Meet the 2018 Honorees

Family engagement is important for the success of students on different levels, but it really is at the IEP Team level where you see the greatest benefit for student outcomes.  Jessica and Adrienne have a way of working that makes parents feel like a true member of the team developing the IEP.  And what does good team work create?  Strong communication!  They give parents many opportunities for input and correction.  Jessica and Adrienne allow families to feel involved in the special education process and to feel that their voices are heard. More importantly they have created an atmosphere where families feel respected and like a true partner in the decision making process.

When it came to secondary transition planning the team from Spaulding thought outside the box and together with the youth and parent, are finding success.  The IEP Team worked together to determine what they knew and what they didn’t in order to develop a plan for graduation with a regular high school diploma. They realized they didn’t know much about Extended Learning Opportunities and how these could support students to show what they were learning and demonstrate competencies needed for graduation.  Nicole LaChance, case manager, did research and started to understand what was needed for a successful ELO.  Together, Nicole and Dean Grazziano (ELO Coordinator) began to learn how to create ELOs for students with disabilities.  They brought this information back to the rest of the IEP Team and broke down everything that was needed in order to graduate.  Together, the IEP Team- which always included the youth and parent, created a road map so that everyone was on the same page.  This partnership amongst all IEP Team members is what is making the ELO experience successful.  Together, they discuss barriers and how to overcome them.  Creatively, partnership and constant communication is providing the structures for the success of this ELO, and ultimately the youth.

When Exeter High School was awarded a Next Steps NH Grant, one of their founding principles was to increase family engagement in the secondary transition process. It was through that effort that “Parents Partnering in Transition” was born. Beverly Hodson and Amy Ferris, parents of high school aged children, created this opportunity to bring parents and school staff together to share resources, feedback, ideas, medical advice & experiences and to create better ways to communicate. The group also created a subcommittee to take on an ambitious goal of hosting a Transition Mini-Conference in March 2018.   This “mini” conference included nine unique sessions for youth and families!  Because of the success of the first event, planning is underway for a second Transition Mini-Conference in 2019!

Jolen has worked in the mental health field for many years, and served many children/families in need of counseling services. She is very knowledgeable and well versed when it comes to how the various family support systems work.  She is willing to travel far distances to help families be strong advocates for their children, supporting families at IEP meetings and pointing families in the direction of agencies that may be able to help them. Jolen has advocated for “what’s right”, and supported families to do the same. As Kimberly put it in her nomination “I’ve learned so much from Jolen, like the importance of speaking up for what’s right, and to help advocate not only for my child, but to make a difference for those who don’t have a voice.”

FUnder the leadership of Lisa Beaudoin, ABLE NH members have been working to make a significant impact in promoting, protecting, and ensuring public school access and equity for all students with disabilities.  Lisa strives to ensure that families, youth, school leaders, policy-makers, and community members work together to drive focused systems change at the local, regional and state levels.  This work includes fostering trusting relationships and working with school administrators, teachers, parents and others in the Manchester School District to promote and support high quality inclusive educational practices in their public schools. None of these stakeholders could do this alone; and many parents expressed doubts about their ability to make a difference.  With her passion and well-honed leadership skills, Lisa listened to their concerns, provided information and support to parents and encouraged their ability to advocate for their children which in turn has yielded results.  Lisa is enthusiastic and driven; she has high expectations for herself and others and she has a gift for making people believe that they can make a difference

Jillian has worked incredibly hard as PTA President to involve families and support the children in the Hooksett community. This past school year, she added a Special Education Liaison to the PTA Board as a strategy to get more families of children with disabilities involved in their children’s schools and to ensure that children with disabilities are able to fully participate in all school activities. Jillian is also actively working to better include other underserved families, such as those who do not speak English or where English is their second language. She actively seeks out Community Partnerships and partners with the Principals of each of the three schools, and the SAU Office to ensure the safety of our children in our schools. To say that she works tirelessly would be an understatement.

Lt. Breen has spent the last six years working collaborative with the NH PTA to educate parents and family members about internet safety, bullying and the many dangers that effect children and families.  His ability to connect with children and their families allows for them to hear the often difficult messages but still feel empowered with tools to keep their children safe and deal with problems and challenges in ways that keep communication open.  Countless families have reported that thanks to the strategies they learned from Lt. Breen that they were better able to handle situations with their children in a proactive way that encourages open dialogue, trust and respect.

Jeff has gone out of his way to help families to ensure they have the resources needed to support their child’s health and well-being.  From obtaining donations for birthday gifts for struggling families, grants to pay for equipment, helping navigate doctor and insurance companies, to working collaboratively with school district staff to support children’s inclusion in school, Jeff’s advocacy for his patients and families goes beyond a typical physical therapist!

