Lighthouse School, Inc.
March 31, 2022
"We are never more than a belief away from our greatest love, deepest healing and most profound miracles."
-Gregg Braden- (Best-selling author, scientist and international educator)
"Looking after my health today gives me a better hope for tomorrow."
-Anne Wilson Schaef- (Best-selling author)
Wellman Avenue Facility Entrance
Announcements:
The Bioeducational Newsletters for March will be sent home on April 1st and will also be available on the Lighthouse School website
School will be closed April 15 in observance of Good Friday and on April 18 in observance of Patriot's Day. April Vacation is April 19-22.
State mandated testing is scheduled throughout the Month of April. Please see below for more information
Quarter 3 ends on April 5 and Quarter 4 begins on April 6
Cluster Breakfasts
During the week of March 28, each Cluster participated in a fun Cluster breakfast activity. Students and staff had the opportunity to share quality time and a good meal together and it was a great way to start the morning! At Lighthouse, we think of clusters as smaller neighborhoods within the larger school community. Recently, we took the opportunity mid-year to make some homeroom and cluster changes and as a result, we have new neighborhood configurations. These cluster breakfast activities provided us with the chance to welcome the newest members to the cluster and help them get to know their classmates and staff better while enjoying some good food.
State Mandated Testing-MA and NH
Our students work all year on learning and understanding academic content, as well as learning more about themselves in a therapeutic context. One concrete opportunity for academics and clinical treatment to intersect is during state mandated testing. All students participate in testing, whether they are from New Hampshire or Massachusetts. The testing process can be very challenging for our students and is often anxiety provoking. We are always proud of how well our students do when faced with a challenge such as testing and how they utilize the staff support and coping skills they learn throughout the year to achieve success. Not only are students able to showcase what they know, but they get to showcase how much work they have done to try hard things, to work through their strong emotions and to access important staff or coping skills to help them when it is needed. We always believe in our students, but it is truly rewarding to see them believe in themselves and prove to themselves what amazing things they can accomplish-often they surprise themselves! Please be on the lookout for notifications in backpacks as well as email communications about upcoming testing sessions to know how to best prepare your student. Thank you so much for the efforts you put forth to help the testing process go so well for them and to help the testing process become become a source of pride.
April Testing Sessions will include:
4/1 NHSAS STE grade 5 and grade 8
4/4 NHSAS STE grade 11
4/5 MCAS ELA grade 3 and 4 session 1
4/6 MCAS ELA grade 3 and 4 session 2
4/7 MCAS ELA grade 5 and 6 session 1
4/8 MCAS ELA grade 5 and 6 session 2
4/11 MCAS ELA grade 7 and 8 session 1
4/12 MCAS ELA grade 7 and 8 session 2
4/26 MCAS Math grade 3 and 4 session 1
4/27 MCAS Math grade 3 and 4 session 2
4/28 MCAS Math grade 5 and 6 session 1
4/29 MCAS Math grade 5 and 6 session 2
Testing will continue throughout the month of May
Continuity Of Care over Vacation
At Lighthouse School, our work with students and their families does not occur just during the 180 calendar school days. Rather, we offer support through multiple methods over the full course of the year, including when school is not in session. We know that for many of our students, being separated from Lighthouse for an extended period of time, such as over a school vacation week or during the Summer, is difficult and they may need extra support to help them make good choices and utilize the skills they work so hard when school is in session.
If we identify a student as needing extra support during vacations or other times school is not in session, staff will create a plan that may include reaching out with phone calls to check in and let the student know we are thinking of them. In addition to these calls, our staff have provided support in ways such as writing cards for the student to open each day of a vacation, developing a calendar of activities to help students manage their time during breaks, and sharing visual aids to help students countdown to when it is time to return to school. We hope that providing this additional support and continued connection, even when school is not in session, will help encourage students to remain safe and focused at home and in the community. In addition to this, our Family Support Line is available at all times, including school vacations. If you or your child needs support when school is not in session, please reach out using our Family Support Line #1: 978-821-1351 or Family Support Line #2: 978-821-0316.
This April school vacation, there are lots of ways to enjoy many exciting activities, get outside and have some fun. Please click on any of the links below for different ideas. In addition, with Health being the April Bioeducational Theme of the Month, a great way to stay fit and healthy and have fun at the same time can be something as simple as going for a walk or perhaps a bike ride. Spending time outside in the fresh air, even for just a few minutes, can be so good for us. Whatever you choose, we hope you all enjoy a wonderful, restful, and safe April vacation.
Earth Day
The 52nd Earth Day will be on April 22, 2022.
You can celebrate it with a walk in the woods, picking up litter, planting in your garden, or using more Earth-friendly products.
Learn More!
Click on this link to read more ways to enjoy Earth Day with your family and to learn more about it together:
Check out 10 Ways to Celebrate Earth Day!
April Bioeducational Theme of the Month: Health
During the month of April, students will be exploring the Bioeducational theme of Health. Health education at Lighthouse builds students' knowledge, skills, and positive attitudes about all aspects of their well-being, including physical, mental, emotional and social health. Mental health is an essential part of children's overall health. It has a complex interactive relationship with their physical health and their ability to succeed in school, at work and in society. Both physical and mental health affect how we think, feel and act on the inside and outside.
Learning more about what makes something healthy or unhealthy and the effect their choices can have on their lives, can encourage students to improve and maintain their health, prevent disease, and reduce risky behaviors. When students become more invested in their own health care, they can better understand the potential outcomes of choices they make. By focusing on the theme of Health across lesson areas during April, we hope to teach good habits that our students can use well into the future. Below are some suggestions for resources if you would like to incorporate the theme of Health at home.
Websites:
Activities to try:
Have a healthy meal together. Work together to develop a healthy menu that includes all the food groups/a balanced meal.
Personal Play List Self-Care -Music can have the amazing power to soothe our emotions. Choosing music with the intention of shifting where we are, and where we would like to be can be an empowering and healing experience. Take some time to consider songs that could meet a wide variety of needs as a part of your own self-care.
Food Log: Students can keep a food log for a week or for the month. At the end of the week/month, students can reflect on their nutrition and eating habits and discuss if they are making good food choices and how they can change their diet.
March's Bioeducational Theme in Action!
March's Bioeducational theme was Beliefs and there were numerous examples throughout the month of staff and students using this theme to guide lessons across all content areas. Some examples, each geared toward the appropriate level for the age group, include:
200 Cluster students in the Art Club created self-portraits representing positive beliefs they hold about themselves
Students in the 300 Cluster used a prompt related to Beliefs for their Writing elective. In this exercise, they explored negative and positive beliefs, pairing the two together for comparison. For example, "School is really hard for me and I don't always want to go", paired with “It's important that I attend school because my friends like seeing me every day".
Students in the 400 Cluster examined the quote: "Beliefs are choices. First you choose your beliefs. Then your beliefs affect your choices". They were then asked to write about whether they agreed or disagree with the quote above.
Students in the 100 Cluster were asked to complete an open-ended response about what they believed and why. Their answers led to some great clinical processes:
Homerooms worked together to decorate their class's bulletin boards based on the theme of Beliefs:
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
Cluster Notes
Click the folder below to get the
latest Cluster Notes!
