July 2024 Newsletter

"Unless you try to do something beyond what you have already mastered, you will never grow." ~ Ronald Osborn

Editorial 

Dear Dawn to Dusk Community,

It is hard to believe that we are halfway through 2024. Looking back, this year, Dawn to Dawn launched our Group Prevocational Training service (job skills development), Saturday Respite program and our Sensory Program. Speaking of the Sensory Program, I am happy to announce that we have completed the construction of our Sensory Hub and it is getting ready to be used by our participants. Over the next few days we will be setting up this space with equipment and accessories for our participants who need a more individualized approach to managing ADLs, behavior, and communication skills and that can benefit more from a structured, calm environment that integrates sensory stimulation and input with skills building and recreational activities. 

Additionally, in the second half of 2024, we are looking forward to the launch of our GAP (Graduated Adjustment Period) program on September 3, 2024. We have leased an additional 3,000 sq ft space adjacent to our Life Skills Hub which will serve as the GAP Hub. Our GAP program this year will be limited to a maximum of 16 June 2024 high school graduates. Over the months of July and August, we will be designing our GAP program and setting up our GAP Hub to be ready for these graduates. The goal of the GAP program is to help these graduates transition smoothly to the adult world.

To staff and support these initiatives, we are looking for additional staff, DSPs, Program Coordinator, Activities Professional, school teachers etc. It is an exciting time to be a part of Dawn to Dusk Wellbeing as we continue to think of innovative and creative ways to serve the special needs community and their families.

~Sesh Subramanian

Life Skills and Growing Independence

Planning a Picnic:

Over the last 6-months, the participants have been working on various tasks and skills required for successful independent living. These lessons have included topics around healthy food choices based on the food pyramid, maintaining personal hygiene, learning about all the different utensils and their uses in the kitchen, making a shopping list based on a recipe, table setting, and much more. In June, we sought to combine many of these lessons to provide a real opportunity for the participants to display what they have learned. This month, each team was tasked with planning their own picnic lunch, from working together to create a healthy, well-balanced lunch, to creating a shopping list based on the team’s pre-planned lunch and then going to purchase the items on the list, to packing their individual lunches with food, napkins, and drinks, and finally, to enjoying the picnic lunch with their friends and staff together at the park! Each team returned from their picnic with full bellies and big smiles, two things we should never take for granted. We look forward to continuing to provide opportunities for learning and skill development across various aspects of self care, daily living, and personal advocacy through lessons at the center and real-time practice out in the greater community.

Self Expression Through Creativity

Artist’s Study:

To celebrate the Summer Solstice this month, the Artist’s Study sessions explored the magnificent and ancient art of the Aztec Sun Stones, or Piedra del Sol, which was used by the Aztec people to represent time- an early version of the clock, if you will. The participants learned about the Aztec people, their native land in Northern Mexico, and their ancient cosmic tale The Legend of the Five Suns before diving into this multi-layered project to create their own Aztec-inspired suns. For this project, the participants used mixed media and worked in stages, layering paper, original doodles and drawings, and decorative decals. Next month to complete this project, the participants will learn how to use aluminum foil and folding techniques to create embossed designs for their sun, adding texture and movement to the art pieces.  

Physical and Mental Health and Wellbeing

We are proud to offer Dawn to Dusk's Health Matters program at our center, which is led by our experienced Nurse Mike. The program focuses on helping individuals improve their overall health and wellness by incorporating full body motion paired with mindful and intentional movements. This month saw the participants following along with Thai Chi and Yoga flows to promote the mind-body connection, as well as compound movements during aerobic exercise including squats, lunges, and boxing movements that work the entire body and large muscle groups.

In June, we experienced quite the heatwave in our little corner of Central Jersey, forcing us to be strategic in our outside ventures. In an effort to enjoy the sunshine without melting, the Dawn to Dusk participants and staff reviewed sun-safety measures like appropriate clothing choices to keep cool, being sure to find shade, and maintaining their water intake. The Walking Club started a bit earlier in June, allowing everyone to get their steps in before temperatures got too high, and the Garden Club gardeners were sure to give our growing fruits and veggies plenty of water in the morning to prevent the sun from roasting them before they could be picked. In fact, the Garden Club did such a wonderful job making sure that our garden flourished in the heat, that we are already starting to see some red tomatoes and some baby zucchinis start to grow and expand! Additionally, we brought the fun indoors on some sweltering afternoons, playing summer games like Bocce ball, mini golf putting games, catch-and-toss games, and more! The participants also worked indoors to learn and practice some coordinated dances for the Summer Solstice Celebration, which were performed in unison during the party. 

