E-News, The CTC Connection: November/December 2020

November/December 2020

Our Vision: Fulfilling the potential of all people with special needs.

The CTC Connection

AN E-NEWSLETTER OF CTC ACADEMY

Our Mission: Enhancing the lives of children and young adults with special needs, and their families, by providing an enriched educational, therapeutic and supportive environment.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT

POST HOLIDAY REOPEN PLANNING

Effective November 30, 2020, The CTC Academy - Oakland and Fair Lawn Campuses - will transition to a fully remote schedule until at least December 7, 2020.

Click HERE for more information!

Update from the Interim Executive Director

Dear Parents and Staff,

As we enter this season of Thanksgiving, I wanted to take a few moments to reflect on this past month and to extend my sincere thanks for all of the outstanding achievements and accomplishments that are the result of the collaborative efforts of each and every one of you. These are unprecedented times and yet I have borne witness to the dedication and commitment of families and staff working together to ensure that we can meet, to the very best of our abilities, the daily challenges brought before us.

We have been diligently working to ensure that the school environment is as safe and as productive as possible. That is evident in the amount of PPE being provided, the continual sanitizing and disinfecting methods being implemented and the installation of the UV lights and negative air flow on each of our campuses. Donor support has been crucial in helping supplement the enormous costs of the pandemic response. CTC staff methodically implement both on-site and virtual lessons and therapy services to ensure an enriched and complete program. Together, staff and families have met the challenges of utilizing new technologies and hybrid schedules. It was remarkable to see how many attended the November Parent/Guardian Conferences to keep the lines of communication open.

There have been many disruptions to the daily routines in the students’ days. There are many unexpected challenges surrounding virtual learning. However, the devotion of families and staff have risen to these challenges and allowed us to provide, to the best of our abilities, for the needs of our students. In addition, we are committed on a daily basis to work together to continually enhance the delivery of educational and therapeutic programs for our students - and those efforts will be ongoing.

Thank you for the honor and privilege to work with all of you. I truly want to acknowledge all of your collaborative efforts during these difficult times and extend my thanks, once again, for all that you do. We are committed to moving forward and striving to enhance all that we are currently doing for our students and their families.

Wishing you and your families a very healthy, safe, and Happy Thanksgiving!

Sincerely,

Mary Bosco

Interim Executive Director

CTC Academy

UV/Hydrogen Peroxide Ionization System

and Negative Air Flow System

Everyday - Striving To Keep CTC Academy Safe For All

In order to provide further protection for our staff and students, two new systems have been installed on both the Fair Lawn and Oakland campuses - A UV/Hydrogen Peroxide Ionization System and a Negative Air Flow System. In Fair Lawn, the UV/ Hydrogen Peroxide Ionization System is fully installed and operational. In Oakland, the majority of the building is up and running with the only piece left - the hallways. As soon as the backordered parts arrive from the vendor, the installation will be complete!

Each campus' nurse’s office is now equipped with a negative air flow system. In essence, this is a dedicated exhaust system to ensure that the air is constantly moving out of the nurses office. We are proud of these safety modifications to the campuses which we believe will provide our students and staff an extra level of protection.

Click HERE to learn about the UV/Hydrogen Peroxide Ionization System!

THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT

CTC Academy’s Contact Tracing Procedure

Carol Anne Chupak, Head of Health Services

CTC Academy follows the established guidelines issued by the Department of Health:

Upon notification of a positive test result, the senior leadership team convenes to review the details of the case and develop the contact tracing list.

Schedules are reviewed to determine “close contacts” to the individual who tested positive within the above outlined time frame.
Close contact is defined as 15 minutes of contact within a 24 hour period. Due to the nature of the school program, all classroom team members and students will be considered “close contacts” if they were in attendance on the determined date of exposure. Workspace areas will also be considered when determining “close contacts.”

Once the “close contacts” are determined, they are then contacted by a CTC Academy representative notifying them of the contact, the date they were exposed, and the need to quarantine. If unreachable by phone, the contact will receive a voicemail stating to check their email for important information as well as a detailed email with a return receipt request.

All individuals notified of quarantine will receive a follow-up email to reiterate the CTC quarantine protocol.

Medical clearances are required for all individuals that are required to quarantine.

The Bergen County Department of Health is notified of the positive case.

All contact tracing forms, DOH and DOE paperwork is completed and submitted.

Recognizing An Outstanding Community Leader, Dr. Lisa Nalven

Always willing to help those in need...

We are so grateful to acknowledge the herculean efforts of Dr. Lisa Nalven, CTC Medical Director, who is on-call - continuously, yet on a volunteer basis - to support the needs of our students and their families. Dr. Nalven’s dedication to her important work and to helping others is a true inspiration.

Lisa Nalven, MD, MA is our school physician and has served on The CTC Academy board of directors for the CTC Academy for over 20 years. Dr. Nalven is board certified in Developmental/Behavioral Pediatrics and serves as the Director of Developmental Pediatrics at the Kireker Center for Child Development at Valley Hospital. Along with her colleagues at Valley Hospital, Dr. Nalven provides evaluations and ongoing care for children with a wide range of developmental disabilities including: developmental delay, autism, ADHD, learning disabilities, genetic syndromes and cerebral palsy.

Dr. Nalven collaborates with the Health Office at the CTC Academy regarding school health policies, student medical concerns that impact school participation and most recently, the school's response to COVID. Dr. Nalven is involved in national projects/committees for the American Academy of Pediatrics and has had the opportunity to participate in medical service trips to Bhutan, Honduras and Haiti that focused on children with disabilities in under-resourced countries. On a personal note, Dr. Nalven has been married for 30 years and has 2 "adult" children and she loves to read non-professional books to relax. Here at CTC Academy, we just think of her as an absolute gem - THANK YOU DR. NALVEN!

COVID-19 Tips - Consistent Schedule

During these unusual times, it is particularly helpful to keep a consistent schedule for children and adults alike. Aimee Pryszlak, CTC Academy’s School Psychologist, has put together some helpful suggestions for keeping consistency, which can promote feelings of well-being.

For any questions or further guidance, Aimee can be reached at, apryszlak@ctcacademy.org.

Click HERE for more information!