorable mentions will also be highlighted. Somepeople who offered submissions said they didn't want the gift -- they are submitting their ideas just as an act of kindness.

Accept & Include: Our t-shirts are $10 and will be availalble for purchase through April. We have them on display at our monthly meetings.

Fundraising

Gift-wrapping at Barnes and Noble: This event will take place on Sunday, December 13 from 9 am - 3 pm at the Barnes and Noble in East Northport. We need volunteers to do the wrapping in 2-hour blocks of time. Flyers will be distributed in the students' backpacks. If you are going to buy a holiday gift at Barnes and Noble, please shop on this day! We will wrap your gifts and SEPTA gets to keep the donations. We will have signage so that people will know the population we are serving and may be more inclined to come over and support us.

Shopping With Arbonne International:A friend of SEPTA expressed interest in doing this eventand we thought we should give it a try. Arbonne is a skincare/beaut co. If you are going to shop for thesetypes of items for holiday gifts anyway, then shop through us! Perhaps instead of shopping online. We will hold the event during the holiday season (date to be determined). We would have all items delivered to one place and then we would distribute. Look for fliers in your children's backpacks. Arbonne will donate 30% of its sales from this event to SEPTA.

New Business

Annual Holiday Dinner: This will take p lace on December 16 atCrossroads Cafe in East Northport. It is$30 per person which includes everthing except wine. It is a nice way to get together for a casual night out to celebrate the holidays. We are not sure we will have a grab gab this year -- we will send out a g-mail asking for opinions.

Next SEPTA Meeting: Our next meeting is Friday, December 11 at the Brosnan Building. The Parent Support Forum is at 9 am. The general meeting is at 9:30 am.

Adjournment: Carina reminded everone that we have sign-up sheets for our committees at our meetings -- she asked that everyone sign up and get involved, help with fundraising, and participate in our programs. She also reminded everyone to check out our website!Carinaintroduced the evening's guest speaker, Jack Fast from the Town of Huntington Parks and Recreation Department, and then adjourned the meeting at 8:35 pm.

Respectfullysubmitted, Susan Eisenberg, Recording Secretary

October 2009 Meeting Minutes

Call to Order

Welcome: The October 23rd SEPTA meeting was called to order at 9:40 am by SEPTA president Carina Ranieri. Everyone stood fo the Pledge of Allegiance. All were welcomed. Carina thanked eveyone who attended last month's Open House --it was an informative evening and a great oppotunity to hear what SEPTA is all about. There were five Executive Board members at today's meeting -- we know it is not always easy to attend due to everyone's busy schedules. Carina thanked everyone for coming out. A motion was made to approve September's minutes; it was voted on and approved.

OFFICERS' REPORTS

Membership: Rita Drasdo stated that we currently have 115 members. A family membership is $10. SEPTA (Special Ed PTA) is not just for parents; it is for teachers and administrators, too. You do not have to be a member to participate in SEPTA activities but you do have to be a member to vote. You also do not have to have a special needs child to be involved and to show support. We received money for Accept & Include t-shirts (as well as entries for our new SEPTA logo contest) inside envelopes containing memberhsip fees.

Board of Education Council: A report from Tricia Faltings was read by Carina; it provided highlights from Dr. McDermott's remarks on: the Drugand Alcohol Task Force (two parent workshops for Grade 7 taking place in October and November): safety concerns (regarding parking and traffic at our schools); advocacy training (on November 17 -- PTA members were encouraged to attend); bathroom renovations and inspections (taking place throughout the district); hand sanitizers (installed in all cafeterias); the district website (should be used more to communicate as well as teach; parents should access parent portals; the bandwidth for the district will be expanded by July 2010); report cards (are now tri-annually instead of quarterly but IEP reports are still quarterly); and the budget (70-80% is for personnel and the BOE is looking to make cuts, possibly via less sustitute teachers for AP classes).

Board of Education: Two BOE members were in attendance at today's SEPTA meeting (Donna McNaughton and Rob Ingraham). They provided highlights from two BOE meetings: transportation and bus stop safety concerns (lack of sidewalks); the importance of parents attending BOE meetings (to discuss issues); presentation from the Math Department (Student of the Month was awarded); community service presentation; summer programs discussion; state budget cuts (how it will effect the district); and the district-wide "green" initiative. They acknowledged there have been lapses this year regarding communicating with parents in advance of district changes taking place; they encouraged parents to access teh district website which has parent portals, report card guidelines and progress notes. there will be a link to the parent portal on the SEPTA website. A discussion was had about all of these issues but are addressed fully at BOE meetings -- Carina reiterated the importance of attending BOE meetings so your voices and concerns are heard.

Guest Speaker: Matt Nelson, the new Assistant Superintendant for Curriculum and Technology, attended the meeting unexpectedly and gave a brief talk on some of the changes being implemented in the district and the imiportance of having parent input. He is forming committees with parent representatives. Carina voiced her concern that special education parents will feel left out and lobied for an extra spot on the commitees for a special ed parent.

Treasurer's Report: A printed report was available at the meeting. Karen Orlando stated that checks for programs are not reflected in this report; there will be a significant difference next month.

SEPTA-Sponsored Programs

Our fall programs are up and running (social skills, art therapy and yoga). Our dance program starts November 2. There is a 25% parent co-pay for our progrmas. A new Sibling Support Group is being formed at the Northport Middle School with counselor Regina Thomas. We heard from other counselors at the Elementary-level who are interested in running similar groups. The Junior Honor Society would like to run a Teen Social Clubwith us. We will post more info about these groups as it becomes available.

