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Parents’ special-education advisory group honors three Lake Central staff with annual Impact Awards
Summary
The Lake Central Special Education Parent Advisory Committee presented Impact Awards to an educator, support staff member and related-service provider for outstanding work with students receiving special education services; the board received the recognition during its March 2 meeting.
Members of the Lake Central School Corporation Special Education Parent Advisory Committee presented the group’s annual Impact Awards during the board’s March 2 meeting, recognizing three staff members for sustained work supporting students with disabilities.
The volunteer, parent-led committee described its mission as empowering families, connecting community resources and advising district leaders on services and policies that affect students who receive special education. The committee said it has hosted workshops and community resource fairs and is expanding regionally.
The educator Impact Award went to Miss Kelly Hempenius, who received multiple nominations praising her advocacy, individualized supports and work easing students’ transitions into middle school. A committee member read parents’ comments saying Hempenius “does not see [a child] as a checklist of goals or data points” and that she “worked persistently to find better solutions.”
The support-staff award went to Samantha Sheffford, whose nomination described her as “one of the most kind, selfless, and empathetic people I’ve ever met,” noting consistent classroom support and relationship-building with students.
The related-services Impact Award went to Jenna Boland. Boland identified herself during the meeting as “a speech-language pathologist in the early childhood program at Watson and at [an] elementary school,” and committee remarks credited her with helping a nonverbal child develop spoken language and achieve independent classroom placement.
Board members thanked the committee for bringing the recognition to a business meeting, saying the awards highlight daily work that can be overlooked in routine agenda items. No board action was required for the presentation.
The committee said it will continue to host workshops — including a virtual session on executive functioning March 12 — and to convene community resource fairs to connect families with services from early childhood through adulthood.
