LPSD - Special Education

Join us for the final SPED PAC meeting of the school year!

Sped PAC - June meeting

To all Sped PAC members and friends, This Thursday's meeting will be the last meeting of this school year. It's been another interesting and informative year. Guest speakers included representatives from the Northeast Family Leadership Program, Northeast ARC, Seven Hills, Federation for Children with Special Needs, UMass Lowell, Lowell Education Justice Alliance and more. We are currently looking for topics/speakers for next year. If you have ideas, questions or discussions you'd like to see addressed, let us know.

The guest speaker will be Maggie O’Neil, speaking about a program at UMass Lowell that some of our families may be interested in. Please see attached flyer. In the meantime, we hope all of you have a fun and safe summer. We'll see you back here in the fall.
Natalie, Erin and Linda

Please visit the LPS website calendar for link information.

-Tentative date for September meeting will be on Thursday, September 17, 2026 at 7:00 PM. Link for that meeting will be sent out through email in September.

-Next Step is a college preparatory program for high school students with social challenges including Autism Spectrum Disorders and nonverbal learning disabilities. Students learn and practice key social, independent living, organizational, and coping skills needed for successful college living.

Join Lowell Public Schools for an informative Parent Workshop presented by Walker Solutions! Learn about the importance of family engagement in education and how to effectively advocate for your child’s success in school.

Two opportunities to attend:
• June 2 – Virtual Session
• June 16 – In-Person Session at the STEM Academy

We hope you'll join us for this valuable opportunity to connect, learn, and support your child's educational journey!

This event is open to Lowell Public Schools middle school students in grades 5–8.

**Update as of 5/28/26: The Spring Jamboree scheduled for May 30th has been cancelled due to weather. The Middle School Soccer Cup Challenge has been postponed until Saturday, June 6th. Please contact your school for additional information.**

LPD6

Spring Jamboree

Lowell middle school students are invited to join staff and officers from the LPD, Lowell Recreation Department, and Lowell Public Schools for a fun afternoon of sports competition, snacks, games, and prizes!

📆 Saturday, May 30, 2026

⏰ 11:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.

📍 UMass Lowell Campus Recreation Center/Field (225 Aiken St Lowell, MA)

To register, please visit rebrand.ly/d31654. Questions? Please call Lowell Public Schools Office of Special Programs at 978-674-2037.

LPD6

Please join us for the monthly SPED PAC meeting tonight at 7:00 PM. For the meeting link and details, please visit the LPS website calendar.

A big thank you to all of our teachers for everything you do each day! Your dedication, patience, and care make a difference in the lives of our students and families. We appreciate you!

A message from the SPED PAC

To all Sped PAC members and friends,

This coming Thursday is the Sped PAC's May meeting. As we get ready to close out this year's meetings, we are also looking ahead to next year. As always, we welcome suggestions for meeting topics, discussions and questions. But we are also needing your help with some of the tasks of our growing group. Below is a list of ways that you might consider helping the group. -Linda.

Thursday's Agenda:
-Updates from Special Education Department
-Parent and Caregiver networking.
You may submit your questions or comments to the Sped Pac email, [email protected] and we will ask your question during the meeting, if you would prefer to remain anonymous.

In preparation for next year: We are looking for volunteers to assist with various tasks. Some of these opportunities will be for individuals; others can be several individuals working together or, shared on a rotating basis.

Projects might include but not be limited to the following:
- revamp and update the bylaws
- assist with communications with other groups/individuals as needed
- keeping tabs on school committee meetings, bring forward any info specific to special education
- Making contact with new members
- Outreach, assisting with manning a table at school open houses and resource fairs
- Get the monthly meeting links and send them to the Sped PAC chairperson.
- Attend the meeting and keep an eye for those waiting to enter the meeting from the "waiting room"
- Assist in developing a meeting summary to be sent to those on the email list after each month's meeting

Many of the responsibilities above can be shared by alternating months. If you are only able to volunteer for 2 or 3 months, that still helps tremendously.

Resources for Lowell Families Federation for Children with Special Needs (FCSN): Free workshops and helplines. Please visit FCSN’s website for the list of upcoming workshops, including Basic Rights: Workshops & Events - Federation for Children with Special Needs

This month's positive thought: Together, we make Lowell a stronger, more inclusive community for all learners.

Remaining meeting dates for the 2025 - 2026 school year: All meetings are held on Thursday evenings at 7pm remotely on Google meet.

May 7, 2026 - This week

June 4, 2026- Last meeting of the current school year

To be placed on the email list or for more information about the Sped PAC, email: [email protected]

Please visit the LPS website for link information.

Check out all the Summer Fun!

lowellma.myrec.com

Explore STEM This Summer at IDEA Camp!

IDEA Camp is a hands-on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) summer program held at UMass Lowell. It offers students in grades 5–12 the chance to explore a variety of topics such as forensics, coding, engineering, medicine, and more. Participants gain hands-on experience, build new skills, and learn from certified science and math teachers, along with UMass Lowell student assistants.

For more information about registration, camp session descriptions, fees, payments, cancellations, and other FAQs, please visit the link below.

IDEA Camp | Greater Lowell YMCA IDEA Camp IDEA Camp is a hands-on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) summer workshop held at UMass Lowell. It’s an opportunity for kids in grades 5-12 to dive into a variety of STEM activities including forensics, coding, engineering, medicine, and more! Students benefit from the opport...

How the State is Assessing Your Child’s School’s Special Education Supports & Strategies

Want to better understand how the state evaluates your child’s school for special education services? Federation for Children with Special Needs and Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education break it down in clear, accessible language, including how schools are reviewed on the supports provided to students with disabilities and what it means for your child.

This information can help families understand how their district is doing, ask more informed questions at IEP meetings, and feel more confident advocating for their child. The goal is to make state-level information practical and useful for families.

Registration is required.

https://spedchildmass.com/event/understand-how-the-state-is-assessing-your-childs-schools-special-education-supports-strategies/?fbclid=IwY2xjawRcZsJleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETE2M3huaUI1M0tMOVFBbVFEc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHr-OM6haOiwheP3Nk5DoXccCUUXDgE0ZwHokonFbmMTeOj_kIJljsLEbutRP_aem_K44_1QEgn85EI3i2ck7iQQ

How the State is Assessing Your Child’s School's Special Education Supports & Strategies - SPED Child and Teen Webinars, April – June, 2026, free. Want to understand how the state is assessing your child’s school when it comes to special education? The FCSN and DESE (Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education) explains it in plain language. They will walk through how the state measure...