The Student Services Department of the Northampton Public Schools oversees Special Education, English Language Education, Family Engagement and Early Childhood departments in the Northampton Public Schools. Additionally the department ensures compliance with the 504 process in the district and supports homeless and foster students. Supports provided through the Student Services Department continue to be aligned with the established regulations of the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA), the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and policies and laws for educating students with limited English proficiency.
Student Services Administrators:
Joshua Dickson M.S. Ed., Director of Student Services, jdickson@northampton-k12.us
Celeste Malvezzi, M.Ed., CAGS, Associate Director of Student Services, cmalvezzi@northampton-k12.us
Marianne Lockwood, M.M., M.Ed., Associate Director of Student Services, mlockwood@northampton-k12.us
Lauren Barry, M.Ed., Family & Student Engagement and English Language Coordinator, lbarry@northampton-k12.us
Candy Goyette, RN, BSN, Director of Health, Safety and Equity Programs, cgoyette@northampton-k12.us
The English Learner (EL) program (Click for a detailed website) is designed to support students whose first language is not English. Students who are screened and found eligible for EL services receive English Language Education (ELE) instruction from a certified EL educator. They also receive Sheltered English Immersion (SEI) from their core content teachers. These two components of the ELE program provide a comprehensive educational experience for English Learners.
As a school district and community, Northampton strives to recognize, embrace and welcome multilingual and non-native English speakers from all cultures. NPS educators continue to enhance the academic and social experiences of incoming students in the district and seek to enrich the relationships with their English Learner (EL) families.
El programa de Estudiantes de inglés (EL) está diseñado para apoyar a los estudiantes cuyo primer idioma no es el inglés. Los estudiantes que son evaluados y elegibles para los servicios de EL reciben instrucción de Educación del Idioma Inglés (ELE) de un educador certificado en EL. También reciben inmersión en inglés protegida (SEI) de sus maestros de contenido básico. Estos dos componentes del programa ELE brindan una experiencia educativa integral para los estudiantes de inglés.
Como distrito escolar y comunidad, Northampton se esfuerza por reconocer, acoger y dar la bienvenida a hablantes de inglés multilingües y no nativos de todas las culturas. Los educadores de NPS continúan mejorando las experiencias académicas y sociales de los estudiantes entrantes en el distrito y aspiran a enriquecer las relaciones con sus familias de Estudiantes de inglés (EL).
The Northampton School District maintains a continuum of services for eligible students with special needs. Services include modifications and accommodations provided within the general education classroom to support children with special needs in general education, specialized instruction in special education classrooms, substantially separate special education programs, and related services. Related services include speech/language, occupational, and physical therapy, psychological evaluation, assistive technology, specialized consultation, behavioral supports, and school adjustment counseling. Special education programs within the Northampton Public Schools are designed to ensure that eligible children receive a free and appropriate public education in the least restrictive environment.
District special education programming conforms to the requirement of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), a federal education program enacted in 1975 to improve educational opportunities for children with disabilities, as well as to the requirements of the Massachusetts Special Education Regulations. Programs provide special education and related services to children who qualify as a child with a disability including:
- Autism
- Developmental Delay
- Intellectual Impairment
- Sensory Impairment
- Neurological Impairment
- Emotional Impairment
- Communication Impairment
- Physical Impairment
- Health Impairment
- Specific Learning Disability
If you have concerns regarding your child, you can contact the following individuals:
Preschool: Education Team Leader, Sarah Allium, sallium@northampton-k12.us
Leeds: School Principal or School Psychologist, Kira Henninger, kirahenninger@northampton-k12.us
Bridge: School Principal or School Psychologist, Andrew Koerner, akoerner@northampton-k12.us
Ryan Road: School Principal or School Psychologist, Clara McCoy, cmmcoy@northampton-k12.us
Jackson St: School Principal or School Psychologist, Jasmine Sicotte, jasminesicotte@northampton-k12.us
JFK Middle School: Education Team Leader, Sara Churchill, schurchill@northampton-k12.us
NHS: Education Team Leader, Rebel McKinley, (413) 587-1344 x3112, rmckinley@northampton-k12.us
Additional information is available from the Massachusetts Department of Education www.doe.mass.edu, your child’s school, or the Northampton Student Services Office: