Walker`s Winter (not-so)Wonderland It`s All About The Beds, `Bout

February / March 2015
The
TIMES
It’s All About The Beds, ’Bout the Beds...
(No Trundle)
UPCOMING EVENTS
------- All Staff Meeting ------
Walker staff are essential. They teach students, empower growth and
development, and put the children and families we serve on a pathway for
lifelong success. For residents on Walker’s Needham campus, staff are also
caretakers, guardians and confidants.
Join fellow colleagues at one of our
semi-annual All Staff meetings. Learn
about safety, the Cultural Climate Survey, new Clinical and Case Management Practices and new recruitment,
retention and staff appreciation ideas.
This was no ordinary winter season. The Needham campus faced the
unique challenge of not just braving the winter storms but having to maintain staffing and programming regardless of what Old Man Winter had in
store.
Dates & Times:
Wednesday, March 11th
9:30-11:30 AM
OR
Thursday, March 12th
1:30 PM -3:30 PM
The challenges of running a 24-hour program is never more apparent than
during inclement weather. Staff from every department rallied and worked
double shifts, from residential, facilities, and child care workers to nurses and teaching assistants. Care workers worked double shifts. Everyone
came in early and stayed late; checked-in the night before a day shift and
stayed until their next – up to three days in a row in some instances.
Immediately upon hearing of a storm, residential coordinators held
meetings to assess the needs of the Needham Campus and residents. They
collaborated with facilities to ensure that each building was ....cont. p 3
Walker’s Winter (not-so)Wonderland
---------- Career Day --------Date & Time:
Thursday, March 19th
10:00 AM – 11:30 AM
Location:
Walker, Needham Campus
--- Marathon Kick-Off Day -Everyone is invited to join Walker’s
Boston Marathon team at the
Needham campus to kick-off the
Walker Marathon season with a celebratory opening lap led by students.
By David Eisan-Smith
Winter 2014-2015 can be summed up simply
as “exhausting,” but that would be such an
understatement.
I’ll leave it to the greater minds to tally the
many hours of overtime and dollars spent for
fuel to power the snow blowers, plow trucks,
generators, and of course the added heat due
to plunging temperatures experienced this
season.
Location:
North Hill
865 Central Ave, Needham
Date & Time:
Monday, April 6th
10:00 AM – 11:00 AM
Location:
Walker, Needham Campus
---------- Convening ---------Boom lift at Hatoun
(18” Icicle not included)
It’s hard to say how much snow we’ve gotten.
The last thing on our minds has been to get out
and actually measure it. However, every building experienced ice dams,
and I can say with absolute certainty that the largest ice dam was on Hatoun and more than 18” thick! ...cont. p 3
Date & Time:
Thursday, April 30th
All Day
Location:
North Hill
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The Walker School Celebrates at the 2015 Science Fair
On Friday, February 13, Walker was a-buzz, blasting-off and
diving-in during this year’s annual Science Fair!
During the morning on our Needham Campus, classrooms
were transformed into worlds of new discovery as students
delighted in teaching volunteer “Scientists” all they had
learned through experimentation and hands-on activity.
Each classroom worked on a themed science project, from
outer space to under-the-sea. Students were paired with
one of seven “Scientists” who asked questions and inquired
about the student’s project. The “Scientists” then reported
back their newfound knowledge and awarded students with
a certificate and ribbon for their participation.
The Science Fair reinforces positive experiences for the
Walker School students, with the main goal to get them
A classroom transformed into an
comfortable meeting and speaking with someone new. More
underwater exploration extravaganza!
than 90 students created experiments on subjects such as
density, barometric pressure, and water cycles. One classroom even created an underwater ecosystem with studies
on sharks, jelly fish, and many other sea creatures.
We are already looking forward to next year’s celebration of hands-on learning, creativity, and scientific discovery!
Walker’s Hot Chocolate Wars
What started as one student’s idea became a school-wide sensation.
