ACDS Newsletter 9/09

ACDS Newsletter
ACDS 2009 Summer Adventure
A
CDS has expanded its recreation services to include an
overnight respite program called Summer Adventure.
Summer Adventure is held in Garrison, NY on Saint Basil
Academy’s beautiful estate for 5 nights and 6 days. A coach bus
transports campers from ACDS, in Plainview to Garrison, NY. In
2009 this unique program offered 70 participants ages 16 and
older the opportunity to develop independence, enjoy
recreational activities and practice their daily living skills by
staying in a supervised dorm setting with their peers.
Daily activities include lifeguard supervised swimming in an
indoor pool, arts and crafts, music, movement and physical
education activities, exploring the estate, game time, movies,
cooking activities and a special evening activity each night.
Theme evenings are one of Summer Adventure’s highlights.
Participants dressed for the themes which have included a
Luau, a High School Musical Party, 60’s Night, Halloween in
August party, Mardi Gras and One S’more Night at the
Campfire. One off site trip is planned for each session to a local
water park.
This program has been designed to give participants a summer
adventure either before typical summer programs start or after
their summer program ends but before the school year begins.
For more information or to be added to our mailing list please
contact Erica Lepurage, Recreation Coordinator at
elepurage@acds.org.
Fall 2009
SAVE THE DATES!
➣ Sunday, October 18th
Third Annual Long Island Buddy Walk
Nassau Community College
10:30 am – 3:00 pm
➣ Saturday, November 7th
Kyle’s Heroes Walk for Awareness
Theodore Roosevelt Park in Oyster Bay
11:00 am – 2:00 pm
➣ Saturday, November 14th
ACDS Annual Dinner Dance
Garden City Country Club
7:00 pm – 12:00 am
HELP ACDS SAVE MONEY!!!
Would you like to keep updated on the exciting
things going on at ACDS? Would you like to receive
our newsletter via email and help save us save
printing costs? Then log on to www.acds.org and
sign up now for these important email updates.
In this ISSUE . . .
Summer Adventure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Help ACDS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
From the Desk of the Executive Director . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Principal’s Corner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Residential Update . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
2009 Upcoming Dinner Dance . . . wants YOU! . . . . . 3
Celebrating over 40 years of service
RESIDENTIAL UPDATE
From the Desk of
the Executive Director
H
ow many individuals are served by
ACDS each year?
Almost everyone will pick a number
much too low.
M ICHAEL M. S MITH
In the school we have about 270
children including 75 in daycare (with a
wait list).
5PLUS serves about 300 each year. And we sent 76 young adults
to camp this year.
Medicaid Service Coordination, serving those 17 and up, is now at
100 clients.
We have 41 residents currently and will have 49 within a year.
Taken together, we serve a shifting population of between 700-900
individuals and their families annually.
We serve this vast number with a staff approaching 250 and an
annual budget of almost $12,000,000. To provide our full spectrum
of services we need to raise over $500,000 a year from donors and
through special events.
What is on the horizon for the next year?
School is about to open with a new roof on the building, a new
lease through 2014, full registers in all of our SED (3-5 year old)
classes, and a team of experienced administrators.
Renovation of our newest Group Home began in early August with
a planned opening date of January 1, 2010.
We are completing the architectural drawings for a new transitional
living option in Freeport which should open by July 1st.
We face new Medicaid regulations which are changing the playing
field in 5PLUS and Medicaid Service Coordination. We will have to
raise money more aggressively to support these programs.
Staff has completed a new EI Curriculum to be fully implemented
this school year.
We have added a new playground for our youngest students.
We are bringing staff back to Plainview from our Merrick office to
conserve resources in the current economic climate.
We have three major fundraising events on the calendar: The Third
Annual Long Island Buddy Walk on Sunday, October 18th at
Nassau Community College. A new event started by one of our
parents, Kyle’s Heroes, 1st Annual Walk For Awareness, on
November 7th at Theodore Roosevelt Park in Oyster Bay and our
Annual Dinner Dance at the Garden City Country Club on
November 14th. We hope everyone can participate in at least one
of these events.
We’ve included an envelope in the Newsletter should you wish to
support our efforts and initiatives. Thank you in advance for your
generosity and we hope to see you at our upcoming events.
Thank you for being a part of ACDS.
Michael M. Smith
September 2009
The summer was great with the houses taking
vacations to Dorney Park, Mystic Seaport, Ocean
City, Maryland, St. Basil’s Camp, and a Carnival
Cruise to the Caribbean.
Our newest house, Hellenos, hosted numerous
pool parties taking advantage of their beautiful
built in pool.
A group highlight was two trips to the new Citi
Field to watch the Mets play. Over 30 residences
participate in these trips which were sponsored by
the Center for Wealth Preservation, who provided
the tickets and snacks at the game.
We are in the process of opening our seventh
residence, in Merrick, which will accommodate six
residents. Demolition work has concluded and the
renovation process started. We are looking
forward to the finalization of this project in early
January 2010.
ACDS Newsletter
The Principal’s Corner
them up, looking at them inside and out, counting seeds,
comparing their textures, colors, size and taste? Add a story,
fine motor activity (using tweezers to pick up apple seeds
and place them in containers or sorting different kinds of
seeds), snack (homemade applesauce), and movement/
songs and you have succeeded in capturing the interest,
attention, and learning style of most children.
