Year’s First Symphony Program Features Percussion Instruments lotions while in our buildings.

Volume 28, Issue 2 / October 2014
Kingsway Learning Center
Parent Briefs
Christine Robinson, Executive Director
Frank G. Fragale, Elementary Program Administrator
Philip Rodriguez, Secondary Program
Year’s First Symphony Program
Features Percussion Instruments
The October 16
Symphony Program
at the Elementary
Campus will mark
the beginning of the
23rd year of the
Symphony Outreach Program, a
musical partnership between
Kingsway and Symphony in C of
Camden, NJ
The school year’s first performance will feature the percussion
quartet.
Keep Those Labels Coming!
Kingsway is once again collecting
General Mills Box Tops for Educa-
October
Calendar
ELEMENTARY
PROGRAM
1
No Pre-School Class
6
Fire Truck Visit
13
Columbus Day
School Closed
SECONDARY
PROGRAM
13
Columbus Day
School Closed
tion. These items can be dropped
off at either the Haddonfield or
Moorestown Campus. Please
help this program grow by asking
friends and family to collect
these items for Kingsway.
lotions while in our buildings.
Many staff and students are sensitive or allergic to the fragrances. Both campuses are latex-free, so please avoid balloons
unless they are mylar. Thank you.
For more information on this program, visit the following website:
www.boxtops4education.com.
In the Classroom
Learning To Make Choices
Here at Kingsway Learning Center, we pride ourselves on coming
to school each day with a positive
outlook. In Michael Smith’s Elementary class (age range 6 to 8
years), the students are engaged
in several activities each day that
foster their growth. There are several important lessons that young
students learn in an early stage.
In life, we all make choices and
making choices is certainly an
important life lesson. Starting
this fall, students in Mr. Mike’s
class are presented with a way to
make choices that help the students communicate what they
want.
Important Reminders
 If you haven’t done so already,
please turn in the parent packet
mailed to you this summer. The
staff relies on the important information it contains to serve and
protect your child.
 For the Haddonfield Elementary Program Please notify us if
your student will be absent or
late for any reason. Call (856)
428-8108, ext. 304.
 To report absence or lateness
at the Secondary Program, you
can avoid an early morning call
from school by calling (856) 2344442 at anytime, day or night.
Dial “0” after the outgoing message begins and leave a voice
mail message.
And remember, parents and
guardians are responsible for
contacting the bus company
when a student will be out.
 Please do not wear perfume,
scented after-shave or scented
Life has many challenges for our
students and not being able to
verbally communicate can lead to
frustration and
that can lead to
undesired behaviors. When students are given a
Logan is one of Mr.
Mike’s students who
will be using the
“picture choice board.”
Page 2
Parent Briefs
Staff
Perspectives
Keeping the Beat
By Susan Cleary
Music Therapist, All Programs
The music programs are in full swing
at both schools. Haddonfield campus
students are being seen weekly with
their class for music for 25 minutes.
Some of our younger students have
been trying out our large gathering
drum, the autoharp, keyboard and
reed horns to address IEP goals as
well as working on turn-taking, sensory, oral, fine and gross motor skills.
They have also been using the iPad
for communication to say hello or
goodbye. Dancing to the music when
it plays and stopping when it stops
has also been part of their lessons.
Our older students have been listening to music and trying to identify
some of the instruments they hear.
They have also practiced keeping a
beat to the music using rhythm sticks
and tambourines. Some have created original ways to move to the
music with the sticks or when dancing. The older students have been
taking turns creating music on the
keyboard and singing a song of their
choice for their classmates. Many of
our students, who are at least 9
years old, are in the chorus. They
have begun learning Disney songs for
our all-school concert in January
2015.
The new music therapy program has
begun and four students are currently participating in small groups.
Students are exploring a variety of
instruments, singing and moving to
the music. Goals for these groups
focus on developing interactions
between the therapist and students,
and non-verbal communication using
music, social skills and more. Parents whose children are participating
in music therapy will receive more
information about the program in the
near future.
structured play area and cannot
verbally communicate for a desired toy, unwanted behaviors
occur. This fall, Mr. Mike and his
team are implementing a “picture
choice board” for the students in
his classroom. With the help of
several staff members around
the school, the team has created
something as simple as a laminated poster board so that students can communicate their
own choice. The choice for each
student will start off simply and
will involve choosing a toy to play
with in the classroom play area.
The students are presented with
two pictures of toys on the poster
board. The student will be shown
to choose the desired toy off the
poster board, and then they will
be given that toy.
When students are shown they
can make a choice, it can lead
them to understand they have a
say in what they want. An easy
picture system such as this
could help any student communicate with adults what is truly
desired. It also helps with the
understanding that in life
choices are allowed even if verbal communication is a challenge for students.
Come & Enjoy
the Haddonfield
Fall Festival
Come join in
some Fall fun—
and stop by Kingsway’s table at
this year’s Haddonfield Fall Festival, Saturday, Oct. 18, 10 a.m.
—5 p.m. (rain date: Sunday, Oct.
19, 12-5). For more information
on the day’s events, go to:
www.haddonfieldnj.org and click
on “events.”
Coach® Bag Bingo
is Coming to Kingsway
Friday, October 24!
7pm—10 pm
Haddonfield Campus
$30/Ticket

Includes a book of 12 games,
3 boards per game!


Door Prizes!
Bring Your Own Snacks
& Beverages
(snacks and baked goods
will also be available for purchase)
If you did not receive your Ticket Order Form
& Info, Contact Stefanie at:
[email protected]
(856) 428-8108
PARENT BRIEFS
Stefanie Mis, Editor
[email protected]
(856) 428-8108
Published monthly by
Kingsway Learning Center’s
Community Relations Department to keep
parents informed of school events and
issues relevant to special education.
Elementary Program
144 Kings Highway West
Haddonfield, N.J. 08033
(856) 428-8108
Secondary Program
244 West Route 38
Moorestown, N.J. 08057
(856) 234-4442
www.KingswayLearningCenter.org
www.facebook.com/kingswaylearningcenter