News for students, families & friends | | |
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From the Supervisor's Desk
Our second Family Gathering, "What is going on at New Horizons?" is scheduled for 4-5 p.m. March 5 and 12-1 p.m. March 7. Both events offer in-person or virtual options to attend. Request a virtual link by calling the school office at 231.933.3560.
We are also excited to announce our third Family Gathering, "Positive Behavior Supports for Parents and Caregivers." This will be a two-part series focusing on ways to de-escalate challenging behaviors. The first segment, from 3-5 p.m. on March 20, will focus on anxiety support. The follow-up segment, scheduled from 3-5 p.m. on April 3, will focus on safety and tension reduction.
Overall Training Goals:
• How to recognize behavior levels and respond with positive behavior supports
• Learn about tracking behavior trends
• Familiarity with available resources
A separate email with registration instructions will be coming soon. We hope to see you there!
In other news, we are also super excited to announce that Ashley Pinkelman has joined the New Horizons team. Ashley will be leading the Adaptive PE classes for the New Horizons and Bridgeway students. Ashley previously served students as an Occupational Therapist for Cheboygan Otsego Presque Isle Educational Service District (COPESD). Her hobbies and interests include making pottery, alpine and Nordic skiing, kayaking, hiking and backpacking. We look forward to getting to know Ashley better as she transitions into this role.
Respectfully,
Riley Denison
Supervisor, New Horizons
Northwest Education Services
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Upcoming Family Gatherings for March
New Horizons - Program News and Updates
4-5 p.m. Tuesday, March 5 | 12-1 p.m. Thursday, March 7
New Horizons at Traverse Heights
933 Rose St., Traverse City
Please enter at the back of the school off of Kinross & Fern St.
This session will focus on what is happening in New Horizons. We will talk about curriculum additions and changes, as well as the redistribution of pieces of our program. Have you wondered what Readtopia is? Do you know what CBI stands for and why it's a part of our program? We will answer these questions and more during our time together. There will be a general format for the presentation, but the majority of the discussion will be driven by questions that you have about the program.
Positive Behavior Supports for Parents and Caregivers
3-5 p.m. Wednesday, March 20 | Anxiety Support
3-5 p.m. Wednesday, April 3 | Safety & Tension Reductions
New Horizons at Traverse Heights
933 Rose St., Traverse City
Please enter at the back of the school off of Kinross & Fern St.
Registration and additional information will be available soon.
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Family Literacy Night
by Molly Wrzesinski
MWrzesinski@NorthwestEd.org
New Horizons was able to host a family literacy night in February! Several families gathered together to learn more information about modeling on communication devices, shared reading, and adapting different games and activities so that all family members could participate. It was great having parents and siblings join us for a fun night of activities and learning!
The main topic discussed during the parent training portion of the evening focused on some tips for modeling. The acronym SMoRRES is a nice way to remember the key points (based on the handout titled: Aided-language what? How to model AAC; based on the work of Senner and Baud).
- S = Slow rate
- Speak in a slow, clear manner while at the same time pointing to (touching) one or more of the words you say on the AAC learner’s communication system.
- Mo = Model
- Verbally speak while also pointing to (touching) pictures/words on the AAC learner’s communication device. Imagine you are adding closed captions to a silent movie.
- R = Respect & Reflect
- When the AAC learner communicates something through gestures, vocalizations, behaviors or some means other than their communication system, respect that communication attempt and reflect their intended message by modeling a word or phrase to communicate the same message. DO NOT make the AAC learner repeat.
- R = Repeat
- Use utterances repeatedly. Use words repeatedly, but with variety, to teach different uses and meanings of the word or phrase.
- E = Expand
- Build upon the AAC learner’s communication attempts. Be mindful that you do not overwhelm the AAC learner.
- S = Stop
- Provide an expectant pause to give the AAC learner an opportunity to communicate using their communication system. Wait with anticipation for at least 10 seconds (some may need longer) to invite communication from the AAC learner. Processing what you have said, formulating a response and initiating that response through their communication device takes time. If the AAC learner does not take a turn, DO NOT require them to communicate. Simply move on and resume modeling.
Here is a short video highlight some tips for shared reading as well:
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Social Worker Shares
by Cherie Wilson, LMSW
CAWilson@NorthwestEd.org
Office: 231.933.3573
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Hello!
This month's focus is on the McKinney-Vento Act.
You may have noticed, each year when school starts, there is a form titled "McKinney-Vento Act" that we ask families to fill out. The McKinney-Vento Act provides protections and support to children and youth who are homeless. The Act defines “homeless children and youth” as individuals who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence. It is meant to provide support to students and families experiencing housing instability so children can continue to attend and benefit from their school programs. Students who qualify gain the support of a McKinney-Vento liaison who can assist in making sure that the student has access to:
● Transportation to and from school
● Free meals in school
● School supplies
● Connections to community resources
● Items that are needed so the student can attend school (clothing, personal hygiene items, winter gear)
Marty Guiney serves as North Ed's McKinney-Vento liaison for our school district and special education programs. She can be reached at 231.922.6470.
There are several resources linked below for individuals and families that may be experiencing unstable or unsafe housing.
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Ongoing Community Supports
Salvation Army - Serving Grand Traverse, Benzie, Leelanau counties
1239 Barlow St., Traverse City, MI
Phone: 231.946.4644
Open 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. Monday-Friday (closed daily from noon to 1 p.m.)
