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Dear Archway Friends and Family, 

June was a month of celebration for our schools, and I would like to start by congratulating The Upper School and Lower School Class of 2023 and their families. I am proud of all the hard work that has brought you to this moment and the achievements you have made along the way.  

Every day at Archway Programs, we strive to improve the lives of those in our care. We look for ways to improve our existing services and create what we feel would benefit our community.  

This year I watched as students in our graduating class, some of whom started with Archway as part of our Early Intervention Program, received their diplomas and were honored and recognized for their achievements at Archway. As always, the moment is bittersweet as we watch with pride as students that have been a part of the Archway family, some for more than a decade, head off into a future that no longer includes us.  

The bittersweet was tempered this year by the knowledge that we can do more. We can now provide a continuum of care for many of our graduating students by offering them a place in the Archway Advanced Abilities Day Program. The program is thriving and throwing open doors for students once at a loss for where to go after graduation. Michelina Patetta, Director of DD Services, and her team recognized a need and worked to make the day program a reality celebrating the grand opening earlier this year.  

I also want to share how impressed I am with our Just Kids Program. It is expanding and flourishing under new leadership. Thanks to Donnie Gamble, Director, and his dedicated team, we are experiencing a period of rejuvenation and growth. We are pleased to announce that we now provide Summer Camp services to Haddon Heights School District students, and the team plans to expand our reach to additional districts.  

As we move forward and welcome a new group of students into the Archway Family, we can do so knowing that we will always be there for them, whether they join us in the Early Intervention Program, as young students in our schools, as participants in our Just Kids Program, or as adults in one of our group homes, we have the ability and dedication to empower them by providing exceptional care through every season of their lives. 

Sincerely,  

George Richards  

CEO/CFO 

Upper and Lower Schools Fun Day

The Upper School sports field was home to a special Archway Fun Day today. Students and Upper School and Lower School staff enjoyed music and sunshine while spending the day outside. Students took turns jumping around in a bouncy house, sliding down a giant water slide, or navigating a bouncy obstacle course with a short slide. Staff members set up games around the field, and students exercised their pitching arms while doing their best to plunge staff into the chilly waters of the dunk tank. Sprinklers, face painting, and snacks rounded out the exciting Fun Day, leaving everyone exhausted but eagerly awaiting tomorrow's last day of the school year.  

To see more photos from the Archway Fun Day, visit our Facebook Page.

Archway Celebrates Take Your Dog to Work Day

Archway Programs celebrated Take Your Dog to Work Day by sharing photos of their furry friends on social media. While all of us here at Archway Programs would have loved to bring our cuddly fur babies to work with us, not only were our schools on summer break, but we were pretty sure the health department would frown on our canine companions sharing office space. But we still wanted to honor our beloved fur family members by sharing pictures of them in our Dogs of Archway post. Check out the photos of our furry family members on our Archway Facebook Page.    

Pool House Bags

During the last days of the school year, Sue Lafferty, Executive Director of Education, was contacted by a representative of Absolute Pool & Landscape in Shamong, and Pool House in Hammonton. They were celebrating the grand opening of their new retail location in Hammonton, and they had a unique request. They asked if they supplied students with brown paper bags, could Archway students paint the bags with summer scenes. Each bag would be an individual work of Art created by Archway students! Not only would our students' work be featured on their shopping bags, but they also offered Archway Programs a donation!

Upper School Recognizes Pre-vocational Program Students with a BBQ 

Mr. Ron from the Upper School was busy grilling for a BBQ for the pre-vocational program students under 14 that work on campus during the school year as part of the work/study program. The delicious BBQ lunch included burgers, hot dogs, ribs, chicken, beans, potato and macaroni salads, and iced tea or juice.  

Thank you to Mr. Ron, special services, and Upper School staff for recognizing the students’ efforts and work on campus.  

Upper School Students Move Forward to Their Future

Congratulations to the Upper School Class of 2023! Students, teachers, parents, guardians, and staff gathered to celebrate a special milestone for our graduating class. Hugs, tears, and joy were abundant as teachers said goodbye and parents and guardians beamed with pride as Mr. Mark, Upper School Principal, presented the graduates with their diplomas. Congratulations to our graduates: Nelson, Hailey, Tamar, Ka’Siya, Megan, Angelo, and Ariela! We are Archway Proud of all of you!  

