The High Road School of Norwalk - Waterbury campus is a privately owned, state-approved special education day school serving children with social, emotional, and behavioral challenges. To best meet the needs of this particular population, we’ve created a small, structured learning environment that focuses on personalized academic, behavioral, and transitional goals to ensure our students’ growth. And our scholastic program — serving elementary through high school aged students meets all state-mandated guidelines and regulations as we work with each student individually to help them either reintegrate into the public school system or proceed toward graduation.

Our talented team of highly trained special education teachers modifies the curriculum in accordance with the graduation requirements of each student’s home school district. Supplemented by the expertise of skilled and caring therapists and support personnel who work with our students on an as-needed basis, our program concentrates, above all else, on the success of all of our students on all fronts —in school, at home, and in the community. To help them achieve this success, as much as possible and as often as possible, we maintain a low staff-to-student ratio that allows ongoing customized instruction, and we strive every day to nurture the warm and caring atmosphere of our school, characterized by an unwavering commitment to each student’s academic, social, and emotional development.

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High Road Schools of CT Presents Informational Workshops for Parents and Guardians March 2012

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3Rd Annual Juan DeJesus Memorial Basketball Game

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Parents Group- Waterbury

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November Parent Workshops Calendar

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The Parents’ Role in Developing an I.E.P.: Informational Workshop for Parents & Guardians

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From School to Home: Informational Workshop for Parents & Guardians

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Open House

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Parent Workshops

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New

Poem for Staff

Thank you for teaching me wrong from right,
and encouraging me to keep my dreams in sight.
For showing me not to let obstacles keep me down,
and creating a smile from my frown.
For saying you care about me,
and showing how special love can be.
For wiping my tears away when I am sad,
and calming me down when I tend to get mad.
For helping others with the help that you do,
and for teaching me to help others too.
For hugging me when I feel blue,
and whispering I believe in you.
Thank you staff for all that you do,
I don't know where I would be if it weren't for you.

By Tracy G.

Monthly Featured School Home Page Article

The High Road School of Norwalk- Waterbury campus is an educational program serving the instructional and behavioral needs of adolescents in a supportive and structured environment. The program is designed to focus on personalized academic and behavioral goals so that the students can return to a less restrictive setting.

The goals are as follows:

•    To provide each student with the academic and social skills to be successful in the school, community, and family;
•    To prepare students to return to a less restrictive setting as quickly as possible;
•    To prepare students for the State of CT testing programs;
•    To provide students with consistent and structured tutorials in order to prevent regression and produce both academic and behavioral gains;
•    To provide students with an array of cultural and recreational experiences.

Class sizes are small with no more than ten students per teacher and teaching assistant, ensuring that personalized instruction is provided to each student. The core subjects are provided through a rotational academic model, emphasizing tutorial instruction. Elective opportunities include vocational education, computer technology, social skills, art, health, physical education, and culinary services.

Other features of the program include transitional services, integrated computer technology in the classroom, social skills classes, individual and group counseling, physical education, and intramural sports.

High Road School of Norwalk-Waterbury campus, accepts students for diagnostic services as well. The 45-day transitional IAEP program is fully developed academic and behavioral intervention plan that expertly meets all of the needs for interim placements. It encompasses academic intervention, comprehensive behavior management, and individual group and counseling.

School Update

High Road School of Norwalk – Waterbury Campus is looking forward to the upcoming holidays.  We have conquered the beginning of the school year which started off on windy note with Hurricane Irene, soon to be followed by Winter Storm Alfred which left most of Connecticut without power and in the dark.  As a huge amount of wet snow fell onto trees covered with leaves, branches and power lines came crashing down causing Waterbury to come to a halt for one week in early November.  However, that has not stopped us here at the High Road School of Norwalk – Waterbury Campus. 

There is nothing that can keep our students in the dark; in fact a new light has been shed on several educational lessons.  As the year progresses, so does our learning.  Classes are covering important topics as student minds are being challenged on a higher level.

In transition, new and exciting projects have begun.  Students are learning how to resurface and refinish furniture.  They are cooking homemade bread and several new rice recipes including rice pudding. They are incorporating subjects such as reading, math and social studies into their learning.  They are working hard in the community at a nearby equestrian stable as well as a charitable center for the less-fortunate.  Students contribute to the environmental cleanup of local state facilities as well. 