It began with a classroom 202 reading group enjoying the book, Lemonade Wars, which
follows two siblings in an all-out competition to sell the most lemonade during the final days
of summer break. One student enjoyed the book so much that he imagined a competition of
his own. With the help of program coordinator, Lindsay Castro, this dream quickly became a
reality.
Being February rather than August, the friendly competition featured hot chocolate, rather
than iced lemonade. More than 80 students participated across Walker’s Needham campus.
Each classroom teamed-up to select a very special secret ingredient,
which included: orange zest, marshmallows, crushed graham crackers,
mint, Hershey kisses, Oreos and a spicy flavor.
More than 15 Administration, Human Resources, Programming and Advancement staff
participated as judges. Together they traveled from classroom to classroom, sampling each
hot chocolate concoction along the way and voting on the secret ingredient they enjoyed
most.
Congratulations to winning classroom 201 whose secret ingredient was Oreos! They
received a science kit as their prize to continue experimenting.
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Winter (not-so)Wonderland
(Continued from page 1)
The greatest challenge this winter was finding a place
to put the snow. In my years of experience with snow
removal, Rule #1 of plowing is, “be sure to push the
snow back far enough
so there is room for the
next snow storm.” But
there was just no way
of predicting this much
snow.
We had many equipment challenges: from
windshield wipers being
ripped off the truck by
ice to stuck plows, and
broken roof rakes. We
also had to rent additional equipment to help
Joe Rice on the boom lift, in our efforts including a
clearing off the Cogan roof. “boom lift” to reach ice
dams, and a front-end
loader to move piledhigh snow banks.
Luckily, we haven’t lost power. But to be safe, we tested
our emergency generators to ensure they were ready
and in place in case we did.
We have already begun looking into ways of reducing ice dams and the damage they’ve caused. We are
researching a greater use of roof de-icing cables, how
well our attic spaces are insulated and vented, and
investigating if there is a need to replace some older
equipment with better equipment.
What we’re most looking forward to post-winter is
simple: sleep, green grass, and the Red Sox home
opener!
It’s All About The Beds
(Continued from page 1)
prepared for power outages and that generators would
be available as needed, and develop a plan for snow
removal. Safe, indoor programming for youth on campus was developed, families were notified, and schools
across the Commonwealth attended by residential
youth were contacted.
Administrative staff stayed
in close contact with everyone through email and
over the phone, ensuring
that schedules were filled
and that staff were appreciated and supported during
this challenge time. In
Needham, dinners, breakfasts, and snacks from BJ’s
were made available and plentiful. The Roche Center
was made available to staff between shifts or on break
to relax and watch DVDs and friends congregated in
the Barn Library to watch Friends.
The unwavering dedication and positive attitude of
staff was impressive by any measure. With each passing Snowpocalypse, Walker was better prepared. By
second storm, Walker was the proud owner of 10 air
mattresses for staff, and by the third breakfast food was
ordered in addition to dinner.
As storms ramped up and multiplied, it became more
and more draining. This is most evident than when
Joanna Bell lifted the 7 PM moratorium on television.
Everyone from the top down was in it; invested in the
children Walker serves and stepping up when it mattered most. In the end, it was communication, collaboration and cooperation that was the key to Walker
truly weathering the storm.
BIG THANK YOU!
Nathan “Walker Yeti”
Farias
(Yes, that’s ice on his
beard)
A special public thanks to
Nathan F. for his patience
and know-how in getting
machines winter ready and all
urgent repairs! We are also
very appreciative of Edie, Joanna, Paula W., Tim H., Scotty
K., and all Residential supervisors for moving cars quickly
so we could plow effectively!
A special public thanks to Jennie S. for brining
cookies and fruit for staff, Marsha Joan for being
a kitchen rock star, Paula W. for helping to coordinate staff schedule, and all of the facilities staff
for working on campus, even in the middle of the
night, to make sure Walker maintained a safe
environment!
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Welcome Walker’s New Faces!