Annette is a critical member of Belmont’s administrative team.  She is often the first line when identifying and addressing student and family needs.  Families feel comfortable coming to her with questions and concerns and she makes it her mission to not only communicate with families but get their thoughts and feedback on an issue as well.  Annette has spearheaded a Parent Advisory committee to review the school’s counseling program and been the critical driver to bringing important family education initiatives such as Screenagers, Community Suicide Prevention Forums and other mental health awareness events to the district.  She has an unmatched ability to communicate with families in a direct, yet sensitive way that encourages a proactive approach to supporting their children’s academic and social success.  Annette leads Belmont’s Holiday Assistance Program for families and is the school-wide Assistance for Families in Need.  Annette’s service to Belmont’s schools, school community and her profession is truly extraordinary. Annette’s passion to serve others is only surpassed by her personal qualities while supporting others.

According to Washington Elementary School’s website, they are a “family-centered facility where all members of the community work together for the betterment of the children”. This is clearly evidenced by Dawn.  She may not be a teacher but she models the behavior she wants each child to have. Washington Elementary is a small school where everyone has to wear multiple hats.  Dawn keeps parents informed and will even take the time to send a simple email to a parent to let them know how a child is doing on their first day back from being ill.  She makes parents feel at ease knowing there is someone they can email or call and get answers to any question they have regarding events at the school. Dawn is always excited and engaged with what the school is doing, which in turn makes parents want to be more engaged and attend as many events as they can.

The mission of the NH Pediatric Society is to unite the pediatric community and the community at large around innovative solutions to the most critical challenges facing the children in New Hampshire, their families, and the pediatricians who care for them. Through the leadership of Dr. Steven Chapman and Dr. Erik Shessler, the Pediatric Society has been working to build the infrastructure to support the opportunity for parents and family members to participate in quality improvement in a medical setting.  This includes bringing family member representation to the Pediatric Society Executive Committee, the development of a regular column written by parents in the “Granite State Pediatrician” and a summit with parent organizations.  In addition, Dr. Shessler has set an example of how family engagement in quality improvement can work on a local practice level by developing a Patient Family Advisory Council at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Manchester Primary Care, where he practices.

Since the birth of her son, Casey has been a strong partner and advocate in the systems of care that support children with special health care needs.  As a member of the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Manchester Family Advisory Committee, she works closely with patients, family members and providers on quality improvement initiatives.  She is the driving force behind Parker’s Law, enacted in 2012, which established statewide pulse oximetry testing for all newborns in the state of NH to identify congenital heart defects.  Her willingness to share her family’s experience and story has impacted not just those who support her family but the system that supports all families.

Kate works diligently to ensure that the youngest Manchester students and their families can be successful and overcome obstacles. She is resourceful and knowledgeable and consistently collaborates and reflects on a variety of means by which we can engage families in our community. She has worked with Manchester’s City Year Corps members to create what is called a “Walking School Bus,” where the City Year members strategically target students and families in need of attendance support and walk them in a group both to and from school every day. Kate will literally attempt to navigate every avenue possible to try and reach a parent, brainstorming and teasing out every possible barrier to their understanding in the best interest of the children. Collaborating with community health and mental health agencies, camps, clubs, school personnel, and families alike, she never gives up on the students or their families and always gives 150%. She never ceases to amaze her colleagues with her commitment and compassion to the families and students in their school community.

This year, Mount Caesar Elementary School started a new back-to-school tradition to welcome its youngest students called the “hometown blitz.” The school’s four kindergarten teachers, along with its principal, piled into a van to visit the homes of every student in the incoming kindergarten class – about 75 in all – to welcome them to their new school.  The hope was that being familiar with their teachers before the school year begins will help kids and their families feel more comfortable in the new environment.  The day before the school year kicked off, Mount Caesar held a drop-in hour for families from any grade level to come in and chat with their child’s new teacher.  The hometown blitz is great way to start developing relationships with students’ families and encouraging positive connections between home and school life, “Meeting them at their home, a place that’s safe and comfortable for them, seemed like a great way to build this relationship.”

The intent of family-centered early supports and services is to maximize a family’s ability to support their child’s development.  A few years ago, the Leadership of the of Northern Human Services ESS Team began an initiative to transform the way they supported families to do this. The idea behind this was for ESS staff to become coaches, and support parents to do the specialized instruction, play, communication and interactions with their child, as they work to reach their Individual Family Support Plan (IFSP) goals.  Using videos of the parent interacting with their child, providers help parents reflect on the goals they are trying to reach and then, using the family’s daily routines, decide on what activities or interactions to use to support their child’s development.  At first it was difficult for providers to step back and let the parents be the provider and influencer of the child’s development, however, soon they began to see the impact this approach was making on both the child and the parent’s interactions with their children.  By supporting the family at their own level and allowing them to drive the goals and routines they want to work on, they truly are maximizing a family’s capacity.

Over this last year Carol has embarked on her long-held goal of developing a means for families and care givers with young children to learn to support their children’s needs through play by establishing a play group aptly called RAISE (RAISE children Resilient, Active, Independent, Strong and Engaged).  Through RAISE she connects families with other families, support agencies and provides hands on, play-based training on a variety of topics. Carol may have recently retired from her school district position, but she certainly has not retired from her passion for advancing pre-academic, social/emotional, communication and physical development of young children and supporting families to do the same.