⇪Feature photo⇪: Children’s Adapted Physical Education Program
The SPECIAL EDition Newsletter is a publication of the Jersey City Public Schools Department of Special Education that highlights the latest student-centered events, activities, and trends throughout the district to keep families and educators informed.
Created by: Dr. Gerry Crisonino, Acting Deputy Superintendent, Megan Costigan, Supervisor, Jaime Merced, Lead Teacher
Social Emotional Learning Support and Activities for PS #22
By: Daniell Dima, L.I.N.K.S. Lead Teacher
A Social Emotional Learning bulletin board was created as an informational resource on SEL from the SPED Dept. LINKS Team for PS 22. Also, to provide teachers with activities to help support and guide them with implementing SEL activities into their classrooms.
Why SEL Now More Than Ever?
- Increase in mental needs.
- Increase in number of students with depression, anxiety & stress.
- Increase in number of students who are experiencing or witnessing trauma (adverse childhood experiences).
- Increase in number of students reporting loneliness, suicide rate & disengagement.
Scholarly Research Statistics...1 in 5 children have mental health problems. 43% increase in ADHD cases. 37% increase in teen depression. 64% of students have experienced trauma. 7 out of 10 teens reported struggling with mental health. Schools commonly address social, emotional & behavioral difficulties with detention, suspension and expulsion.
Children’s Adapted Physical Education Program
By: Eric Pawlowski and Steven Lenardo, Adapted Physical Education Teachers
The Children’s Adapted Physical Education Program (C.A.P.E.) has been working with multiple classrooms across the district to provide a safe, fun, and valuable learning environment. As the C.A.P.E. Lead teachers, we work in a group setting with our students to improve their physical fitness, and work on various motor and athletic skills. Our goal is to emphasize the importance of utilizing these skills to get involved with various activities that students can participate in, all of which are offered by the school district.
C.A.P.E. is designed to develop a wide range of skills through engaging exercises and games. These activities are tailored to ensure that every student can actively participate at their own level. By promoting physical fitness, sportsmanship, and motor skills, we aim to enhance socialization and boost self-esteem.
One of the key benefits of participating in the C.A.P.E. program is the opportunity for students with special needs to be integrated into traditional physical education classes. This integration allows them to interact with their typically developing peers while fostering inclusivity and understanding among all students in the district.
The advantages of adapted physical education are numerous. Through participation in adapted PE classes, students develop fundamental motor skills, improve physical fitness, and gain a sense of independence. Moreover, engaging in physical activities with their peers can greatly enhance self-esteem and foster socialization skills for all students. The classes who receive such services have classes once a week in a more controlled environment which allows students to be successful when they move into a larger setting such as the gymnasium in their traditional Physical Education classes.
If you are interested in exploring other programs offered by Jersey City, we highly recommend checking out Unified Sports. This program holds practices on Saturdays and competes against other cities and townships across the state. It is open to students ages 8 and above, and offers a variety of exciting opportunities such as Track & Field, Bowling, Basketball, Softball, Swimming, and more. Applications to sign up can be found on the District Website under Special Education Programs.
We are excited to continue offering the C.A.P.E. program to the students in the Jersey City Public School district, and we remain committed to providing an inclusive and enriching physical education experience for all students. A flier for athletic programs that are offered by the school district could be found here: Unified Sports Pamphlet 23-24
Halloween Trouble Comes out at Night
By: Lucas McCarren, C.A.S.P. Music Therapist
Here is a Halloween song that the students in Mrs. Perez’s class wrote and produced. The students created an original story and chose what instruments and sounds to add in order to make it into a song. Lucas McCarren, Music Therapist, helped facilitate the project with Mrs. Perez. They are so proud of the students creativity and accomplishments. Each student added their own voice and spoke with confidence and enthusiasm, while learning about recording and editing technology. Please enjoy a Halloween tune, “Halloween Trouble Comes out at Night”
Public Service Announcement
By: Jaime Merced, L.I.N.K.S. Lead Teacher
The Special Education Department records a series of Public Service Announcements (PSA) by a rotating group of Lead Teachers. PSAs feature important tips for parents on how to be engaged and involved with their children throughout the school year. Segments are recorded monthly at the JCETV studio at Henry Snyder High School where they are then televised on Comcast channel 97, Verizon channel 43, and streamed on JCETV through the district's website.
So far, L.I.N.K.S. teachers have recorded four PSAs featuring the following topics. Click a link to view the PSA.
- September: Back to School Routine: Tips for Creating Structure and Security
- October: Strategies for Increasing Self-Advocacy
- November: Stay Healthy: A guide for students and families
- December: Fun Activities for Parents and Children During Winter Break
Jersey City Public Schools Special Education Department’s
First Annual Thanksgiving Food Drive
The Special Education Department provided 100 turkeys and accompanying baskets to 100 of our Jersey City Public Schools families. Baskets were filled with canned veggies, macaroni and cheese, mashed potatoes, gravy, and sweet treats.
Our donors included Inserra Supermarket, Councilwoman Amy DeGise, Commissioner Bill O'Dea, Assemblyman Raj Mukherji, The Jersey City Fire Department, BJ’s Wholesale Club, Dr. Maya Angelou School, staff members of The Special Education Department, members of The Senior Leadership Team, Cathy’s Kids and private citizens of Jersey City. A special thank you to Ercolano’s Salumeria for accommodating us with storage space during our preparation.
Trunk or Treat
By: Jaime Merced, L.I.N.K.S. Lead Teacher
Lead Teachers of the Special Education Department were happy to take part in Regional Day School's yearly Trunk or Treat that was held in the school's parking lot. Staff members decorated their cars in themes that are familiar to students, such as M&M's, Pac Man, and Charlie Brown. There was even a StarBucks drive-thru! Though the air was chilled and the sun glared in the sky that Halloween morning, it didn't stop students from dressing up as superheroes, ghosts, and vampires as they walked from car to car grabbing sweets and treats to fill their bags. I think they have enough candy to last through the rest of the year.
