Today at Aaron Academy, the students participated in the annual March to College Speaker Day.  Three speakers spoke about their journey to college, work, and career of choice, while coping with a disability of some sort. The students and teachers rotated with each of the groups to learn about the speakers and pose questions based on their specific interests.

One student talked about his experience as a freshman at Pace University in the OASIS program.  This stands for Ongoing Academic & Social Instructional Support, which aids students with special needs in transitioning to college life.

Our other speaker talked about going to culinary school and working at a restaurant.  Many of the Aaron Academy students also have interest in culinary school, as it is a required course each year.

Lastly, we had another speaker talk about becoming an elementary school teacher.

Overall, the second Friday of March to College month was a success and seemed to energize the students about their plans for the future.  In the words of one of our speakers, “Always follow your dreams.”

This week during March to College month, the high school students of Aaron Academy received a presentation from Dr. Ernst VanBergeijk from New York Institute of Technology, specifically in regard to the Vocational Independence Program. Dean Ernst spoke about the different options within the VIP program, including the vocational track and the degree programs.  This program focuses on academics, independent living skills, as well as social and career development.  Another option NYIT offers to high school students is their Introduction to Independence (I-to I) summer experience for students 16 and older.  This program allows students to live in a dorm at NYIT for seven weeks, hold a job, meet new friends who also have learning disabilities, and work on their social skill development.  It is a true introduction to college life, and is an experience that is invaluable to students with special needs.

Last Friday, the 9th and 10th grade students of Aaron Academy visited Rutgers University.  The visit started out with an information session with an admissions representative, a representative from the Office of Disability Services, and a presentation from the Head of the College Support Program for students on the Autism Spectrum.  The students were able to ask questions to each of the representatives, allowing them to get a clearer picture of whether Rutgers University might be a school of interest to apply to in the future.

Following the information session, the students went on a walking tour where they were able to see the campus, a dorm room, a typical classroom, and ended at the student center for lunch.  Students were given the opportunity on the bus ride home to win prizes for their knowledge of facts they learned about Rutgers during the day.  Overall, this first event of March to College 2012 was a huge success, and additional events will continue throughout this month!

The K&W Guide is a resource book I highly recommend for parents, students, and other professionals in the counseling field.  This book not only details the colleges and universities with accommodations for students with learning disabilities organized by state, it also goes through how to prepare for college interviews, and also how to request accommodations that each student needs on the college level.  The school profiles in this guide include what the learning disabilities program offers, what services they have (such as the cost for tutoring and use of extended time), as well as the contact information.  Graduation requirements and general admissions information is listed as well.  In my opinion, this guide is certainly necessary to have on hand if you are applying to college and your son or daughter is looking to receive accommodations beyond high school!

Last evening Aaron Academy hosted another successful parent workshop.  In attendance were 20 parents and professionals interested in learning more about how to appropriately communicate with their sons and daughters on the topic of sex education.  Role plays and an active discussion yielded a truly valuable workshop with practical strategies parents can use at home!

Last evening I had the privilege of attending a guidance counselors information session, facility tour, and cooking class along with 20 other counselors.  Four programs were focused on during the information session, including culinary arts, hospitality management, pastry & baking, and culinary management.  I was highly impressed by the number of options offered to students enrolled in each program at ICE.  The number of months to complete the program is highly flexible, as well as the time of day for courses. Overall, the event peaked my interest and I hope to pass the information along to the students, parents, and faculty of Aaron Academy.

This past Saturday I attended the RCSN, Resources for Children with Special Needs, annual camp fair along with the social worker, Martine Soren from Aaron Academy.  Providing viable options for the parents and students of our community is a critical piece for each child’s development and continued work on their strengths.  This year, Aaron Academy will host its first summer arts program housed within our building!  Pictured below is Lorraine Neal, who has worked diligently at organizing a successful program for middle and high school students.  She will serve as the Director of the program.  Please take a look at the link below to find out more about the Aaron Academy Summer Arts Program: http://aaronacad.org/summerprogram.php

For any additional camp information, please email msoren@aaronacad.org

Blythe Grossberg’s, Psy.D. (2010) book, Applying to College for Students with ADD Or LD: A Guide to Keep You (and Your Parents) Sane, Satisfied, and Organized Through the Admission Process, aims to allay the anxiety that many parents endure during the college process.  The book hones in on the college process, specifically for students who have diagnosed learning disabilities, and how to advocate and receive the accommodations each student needs. The checklists and resources listed are also of critical importance for helping each student keep on track toward reaching their individualized goals for post-secondary options!

Blythe Grossberg will visit Aaron Academy on Thursday, March 22nd for a workshop that will take parents of high school families through important chapters of her book. Please email anagy@aaronacad.org for more information.

The 9th grade Transition Seminar class completed a self-reported questionnaire today that highlighted their academic and social-emotional strengths and weaknesses. The class then wrote their most prominent strength on one side of the construction paper slip, while on the other side each student listed an area they would like to improve upon.  We affixed the strips into a continuous chain to affirm that they would check-in with each other during our seminar meetings on the progress they are making toward their improvement upon their weakness. Aaron Academy students continually work toward showing growth in areas of strength and weakness to lead to a successful transition after high school!

I had an exciting visitor at Aaron Academy yesterday, Ms. Erika Chernomorets, M.Ed., the creator of Motivate Me NYC!

Trained as a guidance counselor from Fordham University, Erika works to help students reach their full potential through mentorship, assessment, and putting an individualized plan in place.  Erika utilizes smart goals, reward systems, and looks at each child holistically in order to help each child reach their optimal level of functioning.  She works with students from 7th-12th grades and primarily focuses on social-emotional guidance, as well as academic assistance.  Her website is listed below:

www.MotivateMeNYC.com