Tali Rojem
Clinician
Andrea Williams
Nurse Manager
Randi Perrett
Accounting Manager
Phauline Gauthier
Child Care Worker
Geory Fequiere
Provisional Child Care Worker
Julia Wise
Child Care Worker
Caitlin Coleman
Provisional Child Care Worker
Heather Coen
Provisional Child Care Worker
Shyreen Michaud
Child Care Worker
Sir Lawrence Welsh
Provisional Child Care Worker
Frantz Saintil
Child Care Worker
Julienn Kaviar
Communications Specialist
Talia Gonzalez
Provisional Child Care Worker
James Montgomery-Hyde
Vice President Human Resources
Teresa Palana
Child Care Worker
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LEARNING AND GROWING AT WALKER
UPCOMING TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES
Join Dr. Craig Latham for a training on Sexually Reactive Behaviors. While the focus of this training is for
direct care staff and clinicians, all staff are welcome to attend! Staff do not need to sign up in advance of
attending one of the two training sessions, but should sign in to gain credit for their attendance.
Date:
Wednesday, March 4th
Time:
9:30—11:30 AM
OR
12:30—2:30 PM
Location:
Walker, Needham Campus
Roche Center, Alden Main
ANNOUNCEMENTS
1. The Training Department has posted several training-related documents to the SharePoint Team Site.
The new training information can be accessed on the staff portal at walkercares.org. There you will find a folder
called WTI Training Information, where you can download the eAcademy How-To Manual, Quick Learn Guide
and Instructions, as well as the Training Sign-In Sheet, External Training Request form and Training Evaluation
worksheet.
2. Thank you to staff who completed the mandated Sexual Harassment training by the Feb. 23 deadline.
We are working to schedule the next mandated training which you will be notified about via email in the months
to come. There will be at least three required trainings through the eLearning platform on an annual basis. As
eAcademy increasingly becomes the go-to portal for all departments to access mandated and other helpful trainings, we are excited to grow and develop new trainings to further your expertise and knowledge bases. Stay tuned
for future developments.
3. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is running in full force at Walker.
To ensure we are properly using the skills with clients, each month we consult with Susan Tohn, LICSW. Now, for
the first time, we will also be offering a two hour training during March orientation so that new staff are versed in
the principles and skills of this important Evidence Based Practice. We are also working to bring Solution Focused
therapy to both campuses as our next Evidence Based Practice workshop.
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Beacon High School Student Art Recognized Nationally
Bright Lights: Honorable Mention,
2015 Scholastic Awards
Congratulations: 1st Place, 2015
Children’s League of Massachusetts
Art Competition
My Little Sister: Honorable Mention,
2015 Cape Cod All High School
Photography Competition
At Beacon, the commitment to arts education is based on both the inherent value it brings to all school curricula
as well as the ability it provides for students to better understand themselves and their place in the world. This
commitment reflects our belief that an exposure to various techniques of artistic expression aids in healing, emotional mastery, increasing self-confidence, and building a positive view of the future.
We are so proud of the five Beacon High School students who received Honorable Mentions and Regional Gold
Keys in the 2015 Scholastic Art and Writing Awards. The work of Beacon’s two Regional Gold Key award winners
is currently being considered for national recognition in New York.
Nancy C. Lincoln Center on Track for Spring Opening
Each day, Bowdoin Construction makes progress on the construction of Beacon High School’s Nancy C. Lincoln
Center, and completion is targeted for this spring! Names in honor of Beacon’s distinguished former director of 37
years, the Nancy C. Lincoln Center is a much needed addition to the Beacon School academic building and will
proudly serve its current and future students and families.
“I am most energized about the possibilities of the
new building to energize faculty and students to new
heights. Every day, our incredible faculty utilize the
existing space in creative ways. The new building will
allow us to offer so much to our students, from expanding our curriculum to creating new avenues of
individual expression. It’s also an affirmation that our
students deserve best-in-class facilities and the investment in the building demonstrates that we care and
want to build on the unique strengths of our community. That itself reinforces positive outcomes for the
students we serve.”
