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Higashi
Highlights
Challenge
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Winter 2014 THE PRINCIPAL’S PERSPECTIVE “Gung hei fat choi!” Happy Chinese New Year! Winter has brought its yin and yang this season. One can observe happy children frolicking outside, and beautiful scenes of falling snow with frosted trees and buildings, while coping with slippery roads, sloppy walkways, delayed commutes and stalled travel. According to the Chinese calendar, the 2014 New Year falls under the Sign of the Horse. People born under the Sign of the Horse are said to have “the ethos of making unremitting efforts to improve oneself.” The spirit of the horse is said to be “energetic, bright, warm-hearted, intelligent and able.” This rings true as an accurate description of every member of the Boston Higashi School community, which includes all students, staff and families, independent of their respective birth date! In November, Thanksgiving was not only a sumptuous feast for students, staff and family guests, it was also a time of expressed gratitude for the blessings of being a member of a caring and always compassionate
community that truly celebrates success incrementally and does not give up when challenges present themselves. The true spirit of light that surrounds holiday traditions shone brightly as our students gave their performances during our annual Winter Music Festival. The hard work, talent and tenacity of both students and staff were evident. Families and friends surrounded our wonderful performers with encouragement and generous applause. In return, spirits were impacted, uplifted and made “merry and bright.” Mother Nature came calling on our first day back from the holiday break so many students were delayed returning and our Parent Collaboration Meeting had to be postponed. She also got wind of the great Valentine Party and Dance here on campus on the evening of February 13 th, so she decided to make another appearance. Her arrival certainly did not deter the enjoyment of our students as they played games, sang songs and danced with open hearts, freely expressing the joy that comes from being loved unconditionally for who you are. As I reflect on the ordinary and extraordinary that occurs everyday at Higashi, thinking in terms of
cause and effect in a linear fashion does not offer an adequate explanation. What is it that brings about the essence of possibility and the will to cultivate and sustain it? Our talent lies in the ability to shift and attune ourselves to the present moment. We sharpen our focus to where and when it matters the most. Our attention is riveted to what has meaning and purpose. We filter out what is not relevant to student learning and wellbeing. This is always a generative and iterative process. Our points of power come by sustaining our enthusiasm to align the wisdom of “head, heart and hands” working in tandem with each other. Our strength lies in our commitment to be present; to fully experience any given moment while replacing fear and judgment with curiosity and generosity cocooned in respect. In closing, let the spirit of the horse run wild here at Boston Higashi School as we continue our collective efforts to implement best practices, mindful of the students entrusted to our loving care. Deborah Donovan, Principal
Photo courtesy of Lifetouch
Accredited by The National Commission for the Accreditation of Special Education Services The Boston Higashi School is affiliated with Lesley University.
The International Program for Individuals with Autism since 1987 800 North Main Street, Randolph, MA 02368 781-961-0800 www.bostonhigashi.org
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Elementary Highlights Winter Wonderings We had a great couple of months here in the Elementary Division! At the Winter Music Festival, under the direction of our music teacher, Judy, we performed "Christmas Don't Be Late" on the stage and it went really well, especially with many new students adding fresh excitement to the event! We took advantage of the mild
Junior High Highlights “Going for the Gold” Junior High is continuing to have a great school year and really enjoyed the holiday season! Winter Music Festival was a huge success. The students put on a fantastic performance of the song “Last Christmas.” They displayed their many musical talents brilliantly by playing the alto recorders, drums, and singing. Junior High is excited about the winter semester and the fun activities that it brings! This semester we are delighted to welcome Brittany Armstrong, Becky McBurnie, and Seimi Kurkul to the Junior High Division to fill the role of 2
Chris Stanbrook, Elementary Master Teacher early-winter weather to go outside and get some exercise. Even though we didn't have a lot of snow early on, winter certainly has caught up with our recent snowstorms making the Higashi landscape similar to the stories we are reading in Language Arts, 'The Mitten', 'Footprints in the Snow' and 'The Hat' make great winter stories to share together. As we roll into the new year, we are in full MCAS swing
working hard to learn about animals and their habitats in Language Arts and Science, and continuing forward in Math with fractions and patterns. We will be proud to show our portfolios off to parents soon! See you then!
