Student Services

The Hamilton-Wenham Regional School District provides individualized educational programming that is accessible and meaningful to students requiring special education services. The district’s core belief is that all students can learn and that the purpose for special education is to minimize the impact of the disability and maximize opportunities for students with disabilities to participate in all aspects of our school community.

MASSACHUSETTS REGULATIONS

FEDERAL LAW

Links

• 2017 Adult Autism Resource Guide

Hamilton-Wenham Regional School District Child Find Statement

The Hamilton-Wenham Regional School District recognizes its responsibility to provide a free and appropriate public education to eligible students with disabilities living or attending school within the geographical boundaries of Hamilton or Wenham. The District’s child find process is designed to locate, identify, and evaluate children with disabilities residing or attending public or private school within the geographical boundaries of Hamilton or Wenham, preschool through grade 12 or through age 22 if they have not received a high school diploma.

If you know a child who lives in or attends public or private school within the boundaries of the Hamilton-Wenham Regional School District who may be in the need of special education and/or related services, please contact the District’s Student Services Office for further information regarding the referral and evaluation process. This specifically includes students who reside in Hamilton or Wenham, children who reside in Hamilton or Wenham and attend private school in Hamilton or Wenham at private expense, children who reside outside of Hamilton or Wenham and attend private school in Hamilton or Wenham at private expense, and home-schooled students residing in Hamilton or Wenham. If the student is a school aged student who lives in Hamilton or Wenham, but attends non-public private school that is not located within the geographical boundaries of Hamilton or Wenham, the student may need to be referred to the school district in which the non-public school is located in order to receive services during the regular school year. Please contact that school district for more information regarding time deadlines for requests for services.

The Hamilton-Wenham Regional School District’s child find process extends to students with physical or mental impairments that substantially limit a major life activity. Such students may be eligible for services or accommodations pursuant to Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. Section 504 is a federal civil rights statute that prohibits discrimination against persons with disabilities and applies to programs receiving federal financial assistance. Please contact your child’s school’s principal/assistant principal for more information regarding Section 504 eligibility and services.

Student Service’s Contacts

Maureen Smith
Preschool and Elementary Special Education Coordinator m.smith@hwschools.net

Ryan Roth
Secondary Special Education Coordinator
r.roth@hwschools.net

Section 504 Contacts

Jeff Becker
HWRHS Assistant Principal
j.becker@hwschools.net

Zach Best
MRMS Principal
z.best@hwschools.net

Ben Schersten
Buker Principal
b.schersten@hwschools.net

Julianna Schneider
Cutler School Principal
j.schneider@hwschools.net

Carolyn Shediac
Winthrop School Principal
c.shediac@hwschools.net

The district provides a continuum of individualized special education programming for students ages three through twenty-one and identified as eligible for special education through a special education team process.

In addition to related services and academic support at all grade levels, the Hamilton-Wenham Regional School District currently provides specialized programs for students requiring a higher level of support and intensity of instruction in specific areas including academic, social, emotional, behavioral, foundational skills, life skills and pre-vocational skills. These programs include:

Integrated Preschool

The Integrated Preschool, located at the Winthrop School, provides all children, those with disabilities and those who are typically developing, with a well-structured setting and a rich, prekindergarten curriculum. Integration offers an ideal opportunity for children to work and play together, explore social relationships and develop self-esteem. Early literacy and mathematics skills are enhanced with a multi-sensory and thematic curriculum. The Integrated Preschool Program incorporates related services and daily small group and/or individual instruction tailored to address the specific needs of the child as outlined in the Individual Education Program. The Integrated Preschool Program supports the development of readiness skills for a successful transition to Kindergarten.

Therapeutic Support
Therapeutic Learning Center (TLC)

Therapeutic programming is available to students at all schools and levels, grades Kindergarten through 12. The range of supports includes access to special education teachers and school counselors to address students’ individual needs. 

The Therapeutic Learning Center (TLC) promotes students’ social-emotional development and enables them to experience independence and success within the school community.  The TLC provides explicit teaching of compensatory strategies within a therapeutic model for students who are experiencing social, emotional and behavioral challenges that interfere with their ability to access the general education classroom on a consistent basis. Interventions and strategies are individualized to respond to each student’s needs related to emotional regulation, coping strategies, social skills and self-advocacy.

