by Jen Myers

On a chilly January day, Casey Bettencourt and a handful of her high school students bundled up, boarded the van with their grocery lists in hand, and headed out to the Market Basket in Chelmsford.

It may seem like a routine errand, but for these students, it is an important life skill that needs to be taught and practiced.

“When we got there the store was busy and I got nervous,” said Bettencourt. “But, they stuck to their lists and did great. They were so excited when they were done. It went really well and we will do it again.”

Bettencourt has been teaching high school students at the Dr. Janice Adie Day School, the district’s school specifically for students with Autism, since the building opened in 2017. Prior to that, she was a long-term substitute at the Reilly Elementary School and the CSA and Language Based Teacher at the Robinson Middle School.

A Lowell native, Bettencourt graduated from Lowell Catholic High School, earned her bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education and Special Education from Saint Joseph’s College of Maine, and a Master’s degree from Fitchburg State University. In May, she will earn her Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study (CAGS) in Educational Leadership and Management from Fitchburg State University.

Bettencourt said she can remember wanting to be a teacher as early as 4 or 5-years old. It just always seemed to be the right fit for her personality and skill set.

“Casey is a team player,” said Dr. Janice Adie Day School Program Coordinator Christine Adams.“She is always willing to support her colleagues, students and their parents in any way necessary.”

Working in a special education setting, she makes a point of getting to understand the specific needs of each of her students. She takes on each day with an abundance of patience and with the understanding that she may have to change her classroom plans to adapt to the students at any given time, while also keeping them on track.

“I like that every day is completely different,” she said. “Each student needs something different to be successful in each area of their life and I am proud to be able to be a part of their successful future. I like being able to help my students for their future whether it is academic, vocational or through life skills.”

Bettencourt keeps a line of communication open with families because they are crucial partners in her work.

“I try to communicate as much as possible,” she said. “Since some of my students are not able go home and discuss their day, I try to keep as much of an open line of communication so they know about their child’s day and the skills we are working on so they can help practice them at home.”

In addition to helping her students and their families, Adams said Bettencourt is an invaluable resource for her colleagues, especially newer teachers, in preparing the MCAS Alternative Assessment portfolios students need to graduate.

“Working on MCAS Alt portfolios is a four-to-five-month long process,” Bettencourt said. “It requires a lot of work on the teacher and can be very confusing to figure out the requirements. Walking a new teacher through can be overwhelming, but I try to help them make sense of where to start and how to interpret some of the language.”

Ultimately, when a student leaves Ms. Bettencourt’s class, she hopes they are leaving with more confidence in their abilities, and more skills than they came in with in order to lead happy, fulfilling lives.

“I want them to have whatever skills needed to help them, but also their families,” she said.  “I believe helping them to learn independence at home is so important.”

All About Casey Bettencourt
Hobbies: Audiobooks, Puzzles, Binging TV shows
Dream Vacation: European Tour of my Heritage (Italy, Poland, Germany)
Favorite song to sing in the car: High Hopes by Panic! At The Disco
Favorite meal: Taco Bowls
Favorite snack: Sharp Cheese and Crackers
Favorite Movie: Any Harry Potter Movie
Favorite Book: The Housemaid by Freida McFadden
Favorite TV Show: Supernatural
Favorite Fictional Character:  Rubeus Hagrid