Jen Kelley, Junior High Master Teacher! Academic Support staff. They will be assisting students throughout their school day as well as helping the classroom teachers with materials and lesson preparation. Junior High is continuing to expand interest in the world around them through their academic lessons. In February, Junior High will be following the Winter Olympics. During class, students will learn all about the countries that are competing, the many different events, and keeping a tally of how many of each medal the United States wins. After the Olympics, Junior High will jump into the “Real World Reading” unit. Students will
learn about a variety of reading materials such as newspapers, cookbooks, and magazines. During Physical Education, Junior High students have been working on their basketball skills. Students have been practicing skills such as dribbling, passing, and shooting the ball into the basketball net. We have some awesome and determined players! Although, the students and staff have been enjoying the joys of winter, they are looking forward to the upcoming spring and warmer weather!
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Middle School Highlights Welcome Winter Winter has finally arrived, better late then never, and students and staff are very excited about all of the snow. As usual, it has been very busy around the hallowed halls of Higashi, and we wouldn't have it any other way. The Middle School division had the
opportunity to go to a nursing home in West Bridgewater in December to perform some winter classics. We were very well received, and were invited to go back at any time. The students did very well, and it gave us another chance to sing our Winter Music Festival song "December." After a well deserved
High School Highlights Champions One and All The students in the High School division returned from winter break well rested and ready to go with enthusiasm for taking on more challenges with the new semester. The Winter Olympics are very exciting and motivating. In our classrooms we are exploring and learning about different countries and the various events that are part of the Olympic Winter Games.
Transition News The Beat Goes On… The 2013/2014 school year is well underway and going by fast. We continue to see the success of our students in the adult ranks. As the winter progresses we will transition five students into their future placements. All of the students are currently placed and we will stay in touch throughout their lifetime. The five graduates have moved to various sites all over Massachusetts and one back to England. Higashi Highlights Fall 2013
John McAllister, Middle School Master Teacher vacation, the Middle School division got right back to work, and are now in full MCAS mode, as the students help select the best work for their portfolios. As March quickly approaches, we will start putting together music and PE performances for the 27th Annual Celebration, always an exciting time. Stay tuned for more information!
Jen Tomase, High School Master Teacher
We have been cheering for the USA and are keeping a close eye on the gold, silver and bronze medal counts. Teachers are also using the opportunity to talk about the importance of being a good team member and bringing your best to each day and every activity. Math class is a favorite as we are working on improving our money skills. We are refining our purchasing routines and using iPads to help us express our wants and
needs throughout the day. We kept the beat in our music classes as we learned new music and dance routines to get us primed for the Valentine’s Day Dance Party. Physical Education classes are incorporating basketball skills and drills to get us ready for the big game. We might not be in the same league as the NCAA Tournament teams but we certainly match them in heart and spirit and our will to win!
Joe Murphy, Director of Transition Don’t forget about the Formal Dance and 2014 graduation ceremony on April 10th at the Lombardo’s in Randolph. We will have 10 graduates to honor on this night. Not only will we see our current students looking great we expect to see many alumni students donning their formal wear and having a great night out. On March 21 st at the DCU center in Worcester Joe Murphy, Director of Transition and Jamie Marshall, Division Director High School and
Emergence Division will present at the Association of Developmentally Disabled Providers (ADDP) Annual Conference. We will discuss the Emergence Program, transition to adult services and also discuss our Outcomes Study. Many of the adult service providers from around the state will be there. Editor’s Note: We are proud of Joe and Jamie and all the work they do to prepare our students for their future endeavors!
