Department of Student Services
Special Education, SEL and School Safety
September is Attendance Awareness Month, National Suicide Prevention Month
Small daily habits make a huge difference in your child's success and stress levels at school.
Build Strong Routines
- Set fixed times: Keep a consistent bedtime and set alarms 10 minutes earlier if mornings feel rushed.
Prep the night before: Lay out clothes and pack backpacks before bed.
Screen-free mornings: Keep TVs and devices off before school to avoid distraction.
Address Health & Anxiety
When to stay home: Send kids to school with minor sniffles, but keep them home for fevers or contagious illnesses.
Spot the signs: Headaches or stomachaches can often be signs of school anxiety rather than physical illness.
Reach out: Talk to teachers or school counselors right away if your child feels nervous about class.
Plan for Obstacles
Backup plans: Coordinate with a neighbor or family member in case of car trouble or a missed bus.
Smart scheduling: Book doctor visits and family trips outside of school hours whenever possible.
Quick Resources for Families:
Check out the Attendance Works Parent Guide for printable morning routines.
Unsure if your child is too sick for class? Review the AAP Health Guidelines.
Treatment Request
At District 3 Beach Park, the well-being of our students and families is our top priority. Understanding the critical role mental health plays in student success, we have launched District 3 CARES—a comprehensive initiative aimed at improving access to quality mental health services across our community.
What is District 3 CARES?
District 3 CARES stands for Community, Advocacy, Resilience, Engagement, and Support. This program is specifically designed to provide essential mental health resources and support to students and families, with a focus on those facing financial challenges.
Our mission is to ensure that every student has the tools they need to thrive—both emotionally and academically. By addressing barriers to care, we aim to empower students to reach their full potential in and out of the classroom.
Our Commitment
Through District 3 CARES, we reaffirm our dedication to fostering a supportive, resilient community where every student has equitable access to the resources and support they need to succeed.
Connected Family Resource & Toolbox Center
Beach Park District 3 utilizes Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) as a core framework to improve student behavior and create a positive, effective learning environment.
PBIS is a proactive, research-based approach that emphasizes teaching, supporting, and celebrating positive behavior across all school settings. It operates through a Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) to ensure all students receive the necessary social and emotional assistance.
The initiative is centered on three unified behavioral expectations that are taught and reinforced district-wide:
We Use Kindness
We Use Empathy
We are Courageous
In practice, this means staff provide more praise than correction, explicitly teach expected behaviors for various school settings, and use data-driven decisions to continuously adjust support strategies. The district encourages parent partnership to reinforce these three core values at home, aiming to develop the whole child for success.
Helping Young Children with Learning Disabilities at Home
Many parents of young children with learning disabilities ask what they can do at home to help their youngsters. Generally, the first step is to try to understand the child’s difficulties and to consider how these weaknesses might impact on self-help skills, communication, discipline, play and independence; however, above all, we encourage them to focus on the child’s strengths in order to build self-esteem and to help them become an integral part of the family.
https://ldaamerica.org/info/helping-young-children-with-learning-disabilities-at-home/
Child Find BPD3
Child Find Procedures
Beach Park School District 3 (BPD3) is dedicated to locating, identifying, and evaluating all children who reside within the district boundaries, from birth through age 21, who may have an educational disability and be in need of special education or related services.
This responsibility is part of the federal mandate known as Child Find, under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and Article 14 of the Illinois School Code. This obligation applies regardless of the severity of the disability and includes children who are:
Currently enrolled in BPD3 public schools.
Attending private or parochial schools within the district's boundaries (for certain services).
Highly mobile (such as migrant or homeless children).
Preschool-aged children (ages 3 through 5).
Infants and toddlers (birth through 2 years of age) collaboration with Early Intervention .
1. The Child Find Process by Age Group
A. Infants and Toddlers (Birth through Age 2)
For this age group, the primary responsibility for early intervention services rests with the Illinois Department of Human Services (DHS) Child and Family Connections (CFC) Office - 847-377-8900.
Referral: If you have concerns about a child's development from birth up to age three, the referral should be made to the local CFC office. BPD3 is responsible for referring identified infants and toddlers to the CFC within five working days.
Contact for Birth to 2: The CFC handles evaluation and services under IDEA Part C.
B. Preschool-Aged Children (Ages 3 through 5)
Beach Park District 3 is the responsible entity for locating, screening, and evaluating all three- and four-year-old residents.
Screening: BPD3 conducts free developmental screenings throughout the school year. This initial screening looks at key developmental areas (e.g., motor skills, language, cognition, self-help) to determine if a full evaluation is necessary.
If you have concerns about your preschooler's development, please contact the Student Services Office to schedule a free screening appointment.
Evaluation: If the screening team or parent concerns indicate a possible disability, a full, comprehensive, multi-disciplinary case study evaluation is conducted at no cost to the parent.
Eligibility and IEP: If the child is found eligible for special education services, the team develops an Individualized Education Program (IEP). Services are primarily provided through the Early Childhood Program at Oak Crest Elementary School.
C. School-Aged Students (Ages 5 through 21)
For students enrolled in BPD3 schools (Kindergarten through 8th Grade):
Internal Referral (MTSS/RtI): If a student is not making adequate progress in the general education classroom, the classroom teacher, in conjunction with the school's Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) or Response to Intervention (RtI) team, will implement evidence-based interventions.
External Referral/Parent Concern: If the interventions are not successful, or if a parent, guardian, or outside professional suspects a disability, a referral for a Special Education Case Study Evaluation may be made.
Process: All school-age concerns should be directed to the student’s building principal or school psychologist to initiate the formal evaluation referral process through the building-level problem-solving team.
2. Who to Contact at Beach Park District 3
If you are a parent or guardian of a resident child who is not currently receiving special education services and you suspect they may have a disability, please contact the Student Services Office.
Jan Schnettler
Administrative Assistant to Student Services, Early Intervention Transition Coordinator
Phone: 847-599-5056
Jorge Seda
Assistant Superintendent of Academics and Operations
Email: jseda@bpd3.org
We encourage any family with developmental concerns to reach out. Early identification is key to providing effective intervention and support for your child's success.
Jan Schnettler- Administrative Assistant/ EI Coordinator/ Homeless Liaison