Dear Archway Friends and Family,

February was a month of celebrations, reminders, and growth. Archway celebrated Black History Month sharing the accomplishments and contributions made by African Americans throughout history. In each of our locations, teachers and staff organized activities that encouraged students to study and learn about the multitude of achievements of African Americans past and present.  

As we know, children often learn the most from what they experience. As educators, we are tasked with modeling proper behavior. At Archway, we strive to set an example, and we are proud of the diversity among the Archway family of employees. Although we have always maintained an inclusive network of employees, our decision to recognize Juneteenth as a paid holiday was part of an ongoing campaign to increase awareness and representation of our African American coworkers and their families.  

In addition, Archway developed a Diversity Committee to encourage open communication and suggestions about how we can continue to improve. We invite and encourage employees to be active members of the committee. If you are interested or want more information about committee activities and initiatives, please do not hesitate to contact my office at 856-767-5757 extension 205.  

I am delighted to announce that Archway Programs is growing again! The recent acquisition of property located on Jackson Road will serve as a Lower School Annex. The expansion will provide additional classrooms and space to accommodate our growing student population. The addition will also extend the existing school property line.  

Thank you to Stephen Juliana from Keystone Information Systems, spouse of Archway Board Member Michele Juliana, for donating office furniture for the new location. 

Due to our exceptional maintenance crew working diligently for the past few months, we are looking forward to an April grand opening, so stay tuned; project updates are forthcoming.  

I want to offer my sincere thanks to a friend and partner of Archway Programs. Min Chin, General Manager of Honda of Turnersville, and his team answered and fulfilled the children's holiday wish lists in our Hope and Discover Program. Not only did they fill the wish lists of every child in the program, but they took the time to hand-deliver the gifts to the children.   

As an expression of their appreciation, the children and staff created personalized thank you cards for Min and his team. Mr. Ron from Archway Upper School prepared a special luncheon, and they displayed the cards on a table and presented them during lunch.  

A small social innovation with a big heart has proven itself yet again. We are delighted to say Blue Violet Flowers and Gifts experienced its most successful Valentine's Day to date. We owe much of that success to the Blue Violet Staff and our community for their continued support. We could not do this without you. Thank you!  

In closing, I wish to share my heartfelt sorrow for the violence, loss of life, and suffering we are witnessing in Ukraine. We support our employees and friends with loved ones struggling amid the devastation in Ukraine. We stand with the people of Ukraine, and we pray a peaceful end to this violence and destruction is near. 

Sincerely,

Ms. Sharbrei shares information with students during the Black History Month hallway presentations.

During February, Archway joined in observing Black History Month, a month-long celebration honoring the contributions and recognizing the struggles of the African American community. Each year a theme for Black History Month is chosen, and the 2022 theme is “Black Health and Wellness.” The goal is to examine the contributions of the Black community to the medical field and the racial disparities in a healthcare system not inclusive of their needs.

The hallways of the Lower School were brimming with special art projects completed in Miss Shayla’s class, as well as reports and projects highlighting the accomplishments, heroism, and contributions of African Americans. Bulletin boards were rife with imagery highlighting the achievements of the African American community and served as a visual companion to the lessons and discussions in the classrooms.

The Upper School took to the hallways with presentations honoring well-known and lesser-known African Americans throughout history. Tables, bulletin boards, and interactive displays lined the hallways. Students were encouraged to visit each station to learn more about the accomplishments of the featured person.

Students are working on Black History Month projects, and student essays are displayed in the Lower School hallway.

Students engage with presenters during the Black History Month hallway presentations at the Upper School.

Students and staff from the Upper School celebrated the 100^th Day of School by dressing in their finest centenarian attire! Our resident 100-year-old students and staff took a moment to pose for the camera to share their fancy digs with you.

Students and staff from the Upper School share their creative 100^th Day of School attire.

Lower School Room 13 celebrated the 100^th Day of school donut style! They created a donut theme poster with 100 sprinkles, donut word searches, jokes, and they conducted a 100 Drops of Water experiment. They also got in some exercise by playing hopscotch to 100 days in the hallway. All of this while sporting some cool 100 donut glasses. They rounded out the day by enjoying a nice donut for an afternoon snack!

Students from the Lower School share their 100th Day of school donut glasses and themed projects.

by Jay Montague, LCSW

It was days before the Holiday

The weather was Chill

Program decorated with lights

But Covid interfered with the meal

Now with a day or two left

The children showed worry

No gifts, no snow, not even a flurry

Then on a day, assisting in sealing the deal

A black SUV with staff from Honda of Turnersville

They pulled in the lot, and they opened the trunk

To the unfamiliar eye, it would’ve appeared to be junk!

