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Special Education
Dear Haledon Community,
I am extremely excited about the opportunity to serve as your Director of Special Services. I will begin my 21st year in the field of public education. I began my career as a Child Study Team School Social Worker. My administrative experiences have consisted of serving as Vice Principal, Supervisor of Special Services Pre-k - 12, and Director of Special Services Pre-k - 12.
I possess a Master of Arts Degree in Administration and Supervision from Montclair State University and Bachelor of Arts Degree in Psychology from Centenary College. I hold New Jersey Principal, Supervisor, and School Social Work certificates.
I am committed to working with the entire school community and its stakeholders to meet the district's mission and core beliefs. I take pride and ownership of my professional duties, fostering positive relationships with students and their families, and working cohesively as a team in order to attain department and district level goals.
I reside in Wayne with my wife Jennifer and am the proud father of three sons and a daughter.
Sincerely,
Roberto Mendez
Director of Special Services
Haledon Public School
Mission:
To provide highly effective comprehensive educational programs and service delivery across all grade levels in order to meet the diverse needs of our students within the least restrictive environment so that they can attain their maximum potential.
Program Overview:
The Child Study Team is a collaborative group of professionals who provide consultation, evaluations, educational, social, emotional, and behavioral support to students, teachers and parents. The members of the Child Study Team, as determined by the N.J.A.C. 6A:14, Special Education, are a school psychologist, a learning disabilities teacher-consultant, and a school social worker. Haledon Public Schools also employs speech and language pathologists, occupational therapists, physical therapists, and a behaviorist (BCBA).
Haledon Public School offers the following comprehensive educational programs for our students: Inclusion, pullout replacement, Learning and/or language disabilities (LLD), Multiple Disabilities (MD), and Autism (ASD).
Staff Directory:
Roberto Mendez, Director of Special Services
Julie Tatis, Administrative Assistant
Rosa Messineo, School Social Worker
Kimberly Colon, School Psychologist
Nicole Ortiz, Learning Disabilities Teacher-Consultant
Carol Molinari, Speech and Language Pathologist
Lauren Sardo, Speech and Language Pathologist
Alexa Raba, Physical therapist
Patricia DeVito, Occupational therapist
Lisa Kin Social Worker/Behaviorist
Project Child Find
In order to identify preschool children whose serious problems may lead to difficulties in school, Haledon Public School will assess any children 3-5 years of age and who are suspected to have a disability.
In order to identify preschool children whose serious problems may lead to difficulties in school, Haledon Public School will assess any children 3-5 years of age and who are suspected to have a disability.