September 2024 Newsletter

"The start of something new brings the hope of something great, anything is possible." ~ Unknown

Editorial 

Dear Dawn to Dusk Community,

The day after Labor Day marks the beginning of a new school year and a new college semester. Our youngest daughter is starting college this semester, our oldest daughter is starting her first job as a music teacher in a high school, and our middle daughter is starting her junior year in college. Although it has been ages since I’ve been to school and college, for the past few weeks it feels like I am getting ready for school again!

September 3rd marks the launch of our transition program for June 2024 high school graduates. These young and recently turned adults have completed school education and are entering the adult world. With our transition program, which we are calling the Graduate Adjustment Period or GAP, we are seeking to make it easier for these individuals (and their families) to transition into the adult world. 

When an individual with developmental disabilities transitions out of the school system, they lose many supports and services and also the structure that the school system provides them. They are used to working in smaller groups, contained and safe spaces, more individualized attention, among other things. Additionally, schools provide them with valuable services such as Paraprofessionals, Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, and Speech Therapy. Although we could never replicate a school system, our GAP program seeks to make the transition smoother  by providing a smaller group environment, more contained space, more individualized support, more structure and vocational activities, Occupational Therapy for those that are approved, and other supports that may benefit each individual.

The GAP hub has been created keeping the needs of our graduates in mind and we have spent a lot of time and thought in setting this space up and will continue to develop it as per evolving needs. I am as excited today, as I was 5+ years ago when the seeds of Dawn to Dusk Wellbeing were being sown. It has been an absolute pleasure working with my amazing team and creating a wonderful place that our participants and their families consider their home away from home. The GAP program is launching with fifteen (15) June 2024 graduates. The program will be staffed by 8 Direct Support Professional (DSPs), 1 Program Coordinator and 1 Activities Professional. GAP has all the backing and support of the rest of the 40 staff at Dawn to Dusk Wellbeing and other infrastructure and logistics support such as technology, transportation, meals and training.

The day after Labor Day marks the unofficial beginning of Fall and I am excited for the change that this fall is bringing to Dawn to Dusk Wellbeing. Spring represents birth and childhood and Summer represents youth, Fall represents adulthood and maturity. I feel optimistic that this Fall we are bringing change to Dawn to Dusk Wellbeing with this GAP program for high school graduates. As always, we are grateful for all your support and engagement and wish you good health and wellbeing always.

~Sesh Subramanian

Life Skills and Growing Independence

Building Independence

The month of August saw the participants working on various independent and collaborative group tasks to earn points for their team during our Dawn to Dusk Olympic events! Individual events included various “mini-tasks” that were scheduled as part of our Table Top Activities, Life Skill activities, and Recreation activities. The individual mini-tasks included using Play-Doh to create different animals and figures based on pictures provided, iSpy and spot-the-difference worksheets and games, mini golf putt-putt  practice, and matching games. The groups worked together as a team for other tasks such as designing and decorating their team’s Olympic banners, relay races, cooperative sequence games, and more. These group tasks created opportunities for everyone to contribute their unique individual skills and input to reach a common goal. We love creating opportunities for the Dawn to Dusk program participants to not only hone their own skills, but to learn from each other, working independently and collaboratively in different formats and modalities. 

Self Expression Through Creativity

Creative Writing and Art

Providing opportunities for the participants at Dawn to Dusk to explore creative methods to express themselves has become a cornerstone of the program that we offer. The month of August saw our Artist Study sessions focus on shape and color within a composition, also introducing elements of size and balance as newer concepts to the artistic activity! The participants used tracers, models, rulers, and some free-handed lines to make standard shapes and abstract shapes across their paper. The participants were encouraged to add shapes to their project until they felt that the composition was balanced, meaning that the shapes were distributed across the entire project evenly, without any large gaps or open spaces. The participants were also encouraged to use repeating colors across the page in different shapes so that the color composition of the piece was also in balance. 

Physical and Mental Health and Wellbeing

The Dawn to Dusk participants displayed their physical fitness during our main Olympic Games track and field events over the last Monday and Tuesday afternoon activity sessions in August. The track events consisted of a leaky-cup water relay race, an egg-and-spoon slalom race in which members of each team went head to head with members of the other team, and two clothespin races requiring the participants to use fine motor skills to pinch and un-pinch clothespins, and gross motor skills to move the clothes pins to the correct finish spot. The field events consisted of shooting target practice with water pistols, a javelin throw completed using pool noodles, and the discus toss with frisbees and soft discs. The participants showed not only their physical abilities and skills, but also displayed sportsmanship, camaraderie, and encouragement to each other throughout the events for members of their own team as well as members of the other teams they competed against. We are so proud of all the athletes for participating in these games and we are even prouder of the way we saw each member of the Dawn to Dusk community support their own and each other’s physical and mental health and wellness. 

Leisure and Recreation

The summer has been very kind to our outdoor garden, yielding zucchini, tomatoes, beans, lettuce, and many more delicious veggies. Our indoor plants have also benefited from the long sunny days this summer, as we noticed many of the indoor plants outgrowing their pots! The Sensory Program, along with some help from friends, spent time this month separating our money trees and snake plants from single pots into multiple different pots, adding dirt, measuring and recording the sizes, and watering each plant in its new pot to ensure that it can continue to grow healthy and strong. Separating plants requires a firm yet delicate touch, and the participants worked well with our staff and instructor to ensure that the task was done with roots, leaves, and stems intact for each plant as it was repotted. Motor skills and attention to detail were major in this task, and the participants really enjoyed this hands-on activity this month!

Community Corner

Community Outings: 

In the sweltering heat of August, our community outings took a refreshing turn as we sought indoor activities to stay cool. Our participants enjoyed a movie day at Regal Cinemas, explored the shops at Quakerbridge Mall, and found solace in a quiet afternoon of reading at the South Brunswick Public Library. We also had a fantastic time bowling at Knob Hill Country Lanes, where everyone showed off their skills. These outings provided the perfect escape from the summer heat, ensuring everyone had a great time while staying cool.

Lunch Outings: 

Lunch outings with friends are always a highlight for the participants at Dawn to Dusk. In August, we introduced some new spots to our rotation, including Dusal's Pizzeria, McDonald's, and QDOBA, which quickly became a hit with its Chipotle-style menu. The participants also enjoyed their team choice outings, exploring new experiences like Hibachi at Kumo 27 and revisiting familiar favorites like Applebee's. Our menu planning sessions have been instrumental in helping the participants make tasty choices while managing their budgets, fostering greater independence during our lunch adventures. We’re looking forward to more exciting dining experiences in the coming months!

Sweet William & Thyme: 

 In August, two small groups of participants signed up to attend the floral arrangement activity with our friends at the Sweet William & Thyme flower shop. This month, the participants had the opportunity to create a different type of arrangement, using petals from a variety of flowers. They explored the beauty of flower petals in a whole new way by incorporating them into framed art, demonstrating that petals are not only stunning in bouquets but also when displayed as artwork. The creativity and sensory engagement were truly inspiring, and many participants were thrilled to take home their unique framed petal arrangements. We’re excited to continue offering these engaging and sensory-rich experiences next month!

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.