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Dear Archway Friends and Family, 

Since its inception, Archway Programs has strived to provide programs and services to improve and enhance the lives of people with developmental and physical disabilities. With care and service at the forefront, our programs make a difference in the lives of those we serve and offer solutions that improve lives. We have built a strong team of compassionate and dedicated employees who share our vision and values. We are committed to those we serve, and we are proud of the work we do and the services we provide.  

With this in mind, I am pleased to announce the grand opening of a new program of service, the Archway Advanced Abilities Day Program (AADP). The program, the result of a lot of hard work by Mickie Patetta, Director of DD Services, and her entire team, will provide services for adults or students transitioning out of a school environment by providing job training, social skills reinforcement, or assistance with daily living skills. The program has been in development for some time now, and we are confident it will be of great value to our community.  

AADP is a great leap toward bridging the school and adult services gap. The program will open doors for many and foster our goal of becoming a leading provider of services for those in our care. I want to thank everyone who contributed to making the program a reality. 

Please show your support and join us for the AADP Grand Opening Ceremony on April 29th from 11:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m. The program is located at 1 Neptune Drive North, Sewell, NJ 08080. For more information, download the invitation here, and visit their page on the Archway Programs website here. 

Thank you to all the Archway Family for everything you do to make Archway Programs the company it is today. Thank you for being there, day in and day out, for our students and program participants, and thank you for being a part of the team that I can be proud of. 

Sincerely, 

George Richards 

CEO/CFO 

We Hope You Will Join!

Archway Programs Hands Around the Lake 2023

Archway Programs is holding its Annual Hands Around the Lake Autism Walk on April 20, 2023, at 10:30 A.M. Please join us as we come together to promote Autism Awareness. Click here to download a shareable, printable flyer!

Archway Advanced Abilities Day Program Grand Opening

Upper School Hosts a Scholastic Book Fair

On March 1st, Upper School students and staff celebrated Read Across America Spirit Week. In addition to specially themed days and events, with the help of Ms. LaShonda Wheeler, Lead Paraprofessional, the school also hosted a Scholastic Book Fair. 

The book fair appealed to all students, offering books ranging from pre-k to high school levels. The students enjoyed visiting the fair and perusing the huge selection of books, and both students and staff supported the fair by purchasing books.  

Although the school didn't receive a commission for their sales, they did receive a future credit of over $400.00 to purchase books for their library and reading program. 

Thank you to everyone who supported the school by purchasing from the fair and thank you to all of the parents that make reading a priority in your family. Every word counts.  

Upper School Kicks Off Spirit Week!

Students and staff celebrated Dr. Seuss-themed days in March as part of Upper School's Read Across America Spirit Week. Starting Monday, February 27th, everyone was encouraged to wear as many colors as possible to celebrate Wear as Many Colors as You Can Day. Everyone wore their wackiest and silliest socks on Tuesday, day two of Spirit Week for Wacky Sock Day!  

On day three, Thing One and Thing Two Day, students and staff dressed as the famous Dr. Suess duo or wore red or blue clothing. As you can see, some added a little blue to their do, just like Thing One and Thing Two!  

Thursday, day four of Spirit Week, students and staff dressed as their favorite Dr. Seuss character or dressed in red or stripes. As always, The Cat in the Hat was a favorite character among the students and teachers. Not to be outdone by the mischievous feline, The Grinch was spotted trolling the hallways in search of trouble but found none. Whew, that was close!  

Friday, the final day of Read Across America Spirit Week, everyone celebrated the day with their craziest hats. Some wore scary hats, others wore hairy hats, and one even had a hat with big eyes and pinchers. Students also enjoyed a Dr. Seuss movie with their class.  

Everyone enjoyed participating in the special events and activities, and some students and staff showed off their creative side while getting into character. The blue hair and beards were genuinely entertaining. 

Dr. Seuss Joins Upper School Students for Breakfast

Colorful balloons, tablecloths, and Cat in the Hat decorations created a festive backdrop for an extra special event. Students from the Upper School enjoyed a delicious breakfast featuring two special guests of honor. Everyone's favorite troublemaking feline, the Cat in the Hat, was joined by a furry green friend with a bad attitude, The Grinch. Delicious pancakes and ham, no green ham or eggs today, fresh fruit, and juice were served for breakfast as students enjoyed a morning show of The Cat in the Hat. The famous Cat and The Grinch mingled with the students and attempted to inject a little chaos, but the students held firm and thwarted their misguided attempts at creating turmoil. Great job, students! 