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Emergence Highlights As 2014 begins, the Emergence Program paused to reflect on the events of the 2013 year. We all note how quickly one year passes to the next. It was a busy year, watching so many students graduate and leave us, and then as September rolled around seeing so many students from the High School Division come up to join us. This was a challenging time for the EP staff and students helping 17 students new to the division adapt to their new schedules, new routines, additional job sites and many experiences out in the community. However, the veteran EP students have been and continue to be exemplary role models for the new members of EP. The EP staff have risen to the challenge, as always going above and beyond to ensure their new students feel safe, comfortable and welcome, while continually challenging
Paul Brennan, Emergence Master Teacher them, both physically and intellectually, to reach their potential. We continue to strive to learn the new technology that is becoming available to us, and to see how it may help our students communicate more, as well as to expand on the ways they spend their leisure time so it is productive and enjoyable. This has been made possible, in no small part by the tech-savvy parents who are very willing to lend us their expertise and suggestions of apps and computer software that they feel would be of benefit to their children, and that we can invariably incorporate into our daily routines and lessons to assist our other students too. We remember with pride the EP students and staff participation in the Formal Graduation Dance and Annual Brunch of 2013. We are looking forward to introducing our new students to these events, as it
relates to them now that they are in EP. Since September, the students have been participating in classroom units in the Emergence Program on safety skills, banking, anti-bullying and Thanksgiving. We have held our Annual Golf Tournament, Halloween Dance Party, Winter Dance Party and Winter Music Festival, and we just completed our Valentine Dance Party. The highlight of the Winter Music Festival for EP was Thomas Y. who successfully performed his first trombone solo (as a separate performance to the Jazz Band performance, which he also participated in!) He was justifiably rewarded with thunderous applause. This made for a wonderful end for EP as we closed out 2013. We are looking forward to another excellent year as our students continue to prepare for their life after Higashi.
Mark your calendars! 4/10 EP Ladies’ Day of Beauty 12:30-2:30 @ Higashi 4
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Formal Dance 7-9pm @Lombardo’s
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Emergence Brunch 11am-12:30pm @ Lombardo’s
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December 7th, 2013
Sibling Days at Higashi
February 20th, 2014
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Winter Music Festival
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December 13 , 2013
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We were so pleased to have the opportunity to see many Higashi parents, supporters and friends living in the New York area, on November 14 . Many thanks to Ms. Teresa Liu and Mr. Richard Snyder for hosting such an enjoyable event! th
Below (from left): Executive Director Mike Kelly, Principal Deb Donovan, Mr. Richard Snyder, Dr. Stephen Shore, and Ms. Teresa Liu
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Yumiko Mori, Educational Program Evaluator, Wins International Recognition On December 15th, I presented at the JASSSDD (Japanese Association for the Study of Support System for Developmental Disabilities) Annual Conference held in the Tokyo Gakugei University. The theme of my oral presentation was “A Case Study about Support System for an Adult with Autism – The Importance of On-going Training and Bonding.“ In my presentation, I discussed the importance of on-going education at the post-graduate level, and close supportive relationships, using the principles of Daily Life Therapy® to assist a former BHS student with significant challenges to secure and maintain paid employment and to develop appropriate social interaction skills in the workplace. I was nervous before my presentation since
it was the first time for me to speak at a conference. Once I started, however, I became relaxed and even enjoyed speaking about our wonderful alumnus. I am very honored that I was selected for an award at the conference as one of four winners chosen out of forty presenters. First of all, I would like to thank the alumnus and his parents. I would also like to thank all co-authors, Mr. Takamatsu from the Musashino Higashi Center for Education and Research, Dr. Ann S. Roberts, and Mrs. Ebihara. In addition, I would like to show my huge appreciation to Mrs. Okubo, Musashino Higashi Center for Education and Research who gave me considerate advice on my PowerPoint materials in Japanese and participated in
the conference with Mr. Takamatsu. On December 18th, I gave a lecture to grad students at the Ritsumeikan University in Kyoto about an overview of Autism Spectrum Disorder and the Boston Higashi School. About 20 students and a few faculty members participated in my class. I was impressed by the participants’ openness, friendliness, and enthusiasm to learn. After the lecture, they held a tea party for me where I had a wonderful time enjoying conversations with each participant. After I came back to Boston, some of the students sent me positive feedback, which boosted me professionally very much. I truly thank Dr. Araki and Dr. Masuda for giving me this great opportunity. Yumiko Mori, M.S. Educational Program Evaluator
(left) The certificate reads: “In appreciation of your outstanding study and presentation, we present this award to you. December 15, 2013. Akiko Hayashi, Executive Chairman of The 2013 JASSSDD (Japanese Association for the Study of Support System for Developmental Disabilities) Conference” We are all proud of Yumiko and appreciate her dedication to Boston Higashi School.!
