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NH Parent Involvement in Education
Recognition Ceremony
2016
Earlier this month in Concord, the Parent Information Center (PIC) celebrated the efforts of educators, parents and family-school partnership teams from around the state who displayed creativity, innovation, and/or commitment at the community, school, district or state level to promote parent involvement and family-school partnerships. Meet our honorees below...
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NH State Board of Education
Tom Rafio accepted the award on behalf of the entire board. The State Board of Education encourages, supports & highlights positive education initiatives. Under their leadership, parent-school partnership policies and practices have become a core value in education in NH.
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Penny Duffy, Parent Leader
Penny advocates on behalf of NH children living with vision issues. She is a wealth of information for schools, parents and professionals around supporting individuals with vision issues and blindness and works to ensure there is access available to those students.
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Senator Nancy Stiles & Bonnie Dunham
Both Senator Stiles and Bonnie have dedicated many years of service and speak up loudly in support of families of children with disabilities and were instrumental in restructuring NH's Special Education Laws.
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Dawne Altemus, Parent Leader
Dawne has an active role in Bedford's newly established Parent Focus Group and continuously contributed ideas about varied methods of effective communication from the perspective of the parent. Her participation in the Parent Focus group has been key in making the group successful in its first year.
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Paul Ferenc, Guidance Counselor, Plymouth Regional High School
As a freshman guidance counselor,
Paul does an amazing job keeping the lines of communication open for both parents and student and encourages parents to become members of the school's community council bringing students, parents, faculty & administration together to discuss policy & school improvement ideas.
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Kathi Harris, Co-Director Seacoast Learning Collaborative
Kathi exhibits the kind of personality and professionalism that allows all parents to have the opportunity to participate meaningfully in their child's education. She listens for the meaning behind the words and often reaches out to parents and providers to check her thinking and solicit other's perspectives.
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Donna & Eric Brand, Parent & Community Leaders
Donna & Eric were the inspirational and driving force behind the Legacy Playground in Nashua, a universally accessible & inclusive playground that opened this fall, creating a safe place for all children regardless of their ability.
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Maureen Callaghan, Parent Leader, SLP Rochester School District
Maureen is committed to making sure that both parents and school staff have the skills necessary to communicate effectively and participate in the decision making & special ed process. She works to ensure that parents have access to resources necessary to support their child's wellbeing and have the tools to be effective communicators.
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Marge Chiafery, Supt. & John Fabrizio, Dir. Special Services, Merrimack School District
Marge and John
have been the steady forces behind the success of the special education family-school partnership in Merrimack. Marge and John have helped foster an atmosphere of collaboration, respect and support around issues pertaining to special education, parent involvement & community involvement.
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Mary Lane, Consultant NHDOE Bureau of Special Education
Mary has been instrumental in advocating for systemic and policy-level changes for the involvement of families in a multitude of initiatives. Her vision for family-school partnerships has led to the infusion of family involvement initiatives. NH is fortunate to have such a strong champion.
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Paula Ferenc, Leaving a Legacy Award
PIC presented Paula with the "Leaving a Legacy Award" in honor of her many years of dedication and work on behalf of NH families and children.
Paula has demonstrated a commitment to the mission and values of PIC through her many hours of volunteer service and has made a difference for NH families, schools and communities.
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Paula Daneau, School Counselor, Mt. Pleasant Elementary School
Paula saw a vital need for support and training for the families of students with mental health challenges and with some partners brought NAMI's "Parents Meeting the Challenge" to the Nashua area. She is committed to helping families, especially those whose native language is not English, and their ability to support their children both academically and emotionally.
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Dawn Holdsworth, Parent Leader
Dawn is an amazing advocate for foster children and their families. She is currently part of a school committee in Pelham looking at how to better support children who have experienced trauma and how to address training for school staff.
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Jessica Jahne, Case Manager, Hinsdale Elementary School
Jessica truly supports the parents' role in their child's learning. She works with parents to find the best possible solutions and thinks outside the box. She is committed to working with parents as a team.
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Erika Downie, Parent Leader
Erika is an excellent communicator, organizer and network of support for families in the Merrimack Valley Community. She was the driving force behind the Parent Outreach Group and she started Spectrum 46 to support families of children with Autism.
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Robert Nelson, Principal, Lin-Wood Public Schools
Robert is a transformational leader who involves all stakeholders. His leadership and commitment to the community set the tone and creates a standard of which all are encouraged to follow.
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Parent Involvement in Education Month Calendars
The suggestions on these calendars can be used throughout the year!
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Parent Information Center | (603) 224-7005
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