Upper School Students and Staff Get Lucky in Bingo

Everyone was feelin’ a little lucky at the Upper School on Wednesday, March 15th. Students with blue cards and above and staff participated in an exciting game of Lucky Bingo. Students competed for St. Patrick’s Day themed prizes, and both staff and students indulged in delicious treats. Everyone had a great time and enjoyed the good natured competition.  

Students and Staff Celebrate St. Patrick's Day with Shamrock Shakes

Everyone at the Upper School was a little bit Irish on St. Patrick’s Day. As part of their celebration, Upper School students and staff enjoyed the special minty goodness of McDonald’s Shamrock Shakes. What a yummy treat on a Friday afternoon! 

Lower School Celebrates Dr. Seuss Spirit Week! 

The Lower School had a colorful start to its March Spirit Week. Day one was bursting with color as students and staff donned every color of the rainbow in honor of Many Colored Monday.  

Mustachioed faces were all the rage on Tuesday, day two, as students and staff pasted on their best hairy upper lip décor’. We saw curly mustaches, brown mustaches, and even green mustaches. We even saw some with sparkles. The Lorax would be proud!  

Day three featured “One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish.” Everyone was encouraged to wear red or blue in honor of the occasion. We also spotted Thing One and Thing Two popping up here, there, and everywhere in honor of the special day.  

For Cat in the Hat Day, in honor of Dr. Seuss’ birthday, students wore crazy hats and birthday hats. We saw cowboy hats, pink hats, blue hats, and even hats with blue hair. They were in corners, in hallways, at desks, and sitting in chairs. We saw them everywhere–crazy hats, funny hats, hats with words, and hats with wings. Hats can be such silly things.  

Fox in Socks Day was the fifth and final day of Spirit Week. Students and staff wore their craziest and silliest socks. Whether mismatched, wild and crazy, or just plain colorful, they were showing them off!   

Students and staff alike enjoyed honoring Dr. Seuss and his timeless work. They enjoyed participating in all of the special events and activities based on the colorful imagery and stories found on the pages of Dr. Seuss's books. 

Happy Birthday, Dr. Seuss! 

Lower School Miss Jaimie’s Call Donates to Voorhees Animal Orphanage

Lower School students from Miss Jaimie’s class took March Kindness Month to heart. They shared an outpouring of love with our four-legged friends by donating two giant boxes of supplies to the Voorhees Animal Orphanage. Last summer, the same class, Room 13, visited the shelter and made special dog toys for the furry residents. The students were so interested, and the employees were so welcoming that the students wanted to help again by collecting supplies. They even designed a special poster highlighting their favorite moments from their summer trip to accompany their latest donation. Of course, the orphanage employees appreciated the contributions and took a moment to capture a photo with Miss Jaimie and the donated supplies. 

Lower School Celebrates Pi Day with a Pie Eating Contest 

Students and staff from the Lower School celebrated Pi Day, March 14th, with a Pie Eating Contest. Contestants took their places, and while holding their hands behind their backs, they dug in face first! They had two minutes to eat as much pie as possible, with a final pie weigh-in determining the winner. The contestants are pictured from left to right, and their final pie weights are listed below. Each pie started with a weight of 40 oz., and with a final weight of only 18.1 oz., our winner was Amanda! Pictured from left to right, Matt, final weight 23.1 oz; Amanda, final weight 18.1 oz; Johnna, 24.0 oz; Marisa, 20.1 oz; and Nicole, 24.9 oz. Congratulations to all the contestants!   

Lower School Students Dig for Gold

Lower School students in Miss Kayla’s class participated in a special St. Patrick’s Day themed math lesson in honor of the holiday. Students teamed up and dug through green goo to unearth golden coins hidden by a mischievous little leprechaun. After discovering their gold, the teams tallied their findings and shared the totals with the class. What a creative and inspiring way to strengthen math skills! Great idea, and great job, students!  