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Residence News
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Another winter is almost half over and spring is on the doorstep. The students and staff are making the best of the left over snow while making plans to celebrate the arrival of warmer weather. This part of the school year can be a challenge for our students and staff as time outside can be limited. Cabin fever is hard for active children and young adults but with imagination and creativity from our residential staff, new indoor fun activities helped everyone cope with the woes winter weather can bring. We have just concluded our Valentine’s Day Open House on February 13th. Mayuko Ohashi and Hideyuki Nishizawa were the leaders for the party for the younger divisions. Rosalind Kimani, Henry Ndakalu and Henry Njoroge led the dance for our older divisions. Both Valentine celebrations were truly amazing! The planning actually began before the winter break so there was time for students to prepare their minds and practice minds, generalizing skills they have learned at the residence/school. But most importantly, they had fun. At the younger party each student had their time to
Christopher White, Residential Program Director shine singing, dancing and demonstrating their skills playing the game. Closer to the end of the party when it was less structured, I saw some magical moments of selfinitiated play! One student started dancing. Others joined and played little games of tag together without their teachers’ or parents’ help! It was also reported that the older students were choosing different partners to dance with and then switching partners on their own! Again, a truly amazing night! Although the snow did stop some parents and students from attending they were in our thoughts as we celebrated. In January and February, the community trips entailed visiting famous museums and historical sites. These included going to the JFK Museum, Children’s Museum, Science Museum and walking aboard the USS Constitution. We have also explored the library, went to Plaster-Fun Time to make division decorations. We went out for snack, and have done a lot of swimming, bowling, hiking, working out at the YMCA to have fun during the week and on the weekends. In March, we our looking to spend time watching inside sports games at local high schools, colleges, and at the
Dunkin Donut Center in Providence. The kids have been enjoying learning about and watching the Winter Olympics and this has been a good addition to expand student interests. In closing, a big thanks to day student Sam F. for coming to the younger Valentine party at the residence to enjoy the festivities with his friends. I encourage other day student families to do the same. Our next event is Family Day in July, and we would love to see you! To all residential/school teachers, a great big thank you for all you do. Your efforts are very much appreciated; from coming in to teach despite two feet of snow, using your personal time to finish projects, to giving extra individual attention to a sick or sad student. The dedication you give to each student on a typical day is what makes the difference. Your devotion comes forth in so many ways. Watching students initiate and build on relationships and interactions with their peers is a direct result of all that you have taught them. Boston Higashi School is the best because of the unconditional love and support we give to each other.
The greatest gift is a portion of thyself. -Ralph Waldo Emerson 10
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Winter Party and Dance !
