The Bridge is Archway Programs' bi-monthly newsletter delivered straight to your inbox! To subscribe, see the latest and previous editions of this publication, please visit our website at
www.ArchwayPrograms.org/newsletter
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Dear Archway Friends and Family,
It's that time of year again, the end of an incredible summer and the beginning of an exciting new school year. Change is inevitable, scary and yet so beautiful. Thank you to all of our students, families, school staff and related services, past and present, who have made this the fantastic journey that it has been so far.
The Archway Schools welcomed nearly 250 students to our
APSSD programs
at Cooper's Poynt in Camden, and the Upper and Lower schools located on Archway's main campus headquarters. Hundreds of school staff gathered together the week prior to the first official day of school. Staff attended orientation, training and prepared for their students' first day back.
Another successful summer camp is in the books!
Just Kids' Summer Camp wrapped up its 8-week session at Camp Barrington, Camp Collingswood and Camp Waterford. Thank you to our dedicated staff who made sure our campers learned a lot while having fun this summer! Our Just Kids Program continues to grow with 21 locations, 11 school districts and 895 children served daily in the before and after school care program. As Just Kids continues to expand serving more families, Archway is seeking part-time child care providers throughout southern New Jersey at various locations. Please click
here
for more information and if you could, please help us spread the word.
Archway's Administrative and Partial Care staff have been working hard and collaborating to improve and expand programming offered to our ACT clients, including new and exciting therapeutic groups and activities focused on improving nutrition, fitness groups, special outside guests, and more. Be sure to take a look at some of the fun activities clients participated in this month featured in this edition of the Bridge.
I am ecstatic to announce that Archway has officially launched a new program under the Human Services Department, for adults with intellectual/developmental disabilities. The
Supported Employment Program
helps clients determine areas of interest based on skill sets, strengths and previous work experience. Staff provide on-site job training and help find job opportunities from local businesses. This program gives individuals with disabilities self-worth, becoming valued members of the community. We know that options are limited once students graduate from our schools. Our
Supported Employment Program
offers a solution to families facing this challenge. This new program furthers Archway's mission and continuum of care to best serve clients and help bridge the gap in services that our families experience after graduation.
As of early September, the Archway Employee Crisis Program (AECP) fund has grown to $11,268. Thank you to all of our employees who have contributed to this fund, to help your fellow co-workers facing financial hardship. Your dedication to our organization, with clients served and internally, does not go unnoticed. Thank you all for your hard work keeping
Archway's mission alive and thriving in the community.
Sincerely,
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“
By all these lovely tokens September days are home, with sweet summer’s best of weather, and autumn’s best of cheer.
”
–
Helen Hunt Jackson
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Archway Programs' main campus headquarters in Atco, New Jersey.
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Back To School for Archway Students
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Thank you to our wonderful teachers, administrators, support staff and principals from the Upper, Lower and Cooper’s Poynt schools for all of their hard work preparing to make the first day of school and this school year special for our students! It’s going to be a great year at the Archway Schools!
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Our newest
Approved Private Schools for Students with Disabilities
(
APSSD)
program,
The Archway School at Cooper's Poynt
, is located in the Cooper's Poynt Family School located in Camden City. This program is celebrating its second year serving youth ages 5-13 in Camden City and surrounding school districts.
Click
here
to learn more about the Archway Schools.
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Dealing with Back to School Anxiety
This time of year, can be difficult for families and children as everyone tries to get back into a routine with busy school and/or sports schedules. Sometimes children act out and it's not always easy to pinpoint where that behavior is stemming from. Anxious behavior in kids does not always look the same. In fact, it can manifest
in a multitude of forms. The chart below describes eight different ways and breaks down what to look for so parents can identify and understand anxious behaviors.
For more information, please click
here
.
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Archway's Human Services Department launched a new program for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, "
Supported Employment Program.
"
This program helps clients determine areas of interest based on skill sets, strengths and previous work experience. Staff provides on-site job training and staff helps find job opportunities from local businesses. The
Supported Employment Program
gives individuals with disabilities self-worth, becoming valued members of the community.
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Employment services include:
- Vocational assessments of an individual's skills, abilities, strengths, aptitude, and limitations
- Career Counseling
- Personalized instruction in resume writing and assistance with applications/interviews
- Community job development and placement
- On-site job coaching
- Assistance with employer-employee relationship building
- Ongoing job skill maintenance and evaluation
Eligibility requirements include:
- Registered with the DDD
- Intellectual/Developmental Disability
- Over 21 years old
Referrals are accepted.
Referrals for the Supported Employment Program are accepted. Please click
here
to fill out and submit the online referral form.
Questions?
For more information about Archway's Supported Employment Program, please contact Mickie Patetta via phone at 856.767.5757 x374 or via email at
mickie.patetta@archwayprograms.org
. To learn more about the program, please click
here.
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Employee Spotlight On: Kadeem Shamsid-Deen
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Meet Kadeem
Shamsid-Deen
, one of our newer employees who currently serves as part-time Receptionist in Archway's Administrative Building located on the main campus headquarters. Kadeem first expressed interest in obtaining gainful employment since he first came to Archway Programs in 2018, as one of our clients in the Supportive Living Program. When there was an opening for this position, he was the first to come to mind.