Upper School End of Year BBQ

Upper School elementary students were treated to a special Elementary End of Year BBQ today. They enjoyed listening to music, thanks to Mr. Gabe, playing Corn Hole, basketball, parachute games, coloring, and more. At the same time, Mr. Sal was busy cooking burgers, hot dogs, and sausages on the grill for all to enjoy. The BBQ fare included fresh corn on the cob, baked beans, salads, cookies, cupcakes, and many homemade side dishes and desserts. The students had a wonderful time leaving at dismissal, full and worn out from all the excitement.    



Upper School Celebrates Dads with a Special Luncheon

Before leaving for the summer break, Miss Sierra Caprice, Upper School Paraprofessional, wanted to make sure the dads of the Upper School were celebrated for the upcoming Father’s Day on June 18th. She arranged a Father’s Day Lunch honoring all the dads and recognizing their support and their hard work to make their children’s lives the best they can be. Dads were treated to chicken and beef kabobs, rice, corn on the cob, and a delicious salad. Miss Tiffany and Miss Sharina assisted and helped serve lunch to the dads. Happy Father’s Day to the Archway dads and dads everywhere!  

Celebrating the Lower School Class of 2023!

On June 7, 2023, staff, students, parents, friends, and family joined to celebrate the Lower School Class of 2023! The graduates' hard work, perseverance, and supportive family and staff brought eight Archway students to this milestone moment. As family and friends looked on, students were presented with awards, certificates and celebrated for their achievements. Congratulations and best wishes, Brandon, Jabez, Obed, Scott, Michael, Jeremy, Hallie, and James! We are Archway Proud of all of you!  

Lower School Staff and Students Enjoy a Cool Treat

Lower School students and staff were treated to delicious Mister Softee ice cream and popsicles today. Parked at the Lower School, Mister Softee filled orders the teachers and staff provided. Everyone, students and staff alike, enjoyed the special treat. Miss Kelly especially liked her Powerpuff Girls pop!  

Lower School Careers Program BBQ

Students from the Lower School Careers Program were treated to a special BBQ and party to thank them for their work in the program. They enjoyed an afternoon of music, karaoke, games, activities, and food. Mr. Charles, a.k.a. Grill Master, cooked hot dogs on the grill. Miss Kelly, Miss April, and Mr. Gavin provided all the activities, side dishes, and goodies, including popsicles, popcorn, and cotton candy! What a great start to the weekend!  

Lower School Students and Staff End of School Year BBQ

The rain didn’t stop Lower School students and staff from celebrating day one of their end of the school year BBQ on Monday; they just brought the party indoors. Tuesday, day two of the celebration, some students and staff remained indoors to enjoy their BBQ lunch while others took advantage of the sunshine and warm weather outside. The menu included hamburgers, hot dogs, salads, chips, fresh fruit, ice cream, and more. Everyone enjoyed the special lunch and spending time together before the summer break.  

Group Home Residents Take Pride in Their Homes

Our group home residents take great pride in their homes, as evidenced by the care they take helping out with the upkeep and maintenance. Patrick from our Freehold Group home took pride in his home while helping Scott, Archway Maintenance, work around the house.  

Later the same week, Lisa and Patrick picked a bright sunny day to wash the car. Besides a clean vehicle, their reward for their hard work was a trip to McDonald’s for some delicious ice cream! You two did a great job! The car and house both look great!  

Joseph (left) and Howard (right) were chosen as employees of the month for their exceptional effort and dedication to the resident’s care.

Voorhees Group Home Introduces Employees of the Month 

Our Voorhees Group home rolled out a new program this month to encourage and recognize staff for a job well done. They implemented an Employee of the Month incentive, and this month, two employees, Joseph and Howard, were chosen for their exceptional effort and dedication to the resident’s care, job performance improvements, and work ethic. Thank you both for all you do, and congratulations on your achievements and recognition. 