December 18th, 2013
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Valentine’s Party & Dance
February 13th, 2014
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Residence News – Older Divisions Valentine Dance Party 2014: The Ultimate Thrill This year’s theme of Resilience was once again on display when parents, siblings and friends braved the storm on the evening of February 13th, 2014 to join us for our Valentine’s Dance Party Open House. Red, the color of love was evident in the ties we wore, the dresses that swayed on the floor, the immaculately tucked in shirts, and the beautiful adornment on the walls. This year’s Valentine’s Dance Party presented the students, friends and families with a fun-filled evening, if their facial expressions during this time are anything to go by. As soon as everybody was settled, the master of ceremony wasted no time in welcoming all to the floor with music, to the delight of many who had waited for this day for so long. It is worth noting that our students practiced dancing with their
peers and on several occasions they selected different partners for different songs, with joyful faces and smiles for the cameras that zoomed past them. The ever-evolving Higashi Valentine Dance culture had new additions to the events of the night. The trivia session, during refreshments and snack time, allowed students to jog their minds as they competed for a few presents by responding to questions from the master of ceremony as well as enjoying their favorite snacks. The second addition, and which is likely to stay on in the next couple of dances (Watch out for Nick and Kelsey during the formal dance party in April!) was the song “Cotton-Eyed-Joe.” Although the song is not completely new, the style of dancing and having it in our school event was new. Regardless of age or experience, this song brought out the best in everyone on the dance floor that night, as everybody tried their best
Residence News – Younger Divisions L-O-V-E! As we say goodbye to 2013, 2014 brings us exciting brand new activities and opportunities to grow. Through the halls of Higashi, students and teachers are settling back into routine from the holidays and prepared for our alwaysentertaining Valentine’s Day Open House Party. The day of the party Higashi Highlights Fall 2013
brought a snowstorm, but that did not stop the students and even parents and siblings from coming out and enjoying themselves. The party was a wonderful success. The students sang like The Beatles and danced like Elvis, the king himself! After music, some students became bakers and others candy makers in our party game Sticky Sweet! Our Intermediate students had fun creating a huge cupcake with
Henry Ndakalu staying in sync with the fast paced rhythm of this new piece. When dismissal time came, all the divisions walked out of the gym as the MC called out their respective names, some happy that they had enjoyed the evening with their peers and families, and some reluctantly walked out, a little sad that it had come to the end faster than they had anticipated! A big thank you to everybody who took part in piecing the day together, from getting the students in the correct attire and in a timely fashion, to the teachers who guided the students in making the decorations, music practice sessions, as well as snack preparation. We all look forward to the Formal Dance party in April for another platform to celebrate our students’ many achievements alongside having fun on the dance floor.
Kerry Mullane ‘balloon’ sprinkles, while Girls and JH-A divisions spelled the word L-O-V-E in balloons on a candy heart. Finally, after all our hearts were filled with love, we filled our stomachs with sweet snacks to end our 2014 Valentine’s Day Party. We hope everyone has valued our previous year together and there will be great adventures and love in this year to come!
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Higashi Parents in the News! Joseph and Sharon Dwelley have been selected by MFOFC, (Massachusetts Families Organizing for Change), a statewide grassroots coalition dedicated to individuals and family support, to attend the Family Leadership Series 2014. For 21 years, MFOFC has been presenting the Family Leadership Series for family members or loved ones of individuals with any disability, and of any age, across Massachusetts. The Leadership Series will include topics such as
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Creating a Vision for your Loved One with a Disability, Legislative Policy Making, The Critical Role of the Family Voice, and Taking Care of Ourselves. This leadership series requires a time commitment of three, two-day weekend sessions and a finale day over the next four months. Upon completion of the series Joe and Sharon will continue to advocate and work to create changes for their family and will be able to help other families to do the same. In the past families who have
completed the series have had a tremendous impact on change for families with disabilities in Massachusetts. The Dwelleys are an example of the dedicated, committed, and loving parents that make Boston Higashi School so special. We thank Joe and Sharon for their selfless commitment to making a change within their own community and their willingness to share their knowledge with our Higashi families.
Our workshop series continues! This winter we had great attendance for our workshops on exercise, using schedules effectively, and mealtime management. Stay tuned for our spring workshop offerings!
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Parents’ Perspective As we battle the cold and snow of this winter I look back at the great Winter Festival we had in December. The performances of the students were great. The sale and distribution of the Boston Higashi fleece jackets had some of the proceeds going towards the Parents’ Association. The wine basket was a great success and brought in $296.00 to the Parent Association Treasury. I thank you on behalf of the Parent Association Officers for your continued support of the purchases of the fleeces, hats and other items which we have sold over the past year. I also appreciate the annual donations to the Parent Association so we can continue to support the needs of the school throughout the year. The winter storm in early January did not allow us an opportunity to meet on the return of our children to school after the holidays but we have Sibling Day and a Hands-On Training on February 20, 2014. We also have the Valentine’s Dance Party coming up for the students and parents to enjoy
Janet Murphy, Parent Association President!
