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Inclusive Insights Family Edition NUSD Special Education Family Newsletter May 9, 2025
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Special Education Contact Information
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On April 26, 2025, the 4th Annual Spectrum Safety Event brought joy, connection, and community spirit to Novato!
Hosted by Novato Parks & Recreation and Novato First Responders, this inclusive event welcomed individuals with adaptive needs and their families to connect with first responders and local support organizations in a safe, welcoming environment.
And thanks to a special partnership with Lucasfilm, guests got to meet some out-of-this-galaxy visitors from Star Wars!
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To help us stay connected and better support our families, please take a moment to complete the End-of-Year Surveyand let us know how things are going. Your feedback matters! Here is the link: https://tejoin.com/scroll/510276302.
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This school year, we have worked hard to make sure every student feels welcome, included, and part of our school community. From classrooms to clubs, we’ve made sure all students have the chance to join in, take part, and be seen.
Everyone Is Part of the Action
All students were invited to join school-day activities like assemblies, field days, spirit weeks, and class celebrations. Staff worked together to make sure every student had the support they needed to take part in fun and meaningful school experiences.
More Leadership Opportunities
Novato High School added another Leadership class this year. This gave more students the chance to be involved, build leadership skills, and help make a difference in our school. Leadership is for everyone, and we are proud to create space for all students to take part.
Age-Appropriate Learning and Activities
Students took part in grade-level programs like library time, classroom lessons, and other learning activities with their peers. When possible, students were also included in general education classrooms, with the right support to help them succeed.
Buddy Programs Build Friendships
Our Buddy Programs at many schools throughout NUSD brought students together to learn from each other and build strong friendships. These programs helped students feel connected and cared for while learning important social skills.
Thank you to our staff, students, and families for helping to make our schools a place where everyone belongs.
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This year, our schools have worked to build even stronger partnerships with families. We know that when schools and families work together, students do better, both in and out of the classroom. That’s why we’ve focused on better communication and more opportunities to connect.
Family Information and Connection Events
This fall, we held a New Family Special Education Information Night to help families new to our programs learn about services, supports, and who to contact for help. It was a great way to welcome new families and build strong relationships from the start.
We also hosted four “Coffee and Chat” meetings throughout the year. These informal gatherings gave families the chance to ask questions, share feedback, and connect with staff in a relaxed setting.
Our District Special Education Advisory Committee (DSEAC) met four times to bring together families, staff, and leadership to talk about special education, share ideas, and work together to make our programs even better.
Keeping Families Informed
We sent out monthly newsletters to keep families updated on programs, events, and resources. These newsletters were shared using Smore and ParentSquare which allows for many language options.
ParentSquare at all schools was set up for all families, including our families that attend MCOE programs on the NUSD campuses, to receive the same important information and stay involved, no matter which program their student attends.
Hearing from Families
This year, we sent out family surveys to better understand what families want to learn more about. We asked for input on what topics matter most and how we can improve our services. These surveys are helping us plan future meetings, events, and supports that reflect what families truly need.
We are proud of the progress we’ve made in building stronger family partnerships this year. Thank you to all the families who attended meetings, shared ideas, and stayed connected. Your voice makes a difference, and we look forward to growing our partnership even more in the coming year.
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Seeds of Partnership
Seeds of Partnership is a project that supports educators, administrators, department of education staff, parent center directors/staff, technical assistance partners, families, and young adults with disabilities across California. We provide training, learning and support tools, as well as parent and professional resources in the areas of family engagement, alternative dispute resolution, early learning, youth leadership/self advocacy and compliance and improvement monitoring.
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The California Department of Education (CDE), Special Education Division, is excited to announce the launch of a new Family Empowerment Center (FEC) website, created in partnership with Seeds of Partnership. The website can be accessed at https://californiafamilyempowermentcenters.org/. It is designed to be easy for parents to use and provides important information to help families connect with resources and services offered by the FECs.
FECs were first created by Senate Bill 511 and became part of the California Education Code in 2001. In 2021, the state expanded the program to make sure every region has access to a parent center. These centers provide training and information for families of children and young adults with disabilities, ages 3 to 22. The FECs are nonprofit organizations led by parents. They offer special training, support from other parents, information, and help finding services. The goal is to help parents understand their child's educational and developmental needs, communicate with service providers, navigate the Individual Education Plan (IEP) process, participate in school improvement efforts, and promote peaceful solutions to disagreements. The services each FEC offers may vary depending on the needs of the region they serve.
Key highlights of the new website:
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General Information: Overview, history of the FEC grant expansion, and funding information
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Spotlight on the FECs: Learn about the incredible work being done by each FEC across California
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Easy Access to Find an FEC: Discover how to connect with the FEC serving a specific region with an easy-to-use look up tool
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Family Support: General parent support and a getting started with highlighted references
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Questions/Comments: Opportunity to share comments and questions related to FECs
If you have additional questions regarding the FECs, please contact the CDE−FEC Team by email at [email protected].
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