May Newsletter

A.F. is a great employee in the Sunshine Cafe!

Congratulations to I.S., he is working hard preparing for graduation!

One notable highlight from this month was the collaborative effort of our department and our colleagues in assisting with the planning and setup for the school's prom. This event created opportunities to foster communication and have students engage with one another. Additionally, we have been actively preparing our students for the school's talent show. Through tailored speech therapy sessions, we've been honing their abilities in various talents such as singing, dancing, drawing, and more. This initiative not only showcases the diverse talents of our students but also serves as a platform to boost their confidence and self-expression. Throughout the month, our therapy sessions were enriched with themed activities including but not limited to: Mother's Day, Cinco de Mayo, Memorial Day, and Better Speech and Hearing Month. These thematic exercises not only provided a fun and engaging learning environment but also facilitated language development and cultural awareness among our students. Students who are participating in our work based learning program have practiced social skills as they pertain to the workplace including interactions with coworkers, effective communication in interviews, and strategies for handling work-related challenges. By imparting these essential skills, we aim to empower our students for success in future vocational endeavors. As a department, we remain dedicated to our mission of facilitating growth and progress among our students. Throughout the month, we continued to develop materials, program AAC (Augmentative and Alternative Communication) devices, and work collaboratively to meet individualized goals.

The Westlake Staff worked had for months planning and preparing a magical evening for our students, their families, and alumni! The hallway and cafeteria were transformed into a red carpet arrival and a twinkle lite dance floor. Our Sunshine Cafe was set up for parents to catch up and enjoy some snacks. DJ Bobby P provided fun music that keep everyone dancing until the last minute. Everyone enjoyed cupcakes and drinks. Mr. Carten and his students made chocolates that decorated the tables.

Using a program called Alison whose motto is to Empower Yourself, Sunshine Cafe workers have been training to be licensed Baristas. They completed a series of training modules and demonstrating making a variety of beverages. We are so proud of our Baristas! They are building skills that they can use after graduation from Westlake!

Mrs. Mund and Mrs. Marshall's Classes have been hard at work preparing our garden space to grow vegetables and herbs. First, they worked hard to remove all of the weeds, next they put mulch down, then they planted green beans, tomatoes, basil, and squash. Next, they will be maintaining our garden by watering it regularly. This has all been made possible thanks to the Union County Kids Dig In Award. We are so excited to care for and watch our garden grow.

Some of the students from Mrs. Mund's class and Mrs. Marshall's class enjoyed a field trip to LifeTown. While at LifeTown the students were able to practice many life skills in a real world like environment. They went to the bank and used the money they withdrew to make purchases in the downtown area. Some of the students designed a shirt, created an art piece, mailed a postcard, rode 3 wheel bikes, and enjoyed some ice cream. They also enjoyed the indoor play area where there was a foam pit, a trampoline, swings and a climbing area. It was so much fun they can't wait to go again next year.

😁

Mr. Kurt's class learned the importance of Memorial Day. Then they made an art project led by Ms. Morelly!

Our graduates enjoyed a fun outing to Menlo Mall! They got to go to the RainForest Cafe for lunch! They were able to take a break from all the hard work they have been putting in at Work Based Learning sites as well as the very successful Sunshine Cafe!

Hello, my name is Jonathan Dias, and I'm from the Wolf Pack Press, celebrating Asian and Pacific Americans Heritage Month, and also a review of Pixar’s Turning Red, one of the best and newest Pixar films of the 2020s.

The film was about a 13 year old Chinese-Canadian girl named Meilin Lee or “Mei Mei '' for short, briefly about how an ordinary girl’s peers results in her emotions & feelings turning her into a giant red panda. My friend, Robbie, said that this Pixar film is fine, but he also said that there were a few things that were confusing, but he still likes it. And Elijah says that it was awesome. Plus Venus loves that Pixar movie.

Overall, Turning Red is a nostalgic trip to the early 2000s filled with humor, references, a good message for immigration families (Same with Pixar’s Elemental), pop culture elements, and easter eggs that young adults, including grown-ups that grew up in the 2000s recognize & remember when they were young just like us.

Website: www.ucesc.org/schools/westlake_school

Phone: 908-232-4181