On a more social level, students have traveled to a local movie theatre to enjoy a 3D movie as well as showing off their athletic abilities at the local YMCA, they have also participated in bowling and exercised their social skills by eating in local restaurants.   

At High Road School of Norwalk – Waterbury Campus learning will continue, growth will prevail and bonds will be created.  No matter what is happening around us, we will remain focused and be assured that we have each other to depend upon.  So as the holidays approach, we will be reminded of the things we are thankful for and focus on how bright our futures are becoming.

Signs of Spring are Beginning to Appear 

Winter is finally over!  Welcome signs of spring are beginning to appear, foreshadowing a season reminiscent of rebirth and abundant opportunities.  At High Road School of Norwalk – Waterbury Campus rebirth and opportunity are year round experiences.

As the frozen snow of winter slowly melts, the increase and warmth of sunlight in our newly-assembled indoor greenhouse has inspired our students to develop an increased awareness of the hard work it takes to grow vegetables.  Tomatoes, red and green peppers, lettuce, spinach, radishes, onion, oregano and cilantro are beginning to sprout. 

According to teacher Ricardo Suarez, the green house has enhanced his recent lesson plans as so many academic skills are incorporated in operating a greenhouse. These include; reading and following directions, data collection and measurement; scientific observation and plant growth. 

“In addition, it teaches my students to become self-reliant and gain survival skills. The students come to school anxious to see the changes that have occurred overnight,” said Mr. Suarez.  Student Michael Kurowski explained, “It is exciting to see the vegetables grow, they change so quickly, soon we will be able to eat them and know that we grew them ourselves.”

As the growth process is learned and the vegetables mature, students will culminate this activity with a meal prepared using all of the produce.  “We are hoping to use the different vegetables as toppings for a pizza,” explained Mr. Suarez. “I believe this will help the students gain a respect for the vegetables and realize that it takes hard work to produce good quality food.”

Excitement in Chemistry

On March 14, student attention was captured in Mr. Botwick’s chemistry lesson at High Road School of Norwalk – Waterbury Campus.  Intense concentration was evident as students learned the concept of chemical formulas and how to predict what happens in a chemical reaction.  Students found that chemical combinations can balance each other out.  They witnessed chemical and physical changes.

In one experiment Mr. Botwick combined potassium iodine and barium hydroxide (which are two clear liquids) to produce the bright yellow compound called barium iodine.
 
The dramatic demonstrations done reinforced these lessons and created an exciting learning environment.

Community Projects

The High Road Schools of CT has always strived to teach the students to give back to their communities to help them feel connected to the world out side of their families and school. So many of our students require a great deal of support in their academics or social skills and have often felt out of step with the people and places around them. By getting them involved in community projects it gives students the opportunity to step outside of their comfort zone and learn how their contributions can impact others in a positive way. In the process the students raise their self esteem and widen their world view. 

Students from the High Road School of Wallingford – High School had a wonderful opportunity this past holiday season to make an impact on their community by holding class fundraisers that raised a total of $700.00! They took the money and bought toys for the Smilow Cancer Center in New Haven who were thrilled to receive such items as x-box games, board games, arts and crafts supplies to name a few of the things that brightened up the holidays for the children.  The students participating in the Building Maintenance and Trade program at the high school also built a beautiful pine toy chest to donate to the center as well.

High Road Student Learning Center Upper school students were busy this year putting on a Hoop-A-Thon to benefit our local Make a Wish Foundation in memory of a beloved staff member who had a soft spot in his heart for this organization. They also raised $700.00 to donate to them so that Make a Wish can continue to make critically ill children’s wishes come true.

Our regional basketball fundraiser brings all seven school sites together to raise money for High Road’s Juan DeJesus Memorial Scholarship. Our competitive sports team, High Road Hornets, plays against the High Road Staff in a lively competition held at Albertus Magnus College. Parents, districts, staff, and friends come together to root for the students and support this very worthy cause. The scholarship is awarded to a High Road graduate planning to go on to college or a technical school program. An essay contest is held to determine the winner.