Language-Based Learning Disabilities Program (LBLD)

The Language-Based Learning Disabilities (LBLD) program is a district program available at all school levels, Grades 2 through 12. The LBLD Programs are located at the Cutler School, Miles River Middle School and Hamilton-Wenham Regional High School.

The Language-Based Learning Disabilities (LBLD) Program ensures a high-quality continuum of programming and services that remediate challenges in reading and writing, teach compensatory strategies, foster self-awareness and promote learning skills that prepare students for success and independence. The program provides services individualized to students’ needs allowing access to grade-level standards aligned with the Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks. The goal is for students to use strengths and compensatory strategies to transition to a less restrictive environment and access grade-level curriculum with independence. 

The LBLD Program provides intensive instruction for students who have been diagnosed with a significant language-based learning disability. The LBLD Program places strong emphasis on decoding and encoding skills through diagnostic, prescriptive, explicit instruction that is individualized to address each student’s specific challenges in the areas of sequential phonological processing, automaticity, fluency, and comprehension. Instruction also focuses on explicit teaching of language structures, including phonetics, sound/symbol relationships, syllabication, morphology, and the organization of written language. Executive functioning skills are emphasized and explicitly taught.

The LBLD Program incorporates small group and/or individual reading and writing instruction. Speech/language services and occupational therapy services are provided through direct service and consultation, as indicated within each student’s IEP.

Center for Academic and Social Learning (CASL)

The CASL program, located at the Winthrop School, ensures a high quality continuum of programming and services that remediate challenges across all content areas, teach compensatory strategies, foster self-awareness and social skills, and promote independent learning skills that prepare students for success. The CASL Program provides intensive instruction for students with disabilities that impact their ability to access grade level curriculum. Instruction is individualized to support development of reading, written language, and mathematics skills within daily small group and/or individual instruction. Instruction also focuses on explicit teaching of language structures, communication skills, social/pragmatic skills, and executive functioning skills.  

Students in the CASL Program are able to access the general education curriculum through modified content and targeting of entry points to the Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks.

Intensive Learning Program (ILP)

The Intensive Learning Program (ILP) is a district program located at the Winthrop School for students currently in PreK through Grade 5.

The Intensive Learning Program (ILP) provides a comprehensive and intensive instructional program for students who have been identified with significant neurological or cognitive impairments, including autism spectrum disorder, that impact their ability to access curriculum across all content areas as well as independently navigate the school environment. The ILP incorporates related therapy supports, positive behavioral strategies, as well as daily small group and individual instruction to address communication, functional academics, social development and self-help skills.

Students in the ILP receive content instruction through access skills and entry points to the Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks. Principles of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) and Discrete Trial Training are utilized for academic and behavior skill acquisition. Students participate in general education classroom activities to target generalization of social and behavioral skills.

Intensive Learning/Academic Skills Program (IL/AS)

The Intensive Learning/Academic Skills Program is a district program located at the Miles River Middle School and Hamilton-Wenham Regional High School. 

The Intensive Learning/Academic Support (IL/AS) Program provides intensive instruction for students who have been identified with disabilities that impact their ability to access curriculum and independently navigate across all content areas. The IL/AS Program incorporates related therapy supports, positive behavioral strategies, daily small group and/or individual instruction tailored to academic skill acquisition, social/pragmatic skill development, vocational and employability skills, and activities of daily living.

Students access the curriculum through modified content and participate in a flexible inclusion model based on their individual strengths and interests.  A variety of strategies and methodologies including principles of Applied Behavioral Analysis, systematic teaching and positive behavioral supports are utilized for skill acquisition.

Related Services

Related services are available to students at all levels, in accordance with each student’s Individual Education Program, and may include speech and language therapy, occupational therapy, physical therapy, nursing, school counseling, the identification and implementation of assistive technology and augmentative communication support, transportation, orientation and mobility services, vision services, BCBA and ABA services.

The H-W Special Education Advisory Council (SEPAC) serves as an advisory group to the school committee and school officials on matters that pertain to the education and safety of students with disabilities, as well as the planning, development, and evaluation of the school's special education programs. The SEPAC strives to offer education, networking and support to parents and guardians of children with learning differences and disabilities. We work to educate the community at large regarding issues surrounding special education and to advocate for our needs and rights. The council is open to all parents, guardians, and other interested parties of children receiving services for learning, neurological, physical, psychological, emotional or cognitive disabilities.

