Creekside School Newsletter 4/26/19

WEEKLY NEWSLETTER

UPCOMING EVENTS

Teacher Appreciation Week

5/06/19 - 5/10/19

NO SCHOOL

Staff Development Day

5/10/19

MEET BARBARA!

OUR AMAZING DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT

Barbara Watanabe joined the Creekside Crew in September as its Director of Development. She brings 25 years of nonprofit leadership experience as an executive director, vice president of programs and vice president of strategic advancement at a variety of educational and cultural nonprofits. Born and raised on Maui, Barbara has a BA in economics from the University of Washington and an MA in economics from the University of Michigan.

“I am so inspired by the teaching staff at Creekside. They work with such care and attentiveness to help our students achieve little victories each day and major milestones over time. It’s a privilege to be around such wonderful students and staff.”

Her favorite outside-the-mainstream accomplishment was summiting the 14,410 foot peak of Mount Rainier. She enjoys working on house remodeling projects with her husband, John; coaxing plants in her yard to make it through another hot summer; and visiting their two adult sons who live in the Michigan and Missouri.

We are so thankful for Barbara!

Message

From Ms. Megan

Hi families,

We welcomed our students back strong from their Spring Break off. As warmer weather approaches, we're looking at new opportunities to get involved with our community. We are looking for a new summer pool opportunity so that we can still provide swimming as an extracurricular activity. We have explored our local high school pool at Oak Grove HS and YMCA's public pool, but we'd love to hear any suggestions you may have that are nearby to our home base!

Likewise, we have made contact with a local baseball league that plays non-competitively while supporting active and meaningful participation for our student population: PAL is a special needs baseball league that serves pre-teens to mature adults (12-72!). They have 8 games per season and there are still 5 left this season. You can join anytime-so don't hesitate! Here's what one of their coordinators said: "Everyone bats, everyone runs the bases. No outs. Just fun. We are now playing our Spring season. We play at Olinder School at 19th and Williams in San Jose. Aides are welcome to stay with their player. We do what ever is good for the player. We don't have practices. We play games on Saturday. We have 4 teams and play at 12:00

and 1:30 depending on your team. We welcome you to come see us play. If you would like to bring players we ask for them to fill out a registration form."

You can find more information here: http://sjpdpal.com/Page.asp?n=93640

We are ready to welcome Summer; if you have any connections to extracurricular activities that we can provide our students in their communities, please let us know!

Take a Look in our Classrooms!

Message

From Ms. Julie

Next week we will welcome May with a new "Unique Learning System Unit" on How we can Help our Earth . 3C students will read, I Can Help , a story about a boy named Jabar, who learns he can help take care of Earth by recycling plastic, paper, metal and glass. " Earth" and "recycle" are on our word wall and will be adding more words as we build it and learn this month.

All month long students will be introduced to ways that they can help the Earth. They will also learn about the Earth's energy sources. Some key vocabulary words for next week are: help, recycle, plastic, metal, glass, and Earth. We will learn the digraph, th, as it ends Earth and begins "th" words such as than, that, the, and thumb.

Next Friday, May, 3, 2019, w e are planning to return to Magical Bridges Park in Palo Alto! We will play and eat lunch together for a fun field trip!

Message

From Ms. Roullo

Next week the students will continue with the monthly ULS lessons related to economics. The focus on the lessons this week will till be related to shopping/spending, learning about different jobs including: Cashier, Server, Car Wash Attendant, Construction Worker, Florist, and Gardener. After learning a little about each job, the students will choose one they are interested in to learn a little more about. They will include this information in their All About Me project.

At the end of the week the students will take a field trip to Hidden Villa to explore the gardens and hiking trails now that it is Spring!. While at Hidden Villa the students will be able to search for Spring related items. Before heading back to school, they will enjoy their lunch together at the tables in the shade.

FREE WAYS TO HELP FUNDRAISE FOR CREEKSIDE!

AMAZON SMILE:

AmazonSmile is a simple and automatic way for you to support our school every time you shop, at no cost to you. Go to smile.amazon.com and search for our school name. There are other Creekside Schools so please make sure you choose the one located in San Jose and founded in 2010.

BOX TOPS:

We are collecting BOX TOPS! Just clip and collect every Box Top you receive and periodically send them back to us.

RECYCLING:

Send in rinsed plastic bottles and non-alcoholic cans only! The kids will be taking them to the recycling center every so often. Recycling can be dropped off at the cafeteria or just call us and someone can meet you curbside!

UPCOMING SPECIAL EVENTS AROUND THE BAY AREA

4/26/19 Friday - Workshop: Self-Management Tools for Preparing Individuals with Disabilities for Colleges and Careers

Time: 1:30 - 3:30 pm at the Cal State East Bay Oakland Center, 1000 Broadway, Ste. 209, Oakland, CA 94607. Given social, emotional, behavioral and organizational challenges and a lack of support, many students with ASD do not make it through university. The rates of unemployment, even for college educated people with ASD are high. One of the most effective evidenced-based interventions that lead to a lifetime independence and success in college and career is self-management skills. In this presentation, Dr. Linda Haymes provides a background on college and career preparation with an emphasis on self-management strategies supported with an ever-changing technology. Click here to register online by April 22.