ACDS is also a proponent of active parent involvement. We
invite parents to participate in monthly parent participation
days — come in and spend the day in your child’s classroom
to observe, work with your child, and have the opportunity to
meet with your child’s teacher and therapists. Our teachers
and therapists also communicate on a regular basis through
a communication notebook. Teachers often send home
thematic activities and plans for the week which can be
reinforced at home.
W
elcome to all our students and their families as we
anticipate a rewarding, productive year of learning and
growing. As we commence a new school year it is important
to share our vision of facilitating learning for each and every
one of our students through exemplary classroom and
therapeutic instruction, collaborative partnerships between
ACDS staff and families, and introduction of cutting edge
technology into our classrooms.
Children are unique in so many ways, and our individualized
and group educational programs are designed to meet each
child’s own strengths, needs, and learning style. Think about
when you learn something new — do you prefer to listen to
instructions by having someone talk you through or do you
prefer to visually see a demonstration or read about it?
Some individuals choose a “hands on” manipulative
approach that permits manipulation. Our children are a
diverse group of learners, with a range of ability and
maturational levels, varying temperaments, and learning
styles. The challenge to our teachers is to deliver a
comprehensive curriculum which includes all learning styles,
is across all developmental domains and subject areas, and
most importantly incorporates themes that are child friendly,
fun, and aligned to children’s interests. ACDS curricular
activities include “meeting circles” designed to introduce new
concepts when are then reinforced in individualized and
small group learning centers. Learning centers are crucial to
concept development and, although it is hard to believe, our
children are learning skills related to math, science, literacy,
music and art!! For instance, when they are in the block
corner math, science, social and communication skills are
being addressed. The children learn to count the number of
blocks and identify shapes (geometry), learn about gravity
and balance (science), and communicate with their peers as
they play cooperatively (language and socialization). Project
based learning emphasizes the interactive process of
learning. What better way to learn about fruits then cutting
Education has been no stranger to the advances of
technological supports in the classroom. In order to better
prepare our children to use computer technology when they
transition to public school placements each ACDS preschool
classroom has one to two touch screen computers which are
available to the children on a daily basis during small group/
station instruction. Additionally, small group computer
instruction will be offered in the classroom on a scheduled
basis. ACDS is also fortunate to be in the process of
acquiring a SmartTable (significantly subsidized by the fund
raising efforts of our PTO) which is a multitouch, multiuser,
computer generated interactive learning center. Teachers will
have flexibility in content options, developing their own,
using web based sites, or activities already available to
support content being presented. It provides the opportunity
for even the youngest of learners to work, play and come
together!
What a wonderful way to start the school year!
Cecilia Barry, M.S., P.D., SBL/SDL
Principal
ACDS 2009
WIN BIG RAFFLE
No Purchase Necessary
All you have to do is enter your email address to
win a $1,000 American Express Gift Certificate!!
The drawing will take place at The ACDS Annual
Dinner Dance on November, 14th, 2009 at the
Garden City Country Club.
You do not need to be present to claim your prize . . .
All you have to do is enter your email address by going
to www.acds.org and clicking on the “Win Big Raffle”
link.
Think how much easier your holiday shopping will
be this year with a whopping $1,000 in your wallet.
Celebrating over 40 years of service
We Love Our Donors
Matching Gifts
Donors to charities like ACDS have been
found to exhibit a higher level of virtuous
behavior than the rest of the general
population.
With matching gifts you can sometimes
double or even triple your gift!
A University of Chicago General Social
Survey found that donors who give to charity
at least once a year also have these
characteristics:
15% more likely than non-donors to give
directions to a stranger;
7% more likely to give up their place in line;
22% more likely to give up a seat on the bus;
46% more likely to give food or money to a
homeless person;
125% more likely to give blood.
Many employers sponsor matching gift
programs and will match charitable
contributions made by their employees. To find
out if your company has a matching gift policy,
check with your human resources department.
If your employer requires more information or
if you have any questions regarding ACDS’
Matching Gift Program, please contact
lgranger@acds.org.
WE SALUTE OUR DONORS!
WHAT A POSITIVE DIFFERENCE
YOU ARE MAKING IN THE WORLD!
Non-Profit
Organization
US Postage PAID
Permit No. 45
Jericho, NY
Michael M. Smith, Executive Director
4 Fern Place
Plainview, New York 11803-4725
(516) 933-4700
www.acds.org
ACDS Board of Directors
Tim Michel, President
Thomas DeMaggio, Vice President
Barry Giarraputo, Treasurer
Liz Campbell, Secretary
Lori Cary, Board Member
William Ife, Board Member
Jim McHale, Board Member
John Redfern, Board Member
Tom Ryan, Board Member
Denise Santucci, MD, Board Member
Christopher Valentino, Board Member
Advisory Committee:
Tom Ryan, Chairperson
Ray Cardoza, Committee Member
Lori Cary, Committee Member
Craig Lomma, Committee Member
Tom McHugh, Committee Member
If there is an error on your mailing label for this newsletter,
please inform us of the corrected address.
If you would like to make a donation to ACDS, please use the attached
envelope enclosing a check or filling out your credit card number.
We thank you for your ongoing support to ACDS.