Contact Us

Belmont SEPAC Email Belmont Sepac

Co-Chairs: Email Rachel Watson and Email Timothy Flood

Administrative Chair: (open)

Program Chair: (open)

Treasurer: Email Timothy Flood

Fundraising Chair, Awards Chair: (open)

Membership: (open)

Web Site / Facebook: Email Timothy Flood

Key Volunteers: MaryJo Peterman

Elected Positions of the Belmont SEPAC

Chair / Vice Chair 

Position Description: 

• Meet with Student Services monthly or at least 4 times a year.

• Meet with all School Principals and Superintendent, and LABBB Directors to make the introduction, make them aware that we are here, who we are, and that we want to collaborate with them.

• Visit PTO/PTA meetings in the absence of a school liaison. Tell who we are, advertise the Parent Information Sessions, let Parents know that we are there to help assist them with their child’s different abilities.

• Establish relationships with LABBB PAC membership and Out of District Parents, and Parents on IEP’s in all Belmont schools.  Ensure distribution of all Belmont SEPAC activities to LABBB parents, Out of District Parents, and all Belmont Public Schools.

• Meet with Belmont Media Center and establish video conferencing ability for our PIS’s. This will require you to sign-up as a member of BMC and pay a nominal fee for the services.

• Attend Meet Belmont every August. Have flyers, candy, intriguing items to draw people to table if possible. Provide sheet for people to sign up for listserv and volunteer activities.

• Assist Treasurer with budget & cash flow administration.

• Plan the master Belmont SEPAC calendar of activities for the year.  This could include 4 quarterly general meetings, Parent Information Session’s, School Committee meeting attendance, Vendor Fair, and Awards Dinner, etc.  

• Plan and facilitate all Belmont SEPAC general, year-end, and planning meetings.  Note: teleconference bridges will be available this year for all meetings.  

• Optional: Attend Health and Wellness committee meetings, or other committee meetings that perhaps the superintendent or school committee would deem valuable to have Parent SPED input.  

• Establish any special interest temporary committee to address that special interest or need.  Facilitate a non biased view and assist cooperation between Student services, school committee, and/or the superintendent with resolution to our members special interest or need.

• Facilitate keeping membership informed via email, newsletters, website, and/or facebook, etc.  

• Manage and/or complete the duties outlined under the Administration position.  

• Additional duties are spelled out in the Bylaws, located on the website.  

Treasurer

Position Description:  

• Coordinate efforts to apply for grants, donations, reimbursements, or any other funds for which the Belmont SEPAC may be eligible. 

• Manage and account for funds collected, donated, and spent for Belmont SEPAC.  

• Provide treasury updates at any general and final year end meeting. 

• Attend Belmont SEPAC general, year-end, and planning meetings.  Note: teleconference bridges will be available this year for all meetings.  

Appointed Positions of the Belmont SEPAC

Belmont SEPAC PTO/PTA Liaison (1 Liaison, 1 Co-liaison per school)

Position Description:

• Represent the Belmont SEPAC at your PTO.

• Direct parent’s SPED questions to either Student Services, other parents, or to other SPED resources. Help will be provided by the Belmont SEPAC elected officers.  

• Attend all PTO/PTA meetings as the Belmont SEPAC Liaison. Presentation materials may be provided by the elected officers.  

• Request that your contact info be listed in your school PTO/PTA Student Directory as Belmont SEPAC school liaison.

• Meet with the School principal and SPED teachers of the school to let them know you are available to parents whose child is on an IEP.  Be available throughout school year to field SPED inquiries. 

• Foster partnerships with PTO/PTA membership for any upcoming SEPAC event, Parent Information Sessions, special interest, or social functions etc.

• Attend Belmont SEPAC general, year-end, and planning meetings.  Note: zoom will be available this year for all meetings.  

It is recommended that this position be held for 1 year with the Co-Liaison stepping in as the primary school liaison the next year.  

Note:  This position is an appointed position by the Belmont SEPAC co-chairs. Volunteers may be recommendations from each School Principal and/or school SPED teachers to help identify interested candidates.

Key Volunteer Positions of the Belmont SEPAC

Administration Position (1 Co-Chair / shared duty with the SEPAC co-chair)

Position Description:

• Create, maintain, and manage the Belmont SEPAC database of members, participants, outside resources, etc.  

• Check Gmail for BSEAC emails. Work with Co-chairs to respond to parent/community concerns.

• Go through MassPAC emails. Current or upcoming activities and forward to Belmont SEPAC membership

• Approve or reject all posts to yahoo listserv, and/or Gmail.

• Maintain BPS BSEAC webpage, posting events to calendar, PIS info, and updating web pages as required.

• Send follow up emails, if needed; to all PIS attendees’ day after event.

• Manage Facebook page maintenance and promotions.

• Manage the list of Parent Resources page on the website.  Check for broken links, add others that need to be added, review with co-chairs for assistance and help. 

• Manage the physical SPED library at Chenery.  Go through and purge old data and add new data and or books and inform Belmont SEPAC members of the resources.  

• Continue to Identify other administration needs and tasks and add to this list.  

• Attend Belmont SEPAC general, year-end, and planning meetings.  Note: teleconference bridges will be available this year for all meetings.  

School Committee Liaison (Currently performed by sitting SEPAC Chair)

Position Description:

• Attend School Committee meetings 2 evenings monthly to maintain a Belmont SEPAC presence.

