Dear Ivymount Families,
We kicked off an important month with a virtual event to celebrate our Community and Jobsite Partners. This event, held in conjunction with National Disability Employment Awareness Month, is one way we recognize them for the important support they give our students in the workplace. These partnerships provide meaningful opportunities and are invaluable in our efforts to prepare students for a successful transition from school to adult life with meaningful work and community inclusion.
Our thanks to all who have helped us form a large variety of partnerships. Even though we're not able to be onsite at this time, we hope you will continue to share with us connections to new businesses. We need your ongoing support to have varied and rich job placements for our students when it's possible for them to work onsite again. See below for highlights from our celebration and a snippet from our featured speaker.
We know that some of you had a chance to participate in other Ivymount events this past week - our Outreach Family Festival held on Saturday, and our Mental Health Parent Training series. Making time for family activities and self-care are so important. See highlights and resources from these events below.
Stay safe, schedule your flu shots, keep social distancing, and practice wearing masks!
Sincerely,
Susan Holt
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Upcoming Events
Wednesday, October 14
PTA Parent/Caregiver
Virtual Hangout
Wednesday, October 21
Mental Health
Information Session
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Ivymount Celebrates
Community Partners
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We invited Ivymount community partners to a virtual celebration this past Friday so that we could recognize them during National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM), which kicked off October 1.
MLN, School to Work Post High School and Autism Program students acquire and utilize work and life skills at more than 30 community jobsites in the region, including at small businesses, county government, retail and restaurant chains, international organizations, and national institutions. While students have not been able to work onsite since the pandemic began, some jobsite representatives have touched base with students online to keep in touch and maintain these all-important partnerships.
Here are just a few of the chatbox comments from our jobsite partners who attended the celebration:
"Ivymount students have been very helpful in the jobs performed while coming to Black Hill Nature Programs. We also think their interaction with the public, school students on field trips, our preschoolers, as well as our staff has been a wonderful learning opportunity and inspiring experience for all. Their presence has been sadly missed and we look forward to their return when safe for all of us."
"At PAHO, students have not only contributed to the work we do but also expanded understanding by all staff of their value and talents. They have shown us how we can adapt to everyone to make a work environment more inclusive and respectful to all."
"We are definitely missing our Ivymount students visiting at The Village at Rockville. Our team and residents cannot wait to be able to have you safely return."
"At the Smithsonian, we are so honored to work with Ivymount! Thank you for this amazing partnership!!!"
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A highlight of the event was a speech by our keynote speaker, Dr. Scott Robertson, a senior policy advisor in the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy, or (ODEP). As a person with autism, he drives the department’s activities to enhance national autism policy, support neurodiversity in the workplace, and increase access to gainful employment for people on the autism spectrum. Before joining ODEP in 2015, Dr. Robertson served as the Founding Vice President of the Autistic Self Advocacy Network.
Click on the photo of Dr. Robertson to watch a one-minute segment of his speech featuring a famous quote and a challenge to all employers.
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Mental Health Resources
Available for Families
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The stress created by COVID-19 may result in significant mental health challenges for students, parents, guardians, and caregivers. To help identify the signs of mental health concerns, and to provide resources and tools to manage them, Ivymount has hosted two presentations as part of its mental health parent training series.
Facilitated by Michael Stromberg, Ivymount's Mental Health Lead, the first session in August focused on how to recognize signs of mental health difficulties in young people and offered strategies to manage them. The second session in September highlighted the importance of self-care and self-compassion amongst parents and caregivers so that they are better able to address the specific challenges in their lives and care for loved ones.
Mark your calendars for the next two mental health information sessions:
- Wednesday October 21
- Wednesday, November 19
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MAP Students Hone New Skills |
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Students in the Elementary MAP classroom have been discussing what it's like to be in the present moment and how to practice acceptance of sometimes challenging moments. Students engaged with the lesson used the Pear Deck platform to provide responses to questions. One sample question asked, "Can you give me an example of a thought you might want to delete but can say yes to instead."
MAP staff have been working to modify social skills lessons to practice additional skills that students need while they continue distance learning. Some of the newly introduced skills and lessons include:
- Navigating Google Classroom (e.g., locating and submitting assignments)
- Opening and using Pear Deck to interact with their lessons
- Checking and tracking grades/assignments
- Online etiquette (e.g., sending and responding to emails)
- How to make plans/compromising with teachers and parents when I need something
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Outreach Hosts Family
Fall Festival
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Ivymount Outreach Programs hosted another onsite event on Saturday in the Ivymount parking lot. At the Family Fall Festival, participants were provided with their own supplies to complete fall activities, crafts, and games. A big thank you to all the families who attended and the many Ivymount staff who volunteered for the event. |
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PTA Launches Annual Dues Drive |
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The Ivymount PTA Dues Drive goes virtual! For our first year, we will be accepting online payments for PTA dues. PTA dues are voluntary and all parents and guardians are automatically members of the PTA. However, we rely on parent and guardian support to fund staff appreciation activities as well as inclusive family events. This year, we are looking to support our amazing staff in as many ways as we can and need your support.
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Save These PTA Dates
The PTA will be hosting monthly Parent/Caregiver Hangouts so that Ivynount families can continue to share and support one another.
Also, all Ivymount families are welcomed and encouraged to join us for our upcoming PTA meeting.
Zoom links will be sent shortly. In the meantime, mark your calendars.
October Parent/Caregiver Hangout
Wednesday, October 14
7 - 8pm
PTA Meeting
Wednesday, October 28
7 - 8 pm
November Parent/Caregiver Hangout
Monday, November 9
7 - 8 pm
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Ivymount
School & Programs
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