Accept& Include: Our campaign kicked off at the Cow Harbor DayRace with about 50 participants. It was well received and Carina has been contacted by many people in the district, all of whom want to help make a difference. Carina spoke about keeping the campaign going -- it is about not seeing the differences in people and all being one.We need to bring awareness to the community. The Northport Observer will continue to cover our story through April.

Logo Contest: Students in the district were encouraged to enter their drawings in our contest for a new logo. The winner will receive a $50 gift card and be featured in the Northport Observer. Deadline for entries: October 31.

Website: All SEPTA info is on our website. It is simple and easy to navigate. You can become a SEPTA member online, there are resource links, our newsletters are no longer being mailed and can be accessed on the website. It is a great source of information. Please check it out at: www.northportsepta.org.

Fundraising: We are trying to come up with ideas that are not overly time-consuming; easy fundraisers so everyone can participate. We know it is hard finding time to do so many things in our busy lives. Any and all ideas are welcome!

UPCOMING EVENTS

Gift-wrapping at Barnes and Noble: This event will take place on Sunday, December 13 from 9 am - 3 pm at the Barnes and Noble in East Northport. We need volunteers to do the wrapping in 2-hour blocks of time. Flyers will be distributed in the students' backpacks. If you are going to buy a holiday gift at Barnes and Noble, please shop on this day! We will wrap your gifts and SEPTA gets to keep the donations. We will have signage so that people will know the population we are serving and may be more inclined to come over and support us.

Bowl-A-Thon: This is our big event for the year. It is Sunday, March 7. The first hour is cocktails. We will have silent auctions, gift-baskets, etc. We need volunteers to help get everything organized (including mailing invitations, labeling, addressing, making signs, sending out corporate letters to community business owners for donations -- it's never too early to start asking). We want to fill out Larkfield Lanes! Please consider volunteering!

NEW BUSINESS

YDA (Youth Directions & Alternatives) is a non-profit community and youth agency that serves the school districts of Elwood, Harborfields and Northport-East Nothport. It offers after-school programs for Middle School and High Schoolstudents. For more info, go towww.ydaonline.org.

NEXT SEPTA MEETING

Thursday, November 12 at the High School. The parent forum is at 7 pm; the general meeting is at 7:30 pm.

ADJOURNMENT

The meetingadjourned at 11:25 am.

Respectfullysubmitted, Susan Eisenberg, Recording Secretary

There was no December meeting.

November 2010 Meeting Minutes

Call to Order

Welcome: The November 3, 2010 SEPTA meeting was called to order at 7:30 pm by president, William Burg. The Pledge of Allegiance was said. Will welcomed everyone to our new meeting room -- C109 in the Brosnan Building.

Officers' Reports

Membership: You can still join SEPTA for the 2010-11 school year. The fee is $10 per family. Forms are available at our meetings -- see Rita Drasdo -- or our website on the Membership page. 

Minutes: The October meeting minutes were submitted and approved for filing.

Treasurer's Report: Tammie Topel reported that the current balance is $20,389.89. We budgeted for almost $18,000 which includes our programs throughout the year.

Board of Ed: Board Member Andrew Rapiejko told us that the primary focus at the last Board of Ed meeting was the new laws from Albany which deal with test scores and how the higher score now required for "minimum" passing has caused an increase in the number of students who meet the criteria for AIS English(Academic Intervention Services) -- the number increased from 350 to 800. Discussion took place regarding how to fund the extra teachers. The administration is working on programs to meet the new requirements.   

Council: Christine McBride reported that the last Council meeting primarily dealt with bullying in the schools and how Dr. McDermott is suggesting that additional training be given to staff (such as teachers, aides, bus drivers, etc) in order to help identify and stop this from occurring. 

New Business

Flyers for community events were reviewed (more info can be found on the Community Events page of this website).

Self-Determination Conference: Scheduled for Friday, November 19 at C.W. Post Campus of LI University, this conference features self-advocates, parents, and professionals who use funding from New York State's self-determination program, Consolidated Supports an Services (CSS), to construct full, productive and satisfying lives. For more info, call Maggie Hoffman at 516-652-1136.

Program Info

More info can be found on the Programs page of this website.  

SEPTA Programs: Our 8-week Music and Movement class started October 25 and meets on Mondays at Dickinson Avenue Elementary School. The class is now full.

District Programs: Bowling on Tuesdays at Larkfield Lanes and Martial Arts on Wednesdays and Thursdays at the Brosnan Building are in progress. For more info, contact the Office of Pupil Services.

K.I.D.S. Plus Programs: Soccer in "the Pit" on Sundays and Track & Field at Northport High School on Thursdays are in progress and ending their 8-week sessions this month; Martial Arts on Saturdays and Music Therapy on Sundays started the weekend of October 23, both programs are at Northport Physical Therapy. For more info, go to www.kidsplusinc.com.  

Calm Classrooms: Will mentioned that he is in discussions to contract with an outside provider to come to Northport and present a workshop that the entire community can benefit from, but that availability is limited to March 9, 2011 and the district calendar is not allowing any evening activities that night; Christina Pulaski said she would check into that and let us know if this could be done. Will is obtaining more information and will present it to the Board. To read more, go to:  www.celebratecalm.com.

Next Meeting

There is no meeting scheduled for December -- instead, join us at our Holiday Party on Wednesday, December 12 at Crossroads Cafe in East Northport. For more info, see the Home page of this website.

Adjournment

The meeting adjourned at 8 pm. Lorianne Hoenninger from Adaptive Technology gave a presentation on using free internet services and low-tech common household items to empower disabled students to lead a productive life. No handouts were given but notes were taken so we will post info about these websites soon. 

Respectfully submitted,

Susan Eisenberg, Recording Secretary