Room 13 Makes Lunch and Avoids a Leprechaun Pinch

Miss Jaimie and the students in Lower School Room 13 celebrated St. Patrick’s Day by wearing lots of green and working together to prepare a special lunch to share. Students made green pasta, with the help of a little green food coloring, and they topped it off with a yummy Alfredo Sauce. They prepared garlic bread and cut up fresh green cucumbers as a delicious side vegetable. They all enjoyed their meal, and according to reliable sources, they were sporting enough green to be spared the pinch of a naughty little Leprechaun. Whew! 

Ms. Szczur's Students Get Creative With Nature

Students from Upper School Room 14, Ms. Szczur's class, created adorable houses while working in Horticulture/Flower Shop on campus. The students created charming houses using bark, acorn caps, moss, and other items found in nature. Great job, students! The houses are absolutely adorable! 

St. Patrick's Day at our Voorhees Group Home

The lovely ladies from our Voorhees group home were showing off their green tops, party beads, and shamrock bling in honor of St. Patrick’s Day! We think they look fabulous and hope they enjoyed a little Luck of the Irish on St. Patrick’s Day! 

February ACT Cooking Class Included a Lesson for Black History Month

In February, Adult Counseling and Therapy (ACT) Program participants celebrated Black History Month with a special edition cooking class. The group prepared a special cornbread dish in the Black History Month Cooking Group.  

Ashley from the program shared the following background on the dish with the group: The origin of cornbread dressing can be traced to enslaved people in the South who transformed leftover cornbread into a delicious dish. The history of this recipe can be traced back to a West African dish known as Kusha. 

Everyone enjoyed the cooking lesson as well as learning the history of cornbread. Of course, the group also enjoyed eating the delicious dish together!  

Act Celebrates St. Patrick’s Day 

Archway ACT (Adult Counseling and Therapy) Program participants celebrated St. Patrick’s with a cooking lesson and a party! Typhanie and Caitlin taught consumers how to make Colcannon (Irish Mashed Potatoes) during Cooking Class. All of the participants were offered a taste of the delicious dish. Darlene, a program participant, won a prize for wearing the most green, and Eddie and Constance danced an Irish Jig during group. Everyone enjoyed the food and festivities! 

Saturday Respite Care Participants Get Crafty

March was a busy time for the Saturday Respite Program participants. Each week the group tries a new skill, or they get creative with new craft projects, and they enjoy cooking together. In early March, the group made Cereal Birdfeeders to keep our feathered friends happy and fed, after which they worked together to learn how to make delicious waffles to keep themselves happy and fed! The following Saturday was spent making colorful Tissue Paper Turtles to decorate their meeting space. Throughout the month, the group enjoyed crafting, socializing, and eating lunch together.  

If you are interested in learning more about the Saturday Respite Program, please contact Samantha DeGerlia at 856-767-5757 x 378. 

Palwinder and Callie Catch Some Sun

Palwinder and Callie, two students in our Archway Work Study program, took a little time during their workday at the flower shop to create lovely sun catchers just in time for the spring sunshine. They look fabulous, and I’m sure they will look dazzling in the window! Great job, you two!  

Did you know…

Flowers Improve Your Mood…

It has been scientifically proven that flowers positively affect a person's mood. How wonderful for us that Archway Programs has its own flower shop! Blue Violet Flowers and Gifts offers a beautiful selection of mood enhancers just waiting to bring joy to your special someone, but you can also feel good knowing your purchase trains and employs Archway students and area adults with developmental and physical disabilities. Your purchase not only provides beautiful flowers to cheer you, but it also offers philanthropic opportunities to improve the life of someone else. 

Mother's Day is Almost Here!

Mother's Day is fast approaching! Are you ready?

Flowers are a Mother's Day tradition! Giving Mom a bouquet of her favorite blooms is a beautiful way to say you care.

Call, shop online, or stop by today to order the perfect arrangement for the remarkable woman in your life. Whether you choose roses, Lillies, tulips, or daisies, she will surely appreciate your thoughtfulness.

Song Birds & Blooms

Watering Garden

Daisy Delight

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!

Woods Services is Gearing up for the 9th Annual Run for Woods

Woods Services is getting ready for its 9th Annual Run for Woods. For more information about how you can help them reach their goal, please visit: http://runforwoods.org.

Legacy Treatment Services Ride to Thrive

Join Legacy Treatment Center on June 24th for a non-competitive, supported ride for all skill levels to raise funds for children and youth with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities served by Legacy Treatment Services!

For registration, sponsorships, and more information, please visit www.legacyridetothrive.com.

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.