Lighthouse School, Inc.
May 11, 2020
"Love is better than anger. Hope is better than fear. Optimism is better than despair.
So let us be loving, hopeful and optimistic. And we’ll change the world". – Jack Layton
Dear Parents & Guardians,
We hope this weekly newsletter finds you all well. We also hope that after another week of adjusting to this new way of life, routines are more established and daily school participation has become more normative.
Retrospectively, we find it remarkable to have completed 8 consecutive weeks of remote learning together. What was once supportive family phone calls and daily check-ins with your child has blossomed into a comprehensive remote learning platform. We are proud of what we have accomplished together to offer your child and your family the therapeutic and academic supports necessary to learn and grow biodevelopmentally.
As you may have noticed in last week’s update the biodevelopmental theme for May is Strengths. As both therapeutic and academic lessons continue, staff will be weaving in opportunities for your child to gain a deeper understanding of self and collective strength. We encourage you to engage with your child and discuss strengths when opportunities arise. We hope the resources contained in the weekly update help you with this process. This can be one more way that your child experiences parents/guardians and Lighthouse School working collectively.
Finally, we also recognize as parents and guardians you too are becoming more aware of and exhibiting individual and collective strengths in ways you may not have thought in the recent past. We applaud the strength you bring to your families and your commitment to this process.
Warm Regards,
Peter Lang, M.Ed., Principal
Spotlight Family Services Department
Families at Lighthouse School face many challenges. These challenges don’t begin and end during traditional school hours. During these extenuating circumstances, Covid-19, families have faced difficulties unlike those seen before. The Family Therapy Division has been and remains a source of support, guidance and assistance for our students and families. Family Therapists have been contacting students and families throughout this period to process the feelings that have come along with these changes, to offer healthy strategies to manage these feelings and to provide guidance through these new and ever-changing times.
In addition to focusing on the students’ clinical needs, our Family Therapists have been working closely with students and families to navigate the transition to remote learning. From walking students and families through the process of accessing lessons, providing schedules and answering questions related to technology, the Family Therapists have continued to support the students’ academic needs in addition to focusing on their emotional well-being.
Along with their responsibilities involving communication with families, Family Therapists have continued to support the Team Meeting Process, participate in Case Management meetings with our students' collateral agency involvements, and manage a 24-hour family support line. Please see instructions at the bottom of the Update for more information on accessing this support line. Family Therapists, along with the other therapists in the Clinical Division are also running remote group therapy sessions for all of our students on Google Classroom.
When your child enrolled at Lighthouse School, we made a commitment to accept not just them as a student, but to accept and care for the whole family. The Family Therapists remain committed to providing this support to you and your family during this difficult time and we appreciate your partnership and collaboration to best serve the needs of your children.
In these times of high demand for internet access, we wanted to provide some information on how you can get help from some industry leaders:
If you think there might be a way that Lighthouse can help with technology and internet connectivity, please reach out to your Family Therapist!
Family Sentiments
As always, we welcome feedback from parents and guardians and we enjoy hearing how our staff's treatment and teaching efforts have made an impact on our families. Below are some examples of sentiments parents and guardians have shared with our team:
"I just want to thank you for being so awesome and taking the time to call us daily. I know it helps me to touch base with you daily and be reminded that everything is going to be ok and I am doing the best I can with what I have... Finding a balance right now is hard."
"I know you have 200 hundred or more other students, family, and staff going through their different stages of grief and loss and being focused on each family needs to be commended. Thank you. "
"[We] wanted to thank you for preparing for and launching the virtual learning for the kiddos at Lighthouse. No small feat for so many reasons! This week exceeded all expectations! The level of instruction and the patience the teachers demonstrated was so impressive. And I loved that the teachers had tech and scheduling glitches along the way and demonstrated staying calm and problem solving in the moment."
"It has also been great to have a front row seat to see what [our son] is capable of - academically, socially, and behaviorally. To be honest, we were surprised by [his] endurance, flexibility, patience, and contributions. We are really proud of him."
"Thank you for your commitment to these kids and going above and beyond! We are SO grateful [our son] is part of the Lighthouse family."
Looking for help with talking to your children about COVID-19?
It can be difficult to know how to explain what we are experiencing as a result of COVID-19 to our children, particularly the youngest ones. One resource available to help parents and guardians talk to their children about COVID-19 is a book developed by the Inter-Agency Standing Committee Reference Group on Mental Health and Psychosocial Support in Emergency Settings. For this project, a global survey was distributed in multiple languages to assess children’s mental health and psychosocial needs during the COVID-19 outbreak. A framework of topics to be addressed through the story was developed using the survey results and the final product was edited to include feedback from children, parents and caregivers.
There are also several books listed below that can be used as tools to read with your children to address some common feelings and themes people are experiencing at this time:
Theme: Resilience
Swimmy by Leo Lionni
The Thing Lou Couldn’t Do by Ashley Spires
After the Fall (How Humpty Dumpty Got Back Up Again) by Dan Santat
Theme: Anxiety
Hey Warrior by Karen Young
Worry Says What by Allison Edwards
You’ve Got Dragons by Kathryn Cave
Theme: Comfort
I’m Here by Peter H. Reynolds
Student Coping Skills: Help is Here
Many Lighthouse School students often need support to identify when they are feeling unregulated, and to access strategies that will help them. They may feel lethargic, unfocused, anxious, or overwhelmed at different times or when faced with different situations. Throughout the school year, Lighthouse School staff work with the students to identify coping strategies that work best for each particular child.
This Coping Strategies Menu includes a ‘R.A.E.’ arrow, which stands for Regulation of Activity and Experience. It is a concept that the students are familiar with, and is used to help them determine “where they are” in regards to self- regulation. There are also three corresponding boxes; Low, Medium or High with suggestions as to strategies they might try depending on the level with which they identify.
With the transition to remote learning, we would like to offer this resource to families and students in their homes. Lighthouse School Bioeducational Facilitators, in their continued commitment to their students, worked to update and creatively adapt each menu to your child’s individual needs. Please ask your child about his or her individual coping menu. If you would like a copy for use outside of the school day please let your Family Therapist know and a copy can be sent via email.
We hope you find them as helpful as we have, and as always, please contact your Family Therapist with any questions and feedback to help us continue to improve.
SAMPLE 1 ELEMENTARY SAMPLE 2 HERE MIDDLE/HIGH
To our LEA's
Thank you for your continued partnership as we work to support our students and their families. We are here for you and if you need anything, please do not hesitate to contact us:
Dorothy Pepin, Director of Program Administration Pepind@lighthouseschool.org
Jennifer Kamin, Associate Director of Program Administration Kaminj@lighthouseschool.org
Amy Bassett, Supervisor for Team Meetings
Sandra Muldowney, Supervisor for Enrollment Services
Muldowneys@lighthouseschool.org
To our Families
Our therapists are available to offer clinical support to families and students 24 hours a day.
If you are in need of assistance, please call our support line, starting with Line 1.
Line #1: (978) 821-1351
If you are not able to connect with a therapist or do not get a response within 10 minutes, please try Line 2.
Line #2: (978) 821-0316
Resources
Assistance for students and families, including meals, is available throughout the week and varies by school district. Please visit your public school district's website for the most current information.
Click the icon for up-to-date information regarding COVID-19 from the Mass General Hospital website