SEPAC SOMA

SEPAC SOMA is the Special Education parent advisory group for the South Orange & Maplewood School District.

09/03/2026

WE NEED YOUR INPUT
Delta-T Paraprofessional Transition Feedback

We’ve created a community tool to collect feedback on the paraprofessional transition in SOMSD. Please share positive and negative experiences so that we can share an anonymous compilation with district administration, the Board of Education, and the community. You can fill out this form as often as you'd like:

tinyurl.com/ParaFeedback26

Alternatively, please do not hesitate to email your school liaison or the SEPAC Board with more information:

https://sepacsoma.org/special-ed-parent-liaisons/
[email protected]

08/29/2026

The new school year can be overwhelming for children (and parents) so we’ve created this customizable one-pager to help teachers and support staff get to know your child quickly.

Share it with teachers and any staff who may be in contact with your child, including bus drivers and bus aides.

https://sepacsoma.org/2026/08/22/resource-all-about-me-one-pager-august-2026/

Follow us and subscribe for more at https://sepacsoma.org

08/25/2026

School starts next week, so we want to re-introduce ourselves!

We are a parent led, state-mandated group that works collaboratively with the South Orange & Maplewood School District to help support special education families.

Contact your school’s liaison for school-specific questions or reach out at [email protected]

https://sepacsoma.org

08/01/2026

PUBLIC STATEMENT:
Transition of Paraprofessional Staffing Vendors and Communication Clarifications
The following statement was submitted on 7/31/26 on behalf of SEPAC SOMA to SOMSD Superintendent Jason Bing, Assistant Superintendent Kathleen Gesumaria, and the members of the SOMSD Board of Education:

The Special Education Parent Advisory Committee South Orange Maplewood (SEPAC SOMA) issues this public statement to clarify our advisory role, address recent statements of SEPAC’s conduct, and express our deep concerns regarding the South Orange-Maplewood School District’s (SOMSD) decision to terminate its contract with Educational Support Services (ESS) and transition to Delta-T via the Mercer County Special Services School District Cooperative.

► Read SEPAC SOMA’s full statement: https://tr.ee/tXI39g1cOG

07/15/2026

👉PARAPROFESSIONAL PARENT FOCUS GROUPS
ICYMI, the district is offering several parent sessions this August regarding the shift to a new paraprofessional service provider for the 2026-2027 school year. The sessions are on August 11, August 17, and August 20.

From Kathleen Gesumaria, Assistant Superintendent of Special Services:
As we transition to Delta-T for providing paraprofessional services in the district, we want to engage with the parent community to answer questions and address concerns.

We would like to invite 15-20 parents to three sessions being offered. Two sessions will be in person during the day and one will be in the evening via Google Meet to accommodate as many schedules as possible. All in-person meetings will be held in the District Meeting Room at 525 Academy Street.

If you would like to attend, please answer the questions below and indicate the dates you are available. If you can attend all three, please select accordingly and we will fill the seats to ensure a balanced number of participants at each session. We look forward to partnering with you to welcome Delta-T into the SOMSD community!

Please use this link: https://tr.ee/B3zg5haOhv

06/28/2026

NJ DOE PARENT SURVEY
If your child has an IEP with the district, you should have received a 2025-2026 NJ DOE Special Education Parent Survey via regular mail or email (or both). Please take a few minutes to locate and complete this survey focused on how schools have facilitated parent involvement in their child’s special education program. (Searching your email — and spam! — for ‘NJDOE’ should find it. The online version also allows for open-ended comments.)

06/25/2026

REMINDER ... we still want to hear from YOU. ❤️
Sharing the good, the not-so-good, and what you’d like to see in the future is an end-of-year tradition for SEPAC SOMA!

Your feedback, your experiences, your highs and lows … that’s the heart of what we do as an advisory group. We listen, we look for trends, and we share what’s working – and what really, really isn’t working – with the district, constantly advocating for the well-being and growth of our kids.

If you haven't added your thoughts to our 25-26 reflection survey yet, please take a few minutes to answer THREE QUESTIONS for us. Your experiences will help guide us into the 26-27 school year.

► Take our End-of-Year Survey (by June 30th, please): https://tr.ee/uTYycV46E3

06/11/2026

END OF YEAR SURVEY
One week to go … we’re almost there! At SEPAC SOMA, reflecting on the good, the not-so-good, and what you wish for your child next year is our end-of-year tradition. Will you take a few minutes to share your year with us?

► End-of-Year Reflection Survey: https://forms.gle/6a4SJKtXyVEd3ykF9

Your feedback, your experiences, your highs and lows … that’s the heart of what we do as a special education advisory group. We listen, we look for trends, and we share what’s working — and what really, really isn’t working — with the district, constantly advocating for the well-being and growth of our kids. We’ll compile the answers and share as feedback to the district (completely anonymously, of course).

THANK YOU for adding your voice! ❤️

SEPAC SOMA will return in September with new opportunities to share your experiences, to connect with other parents and caregivers, and to grow your skills as an advocate for your child.

06/03/2026

TONIGHT!
One of our favorite get-togethers of the year … our annual Dope, Nope & Hope meeting, where we reflect on how this school year went and look ahead to summer and next fall.

At the meeting, we'll continue our tradition of giving everyone a chance to share their DOPE, NOPE & HOPE of the year. So, think about:
• One thing that went well
• One not-so-good thing
• One thing you hope for your child in the future

We invite EVERYONE to share their Dope, Nope & Hope via our End-of-Year Reflection survey: https://tr.ee/uTYycV46E3
We’ll compile the answers and share as feedback to the district (completely anonymously, of course).

Wednesday 6/3 @ 7:00pm
In person @ District Meeting Room
525 Academy St, Maplewood

05/31/2026

Join Cougars for Connection for a student-led community walk-a-thon supporting JESPY House and its mission of empowering adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities to live independent, meaningful, and connected lives.

The goal of the event is to bring together students, families, and community members from across South Orange and Maplewood to promote inclusion, disability awareness, and community connection.

Sunday 6/7 @ 9:00am-4:00pm (come and go as you please)
Underhill Sports Complex

More info + registration: https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/cougars-for-connection-walk-a-thon

Address

525 Academy Street
Maplewood, NJ
07040

Website

http://www.sepacsoma.org/

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