If you’re like us, you hear about all the wonderful things happening in our district, but sometimes you need a little more detail! We recently had the pleasure of hosting Allison Kiddie Higgins, President of our local SEPTSA (Special Education Parent Teacher and Student Association), on the Blue Devil Podcast to dive into the amazing work they're doing.
It is so encouraging to see an organization that is truly making a difference for our families. Here is a look at why SEPTSA is such a vital resource in East Aurora.
More Than Just a PTA
SEPTSA is far from a regular Parent Teacher Association (PTA).
A State-Affiliated Voice: Unlike our local PTOs, SEPTSA is affiliated with the state PTA system. This structure is a huge difference because it gives them access to important opportunities, like the ability to apply for state grants to help teachers and programs across the district.
District-Wide Coverage: SEPTSA represents the needs of parents and kids across all three of our schools, ensuring comprehensive support throughout the district.
A Landing Pad For Families
According to SEPTSA President Allison Kiddie Higgins, the organization was born out of a need for community. "When parents first realize their child has special education needs... it feels really overwhelming," Higgins shared during a recent Blue Devil Podcast. "We hope to be a little bit of a landing pad to start to offer paths."
A Crucial Bridge for Families
That’s where SEPTSA steps in, aiming to be a much-needed "landing pad" for families. They serve as that essential communication link between the parents, teachers, and the district. Their focus is on connecting people who have been through similar experiences, allowing them to offer different paths and guidance to those who are navigating the special education system.
Cheerleading for the Unified Programs
If you've never been to a Unified event, you are truly missing out—it's one of the best things you can ever do!
SEPTSA is an advocate for the district’s Unified programs, which are all about creating authentic and meaningful connections between students of all abilities. While Unified is a student-driven club separate from SEPTSA, SEPTSA works to support the club’s fantastic advisors (like Tara Arnold and Laura Radley at the high school) to ensure these programs continue to thrive and expand. It's so exciting to see Unified filtering down to the Middle School and even Parkdale!.
Parkdale's Fully Accessible Playground!
Another amazing project SEPTSA is involved with is the new playground at Parkdale Elementary. This is addressing a huge challenge for our families who currently have to leave town to find an inclusive playground.
SEPTSA and the non-profit Friends of East Aurora are working together to build a state-of-the-art, fully inclusive, and accessible playground. This includes rubberized ground surfaces, swings accessible to wheelchairs, and proposed communication boards, ensuring that every child can experience play and community.
How You Can Get Involved
If you want to be a part of this amazing organization, it’s easy!
Attend a Meeting: The simplest way is to show up! Meetings are generally held once a month on Wednesday evenings, and you can find the schedule on the District Calendar.
Email: Send a note to the team at EASEPTSA@gmail.com.
As always, please like and subscribe to our YouTube channel to find out more about SEPTSA and every other incredible program we offer here at EA—we have so much going on!.
Thank you to Allison for being a guest and all the parents that contribute to our student's success; we truly appreciate you!