The above are just a few examples of how our students are making a difference in their communities.  By focusing on what they can do to help others, the students at High Road Schools of CT learn that with teamwork, perseverance, and commitment, anything is possible!

High Road School Presents Dave Hopla, Motivational Speaker

Basketball Coach Motivates High Road Students

On Friday, November 22, High Road Schools of CT presented Dave Hopla, the United States Top Shooting Coach at the Wallingford Parks and Recreation gymnasium for all the regional school sites. 

Dave not only motivates students to do their best in school and in life during his presentation, but does so while he continuously shoots baskets. Watching him put 414 out of 415 shots through the hoop was astonishing not only for the students but also for the parents and staff!

When Dave was younger he was told he was not very good at basketball, but at age sixteen he learned the skills to shoot baskets. After that he kept practicing and he began to keep a notebook of all of his shots. Tell him a date and he can go straight to his notebook to look up his personal best for that day. He never gets bored with shooting baskets because he is constantly motivated to top himself every time he practices.

Devon Washington a student in the High Road Student Learning Center Upper School was lucky enough to help Dave out during the presentation. Devon thought that Dave was cool. “I enjoyed learning from him by watching him shoot baskets and I liked the message of never giving up,” said Devon. “I am like that, too. I never give up!”

Another lucky student, Rebecca Murillo also from the upper school, kept tally of Dave’s shots. “I thought he was enjoyable to watch and I would love to learn to shoot like that. I liked his testimony how he was told he would never be good at basketball, but he became great at shooting baskets.” said Rebecca.

Both Devon and Rebecca are on the High Road Hornets sports team and enjoy playing basketball on a regular basis.

Dave stressed the three most important aspects of success: stay positive, don’t quit, and set goals. According to Dave, “Everyone has a special talent and when combined with a great work ethic it will bring you success.”

Click here for the informational flyer

Professional Development Day

The High Road Schools of CT brought the staff together from the entire region (Hartford, Norwalk, Wallingford, and Waterbury) on October 22, 2010 for a professional development day. The workshop was held at the Howard Johnson’s Harbor conference room in Milford. School psychologist, Andrew Moyer, MS, NCSP gave a presentation on Executive Functioning: Assessment and Intervention. Staff attending included certified teachers, social workers, and related services. .7 CEUs were awarded to participants. 

The workshop provided  an overview of Executive Skills, how to assess them, and how to use that assessment data to design interventions. A detailed discussion regarding skill versus performance deficits also took place. 

2011 Extended School Year schedule announced!

High Road Schools will run an extended year program during the summer months. The program will run 5 days a week, starting July 5 to August 12, 2011 from 9:00 A.M. – 1:00 P.M.

Each child enrolled in the Extended Year Program will receive personalized academic instruction and social skills training. Occupational and physical therapy, speech and language services and social work will be provided for those students who require them.

For students attending out of district for the summer only, it is recommended that districts send his/her books and assignments in order to continue effectively with the student’s program.
 
For more information on our extended year program, please contact:
                             
Carol Revill, Outreach Coordinator
High Road Schools
31 Village Lane
Wallingford, CT 06492
Phone: 203-294-9139 Ext.1
www.highroadschool.com

Reading Program Handouts

Click here for reading program handout #1

Click here for reading program handout #2

Fun Thursday

Autumn colors surround us and school is in full session at High Road School of Norwalk – Waterbury Campus.  Students who have earned the upper levels on the behavioral management system during the week have the opportunity to participate in Fun Thursdays.

Activities for Fun Thursday include visiting local parks in surrounding towns to absorb fresh air and sunshine, singing to a popular Karaoke tune or enjoying a game of laser tag, basketball or bowling. Lunch is included in our Fun Thursday with a diverse selection of foods, such as Jamaican Beef Patties, Italian Pizza or Mexican Tacos.

Kudos to all our students for achieving their levels by working hard on their academics and improving their behaviors.

Competitive Sports

The High Road Hornets  are gearing up for another exciting year playing a wide range of sports, including cross country, basket ball, volley ball, soft ball and flag foot ball. High Road School Students in grades 8-12 from across the region are eligible to be on the team once they achieve upper level status on our behavior management system.

