Lighthouse School, Inc.
May 7, 2021
"You cannot swim for new horizons until you have courage to lose sight of the shore."
--William Faulkner (American writer and Nobel Prize laureate)
"Courage is like a muscle; it is strengthened by use."
--Ruth Gordon (American actress, screenwriter and playwright)
News & Announcements
Announcements:
May's Bioeducational Theme of the Month is Courage
MCAS testing for grades 3 through 8 begins Tuesday, May 11th through Friday, May 21st. Testing for grade 10 begins Tuesday, May 25th through Tuesday, June 1st.
The April Monthly Newsletters are available in Google Classroom as well as on the Lighthouse School website
Memorial Day is Monday, May 31st; school will be closed in observance of the holiday
Wednesday, June 16: Last Day of School (with no emergency days)
The School Calendar for 2021-2022 is now available
Parent Consent forms for the 2021-2022 school year will soon be available to be completed online
Administrators' Corner
By Dorothy Pepin, Director of Program Administration
As we turn the calendar to May we welcome many things; longer days, warmer weather, beautiful flowers. We also welcome more students on-site for more days each week! This is a very exciting development as we continue to make strides toward school returning to “normal”. All students in grades K through 9 are now in school 5 days a week and we will welcome our 10 through 12 grade students on May 17th. What does this look like and what does it mean for our staff and students?
It means change, but hopefully, a welcome change. It means getting up early enough to catch the bus, spending (masked) face-to-face time with friends and staff, time away from a computer or Chromebook, engaging in hands-on fun lessons, and many other experiences. It also means still being careful about social distancing and mask-wearing so that we can continue this return to school normalcy.
As expected, students have experienced some anxiety and confusion as we all adapt to this latest transition. Knowing this may be an issue; the planning that went into this phase of return to school was done so with the best interest of students in mind. Homeroom configurations and the daily schedules remained constant. Special reinforcement programs, movement breaks and safety plans were developed to ease the feelings associated with change. Minor adjustments to the way in which lessons are executed occurred in order to meet all of the IEP requirements while adhering to health and safety requirements. As an example, instead of all pull-out lessons, we are pushing in some services like Speech, OT, and Individual Therapy. This allows for individualized and small group instruction while limiting movement throughout the building. Homerooms are made up of 2 to 3 “pods” with a maximum of 5 students in any one pod. This allows for flexibility of student movement within the homeroom pods and therefore access to more peers and staff while maintaining safety.
Each day that the bus doors open, we are ready to learn, have fun and gain new experiences in person. We ask that you continue to be vigilant with respect to all the safety measures associated with the safe reopening of schools so that we can continue this path toward a successful return to school for everyone.
Bioeducational Theme of the Month: Courage
Bioeducation
You can find the April Cluster Notes by clicking the image of the folder!
Bioeducational Theme of the Month: Courage
May's Bioeducational theme of the month is Courage. To be courageous means to face challenges, uncertainty, and anxiety without being distracted or deterred by fear or worry. The work that our students do every day to learn about themselves, their disabilities, and the world around them takes a good deal of courage and bravery. This month, we want to help our students recognize what it means to have courage and help them understand how taking risks can allow them to set and achieve their goals. This includes not just at Lighthouse, but at home and in the community as well.
Throughout the month of May, lessons across all subject areas will focus on the theme of Courage. Students will learn about role models throughout history who have demonstrated courage and they will also explore their own definition and understanding of courage. By sharing their experiences with each other, students have a safe space to step outside of their comfort zones and to recognize that they are not alone in how they feel. This may include sharing what courage means to them and looking at instances where it may have been more difficult to maintain their courage.
Using encouragement from staff members, support from peers, and their own inner strength and skills, students will work to gain an increased willingness and ability to take risks. Acts of courage may appear small, but even small challenges can feel like big obstacles for our students. For example, a student may display courage by asking for help on an assignment and another may take a risk to be honest about their true feelings. All of our students have shown courage this year by facing and adapting to the many changes they have experienced in a year that has tested all of our flexibility limits.
Below, you can find a link to a selection of books with the theme of Courage. There is also a link to a worksheet designed to encourage deeper thinking about everyday examples of Courage.
Spotlight on:
Honor Roll
We are excited to present the Honor Roll for the 3rd quarter of the 2020-21 school year. This is our opportunity to acknowledge students that maintain excellence through A/B or Advanced, Proficient, or Progressing grades in their core academic areas (ELA, Writing, Reading, Math, History, Science, Electives), with the exception of a grade scope of Advanced, Proficient, or Progressing for Reading and Writing. This opportunity has been powerful for our students to help define their identity as learners and rebuild their confidence in school. They can reflect on their hard work and perseverance and thrive from the acknowledgment and attention for rising to the challenge each day. This has also allowed us to also have short term goal setting. Not earning Academic Honor Roll might be seen as a defeat. However, it is an opportunity for students to meet with their teachers and strengthen their partnership to set attainable goals for the next quarter. It allows them to look at their strengths and limitations and not see them as a roadblock, but an obstacle to work together to overcome. While this focus not only motivates students to learn about content, it also encourages them to learn about themselves. Together, this process strengthens our efforts in helping students become not only well-rounded learners but also well-rounded people. We would like to recognize and congratulate the students attaining 3rd Quarter Honor Roll for school year 20-21: Click here to see the 3rd Quarter honor roll. You can click to advance the slides.
Coming Soon: Consent Forms Process 2021-2022
As we approach the end of this school year, we are already looking ahead to the upcoming year and our Consent Forms Process will be beginning shortly. Completing these forms annually ensures that we have the most current information for all of our families and students, as well as the necessary permissions to provide services and treatment. This year, we are excited to have these forms available to complete and sign fully online, with the goal of making these forms as easy as possible to complete. Stay tuned for communication from your Family Therapist regarding our School Year 2021-2022 Consent Forms Process and as always, we appreciate your cooperation in completing this necessary paperwork!
Recent Communications
This section of the Lighthouse School Update is designed to provide important communication topics that have been emailed or mailed to parents and guardians. If you have not received these documents, please reach out to your Family Therapist to make sure we have your updated information. Please click on the document you wish to view.
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.
If you need anything, please 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
Bassetta@lighthouseschool.org
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
Click the icon for up-to-date information regarding COVID-19 from the Mass General Hospital website