Fun Friday
By Jennifer Valdora, L.I.N.K.S. Lead Teacher
The award winning Fun Friday program relaunched in September for the 2023-2024 School Year. This is the program’s third consecutive year. The Department of Special Education, Jersey City Free Public Library, and Liberty Science Center teamed up for an extraordinary Fun Friday event. Students explored the wonders of optics and the scientific contribution of Dr. Ellen Ochoa, Director at NASA Johnson Space Center located in Texas.
Please pre-register for future events by clicking HERE.
What's in your toolbox?
By: Bonnie Shultz and Emilee Davis, C.A.S.P. Art Therapists
On October 18th, 2023 JCBOE held an all day Professional Development Day. The C.A.S.P. Art Therapists, Bonnie Shultz and Emilee Davis, curated a workshop for Dr. Ronald E. McNair High School's self contained autism classroom teachers and support staff entitled “What’s in your Toolbox”?
The workshop focused on self-expression. Staff members discussed challenges and problem-solving strategies through guided imagery and an art experiential. Staff engaged in a lively discussion and created a cohesive atmosphere. Everyone participated and appeared comfortable sharing their artwork and thoughts.
Here is an example of the art process.
The staff shared their personal stories and seemed pleased expressing themselves together. They left with a sense of positive energy and tools to help guide them in their ongoing professional journey.
Fire Prevention Week
By: Monica Valenciano, P.S. 3
CHAMPS classes in Grades K-5 had a special visit from the Jersey City Fire Department during Fire Prevention Week. The firefighters showed the classes the equipment and the uniform that they utilize when going into a home during a fire. The firefighters gave information to students on how to prevent a fire in their home and to have an escape plan with their families. Many students asked the JCFD various questions about their job and fire prevention. At the end of the presentation the JCFD gave each student a bag filled with a fireman hat, coloring books and other goodies! The students and staff had a wonderful time and appreciate all that the JCFD does for the community every day.
Continue, Learn, Move Forward
By: Edward Caslin, SSW, LCSW
CLM Program / Secondary School Level: Self-Empowerment through Body Mindfulness& Relaxation Coping Skills
The Connect, Learn, Move Forward Program at the secondary school level incorporates bodymindfulness concepts and relaxation activities such as breathing relaxation, meditation, guided imagery, yoga movement, game play and art creativity. These activities and strategies aid the students’ development of coping skills that high school students can use on a daily basis to maintain self-regulation of emotions/behavior and during times of crisis. Development of healthy coping skills leads to increased self-awareness and fosters self-empowerment. Self-empowerment is critical in the students making positive choices in high school and life.
Project | SEARCH
Hudson County Project SEARCH is a one-year, business-led, unpaid internship program for students with disabilities in their last year of high school that takes place entirely at a host business site. It provides students who want to work a chance to explore careers and develop transferable job skills. The combination of instruction and immersion in the workplace prepares young adults with disabilities to make successful transitions from school to productive adult life.
On September 14th, Security Educator and Hudson County Champion Recognition Honoree, Stephen Thomas provided interns from both the Doubletree (DT) and the Jersey City Medical Center (JCMC) safety awareness training. In this training, he detailed the importance of demonstrating appropriate workplace behavior while onsite and discussed being safe in the community and while on the job. (Included in this photo, are the DT and the JCMC interns, Project SEARCH instructor MayLing Chong (left front) and skills trainers (left to right) Erika Ramirez, Lilian Valbuena, and Maurice Banks, and Stephen Thomas, (top center).
Interns and staff met for the first time since Skills Day, on August 21st and August 22nd for their annual Project SEARCH Jumpstart at Hudson County Enterprise (HCE). During these two days, interns had the opportunity to share a little about themselves and interact with participants from different parts of Hudson County.
Interns then reported to their respective sites for most of the month of September in order to meet staff, familiarize themselves with the host site, and discuss workplace and program expectations and protocol.
Prime Factorization Tree Project
By: Mabelle Manzo, L.I.N.K.S. Lead Teacher
Step into the exciting world of James F. Murray School, PS#38, where our sixth-grade students are embarking on a thrilling journey to unlock the secrets of the greatest common factor, all while crafting it into a magnificent exponential form. But wait, there's a twist! These eager learners didn't settle for the ordinary; they craved hands-on action and, guess what? Ms. Andrews and Mr. Greene rose to the occasion.
In our quest for knowledge, we firmly believe in infusing real-life scenarios into the learning process, a key ingredient for mastering any skill. Enter Room C3, the hub of excitement! Mr. Greene, like a conductor of mathematical symphonies, orchestrated small group sessions to solidify those crucial concepts that had left some students scratching their heads. Meanwhile, another group dove headfirst into an engaging project.
To ensure that every student had a clear roadmap, we handed out rubrics detailing our expectations. Armed with this knowledge, our young mathematicians were then presented with a tantalizing real-world word problem that put their new-found skills to the test – identifying the GCF and expressing it in exponential form. But here's the twist: each student had the freedom to choose their preferred approach to determine the GCF, all the while adhering to the rubric guidelines.
After seeking guidance from their instructors, the students were entrusted with their very own "Prime Factorization Tree Project." This dynamic lesson encouraged them to collaborate, exchange ideas, and explore various problem-solving techniques. Above all, it underscored the significance of articulating their methods for reaching the ultimate solution.
In the end, the students of Room C3 left no room for dull moments; their day was nothing short of amazing. They embarked on an educational adventure that was both enlightening and exhilarating, leaving no mathematical stone unturned.