together. As always, the school appreciates when parents come to the Open Houses each month to meet and greet new potential parents and students welcome to see our school, learn more about Daily Living Therapy® and how this school makes a difference for our children. Donna Mattie, mom of EP student Kyle, will be traveling as our Parent Representative on the annual trip to the Tokyo School, Mushashino Higashi Gakuen. I hope she enjoys her travels on our behalf. The Parent Association is planning once again to have a Pawtucket Red Sox Fundraiser this summer. Please look for updates soon. I hope to have the game this year in an early summer month. I will let you know the date and sales of tickets as soon as we get more information, Last year for every ticket bought, we received half the cost. It is a great opportunity for our children to experience a community trip in the outdoors and warmer weather. As I look beyond the winter, the first event that comes to mind which will need preparation help from our
parents is Annual Celebration. We are always looking for people who sew and can help when preparations begin to make costumes and other items needed for this annual performance. If you have sewing skills please let Maryellen Paradise, the Administrative Assistant to our Principal know via email: mparadise@bostonhigashi.org or phone call ext 109. It always helps the school and gives parents an opportunity to meet new parents. Lisa Burgess, our Second Vice President has led the sewing group over the years and can use some help. As always, it is a pleasure to serve as President on behalf of all of the parents /guardians at Boston Higashi School. Please do not hesitate to make suggestions at any time. If you wish to help at any events please let me know. I am available via phone at 617-698-9623, or by email at: murphmilt5@ comcast.net Janet Murphy, President Parent Association Boston Higashi School
Sewers Wanted! Do you have talent with a sewing machine? The Parents Association wants YOU! Annual Celebration is just around the corner, and we would love some help making costumes. Please contact Maryellen Paradise if you’re interested at mparadise@bostonhigashi.org, or by calling (781) 961-0800 x109.
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Legislators’ Day February 28th, 2014!
Senator James Timilty Representative Bruce Ayers and Senator John Keenan
Jim Major, Executive Director of maaps
Senator Thomas Kennedy
Speaker of the House Robert DeLeo
Representative Alice Hanlon Peisch
Representative William Galvin
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Mary Armstrong from Representative Claire Cronin’s office
Representative Mark Cusack
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Representative Louis Kafka Senator Brian A. Joyce! Adam Horgan from Representative James Murphy’s office
Executive Director Mike Kelly, Senator Thomas Kennedy, Board President Peter Garland
Marilou Wilkinson with Lauren Burm, Director of Public Advocacy, maaps Representative Daniel Cullinane
! Representative Jeffrey Roy
Gigi Mirarchi, Chief of Staff to Rep. Garrett Bradley Representative Russell Holmes Representative Carolyn Dykema
Dr. Ann Roberts, Kate Chang (District Rep. from Congressman Capuano’s Office, Principal Donovan
Rep. Walter Timilty, Aide Tiffany Ngo, Rep. Bruce Ayers, Rep. Tackey Chan
Senator John Keenan and Larry Sauer, Board President of maaps
Thank you to everyone who attended! Higashi Highlights Fall 2013
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How many times have we wished that we could know what our kids with autism are thinking? How many times have we been stymied and frustrated trying to understand why they do what they do? The Reason I Jump is written in the voice of a thirteen-year-old Japanese boy with autism. KA Yoshida and David Mitchell, parents of a son with autism, did the English translation from the original Japanese text. While the book brings insight about one person’s point of view and experiences, it does offer a springboard for points to ponder about the mysteries of some of the behaviors that seem to be common phenomena for those on the autism spectrum. On April 30th, Principal Donovan will host three informal gatherings for staff, parents and friends to talk about the book and share our own reflections. The book chats will take place in the Professional Development Center in the Library at 9:30 am, 1:00 pm and 6:00 pm. Please RSVP to Maryellen Paradise, Administrative Assistant to Principal Donovan, no later than April 24th so we can plan light refreshments. Hope to see you there!
You’re Invited!