SEPAC Board Members

Agendas and Minutes
Please click on this link for the Agendas and Minutes page.

Connect with us

General email: hwsepac@gmail.com

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/hwsepac

Philosophy of Transition

This guide highlights postsecondary education topics and provides resources for students and their families. Many of the resources presented in this guide are from the Massachusetts Department of Secondary Education planning and resources for students with disabilities.  The resources presented in this guide will help support your family. Hamilton-Wenham Regional High School should thoroughly prepare all students for achieving his or her desired post-high school goals. The student's IEP should reflect the services and supports needed to assist the student to gain the skills, experiences, and connections to make their post-high school goals a reality. Transitional Services offer assessment, structure, and guidance to ensure that the student is prepared for the most successful transition from high school. Transitional Services address the following areas:

1. Coach every student, along with his or her family, to think about goals for life after high school and to develop a long-range plan to get there.
2. Design the high school experience to ensure that the student gains the skills and competencies needed to achieve his or her desired post-school goals
3. Identify and link students and families to any needed post-school services, supports or program before the student exits the school system.
4. Support the student to discover and explore areas of interest and understand strengths and weaknesses. The student will develop self-advocacy skills in order to make informed decisions about their future, and through self-advocacy, the student is able to express his or her preferences. A student's voice is critical to the transition process. (adapted from Storms, et, al. 2000)

English Language Learner Goals

The Hamilton-Wenham Regional School District (HWRSD) is a low incidence district for English Language Learners (ELLs). Under state law, G.L.c.71A, it is the obligation of the district to determine if a student needs language support and to provide that support so that all LEP students are proficient readers and writers of English and are able to meet state and district academic standards. The ELL Program and associated services are offered to all students meeting criteria as outlined under federal and state guidelines. The district’s goals are to ensure the academic success of every student who is educated in the Hamilton-Wenham Regional School District and to ensure students are proficient in social and academic English incorporating the WIDA English Language Development Standards covering all four language domains (speaking, listening, reading, and writing).

ELE Program Handbook

RETELL

Rethinking Equity and Teaching for English Language Learners
RETELL website
RETELL Advisory from MTA

WIDA

World-Class Instructional Design and Assessment (WIDA), WIDA Can Do Descriptors
https://www.wida.us/
WIDA Focus Bulletin   

Early Childhood Partners of

Hamilton-Wenham, Manchester-by-the Sea, and Essex

Early Childhood Partners CFCE provides FREE educational opportunities, advocacy, connections, and supports that strengthen families and children aged 0-8. Located in Hamilton, Wenham, Manchester-By-The-Sea, and Essex Massachusetts, we are here to support you in your role as your child's first teacher. 

earlychildhoodpartners.weebly.com

The Hamilton-Wenham Integrated Preschool

The Hamilton-Wenham Integrated Preschool provides a safe and nurturing environment that promotes the physical, social, emotional, language and pre-academic development of children ages three and four years old.

Visit our homepage HERE.

McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Assistance Act

The federal McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Assistance Act is designed to ensure educational rights and protections for students experiencing homelessness.  Homelessness is defined as children and youth who “lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence.” 

 It includes:

1. Children and youths who are sharing the housing of other persons due to loss of housing, economic hardship, or a similar reason; are living in motels, hotels, trailer parks, or camping grounds due to the lack of alternative adequate accommodations; are living in emergency or transitional shelters; or are abandoned in hospitals.
    
2. Children and youths who have a primary nighttime residence that is a public or private place not designed for or ordinarily used as a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings.
    
3. Children and youths who are living in cars, parks, public spaces, abandoned buildings, substandard housing, bus or train stations, or similar settings; and
    
4. Migratory children (as defined in section 1309 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended) who qualify as homeless because they are living in circumstances described above.

Consistent with the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education guidelines, the Hamilton-Wenham Regional School District, affords homeless students and unaccompanied youth special consideration in addition to access to the same free, appropriate public education and opportunities thereof, that is provided to all other children and youth living in the Towns of Hamilton and Wenham.  The district will enroll homeless students even if they do not have the documents required for enrollment, such as school records, medical records, or proof of residency.  

For further information on the McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Assistance Act: http://www.doe.mass.edu/sfs/mv/