There were games, there were balls, there were presents for all

There were gifts that were wrapped, so many they would fall

Later in the evening, when the kids were all there

Along with the gifts and plenty of cheer

The CEO dropped in like Santa, only missing the beard

2021Christmas and gift-giving celebration, yet again, made possible by our friends who are more like family, at Honda of Turnersville. Min and his team provide an exceptional experience for our children and families of Archway Partial Care Program Hope and Discover, year after year. We can’t say thanks enough! Staff and program youth prepared personalized thank you cards to show our appreciation. They presented them during a luncheon for the staff over at Honda of Turnersville, coordinated and executed by no other than Archway’s Ron Reid.

Thank you to Jay Montague, LCSW, Clinical Director Hope and Discover PCS, for his charming and creative recap of the evening's events.

Lower School students danced, did crafts, and thoroughly enjoyed themselves during the Valentine's Day Dance and celebration.

Mr. Joe is busy scooping ice cream for students as they patiently wait their turn.

Upper School students in Mr. Dustin’s class held a Paper Bridge Contest. The goal was to build the strongest bridge possible using only paper. Winners were determined based on the amount of weight their bridge could hold. The winner from the group of older students was Ariela Roasario with 20lbs. (black mask). The winner among the younger students was James Stevenson with 10.5lbs. (grey mask). Congratulations to our winners!

Staff and students at our Archway Cooper's Poynt location celebrate their long-awaited return to in-person learning.

The students and staff were excited to return to in-person instruction on January 18th after winter break and a two-week remote session mandated by the Camden City School District. We are looking forward to Spring (March 20th), however, the month of March is filled with many events and activities highlighted by Dr. Seuss’ Birthday Celebration and Read Across America “Share your favorite book” with your classmate’s activities; Social Skills Development theme on personal safety (National Safety Day March 4th); St. Patrick’s Day March 17th, combined with our Behavior Mod Blue/Gold Card activities featuring Shamrock Shakes (everyone's favorite); and, with our March 15th trip to the Aquarium being the highlight of the month. Our students and staff remain focused on instruction while incorporating motivating, and often fun, events and activities. We wish to send a “Shout Out” to our parents and families for their flexibility and support throughout this challenging school year.

Tricia, Floral Designer and Store Manager, and Bonnie, Floral Designer, share a smile as they create their beautiful arrangements for Valentine's Day.

Blue Violet Flowers and Gifts would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to our community. Your continued support during the Valentine’s Day holiday was greatly appreciated and it furthers our goal of providing support and encouragement to the developmentally disabled members of our community.  

Congratulations to Timothy Titus for receiving the March 2022 Champion for Business Award presented by the Princeton-Mercer Regional Chamber of Commerce. Tim has been an honored supporter and Board Member of Archway Programs since June 2010 and was appointed treasurer in 2012 and Chairperson in 2015. He served as Chairperson for six years. He is also a valued Board Member of our parent affiliate, Woods Services and Board Chair for another Woods Services affiliate company, Legacy Treatment Services. We are proud to have Tim as an Archway Programs’ team member, and we are looking forward to his continued support and invaluable guidance.

To register, donate, fundraise, sponsor, go to https://app.mobilecause.com/vf/22r4w!

Would you like a job that makes a difference in the lives of others and your community? Do you want a job you can feel good about doing? Archway Programs might have the perfect job for you! We are currently hiring across many of our programs, and we have part-time and full-time positions available right now!

Archway offers competitive wages, flexible hours, and access to a 401k plan.

Visit our Careers page to view all the current openings. Your perfect job might be waiting for you!

We are proud to welcome new employees to the Archway Family as our organization expands, allowing us to help more families throughout the community. Please help us give a warm welcome to the newest members of the Archway Family!

Support Archway when you shop Amazon. Shop at http://smile.amazon.com/ch/22-2401037 and Amazon Smile! If you’re not sure how to use Amazon Smile go to Smile.Amazon.com, log in to your account and select ‘Archway Programs, Inc. For every purchase you make, Archway will receive a percentage at no cost to you.

When using the Amazon app on your mobile phone, open the Amazon app on the main menu, tap on settings, select AmazonSmile, then choose or type in Archway Programs Inc. Follow the on-screen instructions to turn on AmazonSmile.

A reminder that any COVID-19 related program updates can be found on our website at www.archwayprograms.org/covid19. This page will be updated frequently and will include our organization wide Re-Opening Plan, in addition to helpful resources for families served throughout Archway.

www.ArchwayPrograms.org | 856.767.5757 | communications@archwayprograms.org