Message from the Administration
Dear Crossroads Family,
As we transition from the winter cold into the much welcomed warmth of spring, I am happy to share with you the exciting events that took place at Crossroads School this past month. Our SEL theme for this month was "empowerment," a concept that lies at the heart of everything we do. Empowerment in education is not just a word; it's a guiding principle. Our goal at Crossroads is to foster an environment where every individual feels valued, supported, and equipped with the skills and confidence to reach their fullest potential.
During the first week of March, Crossroads School celebrated Read Across America. Through engaging activities, guest readers, and themed days, our students were able to take full advantage of the week. On the Friday of that week students (and staff) participated in "Pancakes and Pajama Day" , which proved to be a fun day for all involved. On March 6th Crossroads School revved up its engines to get ready for the Pinewood Derby! With Cub Scout representatives on hand, the students showcased their creativity and competitive spirit as they raced their decorated pinewood derby cars down the track. Congratulations to all participants for their hard work and determination! On March 17th students were excited to find themselves visited by the leprechaun on St. Patrick's Day who left behind a surprise of donuts for everyone to enjoy. What a wonderful way to end the week!
As March comes to a close we wanted to wish everyone a safe and happy spring break, filled with joy, relaxation, and memorable experiences.
Warm regards,
Matt and Danielle
Student of the Month - Kenny
Staff the Month - Natalia Amador- Teacher (future Supervisor)
1. How long have you been working at the commission?
I have enjoyed working for the commission for approximately nine years. I began my journey as a substitute teacher right after college, then transitioned to a Teacher Assistant at Westlake School, a Teacher Assistant here at Crossroads, a maternity leave replacement, and finally, a full-time Teacher.
2. What would we be surprised to find out about you?
Something you might not know about me is that I played soccer in high school, but I was terrible, hahaha.
3. What is your dream vacation?
If I could choose my dream vacation, It would be visiting the white sand beaches of Thailand. I would love to immerse myself in the culture and enjoy its flavorful food and nightlife.
4. What is your favorite meal?
I could literally eat anything, but my favorite type of food is Dominican food, particularly pernil, arroz moro, and maduros.
5. What is your greatest accomplishment?
Besides being incredibly proud of the family I have, my most significant accomplishment has been choosing a career that truly fills my heart.
Staff of the Month - Andrew Weiler - Registered Behavior Technician
1. How long have you been working at the commission?
I have been working at the commission for two years! I started out last year working here as a TA for the preschool and middle school classes! This year, I got the opportunity to work in one of the newly-established RBT positions, and I have loved all of the new experiences that I have gotten with this role.
2. What would we be surprised to find out about you?
Something that might surprise people about me is that I have been practicing Brazilian jiu-jitsu for 5 years! It’s a fun way to exercise and requires a lot of strategy and preparation. It can also be a very humbling experience when you first start out!
3. What is your dream vacation?
On one hand, I would love to visit some tropical islands, but I think my dream trip would be to go to Alaska to snowboard the mountains out there! Getting lifted to the top of a mountain in a helicopter and freestyling down it sounds like a dream come true.
4. What is your favorite meal?
My favorite meal is probably this parmesan breaded chicken breast dish that my mom found a few years ago. It’s really good and fairly simple to make.
5. What is your greatest accomplishment?
My greatest accomplishment so far would probably be my Bachelor’s degree. I look at it as the first step that I completed toward my goal, which is to become a board-certified behavior analyst, and I am excited to keep growing as a professional in this field.
Ms. Alexis's Room
The students have also been working hard on their academics. Everyone has been making great progress working on their individual goals. I have seen each student make such great strides from daily living skills, math, communicating, and self-care goals. We are looking forward to the warmer weather and what exciting events are coming up.
Ms. Natalia's Classroom
For the month of March, we learned about St. Patrick’s Day, Spring, and Easter. One of the topics we covered in science was simple machines. I tied this unit to St. Patrick's day by having my students build their own leprechaun traps. Our class also had a fun day exploring different academic centers with their friends from room 220A. They made a leprechaun craft, they made Shamrock Shakes with Ms. Jenn, they played identification bingo, and finished up the day by making green rice krispie treats.
As part of our weekly science lessons, we explored the topic of the Spring Season. They read a book called “Spring is Here”, which is an Interactive adapted book that keeps our readers engaged through visuals and cut and paste activities. They applied what they learned by creating "Watering With Drops of Kindness": This was a fun whole class activity where our students created and decorated their own watering cans to carry home. Students wrote something kind about each student on water drops and placed them into their classmates’ watering cans.
During our community based instruction trips visited various locations; Westlake School, Target, Clark Commons, and the Cranford Movie Theater. Our students had a blast eating and socializing at Panera Bread. They were able to pick out what they wanted to eat and also interacted with community helpers throughout their visit. At Westlake School our students and staff had the pleasure of visiting their lovely Cafe where they were greeted and served by students who were running the Cafe. Our students also truly enjoy visiting the Cranford Movie theater, where they work and then have the opportunity to enjoy a preferred movie.
This upcoming week we will enjoying lots of easter activities and will be finishing up this short week with a really fun trip to Funplex!!!
Greetings from your child’s school nurse, Lynn Ferrante. My main objective as your child’s school nurse is to promote the health and wellbeing of our school community. I'm here to listen and help, whether you need advice on how to manage allergies, need help remaining safe when engaging in outdoor activities, or just want to talk about any health-related issues.
I wanted to take this opportunity to share some important health information for the upcoming season:
Spring allergies are in full swing. If you and/or your child suffer from allergies, here’s some simple strategies to keep seasonal allergies under control:
If you or your child has known seasonal allergies, prevention of symptoms is possible when starting allergy medication in a timely manner before symptoms start.
Sign up for the Allergy Alert™ Email Service and stay on top of Allergies! When the allergy index reaches 4.0 (low-medium), which is the point where most allergy sufferers begin to experience symptoms, Pollen.com will send you an Allergy Alert™ two day forecast for your local area.
Stay indoors on dry, windy days. The best time to go outside is after a good rain, which helps clear pollen from the air.
Remove clothes you've worn outside and shower to rinse pollen from your skin and hair.