Salvation Army - Serving Emmet, Charlevoix, Antrim counties
712 Pleasant St., Petoskey, MI
Phone: 231.347.3531
Open to the public for walk-ins from 9 a.m. - 3 p.m., M-F (closed daily from noon to 1 p.m.)
Salvation Army - Serving Wexford, Missaukee, Kalkaska counties
725 Wright St., Cadillac, MI
Phone: 231.775.7131
Open 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. Monday-Friday Food Pantry 10 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Father Fred Foundation - Serving most of Northwest Lower Michigan
826 Hastings St., Traverse City, MI
Phone: 231.947.2055
Open 10 a.m. - 2 p.m., Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and 10 a.m. - 7 p.m. on Wednesday.
The Northwest Food Coalition - Provides a complete list of where to locate meals or food pantries in your area. Visit the website or call 231.642.4702
Other Area Resources:
Homelessness - Prevention and Support
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Free Laundry Service for Those in Need
TC Laundry | 1131 S. Garfield Ave.
1st & 3rd Thursday of each month
8: 30 - 11:30 a.m.
Eastfield Laundry | 1122 E. 8th St.
2nd & 4th Thursday of each month
8:30 - 11:30 a.m.
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Important Dates to Remember
Tuesday, March 5: Family Gathering - Topic: Program Information
4-5 p.m. @ New Horizons at Traverse Heights or Virtually
Thursday, March 7: Family Gathering - Topic: Program Information
4-5 p.m. @ New Horizons at Traverse Heights or Virtually
Monday, March 25 to Monday, April 1: No School, Spring Recess
Tuesday, April 2: School Resumes
Monday, May 27: No School, Memorial Day Holiday
Friday, June 7: Last Day of School
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Community Bulletin Board:
(The events and ideas are NOT sponsored by Northwest Education Services. Contact Lisa Poortenga in the school office if you have something to add.)
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In an effort to keep all of our students healthy, we appreciate your cooperation in following the guidelines for attendance at school. Please keep your child home if he/she has any of the following symptoms:
- Vomiting or diarrhea (should be symptom-free for 24 hours)
- High fever (usually 100 degrees or more; should be free for 24 hours)
- Sore throat that has lasted longer than 3 days
- Persistent cough
- Red eyes with drainage, itching or burning
- Any undiagnosed rash
- Head lice (may return after treatment)
- Extreme fatigue and/or irritability even in the absence of the above symptoms
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As a reminder, if your child is sent home because they are sick or displaying one of the above symptoms, they need to stay home the next school day. They may return to school once they have been symptom free for 24 hours, without the use of Tylenol or Motrin, which helps keep a fever down.
Thank you for your help in keeping other students and staff healthy!
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Movement for Communication
by Katy Foor
At New Horizons, we love to do fun group activities! Every Monday, our community room is bustling with students participating in MoCo (Movement for Communication Group). This group is facilitated by speech and occupational therapy, with occasional appearances from physical therapy or our orientation and mobility specialist.
This group is a fun way to integrate goal areas that students are working on including mobility, upper extremity and hand control, following through with multi-step activities, and communication. We also enjoy adapting a variety of activities for all students to participate, engage and enjoy. The best way to learn is by having fun!
Photos include life-size game of “Kerplunk” and life-size “Candy Land”.
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Many of our students in our center-based programs use multi-modal communication. Learning signs to support spoken or augmented communication can increase comprehension and communication. However, it is important to note that American Sign Language (ASL) is a complete language in and of itself. These signs are taken from ASL and are used as a visual to support spoken and augmented communication. | |
On Friday, Feb. 18 New Horizons high school and middle school students were invited to the Bridgeway campus for a school dance. Check out these cool kids!! | |
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What's for Lunch?
North Ed partners with Traverse City Area Public School to provide breakfast and lunch for our students. You can find all the school menus linked below.
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Policies & Procedures
Student / Parent Handbook | Procedural Safeguards Notice
Attendance
Students are expected to be in school on a consistent basis; however, we know illness, appointments and therapies sometimes happen during the school day. If your child will not be in school, you must notify the school office or their teacher directly by 9:30 a.m. Please call 231.933.3560.
If your child will be out of school for an extended period, please let your child's teacher know so we can determine if there is a need for continuing their education outside of school during this time.
Extracurricular Involvement
If you would like your child to participate in any school-run, parent-initiated, extracurricular activities (sports, choir, school dances, etc.), you must give notice to your student's teacher three weeks prior to the event start date. We must have time to assemble the IEP team to determine if any additional supports are needed for safe participation.
Parents: Sign Up for Text Alerts
Northwest Education Services uses text messaging to inform our school community of school closures and other emergencies. Click the link School Closings & Alerts to learn more about how we communicate and keep you informed.
How to Sign Up:
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Text any one of these words to the number 67587: subscribe, optin, or yes
- Repeat this process for any wireless phone numbers that you wish to include
- You’ll receive a confirmation text message when you sign up
NOTE: If your cell phone number is not on file with the school, you will not be able to receive text messages. Text messaging service is limited to contact numbers tied to North Ed staff and student databases and is not available to the general public. If you are unsure whether your phone number is on file, contact the New Horizons office at 231.933.3560.
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New Horizons
933 Rose St., Traverse City, MI 49686
Tel. 231.933.3560 | NorthwestEd.org
Northwest Education Services
1101 Red Drive, Traverse City, MI 49684
Tel. 231.922.6200 | NorthwestEd.org
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