Autism Awareness Month Book Chat Wednesday, April 30th 9:30am, 1:00pm, & 6:00pm Please RSVP to Maryellen Paradise at mparadise@bostonhigashi.org by April 24th
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A Father’s Love is Endless
Please join us for
The Mark Donovan Memorial Lecture:
“Fathers and Autism” by Dr. Robert Naseef
Wednesday, April 9th, 2014 6:00-8:00pm
Dr. Naseef writes that families are resilient, and with support and effective intervention, some sense of order can be restored to their lives, and the overpowering sense of helplessness alleviated. “Autism in the Family” is especially for fathers of autistic children who seem to be left out in many books about autism. It is for siblings, family, friends, teachers, and professionals who are also important travelling companions on this difficult journey of raising an autistic child to adulthood.
Copies of Dr. Naseef’s books will be available for sale at the lecture.! “My focus in this book is this lifelong process of taking care of everyone in the family after a diagnosis of autism. My work feels like a success every time I can empower parents by helping them understand their thoughts and feelings, find humor in their situation, and go forward loving their child and helping him or her grow.” - Dr. Robert Naseef
Please RSVP to Maryellen Paradise by April 2nd, at mparadise@bostonhigashi.org, or (781) 961-0800 x109. Light refreshments will be served.! Higashi Highlights Fall 2013
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Division Director Heather Katz with Dr. Larry Epstein at the Massachusetts Elementary School Principals Association Winter Conference on January 29th. His presentation, "Differentiated Instruction for Behavior: Using Collaborative Problem Solving to Improve Behavioral Outcomes for Our Most Challenging Students," was an insightful look at best-practices for ALL our students.
Drivers travelling the Rt. 93 corridor to and from Boston recently have noticed Boston Higashi School advertised on the IBEW 103 digital billboard in Dorchester. It is estimated that 155,000 cars traverse this section of Rt. 93 on a daily basis! The eye catching blue and white sign created by our wonderful Graphic Designer, Susan Perry has generated a lot of positive feedback. Thanks also to Janice Oliver for arranging this advertising opportunity! We are most grateful to our friends at the IBEW 103 and NECA Boston Chapter for working with us on this autism awareness outreach initiative supporting autism education at the Boston Higashi School.
We are excited to collaborate with Dr. Hsu-Min Chiang, Assistant Professor in Autism Spectrum Disorders at Columbia University. Dr. Chiang will be consulting on statistical analysis for our on-going research “Outcomes Study.” We had the opportunity to meet with her at Columbia in November, and in January she came to tour Higashi and begin talking “data” with our Research Team.
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Congratulations to the Tokyo School, Musashino Higashi Gakuen, on a successful Annual Celebration performance on February 18th!
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A big “Thank You” to the Musashino Higashi Gakuen Parent Association for hosting a lovely reception on February 14th for the visitors from the Boston Higashi School. As always, your warm hospitality lessens the miles between Tokyo and Boston! Arigatou gozaimasu!
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Daycare Delights With the hustle and bustle of the year-end holidays behind us, we were ready to start a new year! As with any new year, 2014 started off with a renewed sense of energy, motivation and learning experiences. The teachers and children are all sharing in some great activities. The infants listen to songs and stories while also learning to crawl and move around. The toddler group listens to music and stories and is exploring art activities like finger-painting, gluing and drawing with crayons. The young preschool group painted a playhouse, made paper mache projects for Valentine’s Day, are learning letters and letter sounds, as well as sorting and counting. The older preschool group is also working with their letters by writing in their journals and practice writing. They are counting, sorting, and perfecting their cutting with
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Pam Patrone, Director of Daycare! scissors. They have been working on many art projects in varying media. Some are on display in their classroom. Their self-portraits are amazing! Can we just say, Frosty the Snowman must really love New England! It has been a crazy snowy winter so far and we are sure there is more snow to come. Even though we grownups see the snow as not much fun to drive in and we hope that it is not too heavy to shovel, the children see the sparkly magic in it. They have been outside going for winter walks and enjoying the beautiful winter scenery. Teachers for the younger children have even brought snow inside for them to play with. Playing with snow is a lot of fun and we don’t see this fun ending anytime soon. Besides the arrival of snow, we have welcomed the arrival of some new friends to our daycare. In the infant room,
we welcomed Clark, Rebecca Stratford’s son and Kairi, the daughter of Chris and Yoshino Stanbrook. We also welcomed the children of Richard Medor: his son Yehoshua is in our toddler room, and his daughter Rebekah is in our toddler/preschool room. We also said “Hello” to some new teachers to our group: EunideMarie Edouarzin, Sheri Rushing and Katie Tolland. We are looking forward to sharing a lot of adventures with these new friends. We also congratulated our teacher, Kellie McLaughlin, who has been here for 6 years. Kellie graduated from nursing school and is now working in the health room here at the Higashi School! We have a lot planned for the rest of the winter, but we are looking forward to spring. In the meantime, we will be having lots of fun in the snow with our friends.