4/27/19 Saturday - AMC Sensory Friendly Films: Missing Link (PG)

Time: See participating theaters

What: AMC is proud to partner with the Autism Society to offer unique movie showings where we turn the lights up, and turn the sound down, so you can get up, dance, walk, shout or sing! Our Sensory Friendly Film program is available on the second and fourth Saturday (family-friendly) and Tuesday evenings (mature audiences) of every month.

More Info: https://www.amctheatres.com/programs/sensory-friendly-films

4/27/19 Saturday - Autism Awesomeness by Offerings

Time: 1:00-3:30 pm at St. Lukes Presbyterian Church, San Rafael

Save the date for the 4th Annual Autism Awesomeness celebration! There will be a program of singers, dancers, musicians, authors, artists, inventors, DJs, and more who live on the spectrum. Schools, centers, and agencies will showcase their students, clients, and workers capabilities at their complimentary tables. We will be honoring employers who provide opportunities for those who live on the spectrum. To join and participate, contact Karen Kaplan at 415-497-3751 or email karensupportsu@comcast.net

4/28/19 Sunday - Fitzgerald Marine Reserve Walk

Time: 10:00 am-12:00 noon. Fitzgerald Marine Reserve, 200 Nevada St., Moss Beach, CA 94038. Join Lisa Louis (of hikingautism.com) and family for a walk at the lovely Fitzgerald Marine Reserve. High tide or low, the tide pool area is a stone’s throw from the parking lot and has great views, whether close up at tide pools or at the horizon in the distance. Walk along cypress trees in a magical forest with a pretty little beach. There are usually lots of birds and sometimes seals! For more info & to RSVP click HERE

5/09/19 Thursday - Autism Support and Information Meeting

Time: 6:30-8:30 pm at Parents Helping Parents, Sobrato Center for Nonprofits

1400 Parkmoor Avenue, San Jose, 95126. Meetings are an opportunity for parents to meet informally and to share ideas, experiences and information. RSVP HERE

5/11/19 Saturday - Pops In The Park (recommen ded by our music teacher Ms. Karen)

Time: Noon at Performance Pavilion, 40000 Paseo Padre Pkwy, Fremont, 94538. This concert is outsid e and seating is on the lawn, so bring a blanket, a picnic, sunscreen and enjoy the music! There will be free kazoos for everyone. This is a great opportunity for students to experience a large ensemble without the constraints of a concert hall. Students can get up and move, dance, whatever.

This concert will take place at the Performance Pavilion. See the flyer HERE

5/11/19 Saturday - Day Out on the Ranch

Time: 12:00-3:00 pm at Thorson’s Arena 2005 Hayes Lane, San Martin. The CHP is hosting a FREE Rodeo for those with special needs. There will be rodeo skills stations, rodeo event demonstrations, live Blue Grass music, horse back rides and petting zoo. Hot dog, chips and drink are provided.

5/18/19 Saturday - A Walk On Water Surf Therapy

Time: 8:00 am to 4:00 pm at Cowell's Beach, Santa Cruz. A full, rejuvenating day for the family: surf session, as well as art, yoga, music, plus breakfast, lunch and and snacks. Surf Therapy events are free, but reserve now, spots are limited and fill up fast. https://awalkonwater.org/event/santa-cruz-ca

5/25/19 Saturday - Paddle 4 Good: Paddle Together

Time: 9:00 am to 1:00 pm. at Shoreline Lake, Mountain View

Paddle4Good's Paddle Together program brings the special needs, volunteer, & paddling communities together for a free, safe, amazing, half-day on the water, with safety & inclusion as the primary goals - participants have the opportunity to safely stand up paddle (SUP), kayak, peddle boat, & more with a friendly set of community volunteers & skilled crew of paddlers. The Paddle 4 Good events are for those with special needs ages 4-24. Registration starts on April 13th! Limited space. Click here to sign up to receive a reminder when registration opens. For more info about Paddle 4 Good's Paddle Together program click here. Also: Sept. 7, Sept. 8, and Oct. 4.

SUMMER PROGRAMS from VIA SERVICES

Via West provides residential respite care with weekend and week-long special needs camping programs throughout the year. We offer innovative programs and activities that include both learning and outdoor experiences, plus independent living skills and skill building activities that are specifically designed to improve self-sufficiency. Their summer brochure can be found HERE

Six Sundays June-August, 2019: SFASA Summer Pool Parties

Time: 1:00-4:00 pm at AnT Swim School, San Jose

Our pool parties for autism families return this summer! Registration coming in May. Event dates: June 9, June 23, July 7, July 21, August 4, August 18

Saturdays (Weekly) - Dance for Al l - Inclusive Exercise Class

Time: 1:00-2:00 pm at the El Camino YMCA, 2400 Grant Rd, Mountain View, 94040

This weekly class offers a safe and accepting environment where differences are accepted without judgment and special need participants can exercise side-by-side with their family members and other Y members. Attendees participate in a series of dances, choreographed to popular music enjoyed by youth, as well as Pilates-based exercise that exposes them to moves they would find in a number of other Y classes. More Info at: Class List

The Creekside School | www.creeksideschool.org