Leisure and Recreation

Tabletop Activities:

The Dawn to Dusk activities team has spent considerable effort creating tabletop activities and games aimed at exercising general knowledge, practicing fine motor skills, and collaboration with peers to achieve a goal. One such tabletop activity the participants completed this month were summer-themed Mad Libs. These word games not only yield silly stories and lots of giggles, but require the participants to exercise the creative use of various verbs, ad-verbs, and nouns, take turns making suggestions, and social interactions to share their ideas and make choices for the stories. Another hit-activity in June was Tabletop Twister; a Dawn to Dusk version of the floor game of Twister. The participants paired up with a partner and sat side-by-side in front of a strip of the Twister mat with all four colored dots, waiting for the instructor to make the calls. Differentiating between right and left hands, the participants worked together to decide which hand and which move they would make in order to not get tangled up! This was so much fun to play and required gross motor skills, communication and collaboration, differentiation between right and left, turn-taking, and so much more. The tabletop activity sessions are such fun and provide additional opportunities for skills building and reinforcement and positive social interaction and relationship building for the participants and staff. Bonding together over silly stories and fun games is such a special part of what makes Dawn to Dusk such a wonderful place and community! 

Community Corner

Community Outings: 

In the scorching heat of June, our community outings took a different turn as we sought indoor outings to try to keep cool. Our participants ventured out to Quakerbridge Mall and the South Brunswick Public Library to escape the high temperatures while enjoying a walk around and reading a cool book. We also enjoyed our days at Knob Hill Country Lanes, where everyone enjoyed the exciting sport. Additionally, our group ventured to Shoprite to gather the ingredients for their picnic, showcasing their skills of what they have been planning over the last month, and executing the mission to buy what they selected while scanning the circulars. Despite the weather challenges, we were able to pinpoint some cooler days so they could enjoy a nice picnic in Deep Cut Gardens in Middletown.

Lunch Outings: 

In the month of June, our participants had the pleasure of exploring some new dining experiences in addition to revisiting familiar spots we have grown to love. From the savory delights of Taco Bell to the wholesome offerings at Panera Bread, our community enjoyed a variety of culinary delights. The participants thoroughly enjoyed the freedom of making choices during their “Team Choice” lunch outings, as it had empowered our participants to exercise their independence in planning their own outings. Some teams have introduced a few other possible lunch spots like Dennys and the Outback. We have witnessed a remarkable growth in their ability to independently select and order their meals with confidence, as they continue to embrace new dining opportunities and develop their skills in a supportive environment.

Sweet William & Thyme: 

Our center had a fantastic chance to collaborate with the flower shop Sweet William & Thyme. Their team warmly welcomed us into their shop of wonders and assisted us in crafting stunning flower arrangements. Our participants had a great time showcasing their creativity and honing their motor skills while working with various flowers and greenery.

Lawrenceville Art Exhibit:

Some community members may recall our visit last summer to the Lawrenceville Art Exhibit at The Lawrenceville School. This year, we were lucky enough to be invited back to admire all the new pieces created by the talented students this year! Each group visited the exhibit with Maureen, our Activities Director, to explore different techniques used and gather inspiration for our upcoming Artist Study projects. All who attended the special outing seemed to really enjoy checking out the pieces, asking questions about how to achieve certain effects, and exploring the beautiful space in which the exhibit was held. We look forward to exploring more artistic styles and techniques that we saw at the exhibit in our Artist Study and Get Creative special sessions this summer!

Summer Celebration: 

On June 21st, Dawn to Dusk hosted its Summer Celebration, where participants dressed in their Hawaiian outfits. The event kicked off with Minute to Win It challenges, starting with a balloon juggle. Participants used a racket to keep a balloon in the air and recorded the number of taps before it dropped. Next, an obstacle course through the auditorium was set up, where participants navigated through various barriers while being timed. The last challenge involved a search and rescue game, requiring individuals to find buried items in a bucket of sand. To cool down, Music Mike entertained the crowd with a performance until lunch. Following lunch, participants participated in group dances such as the Macarena, Cupid Shuffle, learning how to Hawaiian dance and more. The day concluded with a sweet treat, frozen yogurt fruit treats from "What’s Cooking?" that had been prepared earlier in the week. Yummy!

If you have any questions or suggestions about the Day Program, please contact Emily at: emily@dawntoduskwellbeing.com          

Photo Gallery

Enjoy some special moments and smiles in our photo gallery here.