T O W N R E P O R T 2007 L U N E N B U R G - Town of Lunenburg

On January 15, 2008 the Lunenburg Public Schools submitted a Corrective Action Plan (CAP) to address the partial complianceconcerns. Once the approval for the Corrective Action Plan has been received, the district will implement the corrections. Thecorrections are mostly in the form of professional development and in most areas full compliance should be realized by June2008.This year as a district, students with Special Needs did not reach the expected progress level to achieve adequate yearly progress.This is being addressed through the efforts of our students in concert with our education staff and parents having highexpectations, rigorous specific instruction and consistent progress monitoring of skills for students. The staff continues to usethe triple threat: results teams, understanding by design for lesson planning and GEMS curriculum to accomplish our goal ofcontinuous improvement for students. At team meetings, parents and teachers engage in active discussions about the data andresearch-based practices necessary to address individual student’s strengths and weaknesses. They continue to think outsidethe box in developing plans that meet the unique needs of each student in the least restrictive environment.Instructional teaming efforts continue to expand and teams continue to refine their skills in developing accommodations andlessons that support students in achieving their educational goals. The district has committed resources and time in the areas ofcommon planning and professional development to build effective instructional teams across the district.The Parent Advisory Counsel of Special Achievers in Lunenburg (PACSAL) has been an active support group for parents, teachersand administration. Currently we have 15 active members. Parents of students who receive Title I services are a part of thisgroup. Meetings were switched to the first Tuesday of each month, 7:00PM, at the Lunenburg Public Library. The executive boardis made up of Chairperson: Kelly Harvey, Vice Chair: Kelly Moriera, and Secretary: Sherry Bishop. Several events andpresentations were organized by the group for parents in Lunenburg. Topics this year have covered Building Blocks of Learningfocused on sensory integration issues with Phyllis Samara from the Barrett Family Wellness Center, Assistive Technology byJane Ricard of the FLLAC Collaborative, MCAS Prep presentation by Karen Martin and Elaine Blaisdell from Lunenburg; Rightsand Responsibility in Special Education by Elaine Blaisdell, Lunenburg, to name a few. The PACSAL has completed severalfundraising activities to support speakers on various special education related topics. They have provided information ondisabilities and their organization at various school and town functions.In conclusion, the professionals of the Lunenburg Public Schools take great pride in our ability to provide a variety of specialneeds services to meet the varying needs of our students within our schools. We have an experienced, hard working staff thatworks together with parents to provide these varied services. Our parents continue to be equal partners in our efforts to developchallenging and focused educational programs for children. We remain committed to the Lunenburg Public Schools mission, “Weprepare our students for life-long learning and responsible community membership.” This is a total community effort and weencourage ALL Lunenburg residents to join with us to create positive experiences and futures for our children.For additional information, please contact Elaine E. Blaisdell, Student Services Coordinator, Special Services Office, 1033Massachusetts Ave., (978) 582-4114.