--Mary Howard, Beacon High School Director
With a focus on holistic education and out-of-the-classroom experiences, the new Center will provide outstanding
opportunities for artistic creativity and school revelry. A new multi-use space, designed for physical education,
will help bring our entire community together as it is large enough for all-school meetings, student productions,
graduation and even prom. We are also looking at the many other youth development and enrichment activities
that can be hosted there to bring together the Walker and Watertown communities and beyond.
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Trieschman Family to Receive
Distinguished Community Leadership Award
On Saturday, May 2, Walker will present the 2015 Distinguished Community Leadership Award to the Trieschman
family during Walker’s 15th annual Lives in Bloom Gala.
The Distinguished Community Leadership Award is presented annually
to an individual, family or organization who has demonstrated, through
words and deeds, a commitment to bettering the lives of children, youth
and families. This year, Walker honors the work and legacy of Dr. Albert
E. Trieschman, who founded Walker and served as the first executive
director until his death in 1984.
Based on Dr. Trieschman’s philosophy, Walker established the Walker
Trieschman Institute for Research & Training (WTI) as the organization’s professional development and research division. With a mission to
improve the quality of care and treatment for children who face complex
challenges, WTI researches and designs best practices, hosts training
workshops, and presents symposia for child and youth caregivers and mental health professionals.
“My family and I are honored to accept this award. The staff at Walker is carrying out my father’s deepest dreams to ensure that every child has a chance at a better future by providing
them with the best possible education and therapeutic services.”
-- Karl H. Trieschman, Walker Board Member
Dr. Trieschman’s late wife, Nancy, spent most of her career working for Walker. Their three sons and families
remain involved and supportive of Walker. Karl H. Trieschman serves on the board, and his wife, Audrey, was crucial in building the legacy that would become WTI. Dr. Trieschman’s youngest son, Matthew, is a former Walker
employee and continues to work in the field at the Kennedy Krieger Institute in Baltimore.
Walker Hosts Internship Open House
Walker hosted an internship open house on
February 11th in the Wolf Center on the Needham campus. Attended by several graduate and
undergraduate applicants, students were able to
fill out applications and talk with prospective
supervisors about the training opportunities.
Walker staff were able to meet with a number
of students that evening and have since offered
field placements to two of the students who
attended.
We received positive feedback from both students, who appreciated being able to talk to the
multiple staff available to get a better sense of
the Walker community, and graduate programs.
We look forward to continuing this next year.
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Did you know.....
• Beacon High School students’ Math and Science MCAS scores are better than the statewide average for all high school students.
• 93% of Walker School students showed measurable gains in
reading over the last year.
• 94% of professionals who receive supervision and consultation
with Walker Partnerships discovered new ideas and/or learned new
skills.
• Walker’s Residential and ICBAT programs had more clients return home at discharge than 90%
of residential treatment centers participating in a nationwide study.
Snow by the Numbers
• 4 tons (8000 pounds): weight of bulk
salt material used so far this season,
which is a special coated salt that allows
us to use less and to melt the ice at lower temperatures.
• 6.75 tons (13,500 pounds): weight of
six pallets (45 bags / 50lbs per bag) of
bagged ice melt used so far this season.
• 7 Facilities Team Members: David
Donato, Facilities Superintendent, David
Eisan-Smith, Supervisor, and Facilities
Technicians Bernard Steed, Joe Rice,
Shayne Locke, Nathan Farias and Yohany
Velila.
• 11+ Pieces of Snow Removal Equipment: two snowplows, one truck mounted salt/sander, three snow blowers, two
roof rakes. We also have a contractor
with two plow trucks that assists during
overnights and a contractor responsible
for plowing in Watertown.
• 498 Miles: distance trucks traveled
plowing snow and two trips to Watertown to pick up and deliver a snow
blower for snow removal operations
there.
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Community?
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[email protected]
Thank you!
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