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Comings, Goings and Everything In Between at Higashi Pat Downey, Interim Human Resources Manager
We have welcomed the following new staff to BHS since our last publication: Brittany Armstrong, Academic Support, Jaclyn Roche and Timothy Ndungu, Day Program Instructors, Catherine Tolland Assistant Day Care Teacher, Sheri Rushing and Eunide-Marie Edouarzian Day Care Teachers, Chiedu Ude, ! Chijioke Akalonu, Nnenna Agwu, Joseph Agyabeng, and Karen Waweru, Residential Instructors. Please introduce yourself to these new employees when you see them!
! ! We offer our sincerest condolences to Amy Carter, Augustine Imafidon, Chie Mitsui, and Janice Oliver on the loss of their family members.
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We said goodbye to the following staff: Jennifer Lambert, Victoria Libby, Jessica Berry, Gilbert Gitau, Steve Clements, Kelly DeSormier and Amanda Jones. We wish them well in their future endeavors and thank them for their dedication to the students and staff here at Higashi.
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Congratulations to Issa Ssemwogerere and his wife Annet on the birth of their daughter Jalia born November 19, 2013
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Congratulations to Joanna Gately and her husband Marty on the birth of their son Peter born November 29, 2013
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Congratulations to Robin Onuma and her husband Hiro on the birth of their daughter Mei born on December 24, 2013
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Congratulations to Margo Newcomb on the birth of her first grandchild Stephan James Arsenault on January 28th, 2014
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Congratulations to Joseph Atem and his wife Christine on the birth of their daughter, Kerri Monique Agor born February 10th, 2014
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Higashi Highlights ď‚&#x; Fall 2013
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It’s March, and before we know it spring will have sprung. We have been planning exciting things with both the Day and the Residential programs. For the past three years we have had success in planting our vegetable gardens, which did expand into pumpkins for Halloween. The vegetables were a big success and through the student gardening project we utilized over 100 pounds of organic tomatoes, zucchini, summer squash and onions. We are considering utilizing individual wooden plots with each containing different vegetables and spices that will be used in our ever-expanding Culinary Arts cooking program. With more and more
Bill Burke, Executive Chef ! information becoming available regarding food coloring, chemicals, preservatives, and all other kind of additives you can be assured that the Boston Higashi School is staying on top of these issues. Our students and staff health is of paramount importance and we are doing all that we can to keep everybody healthy. Our Medical, Nursing, Nutrition, Education, Administration and Food Service staff are doing all that we can in this regard. We are continuing to make almost 100 % of our gluten free bread and gluten free dessert. We have started making our own regular bread that is premeasured. All that the students need to do is mix, knead and bake. The bread is excellent and soon we will
expand the use from nightly cooking classes to using it at meals. A final thought that I would like to share: Throughout the years, sledding on the famous Higashi hill is iconic in Randolph. In the past we have thought that it might be nice to sell hot chocolate to the sledders. This has not yet materialized, but since a beautiful new swimming pool is unfolding before our eyes the planned snack bar may very well be the ideal spot for a warm drink while sledding at Higashi We have many students that are capable of doing this and it would be a nice way of showing who we are and what we do.
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By Carmine DeCicco 24
Higashi Highlights ď‚&#x; Fall 2013