The Ladies of Voorhees are Perfectly in Sync

Our staff and clients are in tune with one another, and we value this quality when it comes to providing excellent care. But sometimes, we can’t help but smile when we see it reflected in everyday moments. Last week, Taylor, the Group Home Assistant Manager of our Voorhees location, and two clients unintentionally matched shirts. The ladies enjoyed the unplanned moment, and they wanted to capture and share it. You all look fantastic, ladies!   



Cooper’s Poynt Students Visit the Museum of Illusions

Students and staff from Cooper’s Poynt experienced firsthand the exciting world of optical illusions while visiting the Museum of Illusions in Philadelphia. The students enjoyed learning the techniques and special effects used to create incredible optical illusions, and they were able to immerse themselves in the illusion! What a great hands-on learning experience.  

ACT Pays Homage to Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month During Cooking Class

In honor of Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month in May, Gio taught the Adult Counseling & Therapy (ACT) Program Cooking Group how to make Spam Musubi, which is a Japanese-inspired snack & lunch dish popular in Hawaii. Everyone had fun with the cooking lesson and learning the dish's history. And, of course, they enjoyed eating the Musubi!   

Saturday Respite June Highlights

The Archway Saturday Respite group enjoyed their last Saturday for June. The group had a great month packed with outdoor activities, socializing with their program friends, crafts, games, and cooking. The group prepared and cooked their own personal pizzas, and not only were they delicious, but they were a lot of fun to make!

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A Quick and Easy Way to Share iPhone Photos

by: Kelly Jones, Communications Coordinator

Do you have photos on your iPhone from a recent event you would like to share on Archway's social media pages? Instead of sending them through a text or multiple text messages, I've included a quick tutorial outlining the preferred method of sharing your photos. Not only will sharing them through iCloud provide the best version of your images, but you can also share them all at once, eliminating the need to send multiple messages or lower-resolution photos. Of course, if you only have a few images to share, a quick email is best.

• Open your album of photos and click "Select" in the upper right-hand corner of the screen. 
• You can choose the images you want to send by tapping on each. Selected photos will have a blue check in the lower right-hand corner.
• After selecting all the photos you want to send, scroll down on the screen until you see "Copy iCloud Link." 
• Click the link to copy it. It will be copied to your clipboard.
• You will see a notification that iCloud is preparing the link.
• The cancel button in the upper right-hand corner will disappear when iCloud finishes preparing the link. 
• Open a new email, and paste the link in the body of the email. 
• Send the email with the link to kelly.jones@archwayprograms.org, and in a day or two, check the Archway social media accounts to see your photos!

Check the next issue of The Bridge for the Android version of this tutorial. 

Welcome to the Archway Family!

We are proud to welcome new employees to the Archway Family as our organization expands, allowing us to help more families throughout the community. Please help us give a warm welcome to the newest members of the Archway Family!

Allies, Inc. Launches New Website to Make Finding Support Services for Those with IDD Easier

Allies, Inc. launched a new website in July, with streamlined navigation that will help families seeking support services for loved ones with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) find what they need more quickly and easily.  

Michael Haggerty, CEO and President of Allies, said, “The enhanced design and navigation will allow visitors to find information about our agency’s adult, children’s, and support services, as well as guardian and family resources, much more easily. Our new content also helps educate the public on how our medical and behavioral support services work, and the physical, mental and emotional benefits that treatments provide to those with IDD.” 

In addition to the new navigation and vibrant, modern look, Allies’ new website also features an expanded Careers portion to attract new job candidates.  

Anita Bogdan, Senior Vice President of Human Resources at Allies, shared, “As Allies continues to grow, we continue to seek new talent. Our new website gives job candidates an in-depth look at our benefits, career paths within the agency, ways we support career growth, testimonials from employees, and more.” 

Visitors will also have the opportunity to keep up with Allies’ latest happenings by clicking on a News & Events section to read articles, press releases and obtain copies of Allies’ Keeping in Touch newsletter.  

Michael said, “We hope that our website will continue to be a place that the public can visit to get the support that they need, as well as a place that highlights the success of the wonderful people that we serve and our dedicated staff.” 

Visit Allies’ new website at: http://www.alliesnj.org.  

If you have news or information you would like to see in the next issue of The Bridge, please contact Kelly by phone: 856.767.5757 ext. 242 or by email: kelly.jones@archwayprograms.org.