Lighthouse School, Inc.
December 22, 2021
"Faith is the most powerful of all forces operating in humanity and when you have it in depth nothing can get you down."
--Norman Vincent Peale (American minister and author)
"Persistence and resilience only come from having been given the chance to work through difficult problems."
"Persistence and resilience only come from having been given the chance to work through difficult problems."
--Gever Tulley (American writer, speaker, educator, entrepreneur and computer scientist)
Wellman Avenue Facility Entrance
Announcements:
Lighthouse School will be closed December 24-December 31. We hope everyone has a healthy and happy Winter break and we look forward to welcoming back students on January 3rd
January's Bioeducational Theme of the Month is Resilience
No School on Monday, January 17th, in observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
The December Monthly Bioeducational Newsletters will be sent home with students on Thursday, December 23rd and will also be available on the Lighthouse School website
Communication
With Winter approaching, please find information below regarding our NOTIFY System, which we use to send important information, as well as our Inclement Weather policy.
Holiday Reflections
It is hard to imagine that 2021 is coming to a close. While we are still not yet back to the “normal” we are all accustomed to, there are still so many reasons to celebrate the upcoming holiday season and all that this very special time brings. We at Lighthouse School have a number of holiday traditions and we were happy to be able to keep some of those traditions alive this year. There were many fun activities for students and staff to join in together this holiday season. We held a Homeroom Door Decorating Contest and every homeroom, together as a class, decorated their classroom door with a seasonal theme, and before the start of the holiday break, a winner was chosen from each cluster to receive a special prize.
This year in December we were happy to bring back our Holiday Shop. This is a very special event for our students. It gives them the opportunity to purchase gifts for their families, loved ones and friends, using the tokens they earn at school to buy the gifts. This annual event provides a wonderful learning and personal growth opportunity as it teaches the students about caring for, thinking of, and giving to others.
Another tradition we enjoyed again this year was the Platters of Plenty, which focuses on teaching the students about sharing what they have with those in need, gaining a better understanding of others' experiences, and being mindful of what is most important during this holiday season. For the Platters of Plenty, the students donated tokens they earned so that food items could be purchased and given to local food pantries. This event is truly a great reflection for our students and staff on what it means to help others, especially those in true need. We are so proud of all the students that donated tokens for this wonderful purpose and total our students donated almost 20,000 tokens!
We asked staff and students for some of their memories from Holidays at Lighthouse School and have included a few of their responses below. We hope that you are also able to make some new memories of your own with your loved ones this holiday season.
“My favorite holiday memory is about four years ago when my dad dressed up as Santa” -student
“My favorite holiday memory is when I went to Atlanta to see my dad’s family. I got to see all my cousins and we had a big party.” -student
“I received a Christmas card from a former student who left LHS 18 years ago. This student every year sends a Christmas card. It is wonderful to know that Lighthouse made such a strong impression on him that he thinks of us every year at this time.” -staff
“I would say about 8 years ago we started a tradition of bringing a group of Lighthouse students to Meadow Lodge nursing home to sing Christmas carols and spread some holiday cheer. Many of the students were kids who did not have a lot to be merry about at Christmas, but when they started singing in front of the Christmas tree to the residents at this nursing home you would've thought Bing Crosby himself was singing to these seniors, who also sometimes feel forgotten about, just like some of our kids. When a few of our students saw how much joy they were bringing to the people they not only sang, but also got some up dancing. I get goose bumps thinking about how much joy it brought our students to make other people happy with a simple act of kindness.” -staff
Academic Honor Roll
At Lighthouse School, we work hard to provide our students with educational services that are both meaningful and engaging. We recognize how difficult it can be to take risks and learn new things, and our goal is to help build academic confidence within our students each day. To this end, we take every opportunity to capitalize on moments where our students display their hard work as learners, and work to keep them motivated through positive reinforcement and verbal praise, in addition to providing opportunities for more formal recognition during the Academic Awards Recognition Ceremony at the end of each year. There is also a quarterly opportunity for recognition for our student’s academic investment and achievement through the Academic Honor Roll.
Academic Honor Roll is the recognition of students who attain a specified grade scale in their core content areas: English Language Arts, Math, Science, and History, Reading (100 and 200 clusters), and Writer’s Workshop/Writing. Students must have earned an A or B (ADV or PRF for those students on portfolio grade scales), with the exception of Reading and Writer’s Workshop/Writing which is a broader grade range of ADV, PRF, or PRG. The Honor Roll process has been powerful for our students to help define their identity as learners and to their confidence at school. When a student earns a place on the Honor Roll, they can reflect on their hard work and perseverance and feel proud of their accomplishments. If a student does not make the Honor Roll, they may express feeling disappointed, sad or angry. However, this provides 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 insurmountable roadblocks, but rather a challenge that they can work together with staff to overcome. While this focus on academic progress and achievement motivates students to learn about content, it also encourages them to learn about themselves. Together, the Honor Roll process strengthens our efforts in helping students become not only well-rounded learners but also helps them gain valuable insight into themselves as individuals.
To view the Honor Roll Award Certificates for all students, please click the image below. Students are included alphabetically by Cluster.
Quarter 1 Honor Roll.pptx
Department of Elementary & Secondary Education Regulatory Information
We are nearly at the end of our D.E.S.E. full program review cycle. The next step is a two-day onsite visit on January 4th & 5th, 2022. D.E.S.E. will tour our facilities, interview staff, and observe classrooms. Parents will be receiving an online survey from Dr. Helen Murgida, of D.E.S.E. as part of this review cycle. After the conclusion of the visit, a report will be sent to Lighthouse and we will be sure to share those results with all of our parents.
January Bioeducational Theme of the Month: Resiliency
During the month of January, students will be exploring the Bioeducational theme of Resiliency. Resiliency is the ability to overcome challenges of all kinds - trauma, tragedy, personal crises, life problems, post-pandemic issues- and bounce back stronger and wiser. It is the process of adapting well in the face of adversity. Resilience is not a trait that one either has or does not have. It involves behaviors, thoughts, and actions that can be learned and developed over time.
Building resilience can help manage stress and feelings of anxiety and uncertainty. Being resilient does not mean a lack of difficulty or distress. Emotional pain and sadness are common when we have suffered trauma or personal loss or have heard someone else's experienced trauma or loss. Resiliency lies in working through the emotions and exploring the effects of stress and painful events in order to heal.
Throughout the month of January, students will have the opportunity to reflect on the ways they have successfully handled hardships in the past. They will explore how past challenges may have helped them to build the strength to handle future challenges and learn that they can trust themselves to solve problems and make appropriate decisions. Staff will work with students to help them learn to see the humor in life, despite challenges and adversity, in order to highlight and reinforce the resiliency that our students already possess. We want to validate and acknowledge the challenging situations they may have faced, while also support them in adopting a positive and optimistic outlook to enable them to see the good things in life and to continue moving even in the hardest of times.
If you would like to explore the theme of Resiliency with your child at home, we recommend media found on these websites:
The Bounce Back Song https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5NpFgYfvAl8
Building your Character https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JkDkJmbdxVQ
Famous Failures https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zLYECIjmnQs&t=1s
Boundin’ Short https://youtu.be/L_-k_1WQ5As
Resources
Family Support Line
As a reminder, 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
You can find the
the latest Cluster Notes by clicking the image of the folder!
the latest Cluster Notes by clicking the image of the folder!
