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45 Highland Avenue
Whippany, NJ 07981
Call Us
973-884-2030
Visit our Website
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THE CALAIS COURIER
Autumn 2016
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We couldn't help but make some funny faces before our annual Halloween parade!
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We have had a busy and successful first two months of school! With about ninety students from te
n New Jersey counties currently enrolled at The Calais School, we are happy and proud to start the school year off right.
Take a few moments to read how Novartis and the Whippany Fire Department have continued to support our students and who our newest additions to the Calais community are (note: some of them have two legs, but one has four!).
We also observed October as National Bullying Prevention Month with special morning messages and a
fun and informative presentation
from a leading anti-bullying expert.
Please mark your calendars for some special events, including a brand-new partnership with Barnes & Noble in Livingston to raise money for our school and support a student author!
With so much going on, please keep up with us on Facebook and our school blog. We keep adding videos to our YouTube channel about life here at Calais so please take a few minutes and see for yourself-- there's always something going on!
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NOVARTIS PHARMACEUTICALS GRANT EQUIPS CALAIS WITH 3D PRINTERS
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Students learn how to model their 3D print projects in the classroom.
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Novartis Brings STEM Technology to The Calais School
The Calais School is proud to announce 3D technology in the classroom as part of the school's
CREATE 3D program.
Thanks to a technology grant from Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation in East Hanover, CREATE 3D (Creative Real-world Engaging Alternative Technology Education) enhances the current STEM curriculum with new 3D printers in the computer lab for elementary and high school student use.
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Students made a ring--one of many projects--in this time-lapse video.
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Novartis Disability Mentoring Day
Inspires High School Students
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High school students met a number of Novartis volunteers and special guests.
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Calais school students visited Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation for its annual "Disability Mentoring Day" focused on career development on October 19th. High school students have
attended this informative and inspirational event for the past few years and were excited t
o see what this year's presenters had to say.
Keynote speaker Karen Gaffney, the first person with Down syndrome to receive an honorary doctorate degree for her accomplishments, spoke from the heart during the day's events. Her work
raising awareness about the abilities of people with Down syndrome and advocating for inclusion for people with developmental disabilities has been recognized by many. She also gave a heartfelt speech as part of the ever-popular TED Talks.
Throughout the day, volunteers guided students in a college/career fair and an interactive panel discussion to build their awareness of educational and career opportunities available.
Disability Mentoring Day is part of a nationwide initiative created by the American Association of People with Disabilities to promote career development for students and job seekers with disabilities. The event is intended to inspire students with the confidence that there are a variety of career possibilities available to them and to reinforce the message that they have contributions to make to an inclusive work force.
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Whippany Fire Department Visits Elementary Classes
Dawn Heinen
Ms. Heinen's and Mrs. Braen's classes had some very special visitors for Fire Safety Month. The Whippany Fire Department shared with students what to do and not to do if there is a fire.
Students particularly enjoyed sitting in the fire truck. They even were allowed to use the hose on a simulated fire! The students enjoyed their visit and enjoyed seeing our friends from the Fire Department. Each year firefighters visit us to remind us how to prevent fires and make good choices if we are ever in a fire situation. We are so happy they protect our town and come visit us!
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The Whippany Fire Department put out a simulated fire in front of our playground!
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Spanish Classes Celebrate
Hispanic Heritage Month
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Michelle Poccia
Señora Poccia's class immersed itself in Spanish language, music, history, and culture for Hispanic Heritage Month, which is celebrated yearly from September 15th through October 15th.
Our five Spanish classes have learned about Galician Celtic bagpipes, Andean flute, and Argentine tangos. The Spanish I class capped off a unit on the Mesoamerican history and the Spanish
Conquistadores by building a replica of El Castillo, or ¨The Castle,¨ a Mayan pyramid of Mexico's ancient city Chichén Itzá.
Using a variety of materials, hot glue, and a lot of improvisation, the class demonstrated its impressive architectural and problem solving skills by researching and planning their construction together. Thanks to their outstanding teamwork, the structure is nearly complete!
 
Students work with Sra Poccia to build a replica of El Castillo.
Did you know that
despite Egypt's Great Pyramids at Giza fame, the Americas actually contain more pyramid structures than the rest of the world combined?
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Planetarium Trip at Raritan Valley Community College
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Marjane Vitaletti
On October 21st Ms. Scaglione's 11th and 12th grade students went to the Planetarium at Raritan Valley Community County College.
Continue reading on our blog...
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Social Studies and History Classes Study American Politics
Adam Maturo
Throughout this political season, social studies and history students in grades 8-12 focused on the election. Students watched and discussed the presidential debates, studied campaign finance and super-PACs, and looked at important issues of the election and the candidates' positions on them. Each class had lively debates and discussions about the presidential candidates, including 3rd parties.
All 18-year-olds in the senior Civics class were given the opportunity to register to vote. Students took a quiz from
www.isidewith.com to help match them with the candidate that agrees with them on the most issues. All high school history classes will cast their vote in a simulated election on November 8th.
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A note from Charli, our newest service dog!
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Hi everyone!
Charli here.... the new service dog in training for Animal
Adaptive Therapy while my friends Cleo and Ms. Ferment are home taking care of their new baby. My handler, Ms. Brady, and I are so thankful to be here with all of you and are grateful for the warm welcome we have received.
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Ms. Brady and Charli are a welcome sight in the OT room.
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I am a Plott Hound rescued from Georgia and have been with Merlin's KIDS
for a few years. My partner, Ms. Brady, is an occupational therapist also in training for Animal Adaptive Therapy(TM) certification.
I am so excited to see all of your wonderful faces and beaut
iful smiles in the
morning when you arrive and when you leave school.
