Setting Your Students Up For Success

Setting Students up for Success

By Mitzi Saul, Jewish Federation & Foundation of Northeast Florida

Jewish Young Infl uencer Alison Weisman, M.Ed. is the E.P.I.C. inclusion supervisor for students at DuBow Preschool, Martin J. Gottlieb Day School and Torah Academy. E.P.I.C., an acronym for Education, Partnership, Inclusion, and Counseling is a remarkable program that integrates support services into the classroom and spans the full preschool-through-eighth-grade spectrum of needs. The program off ers families the opportunity to receive support services for their children while still accessing a well-rounded, Jewish education.

E.P.I.C. provides support and care students need to succeed both inside and outside the classroom. The E.P.I.C. team provides students with individualized education and parents with a better understanding of what programming and support is available to help their family. The program also helps students get the tools they need to help themselves, with the ultimate goal of helping students learn in their best environment. For instance, a child with special needs may fi nd it diffi cult to concentrate while taking a test in a room full of other students. Alison might recommend that the student go to a quiet room where there would be less distractions or feelings of self-doubt.

“Self-care is setting work-life boundaries through time management, self-advocating by being assertive, and discovering the tools you need to be your best self. I try to practice self-care so I can give my students the best version of me and they can learn how these skills we teach them translate to real life.”

Seven years ago, Jewish Family & Community Services, in partnership with several private donors, established the E.P.I.C. program. Thanks to these donors continued generosity for the past seven years, this program has allowed children to benefi t from support services within the Jewish day school setting where otherwise this support would not be available. E.P.I.C. operates in both preschools and K-8 schools, with some key diff erences between the two. The preschool program includes more preliminary measures, such as observation and support for further evaluation, while K-8 E.P.I.C. students can utilize a full range of services, including social skills groups, classroom social and emotional lessons, test accommodation and modifi cation, and modifi ed educational curriculum.

Working one-on-one or with small groups of students with learning disabilities or behavioral issues, 64 students utilize the inclusion services provided by Alison. She helps with service plans and assists teachers with classroom management and accommodations. And thanks to her coordination, 12 students are now receiving Duval County Public School support in the schools. She says, “Our goal is that all of our students love learning, feel confi dent in their abilities, and also grow towards independence while working with us and their teachers.”

E.P.I.C. is just one of the many programs and services that Jewish Federation & Foundation of Northeast Florida supports. In addition to JFCS’ generous donors in the sixth year of the program, the Jewish Florida supports. In addition to JFCS’ generous donors in the sixth year of the program, the Jewish Foundation’s B’nai Tzedek Next Gen fundholders awarded E.P.I.C. a three-year $15,000 grant to ensure that all children can fully experience the richness of Jewish educational, cultural, and social life.

*Last month, Jewish Life magazine highlighted Jewish Young Infl uencers in our community. Alison is currently in the Young Professionals & Families’ BRIDGES Leadership Development Initiative class who shares an eagerness to make her community a better place. By working as an E.P.I.C. educator, she ensures all children are provided the tools they need to be successful.