Pupil Services

CHILD FIND NOTICE

It is the responsibility of the Athol/Royalston Regional School District to identify any child who is a resident of Athol or Royalston who may have a disability, regardless of the severity of the disability. It is also the responsibility of ARRSD to evaluate those students to determine if they are eligible for special education or related services under IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) or 603 CMR 28 (Massachusetts Special Education Regulations).

ARRSD is committed to identifying children before their third birthday in order to provide early intervention services for three and four year-olds. If you have questions or concerns regarding your child’s development and would like to have him/her screened, please call the Early Childhood Director, Amy Langdon, at the Athol Community Elementary School for information at (978) 249-2406.

If you suspect that your child, at any age, may need an evaluation to determine eligibility for special education services, you may request an evaluation, at no cost, at your child’s school. Please contact the Principal at your child’s school for information about referring your child for an evaluation. Contact information for each school is listed below:

Es responsabilidad del Distrito Escolar Regional de Athol / Royalston identificar a cualquier niño que sea residente de Athol/Royalston que pueda tener una discapacidad, independientemente de la gravedad de la discapacidad. También es responsabilidad de ARRSD evaluar a esos estudiantes para determinar si son elegibles para recibir educación especial o servicios relacionados bajo IDEA (Ley de Educación para Personas con Discapacidades) o 603 CMR 28 (Reglamento de Educación Especial de Massachusetts).

ARRSD se compromete a identificar a los niños antes de su tercer cumpleaños para brindar servicios de intervención temprana para niños de tres y cuatro años. Si tiene preguntas o inquietudes con respecto al desarrollo de su hijo y le gustaría que lo examinen, llame a la Directora de la Primera Infancia, Amy Langdon, a la Escuela Primaria Athol Community      (978) -249-2406

Si sospecha que su hijo, a cualquier edad, puede necesitar una evaluación para determinar la elegibilidad para los servicios de educación especial, puede solicitar una evaluación, sin costo, en la escuela de su hijo. Comuníquese con el director de la escuela de su hijo para obtener información sobre cómo recomendar a su hijo para una evaluación. La información de contacto de cada escuela se encuentra a continuación:

ACES: 978-249-2406

RCS: 978-249-2900

ARMS: 978-249-2430

AHS: 978-249-2435

We encourage you to ask your child’s general education and special education teachers questions anytime – you are your child’s best advocate!

Administrative Assistant, Diane Billingham,  978-249-2403 voice, 
978-249-7210 FAX, dbillingham@arrsd.org

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Parents Notice of Procedural Safeguards

• English http://www.doe.mass.edu/sped/prb/pnps.pdf
• Spanish  http://www.doe.mass.edu/sped/prb/spa_prights.pdf

Parent’s Guide to Special Education  Provided by the Federation for Children with Special Needs

• English http://fcsn.org/parents_guide/pgenglish.pdf    
• Spanish http://fcsn.org/parents_guide/pgspanish.pdf

IEP Process Guide

http://www.doe.mass.edu/sped/iep/proguide.pdf

Special Education Laws and Regulations

http://www.doe.mass.edu/lawsregs/603cmr28.html

Disability Definitions

http://www.doe.mass.edu/sped/definitions.html

Transition from Early Intervention to Special Education

http://www.doe.mass.edu/sped/ecse/TransitionFAQ.html

Brochure for Families and Students with IEPs: The Secondary Transition Planning Process   

https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/transition.html

Students with Disabilities Preparing for Postsecondary Education

https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/transition.html

Parent and Educator Resource Guide to 504 in Public Elementary & Secondary Schools

https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/docs/504-resource-guide-201612.pdf

Student Placement in Elementary and Secondary Schools and Section 504

https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/docs/placpub.html

Athol-Royalston RSD District Accommodation Plan (DCAP)

http://www.arrsd.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/DCAP.pdf

Welcome to the Pupil Services Department! Kathryn Clark, the Pupil Services Director, joined ARRSD in 2017. Kathryn has over 30 years’ experience as a special education teacher, special education administrator and principal in the state of Massachusetts. Kathryn has taught in grades 2 through 12 and has been an administrator at the High School, Middle School and Elementary level. All that experience gives Kathryn a broad understanding of student growth and development and a strong commitment to student, teacher and family well-being. Kathryn also has an artistic side, she once trained as an opera singer and ran a children’s theater program out of Tufts University. Kathryn lives in New Hampshire with her husband, a Technical Education Teacher in Dover, NH, her rescue puppy, Biscuit, and occasionally with her college-age son. However, during the week she is out here, enjoying the beautiful lakes and trails of Central Mass.