J. Mason Tomlin Elementary School will be the setting for the March 25 fair, which is free to families of students with disabilities.
Special-education parent advisory groups from the Mantua and Harrison Townships school districts and the Clearview Regional district are joining forces to host their annual special-education community fair at J. Mason Tomlin (JMT) Elementary School on Tuesday March 25.
Families of students with disabilities – including the kids themselves – from both communities and Gloucester County are invited to attend the free event. It is intended to highlight resources for students with disabilities who have been diagnosed, have yet to be diagnosed or high-school seniors moving on to their next chapter.
“We try to bring the resources to the families,” explained Harrison’s Director of Student Services Lori Hynes. “We bring these resources all into one place. We’ll get more vendors coming in the week of the event. It gets bigger and bigger every year.”
As of Feb. 11, there are 37 vendors participating, according to a list provided by the Mantua school district. They represent transition services, including the New Jersey Division of Disability Services; sports clubs such as Special Olympics New Jersey; therapeutic services like CompleteCare Health Network; and informational services from the Gloucester County Office of Mental Health.
Fair participants will have the opportunity to register for any of the programs on the spot with the event’s organizations.
“The fair is for parents who aren’t sure about the resources they can use to help their children,” Hynes noted. “The event is giving them access to these resources all in one place in order to get their kids involved with help.”
The first fair took place more than a decade ago, according to Hynes, and has since alternated between the Mantua, Harrison and Clearview districts, which have close ties to each other since students from Mantua and Harrison move on to Clearview once they reach seventh grade.
The fairs are the result of a partnership between each district’s special-education parent advisory groups, Hynes, Clearview’s Director of Special Services Nathan Barnes and Mantua Director of Special Services Stephanie Logan. The four groups work together to coordinate each annual event.
“Come and meet state and local organizations representing a wide range of interests,” said Hynes.
Fair hours will be 6:30 to 8 p.m.