I also attend some of Ms. Geise's OT classes to help children participate whenever I can to reach their goals and have fun.
Thank you from the tip of my nose to the end of my tail!
Woof Woof :-)
PS.Someone else had to type this because my nails kept hitting the wrong letters!
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Student Art Scholarship Recipient Studies Cartooning and Graphic Design Over Summer
Chris Catalano
Last spring two students, Justin V. and Kiera T. won scholarships from Dance Innovations Performance Foundation (DIPF) to further their arts studies.
Justin V. used his scholarship money to attend The Joe Kubert School of Cartooning and Graphic Design over the summer. He attended a four-week program and each week he studied a new subject, each one better than the last, he commented. During his time there he said that he met some very nice and talented artists, and was surprised to see some friends from The Calais School!
Justin shared that the teachers at Joe Kubert were amazing and motivating.
His studies included character design, then storytelling, followed by penciling and inking. The final class in the sequence was color illustration. Justin's favorite activity, however, was the bonus class every Friday. On Friday the teacher would hand out sketch cards and students would make quick sketches of characters and swap them with other students. Justin said that this was his favorite because it was a nice way to relax after a hard week of drawing.
Please stay tuned for our next newsletter to see
how Kiera used her scholarship!
The Dance Innovations Performance Foundation was established as a 501(c)3 in 1999 to provide young artists the opportunity to further their studies. They have awarded a number of scholarships to Calais School students in recent years as well as performance tickets for children and their families. Visit them
ONLINE. We cannot thank them enough for their support.
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We have welcomed a number of new staff members this year to keep up with our growing student body! We have hired too many paraprofessionals and one-to-one aides to name here, but please take a moment to get to know some of the staff members you and your child may be interacting with regularly.
Holly Bracken has recently joined the Calais School as the Speech Language Pathologist. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies and Linguistics from Rutgers University in 2002, and completed her Master of Science in Communication Sciences and Disorders at William Paterson University in 2007. Ms. Bracken comes to Calais with 9 years of experience successfully treating a diverse population of children and young adults in the education system,
including 5 years in a specialized program for children with autism
. She also continues to work with infants and their families in the New Jersey Early Intervention Program. Holly is trained in PROMPT therapy, and augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). She is passionate about connecting with and engaging each child in a manner that supports their individual needs.
Taryn Dwyer is the student social worker working in the high school for the 2016-2017 academic year. She has her Bachelor's degree in Social Work from Siena College and will be graduating this May with her Master's in Social Work from Columbia University. Ms. Dwyer is supervised by high school social worker Karen Liberato.
Caitlin Hull is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Certified School Social Worker. She earned her master's degree from Rutgers University, focusing on children as her area of emphasis. Ms. Hull's background includes several years in partial care programs helping elementary-aged children learn to regulate their emotions and build social skills in a group setting.
Michelle Ogden is the new LDTC and case manager for high school students
. She comes to us after working the past 14 years at Englewood on the Palisades Charter School.
Katie Provel recently joined The Calais School as a
part-time Speech Language Specialist.
For the past 3 years she has been working with Speech and Hearing Associates (SHA) treating early intervention through adult populations.
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Third Annual Transition Fair
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Join us
Thursday, December 1st
for The Calais School's third annual Transition Fair. Colleges, trade schools, state agencies, and advocacy groups will provide information and insight on how students can better transition to college, trade school, or meaningful employment.
The event will take place at The Calais School from 6:30pm - 8:00pm. Come speak with guest presenters about academic and social programs that may benefit your student.
Guest presenters will be announced. Past presenters have included The Arc of NJ, Ramapo College, DeVry, College Internship Program (CIP), County College of Morris and others.
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Barnes and Noble Book Fair
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Student author Jordon H. will sign copies of his Minecraft joke book on December 3rd!
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The Calais School teams up with
Barnes & Noble in Livingston, NJ, to host readings, storytelling, and music events on
Saturday, December 3rd.
Special event times throughout the day will be announced.
A percentage of the sales from books, music, and food benefits
The Calais School when you use the code
11983624 at checkout. The event is free. The store is located in the Livingston Mall, 112 Eisenhower Parkway, Livingston, NJ.
Can't make it on the 3rd?
Order online from Dec. 3-9 and use 11983624 code at checkout and the school benefits.
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This year's winter event is the classic play A Christmas Carol, presented on Friday, December 9th.
Details to follow.
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Students are already enjoying our updated playground!
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This school year is off to a great start. Our newest students and staff have already contributed so much to our community.
I cannot believe we are already two months into the 2016-2017 school year. In October we sold over $1,300 worth of books at our annual Scholastic Book Fair, making it our most successful school book fair yet! Thank you so much to everyone who donated their time to make it a great event. I would also like to thank the generous parents who gave a number of books and treats to our classroom libraries. Your generosity is so appreciated and our students are enjoying their books.
Everyone who donated to our sensory-integrated playground upgrade also deserves a very big thank you! New equipment was installed over the summer, making the playground a fun and stimulating outlet for students on sunny fall days like today.
The next Calais PTO meeting will be Thursday, November 10th at 6pm, followed by our monthly parent support group meeting. Both of these dynamic groups are great opportunities to meet wonderful parents, guardians, and family members in the Calais community. I hope to see you at our next meeting! Please also consider joining our PTO group on Facebook for additional resources and information, special events in the community, and socialization opportunities for your children and teens.
Until then, I hope you are enjoying the fall leaves and are getting ready for more and more opportunities to get involved here at The Calais School.
Sincerely,
Megan LoBue
Coordinator of Communication and Development, The Calais School
Board Trustee, The Calais Foundation
(973) 884-2030 ext. 353
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