Lighthouse School, Inc.
October 16, 2020
"Tolerance and celebration of individual differences is the fire that fuels everlasting love." - Tom Hannah
"If you haven't any charity in your heart, you have the worst kind of heart trouble." - Bob Hope
News & Announcements
October Announcements:
- October is Bullying Awareness Month
- October's Bioeducational Theme of the Month is Tolerance
A message from Anna Fitzgerald, our Director of Clinical Services:
You have heard us say that at Lighthouse we are a treatment center and a school. This duality lies at the heart of what we do and who we are and is what we mean when we talk about Biodevelopmental Services. These last few months have challenged us all in many different (and some similar) ways. Today, we wanted to share with you how we are striving to maintain the priority of treatment as a means to advance the long-term wellbeing of our students and your children.
At the very start we want to thank all of you for your impressive level of collaboration and communication with us since last March. You have welcomed us into your homes and into your lives. While you often hear about how isolating and alienating the pandemic is, our work together demonstrates that “remote need not be distant”.
Our work together starts with communication and respecting parents and guardians as our partners in treatment. Family therapy sessions are occurring through Google Meet where families can talk about their concerns and have questions answered as well as receive support. Our support line is open 24 hours a day and 365 days a year. Therapists are available to guide parents through challenging situations that may arise. Familiar and trusted staff are available to help students with logging into remote learning and guide them through their day. We also provide support for families in helping their students with online learning and what strategies can be helpful to foster success.
Our Clinical Therapists have developed treatment plans that focus treatment on the unique needs of each student. Effective collaboration regarding each child’s therapeutic and educational needs occurs on a daily basis. Students are receiving individual therapy through Google Meet as well as group therapy to foster social skills, communication, improved decision-making skills, conflict resolution skills, coping strategies to manage stress as well as discussing Bioeducational Themes of the Month. Our goals are to help students explore and gain insights about themselves and self/other relationships.
Finally, motivating students to invest in remote classroom experiences, particularly during such a stressful and emotional time is a challenging task. We are committed to helping our students overcome these hurdles in order to maintain a continuity of care that maintains important connections and relationships to caring staff and also to their friends. Equally important is the task of making sure that they are attending and participating in their academics and doing their work on school assignments. Providing positive reinforcement addresses these goals.
This summer our team created motivating activities, clubs, an online store, virtual social games (Charades, Kahoot, Hangman, Show and Tell), virtual board games (Battleship, Connect Four), and instructional activities (Legos, woodworking). Every student has a virtual point sheet that was created by their therapist based on their individual goals. Students then use their points to choose what type of reinforcement they find motivating.
In closing, thank you again for everything you have done and everything that you are doing. We look forward to the day when we can meet in person, and share memories of our collective efforts and success.
Bioeducation:
Remote Learning Engagement from a Student/Family Perspective
Remote learning has been a new experience for all of us and it has been so wonderful to see our students, staff and families working together to help make this a successful school year. A major emphasis has been placed on engaging students in their remote programming, as we want them to take advantage of the multitude of opportunities available to them each day. Our online learning program has been enhanced since the Spring and you have undoubtedly noticed from reviewing your child's weekly schedule that our students are immersed in academics as well as clinical treatment throughout the entire day. In addition to live instruction for all of their subject areas, there is time built in for our students to receive additional staff support, time for socializing and connecting with their friends, and time to allow for breaks when needed. At Lighthouse, we have been thrilled to see that not only are the vast majority of our students engaging in remote learning, but in fact many have expressed enjoying this format and feeling a real sense of success and accomplishment. Of course, we know this is not the case for every student, and our staff members continue to work diligently to identify unique ways to motivate all of our students. If your child is struggling to participate in their remote learning opportunities, Ligthhouse staff will continue to keep close communication with you and your child to partner together and plan ways to increase your child's engagement.
Parent feedback regarding their son's experience with remote learning:
"He is thriving!! He looks forward to school now and is happier, and talks more in class. He loves the socializing with the kids and thinks he found 2 "potential friends" (as he puts it). I am beyond thrilled with the difference in him. He was also excited to see that they do some things like body breaks. I am happy with the morning meeting, as they go over the day and month and weather each day... Something [he] needs desperately.”
You can find the current Cluster Notes by clicking the image below:
SPOTLIGHT ON:
Bullying Awareness Month
Lighthouse School is committed to creating and maintaining an environment where all members of the school community feel safe and supported in their efforts to reach their maximum potential. We are writing to inform you that during the month of October, our therapists will be running group therapy sessions on bullying within each homeroom. Our goal is to focus on educating the students about bullying in all its forms and on teaching them tools they can utilize to help in the prevention of bullying.
Through group therapy, we will address the definition and repercussions of bullying, teach problem-solving and coping strategies for all students, including those who observe bullying, and make students aware of their responsibilities in creating a safe environment for everyone. Teaching courage, responsibility, and respect for one another’s differences is an important part of APEX Biodevelopmental Technology, our therapeutic treatment technology. We pass along these skills in order that we and our students, together, can create an environment of respect and safety.
Technology Corner:
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 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
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