Brick/Point Boro Special Education PTAs (SEPTA)

Ed. Note:  This piece focuses on the Brick Special Education PTA (SEPTA), but I wanted to call attention to the newly formed Point Pleasant Borough Special Education PTA as well. A link to their website is at the end of the article. Thanks for reading! 

Rain sluices off my head as I try to dodge several puddles in my mad dash for the door, and I make it in just enough time to avoid the downpour that’s chasing me. I pass through the brightly colored halls of the Primary Learning Center where all Brick students attend Kindergarten, and I briefly remember the outcry several years back when its continued existence was in peril.

I smile to a group of teenagers gathered to offer their babysitting services during this meeting, and I receive a chorus of warm “hellos” in return. As I round the corner into the cafeteria I see a nice turn-out for the evening’s event, and am greeted enthusiastically by several other moms.

I grab an agenda, and settle down to hear what Brenda Calderone, the new Brick Special Education PTA president, has to share with us this evening.

As I search for that errant pen in my purse I eye the delicious donuts I maturely passed up on my way to my seat, feel a tinge of regret, and sigh. Summer is around the corner after all.

I’ve been attending the Brick SEPTA meetings since we moved here in 2006, when my eldest child began pre-school at the tender age of three, and my family was still in the beginning throes of dealing with autism. I wasn’t a “regular” that first year, as Justin invariably seemed to become ill right before every meeting, and he also invariably wanted his mommy to stay with him.

Eventually however his frequent illnesses thankfully disappeared, and I was able to attend most of the meetings that have been held since.

It’s often the same core group of parents who attend, so we’ve gotten to know each other a bit through the years, and a camaraderie has developed. I know that in the world of disability autism seems to dominate these days, however the parents who attend have children with a wide range of disabilities, from ADHD to Downs Syndrome and others as well.

At most meetings we’ve had the privilege of having a school administrator attend, as well as some teachers from the various schools which educate our children.

Traditionally the first meeting in the fall is a “meet and greet”, with a wide array of agencies attending who cater to camps and after-school activities. I particularly enjoyed that particular meeting this year as I won a massage in their raffle (yes, the girl who never wins anything), and other prizes were distributed as well.

Free donuts AND door prizes, you can’t beat that.

I’m writing about the Brick SEPTA today to invite more parents to attend the next meeting, which will be held at the Brick Primary Learning Center (PLC), on April 15th at 7:00. I write this knowing it’s difficult for even the most “typical” families to spare a parent in the evenings, and for those of us with kids with disabilities it can often be a Herculean effort to get out even for an hour.

The truth is however that this is a wonderful avenue in which to come together as a community to learn from one another, to share, and to provide support. I’d love to see it grow.

Every year the SEPTA Board has worked incredibly hard to provide activities for children with special needs, and my own children have enjoyed their annual Halloweenfest, Easter egg hunts, and other events with gusto. The Board hopes to add even more activities throughout the year, and I know they’d love greater participation and a larger attendance at all of their meetings.

Again, the next meeting is Monday, April 15th at 7:00 at the PLC (what a way to say goodbye to taxes!), and if anyone reading this has the opportunity to attend, I truly recommend you do so. Thanks in advance for your patronage!

Brick SEPTA website:  www.bricksepta.org

Check them out on Facebook at “Brick Township Special Education PTA (SEPTA)

 Meetings:

 April 15

 May 20

 June 3

Point Pleasant website:  https://sites.google.com/site/friendsppbnj/

 Follow them on Facebook at:  Friends Special Needs Parent Group

 Next meeting:  April 18th  Topic:  Navigating the IEP process