The team faces challenging games with students from other non-public schools in the area. The Hornets look forward to Fridays when they travel to selected schools for the competition.

The competitive sports program enables the students to learn more about a variety of games, as well as, gives them a great opportunity to interact with new peers. Along with exercise and good sportsmanship, the team members also have another venue put their social skills into practice.

Related Services 

High Road Schools help the students to make the most of learning opportunities by staffing certified specialists to help each student with additional support as needed.

Our speech and language therapy program includes a coordinated and individualized approach. In group work, as well as individually, our certified speech therapists help the student to correctly produce the sounds in words, increase speech intelligibility, develop vocabulary knowledge and understanding, and utilize appropriate conversational skills. Emphasis is placed on pragmatics; such as turn taking, topic maintenance, asking appropriate questions, and socialization.   Also, grammar, syntax, and written expression are addressed.

Our occupational therapists help students with sensory, perceptual, and motor problems better meet the daily demands of their environment. She uses directed play as the primary method of treatment; however, classroom consultation directly with teachers and assistants regarding the student’s abilities is also key to their success. Directed play includes activities such as mazes or target games to develop the student’s eye and hand coordination or ball games to increase coordination between two sides of the body.  Through the use of movement, touch, and other functional activities, the student better develops the responses needed to function in the classroom, home, and community environments.  As the child ages and his or her needs change, the focus is on the acquisition of specific skills.  These can include learning to measure baking ingredients, personal care, or crossing busy streets, depending on the student’s abilities.

Our social workers help students with emotional and social growth issues.  They focuses on helping the student develop age-appropriate skills and behaviors for the classroom.  Through the use of recreational and other activities, they assist students in building self-esteem, applying social skills, and practicing leadership and team participation.  The students are seen individually and in small group sessions.  It is also not unusual to find social workers in the classroom leading social skills activities.

A consulting psychologist and behaviorist are also available on an as needed basis.

At High Road Student Schools all related services personnel work closely with the classroom teachers to assure integration into all classroom activities.

Three New Worksites Added to Norwalk – Waterbury campus transitional program

The first one is Hillside Equestrian Center in Wolcott which is a program that caters to horses and riders of all experience levels.

The students are very helpful to the staff at the center because they perform a variety of tasks with the horses. Depending on their level of ability, they can either sweep or pick up rocks in the pasture so that the horses don’t step on them and hurt their feet. High Road Students also take the horses out of the stalls to exercise them and bring them to the pasture to eat. They make sure the horses have plenty of water and hay in their stalls, as well as a clean environment.

Some students have not had the opportunity to work around horses and some of them are a little anxious around them at first. Activities are introduced slowly to those particular students so that they feel comfortable and soon they are over their fear of horses and are participating in all activities. 

This worksite is a wonderful opportunity for the students to work independently as well as having an experience in teamwork. The students are well supervised by High Road Staff and they all enjoy working outside with the horses.

Another worksite that High Road has acquired this year is the Acts 4 Clothing Ministry in Waterbury. On this site the students learn to sort clothes by season, gender, and salability.

Some students have developed a work ethic and skill by completing simple tasks  at the Bottle Redemption Center in Wolcott as well. Some students have progressed from this level of work to a more diverse environment, such as the horse farm and clothing shelter.

Students that are of vocational age of 16 years old and older are going out to the worksites twice a week for two hours per day.  At each site, students practice good manners and appropriate communication with all staff members.

New worksites are being explored for the near future which include a local nursing home and a daycare center at the YMCA in Waterbury.

Steve Petruzzi, is the Job Coach at High Road School of Norwalk –Waterbury campus. He assists with the development of the transition program by helping to ensure the transition students are getting the skills they need to secure jobs and independent living once they move on from the program.  It is hard to find the time to sit down with Steve because he is so busy transporting students to jobs in the community, taking them grocery shopping, teaching them how to balance checkbooks, pay bills, and many other skill developing activities. All of these are important skills to have in order to be successful in the “game of life,” as Steve calls it. “The transition students are a great group to work with and I have seen a lot of growth in the students since last year,” said Steve.

