Cotting Connection Summer 2023

Cotting School renewed its “Go Green!” initiative in April with a slightly different spin. Classrooms paired up to work on a sustainability-themed project. After doing some research to broaden their knowledge and gain inspiration, students came up with a plethora of great ideas.

When Ms. Mayo’s middle schoolers learned that sneakers can take up to 40 years to decompose in landfills, they found a solution online. GotSneakers is an organization that provides prepaid shipping and payment for every pair of sneakers contributed for recycling. After inviting Ms. Nagle’s upper schoolers to collaborate, the two classes met several times to make flyers to collect used sneakers, set up donation bins, tie each pair of shoes together, bag them up and drop them off at FedEx. Continued on next page.

Ms. Mayo’s class poses with bags full of donated sneakers collected in collaboration with Ms. Nagle’s class.

Sustainability Projects (continued)

To their surprise, they ended up collecting 250 pairs of sneakers—more than twice their original goal. They used the money they earned to adopt two orphaned baby elephants named Doldol and Mwinzi at the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust in Kenya. “Both classes worked really well together, and it was really fun,” Ms. Mayo said. “We get regular updates on our elephants, along with pictures and videos, and the kids are totally enthralled with them.”

Similarly, Upper School students in Ms. Cain’s and Ms. VanSteenbergen’s classes had a great time working together. They researched single-use plastic and the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. Keeping with the theme, students collected recyclable materials and turned them into “trash fish” artwork. “Their hope that the future holds better things was inspiring,” commented Ms. Cain. “I loved watching them come up with creative ways to decorate and turn every day recyclable objects into works of art with so much meaning.”

Ms. Piscopo’s Capstone class teamed up with Ms. Paull’s Upper School

class to collect reusable items like clothing, books, electronics, games and sporting goods. Students used independent living categories and vocabulary from assistive tech devices to sort items by room type (e.g., kitchen, bathroom, office). Then they took a community trip together to drop off their donations at Savers Collection Center in Wilmington. “Ms. Paull and I work hard to focus on life skills, communication and community access to help our students gain

Thank You to Our State Legislators!

It is not just teachers and therapists who rally to support our students; state legislators have also been working diligently to ensure the Cotting community can thrive. We are especially grateful to Governor Maura Healey, Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll and the Massachusetts State House and Senate for

recognizing the vital, specialized and complex work we do on behalf of the most vulnerable students in the Commonwealth.

Support from elected officials allows us to hire and retain Cotting’s extraordinary staff and help our students meet their potential. We

independence,” explained Ms. Piscopo, “so this activity was perfect for us!”

Classes were excited to display their final projects at the annual Art Show on May 31. “Cotting students demonstrated initiative, critical thinking and problem-solving skills, and they effectively collaborated with one another,” remarked Director of Curriculum and Instruction Ms. Meredith. “We could not be prouder of their efforts!”

also appreciate the great effort made by the Massachusetts Association of Approved Private Schools (MAAPS) to raise awareness and advocate for funding and resources. As this vital work continues, we promise to keep you updated on how it progresses and how you can help.

Ms. Piscopo’s and Ms. Paull’s classes organize donations for drop off at Savers Collection Center.

President’s Message | Bridget

Irish, M.B.A., S.P.H.R.

Marked by a whirlwind of activities and celebratory events, the end of the school year always seems to fly by. Looking back on all we have accomplished this past year at Cotting School, I can’t help but feel proud and amazed.

Over a span of 10 months, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) conducted a comprehensive review of Cotting’s policies and program implementation, yielding the best result we could hope for: no findings. The process included a record review, tour of the facility, parent survey and staff interviews. In addition to being extremely impressed with our programs and services, DESE especially commended our staff. Though arduous, the entire experience was extremely collaborative, enlightening and rewarding. We look forward to incorporating DESE’s insights into Cotting’s continual improvement.

Thanks to a huge community effort led by Director of Curriculum and Instruction Jeanine Meredith and Assessment and Instructional Coaches Andy Lindblad and Robert Mitropoulos, Cotting students and staff completed 267 strands in MCAS Alt portfolios, resulting in a 99% pass rate. That is an amazing amount of careful, highly-detailed work and review! It was an incredible labor of love by

Cotting faculty on behalf of their students, who lead the way with their diligence and dedication.

Of course, it hasn’t been all work and no play! Our calendar this spring was chock full of celebratory events for the whole community. Nearly 150 people enjoyed playing trivia and so much more at our Play It Forward event in March, which raised $25,000 for Cotting’s after school and sports programs. In May, we rolled out the red carpet (literally!) for prom, welcomed family and friends to campus for Grandparents’ Day and the annual Art Show, held a Project Bridges breakfast to thank our partner employers, reconnected with old friends at the alumni reunion and celebrated the Class of 2023 with a senior trip to Cape Cod and poignant graduation ceremony.

The end of the school year also signaled the close of Cotting’s HOPEhouse program in June. Special thanks to Program Director Zoe Thibodeau and the rest of the HOPEhouse team for wholeheartedly carrying out the important vision of this program, supporting dozens of students as they strived to become more independent. We are proud of the work we have done and look forward to building on those ideas as we explore the next iteration of transition programming at Cotting.

Project Bridges Employer Appreciation Breakfast

We were thrilled to welcome our Project Bridges employers back to campus in May to celebrate a year of work opportunities and community-based learning. Over the past year, 50% of Cotting students participated in this important vocational program. Thank you to the staff who make this possible at over 35 locations throughout the local community.

Cotting faculty, staff and students enjoyed hosting their Project Bridges employers at an appreciation event in May.

HOPEhouse Alumni Reunion

At the alumni reunion in May, HOPEhouse alumni and staff gathered to celebrate and reminisce. While the program closed in June, the excellence of its offerings will live on in all the accomplishments of its former residents.

Appreciation Corner

Thank you to all of the friends, families, corporations and foundations that helped us exceed our fundraising goals this year. Each and every student has benefited from your generous support! Special thanks to those who attended our very first Play It Forward! event, which raised funds for Cotting’s sports and after school programs.

At this year’s alumni reunion, HOPEhouse alumni, faculty and staff had the opportunity to reconnect.

Trivia team “Double Down” celebrated winning first place at our Play It Forward! event.