Pictured left is Kadeem on the job with Angela, Archway staff member. "Kadeem has pride in what he's doing and I've seen his confidence level significantly increase since he started this job," she said.
Kadeem enjoys working with people and being of assistance whenever he can. In line with his employment goals, he has been building his skills and gaining work related experience, while receiving on-the-job training. Kadeem started training in May 2019, and successfully completed the training in August. He has proudly served as Receptionist since this time.
Here's how Kadeem's co-workers describe him:
- Brings positive energy to the team
- Such a valuable asset to our organization
- A breath of fresh air! He always has a positive attitude and a big smile on his face!
- Empathetic and compassionate
- Hard working and eager to learn new things
Congratulations Kadeem! We are proud that you are part of the Archway family.
#ArchwayProud #ArchwayFamily
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Students Celebrate 11th Annual Archway Games
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Inspired by the Special Olympics, the Archway Games is an a fun annual event held by Archway School staff, that gives students an opportunity to compete in activities, work on skills including fine and gross motor, team building and sportsmanship. All of our students get an opportunity to interact with each other on different levels while cheering each other on. The Archway Games consist of an Opening Ceremony, four days of morning and afternoon games, and a Closing Ceremony. Thank you to all of our school staff and employees for making this another successful event for our students!
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PCS Olympics at HOPE & DISCOVER
Both partial care youth programs, HOPE and DISCOVER, held their own Olympic inspired event this year. The PCS Olympics consists of eclectic games and team spirited competition. In preparation for the event, each group room worked as a team to develop a poster with their unique names, such as
The Crushers
,
Kings & Queens
,
Mr. Joe Avenger
s, and
Superheroes in Training
. Some of the teams made their own tie dye shirts, superhero attire and masks during the competitive games. Congratulations to
The Crushers
for coming in first place with a whopping 46 points!
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A Grease Remix by the ACT Singers
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One of our ACT clients came up with the idea of organizing a Grease inspired event. Daniel B. put together a group of clients who were interested in being a part of the event and then chose the songs.
ACT clients performed the following songs:
- "Grease"
- "Summer Nights"
- "Sandy"
- "Hopelessly Devoted"
- "You're the One That I Want"
- "Born to Hand Jive"
Aside from having fun in rehearsals, singing is a well-known "anti-depressant." Being part of a group and performing is tied to improved self-esteem and it's also a healthy social outlet. Music is therapy!
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Click
here
or on the video above to see a short clip
highlighting the performances. To see more footage from
the event, click on the "Read More" button below.
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"Archway's Got Talent" produced by the Lower School
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Staff from our Lower School organized "Archway's Got Talent" to showcase students' talents and abilities.
Students were celebrated for their unique talents and for promoting Archway's core value, Individuality.
Thank you to our staff for everything you did to make this a successful event! And thank you to our brave students for participating in this year's show!
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Just Kids: Summer Camp 2019
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Thank you to all of our Just Kids staff for making it another summer to remember! This year, Just Kids had three summer camps - Barrington, Collingswood and Waterford. Children were physically active, mentally active, learned, created and had a lot of fun with each other. A special shout out to our friends at
Johnson's Corner Farm
,
ScienceTellers
, police officers from Atco and Camden County,
Color Me Mine
,
Broadway Theatre of Pitman
and
Blue Violet Flowers and Gifts
for helping our campers create some unforgettable memories!
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Archway Schools: ESY 2019
Annual Fun Day 2019
Fun day is an annual end-of-the-year tradition for the Archway Schools. This year, students and staff from Upper School, Lower School and Cooper's Poynt welcomed summer and celebrated in style!
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Click
here
to see more pictures from this year's Fun Day.
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Annual Upper School Versus Lower School Softball Game
The Annual Upper School versus Lower School softball game is a longstanding Archway tradition for our Extended School Year staff. Congratulations to the Lower School champs!
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ACT Program Offers Pet Therapy to Clients
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This month, clients from our Adult Counseling and Therapy (ACT) Program enjoyed pet therapy. Thank you to our special guests,
FURever As Friends
,
for coming to Washington Township!
Archway staff and clients are already counting down the days until the next visit.
Pet Therapy features many benefits for our ACT clients including but not limited to:
- Reduce anxiety, stress, and depression
- Develop social skills and verbal communication
- Build self-esteem and confidence
- Willingness to join in on a group setting
- Enhance physical movement
- Decrease loneliness and isolation
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A Special Visit from Archway Supporters and Former Clients
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Our beloved friends, Kenny and Michelle, came to visit the ACT Program earlier this month! Clients and Archway staff were so happy to visit with the couple, both former Archway clients. Kenny recently organized a Facebook fundraiser for Archway Programs and
generously donated funds raised to our
ACT Program. This past year, Archway Programs has been focused on expanding programming at our ACT Program to best serve the needs of our clients. Funds raised will support these efforts and assist Archway to expand the ACT Program.