• Report to the Belmont SEPAC membership any SPED related issues, concerns, news, etc.

• Attend Belmont SEPAC general, year-end, and planning meetings.  Note: teleconference bridges will be available this year for all meetings.  

Program Chair (2 co-chairs) 

Position Description:

• Plan, coordinate, and execute the monthly Parent Information Sessions for the school year with input from the elected officers and SEPAC membership. IE: Determine subjects/speakers.

• Basic eve agenda: 6:30pm Parent Mingle, 7:00pm Speaker, 8:15pm Q&A, 8:45pm end of mtg.

• At a minimum plan Basic Rights with the Federation for Children with Special Needs.

• Reserve the room space ASAP in the summer or at the beginning of the year for each monthly session.  They are typically the 3rd Wed of each month.   

• Determine host school for the year. Each event needs a permit. Go to school office and speak with Secretary to get permit and reserve room space.  If you know the custodian of the school, it is a good idea to make him/her aware of your schedule, so we are not locked out of the building.    

• Optional: Email Belmont Media Center to schedule video viewing of the PIS’s.  Make sure we have our BMC membership up to date. 

• Coordinate all communication with speakers prior to the events (template available in google drive)

• Send PIS flyers or communication out to SEPAC distribution lists (available in google drive) two to three weeks prior to event, asking for RSVPs.

• Notify local media sources.  IE: Belmont Citizen’s Herald

• Post on Facebook and website page one week before the event, asking for RSVPs.

• 1-2 days before event, provide rsvp number to speaker so materials can be copied.

• Optional: Provide bottles of beverages and small bites evening of event.  Note:  As long as you are providing packaged goods (bottles of juice, store bought cookies, etc.) you do not need a Waiver. If you make food for the event, you need to get a Health Department Waiver!

• Optional: Note:  Four times a year, the officers will hold a general meeting along with one of the PIS meetings to handle general Belmont SEPAC business.  

• Attend Belmont SEPAC general, year-end, and planning meetings.  Note: teleconference bridges will be available this year for all meetings.  

Fundraising Chair (2 Co-Chairs)

Position Description:

• Determine different avenues to fundraise for Belmont SEPAC’s main events (Vendor Fair, Awards Dinner.)

• Explore other fundraising opportunities like grants etc. as the SEPAC grows in its membership, scope, vision, and member needs.  

• Attend Belmont SEPAC general, year-end, and planning meetings.  Note: teleconference bridges will be available this year for all meetings.  

Awards Chair  (2 Co-Chairs)

Position Description:

• Plan, coordinate, and execute the Annual Awards Ceremony in May.

• Determine date, location, time, and secure facility.

• Save the date email to Superintendent, Principals, Student Service staff, 

• Ensure Website is up to date with the latest linked form to shared folder drive. 

• Work with school Maintenance to ensure that tables and chairs are set-up and ready to go for the evening.

• Send flyers out to distribution list two to three weeks prior to event, asking for RSVPs from participants.  

• Notify local media sources.  IE: Belmont Citizen’s Herald

• Post on Facebook and website page one or two weeks before prior to the event, asking for RSVPs from participants.    

• Chair should attend Belmont SEPAC general, year-end, and planning meetings.  Note: teleconference bridges will be available this year for all meetings.  

• Refer to the MASTER Awards ceremony To Do List located on the SEPAC google drive for detailed instructions on how to set-up and manage this event.  

Resource or Vendor Fair Chair (2 co-chairs) 

Position Description:

• Plan, coordinate, and execute the Vendor Fair

• Determine date, location, time, and secure facility

• Determine what vendor’s will be coming and where they will be located 

• Develop master schedule/blueprint for the Fair 

• Work with school Maintenance to ensure that tables and chairs are set-up and ready to go for the vendors

• Send flyers out to distribution list two to three weeks prior to event, asking for RSVPs from participants.  

• Notify local media sources.  IE: Belmont Citizen’s Herald

• Post on Facebook and website page one or two weeks before prior to the event, asking for RSVPs from participants.  

• Update or send updates for the Resource page on the SEPAC website page.  

• Chair should attend Belmont SEPAC general, year-end, and planning meetings.  Note: teleconference bridges will be available this year for all meetings.  

Social Chair  (2 Co-Chairs)

Position Description:

• Work with the team to create one Social Events list or calendar for the year

• Notify membership

• Host or work with the Parent Coffee am host.   This is typically done on Thursday morning after the monthly PIS. The main purpose is for parent sharing  

• Host or work with the Parent Coffee pm host.   This is typically done on a Wed evening.  The main purpose is for parent sharing.  

• Playdates or Hangouts:  This would entail scheduling various times throughout the year and different playgrounds, all member (include OOD, and LABBB) playdates.  Where parents bring their children to play with one another and parents to socialize with one another.  

• Other social activities can be brainstormed and determined.  

• Partner or host social events with PTO/PTA’s and even other towns

• Chair should attend Belmont SEPAC general, year-end, and planning meetings.  Note: teleconference bridges/zoom will be available this year for all meetings.

Equity Chair  (1 chair)

Position Description:

• Work with the team to create better understanding of equity in education for students on an IEP/504

Note:  These positions are appointed by the Belmont SEPAC co-chairs with recommendations from Belmont SEPAC membership.