Outplacement News for Families

Welcome to Outplacement News for Families, the latest resource for parents, guardians, and caregivers for students enrolled at LEARN's Outplacement programs. We are happy you are here, choosing a LEARN school education for your child.

This newsletter will be delivered electronically on the 1st Tuesday of the month and will include:

• Kudos Corner
• Resource Roundup
• Community Happenings
• & more!

It's October! Can you believe we've already completed one month of the 24-25 school year? The first month of school included many opportunities for establishing routines and practicing expectations for the school community. Our older students participated in a number of new vocational experiences that include themes of retail, food service, exercise, personal care, and manufacturing. In our younger grades, students continue to develop both academic and functional skills in the classroom, cafeteria, gym, and playground.

As we continue into the fall, please take note of a few important reminders below. More information regarding these events will be shared in the coming weeks. We look forward to a fantastic month of October!

Important Reminders:

• School Picture Day on 10/9
• No school for students on 10/11, staff will participate in a full day of Professional Development
• No school for students or staff on 10/14 on honor of Indigenous People's Day
• Fall Family Festival on the evening of 10/24

LEARN is seeking your feedback on student engagement and chronic absenteeism. We are holding feedback sessions to gather information about you and your child's school experience. We value your thoughts and opinions on how we can better support students and families/caregivers.

Feedback sessions will be held from September 30 to October 22, lasting 30-45 minutes. By signing up through this link, you consent to participate and agree to have your feedback anonymously shared to improve services. Please reach out to your school principal if you have any questions.

Kudos to Ms. Megan & Mr. Jon! Their classes took at trip to Dodd Stadium for the Explore Manufacturing Expo that was a part of the CT Manufacturing Roadshow Series. This event is designed to raise awareness and pique interest in the road opportunities and well-paying, interested, and modern careers now available in Connecticut manufacturing.

Kudos to Josh Veal, a Job Coach at our LEARN Transition Academy! Josh's compassionate and jovial demeanor brings a calmness to the team in even the busiest of times. To get to know a little more about Josh we ask him a few questions, here's what he had to say:

• How would you describe our LEARN community?
• Compassionate and supportive
• What is your favorite thing about working at LEARN?
• I love it when a student masters a goal and you get to see them continue to progress with it over time. It's a very fulfilling feeling!
• Outside of work, what might we find you doing?
• Fishing, bowling, or working one of my other jobs.
• What is your favorite local lunch spot?
• Peking Toyko in Mystic, CT!
• Can you share a fun fact about yourself?
• I am a bowling coach and my son is a professional bowler - he's actually a regional pro for the state of Connecticut with DV8!

Incorporating sensory bins as a tool for Occupational Therapy is an easy and inexpensive way you can engage your student at home! Sensory bins are a great way to work on goals in these areas:

• Hand strength
• Hand-eye coordination
• Visual motor skills
• Fine motor skills
• and more!

Sensory bins can be customized and personalized your student, the season, and so much more. We will share a pumpkin pie sensory bin idea from The OT Toolbox below, visit their website for more information!

Pumpkin Pie Sensory Bin Materials:

• Oats
• Mini faux pumpkins
• Cinnamon sticks
• Felt strips
• Orange pom poms
• Pumpkin pie tin or silicone cupcake liner
• Scoop and/or tongs
• Tray

How to Setup & Utilize the Sensory Bin:

It's super simple! Pour the oats on the tray, spread out your manipulatives, add in the tongs and/or scoops, then you're ready to play! You can encourage your child to play freely or try giving them objectives like "can you gather all the orange pom poms?" or "how many pumpkins do you see on your tray?".

Read the full article from The OT Toolbox and learn more about sensory bins here 🎃🔗

The Parent Space support group goal is to engage with, inspire, and support one another and to celebrate our children’s successes, milestones, and the little things they do that others might take for granted. We created this judgment-free space so that we can speak freely, feel valued, and respected! Please join us and meet other parents who “get it.”

Parent Space will meet weekly on Mondays at 10 AM. Parent's Space Support Group is open to families of young children with developmental delays/disabilities. Contact: Vanessa Pollock or Jaqueline Cabrera for more information.

🎫 Register here: https://bit.ly/47shHOp

New London Fire Department will be visiting Ocean Avenue LEARNing Academy on Monday, October 7th from 1:30 - 2:30 PM.

Students will have the chance to meet some of New London's very own Fire Fighters and check out a fire truck!

Don’t forget, School Picture Day is just around the corner! Get ready to capture those smiling faces and create lasting memories.

📅 Date: Wednesday, October 9th

⏰ Time: Classrooms have an assigned time during the day

Make sure your child is dressed in their favorite outfit! If you have any questions, feel free to reach out. We can’t wait to see all those bright smiles! Let’s make this picture day a day to remember! ✨

The United Way Mobile Food Pantry is at Ocean Avenue LEARNing Academy every 4th Wednesday of the month! This pantry is walk-up only and we strongly encourage folks to bring bags or a cart if able.

The September food pantry is on Wednesday, October 23rd from 4:30 PM - 5:30 PM.

The United Way also hosts their Mobile Food Pantry at other locations throughout the month. Looking for more information? Visit their website here ⏩ https://www.uwsect.org/calendar

In partnership with Watertown Parks and Recreation, Bloom Where Planted is hosting Growing Together and adaptive nature program!

"Explore what makes the autumn season so special with hands-on sensory exploration, learning, and fun projects relating to nature and plants. Participants are ensured they are able to participate to the best of their ability and interest through adaptive tools, activities and instruction."

This program will be held on Sundays at 10 AM beginning October 27th through November 24th. 🔗Register today to reserve your spot!