From all of us at Archway Programs, THANK YOU Kenny (and Michelle) for your time and effort organizing the fundraiser and making an everlasting impact in the ACT Program. You are both such an inspiration to Archway employees and our ACT clients.
#ArchwayProud #ArchwayFamily
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Outdoor Activity Day and End of Summer Celebration
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Our ACT clients enjoyed a fun-filled morning playing games inside and outdoors. Outdoor activities consisted of horse shoes, wiffle ball, basketball, and several other lawn games. Indoor activities consisted of Giant Jenga games, corn hole, and various table games.
Thank you to our friends, Kenny and Michelle, for treating our clients to Pretzel Factory treats and ice cream!
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Hanging Onto Summer As Long As We Can!
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PCS Youth has the right idea...who else agrees?!
After all, summer is not officially over yet.
Swimming in the outdoor pool during the summer months is always a favorite activity.
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Just Kids: Blue Violet Workshop
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Before summer camp ended, Just Kids’ Camp Waterford took a field trip to Blue Violet Flowers and Gifts for a fun DIY workshop. They created carnival inspired popcorn-themed floral arrangements that they got to bring home from summer camp. Thanks
Blue Violet Flowers and Gifts
for hosting such a memorable workshop for Just Kids Camp Waterford!
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Click
here
to listen to the recording which features Kristine Henle-Blank, Store Manager, telling the story of how the Blue Violet became what it is today, how Archway's social enterprise business helps our students, adult clients and local community.
Below you'll find exclusive behind-the-scenes footage the day the interview was recorded!
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Welcome to the Archway Family!
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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!
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Administrative
Kadeem Shamsid-Deen, Receptionist
Just Kids, Before & After School Care
Marsha Bailey, Childcare Assistant
Dana Neel, Childcare Assistant
Sherkita Gantt, Childcare Assistant
Megan McCauley, Childcare Assistant
Melissa Hatterer, Childcare Assistant
Gabrielle Carlamere, Childcare Assistant
Kendra Owens, Childcare Assistant
Johanna Diaz, Childcare Assistant
Sarah Greer, Childcare Assistant
Kelley Schmidt, Childcare Supervisor
Residential Community Homes
Amanda Langston, Direct Support Professional
Andrew Rohanna, Direct Support Professional
Adesuwa Omoruyi, Direct Support Professional
Edith Fuller, Direct Support Professional
Osayekewen Omoruyi, Direct Support Professional
Maintenance
Lamont Alford, Maintenance Technician
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The Archway Schools (Cooper's Poynt)
Devon Buonadonna, Paraprofessional
The Archway Schools (Upper)
Lynn Adrion, Paraprofessional
Brianna DiMartinis, Paraprofessional
Michael Heiman, Teacher
Joseph Laffey, Paraprofessional
Brianna Lucas, Paraprofessional
Kevin O’Donnell, Paraprofessional
Corey Robinson, Paraprofessional
Thomas Viscuso, Teacher
Stacey White, Teacher
The Archway Schools (Lower)
Cassandra Colon, Paraprofessional
Patricia Corrigan, Paraprofessional
Clarissa Hernandez-Ortiz, Paraprofessional
Gabriella Mosca, Paraprofessional
Sophia Santiago, Paraprofessional
Shani Shpun, Teacher
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Are you looking for a rewarding career?
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We are currently looking for people who are passionate about making a difference in the lives of others and in their communities.
Archway offers flexible schedules, an excellent work culture that values a healthy work/life balance, a large affiliate network, with unlimited opportunities for growth throughout southern and central NJ.
Don't miss this opportunity!
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SAVE THE DATE: Upcoming Events
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9th Annual Cancer Awareness Walk
Wednesday, October 9th, 2019
Join Archway Programs at the 9th Annual Cancer Awareness Walk on Wednesday, October 9th, 2019. The event will begin promptly at 10:30 a.m. located around Archway's main campus headquarters' lake. Archway employees, families, clients, and the local community is invited to attend this fun event, raising awareness, support and funds for a great cause!
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Cooper's Poynt Open House
Thursday, October 10th, 2019
Archway is hosting an OPEN HOUSE for Child Study Team Directors, Case Managers and other Education Administrators at its newest APSSD program, the Arch
way School at Cooper's Poynt!
Join us on Thursday, October 10th from 9-10:30 a.m. for coffee and refreshments, to observe the classrooms, meet Archway staff, ask questions and learn more about our highly supportive and integrated program.
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Camden County Resource Fair Fall 2019
Thursday, October 17th, 2019
Visit Archway Programs at the Camden County Resource Fair Fall 2019 on Thursday, October 17
th
from 11:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. at the Voorhees Town Center! The resource fair is organized by the Camden County Care Management Organization (CMO) and it’s FREE to attend. The goal of these events is to bring awareness to mental health and social service agencies in our community. For more information, please click
here
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We Want to Hear From You!
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If you have an idea for content you would like to see in The Bridge, and/or have any questions about our e-newsletter, please email our Communications Department at
communications@archwayprograms.org
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We always have a lot of fun and exciting things happening at Archway Programs! Make sure to stay connected and follow @ArchwayPrograms on social media for all of the latest news and events!
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