As the Waterbury program looked to expand their transition program this year, it made perfect sense to join forces with C. W. Resources, Inc. C.W. Resources has a long history of empowering persons with disabilities through employment.

With the help of C.W., one student, Deon, was recently placed in a job in the community a couple of days a week.  In speaking with Deon, it is obvious how much he is enjoying his job working as a bagger and cashier at Big Y, especially because he enjoys dressing up in a shirt and tie. “Working at Big Y is awesome,” said Deon. “I enjoy meeting new people and learning how the real world works.” 

Deon sees that he is now a role model for the younger students in the school and tries to encourage them. “I was the guy that did not think before I acted, but thanks to Mr. Petruzzi, I can check myself, take a deep breath, and bite my tongue,” reflected Deon. “I wear a belt and keep my pants pulled up; I have learned to understand what I can get by acting like a gentleman.”

The transition students also have a long standing job with the Department of Motor Vehicles which is right next door to the school.  Every week they go over there and clean outside of the building.

There are several other High Road students who will be participating in the vocational program and soon working in the community as well. In the meantime, they are busy working on building a school store for in-house shopping.

The High Road Transition Program is always evolving to meet the needs of the students and creating new opportunities for them to be successful. Stay tuned for more updates in the coming weeks!

The various and diverse transitional services of High Road Schools allow students to apply the skills they have acquired in the classroom — academic, social, behavioral, and otherwise — to “real-world” contexts in order to gain an understanding of the economic forces in society and of the professional culture in general. All of the programming that is designed to transition the student from school to work emphasizes preparation for productive employment after graduation. To make this employment as successful and fulfilling as possible, we help the student explore his or her interests and then build upon natural talents in choosing possible career paths. As students mature, we encourage them to gradually become more self-reliant. Our Transitional Services staff aids in this process by giving the students just the right amount of independence and interaction with the wider community, while still providing the supports necessary for the students to feel secure and confident.

School-to-Work Program
Our School-to-Work Program offers students the opportunity to participate in true-to-life jobs within the school setting. The end goal of the program is to develop the student’s employment skills and social skills in order to maximize their potential for success in the real world. As such, students seek to obtain jobs by first filling out an application and interviewing for the position they are interested in, as they would in real life. Once the student obtains a suitable position at the school, they are held accountable for their attendance and performance.  We work with them on such aspects of employment as punctuality, responsibility, and working independently. One of the jobs the students procure involve our student-run, on-the-premises retail business. Also, students participating in the School-to-Work Program are trained to operate many state-of-the-art machines that make customized products.

Community Work
High Road Schools afford students the opportunity to take their learning out of the classroom and transfer it into the community. We work with our students to practice the proficiencies they have mastered in the School-to-Work Program, and then, when a student is ready, a job coach accompanies them to volunteer or paid job sites out in the community. We partner with a wide array of local-area businesses, including restaurants, hospitals, preschools, and retail shops to expose the students to real-life work experience and social interactions. In this way, students can explore numerous career avenues and gain valuable work experience to list on their résumés.

Professional Development

On November 10, 2011, the High Road Schools of CT came together for a professional development day at the Holiday Inn, North Haven.

High Road certified teachers attended a workshop on Multisensory Teaching presented by Genevieve Shryer from one of the SESI schools in Missouri, called Rivendale.

A multi sensory approach to instruction helps students to learn through more than one sense at a time. Students are taught using all their senses; (visual, auditory, and kinesthetic) simultaneously in order to enhance memory and learning and to accommodate all learning styles.

Ms. Shryer presented hands-on activities for reading, language arts, and math, and the staff had an opportunity to practice the lessons as well as make some materials for their classrooms.

Success in multisensory learning has proven to decrease anxiety, as well as, improve self-esteem, self confidence and responsibility!

IEP Management System

High Road Schools of CT is pleased to announce the implementation of IEP Direct web based management system in our Norwalk, Wallingford, and Waterbury locations. The utilization of this program will better serve the needs of districts and students with more efficiency and accuracy in creating individual educational plans.

For more information about the High Road Schools of CT, please contact Carol Revill, Outreach Coordinator @ 203-294-9139 or Brooke Violante, Chief School Director @ 203-840-1030.