Higashi Highlights - Summer 2013 issue

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Summer 2013

The International Program for Individuals with Autism since 1987 800 North Main Street, Randolph, MA 02368 781-961-0800 www.bostonhigashi.org

Higashi Highlights

Challenge Believe Together

Accredited by The National Commission for the Accreditation of Special Education Services The Boston Higashi School is affiliated with Lesley University.

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came to share in our Annual Celebration. As Musashino Higashi School prepares to celebrate its 50th Anniversary, they have included us. I was deeply honored to accept the “Tasuki Relay Sash” presented by Mr. Terada during his remarks at Annual Celebration. We value our shared history, close ties and lasting connections. As we know, autism has no borders and we share the same mission to provide outstanding education to children and young adults with autism spectrum disorder independent of distance. Our respective schools are places where every season is a season of love and learning for those entrusted to our care. Our staffs work tirelessly and continuously employing Daily Life Therapy® while respecting each student and enhancing the quality of life for students and their families. ALUMNI BREAKFAST Before Annual Celebration, we held our Annual Alumni Breakfast at Lombardo’s in Randolph. Once again we extend our deepest thanks to the Niedermeyer family for their generous sponsorship of this event. This reunion of our alumni and their families with veteran staff members is always very special and filled with joy and gratitude. We are so proud of the journeys of each alumnus and can’t believe how fast time marches on. Our ranks of alumni are ever growing. It is a blessing to witness the bonds that students and families made during their time on campus have been sustained through the years. There are warm smiles and hugs, tears and laughter, and so much catching up to do! New friendships and relationships are also formed. CELEBRATING A NEW BEGINNING 2012 -2013 has been a dynamic year. We strove to maximize time, energy and talent for the mutual benefit of every member of the Boston Higashi School family. We were all leaders and followers on any given day and found strength in teaching and learning from one another. We remain anchored to the school’s mission and the legacy of our founder, Dr. Kiyo Kitahara. In a very short time, the bell for new academic year will be ringing, beckoning us all back to campus to continue our collective trajectory of growth. We will bring the experience, insight and understanding that we gathered from this school year and apply them to the opportunities and challenges that the 2013 -2014 school year promises. We will greet September with great hope and satisfaction knowing that we are strong - Boston Higashi School Strong!

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THE PRINCIPAL’S PERSPECTIVE We are now ready to close the final chapter on the 2012- 2013 academic year. For some, it has passed too quickly, for others too slowly. No matter the pace, each day brought opportunities and challenges to our path. The theme for this school year was ‘Gratitude’. Gratitude was the fuel that helped us to power up and power forward. We said our goodbyes to long time students and their families while giving warm welcomes to new students and families arriving for their own Boston Higashi School journeys. We sent some staff off on new ventures with our blessings while acclimating new faces to new responsibilities on campus. Amid it all, our students gave us purpose and pride. They encouraged and supported our attempts to be at our best each and every day so that they, in turn, could achieve their best. Our lessons went well beyond the individual educational plan goals and curriculum standards. We learned more about life and love and how to do more than just survive. We found how to thrive and flourish even when things were hard and success seemed to be elusive. Progress came in inches and the occasional mile. There is great satisfaction in knowing that everyone is greater today than they were when the year began. ANNUAL CELEBRATION The 26th Annual Celebration took place at King Philip Regional High School on June 23rd. It was truly a type “E” event. It was elegant, eloquent, enlightening, entertaining and empowering for everyone! Our students soared to new heights of excellence in all of their performances. Our energetic staff made sure that each and every performer had their moment of fame. The standing room only audience was very generous with their applause and appreciation. We thank everyone who sent in such tender and heartwarming messages for the Ad Journal Program. It is a true souvenir of the emotion, energy and excitement that commemorated this special day. Board Member Mr. Robert Fantasia presented the “Bridge To Higashi Award” honoring Rita and Terry Murray for their dedication, love and loyalty to Boston Higashi School. The Murrays were true ambassadors in the United Kingdom for children with autism and Boston Higashi School. The Murrays assisted other parents from England, Ireland and Wales in finding their way ‘across the pond’ to enroll their children with autism at Higashi. Within the next school year all of our UK students will have graduated so we mark the passing of an era so to speak. Sadly, Terry passed away this year. All who knew his wit and wisdom will remember him with great fondness. Once again, our dear and faithful friends from the Tokyo School, President Mr. Terada and Executive Manager Mr. Suzuki

Deborah Donovan, Principal Photo courtesy of Lifetouch

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Higashi Highlights Summer 2013 2

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To All Our Dear Friends at Boston Higashi School: Thank you for visiting the Annual Celebration of Musashino Higashi to cheer our children’s performances every year. First and foremost, I would like to express my deepest sympathy for those who have been affected by the tragic events in the latest Boston Marathon. Since I lost a friend who was working at the World Trade Center on 9/11 by an act of terrorism, I share with the people in Boston my strong feeling that such tragic incidents should be eliminated for the future of our children. As you know, Musashino Higashi School will celebrate its 50th anniversary in November 2014. Towards this anniversary, the Parents Associations are planning to conduct the “Sash Relay” by connecting Musashino

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and Boston. The “sash” is the baton of cloth used in “Ekiden,” the long distance race competition that originated in Japan. The sash is used to connect runners in a team in the long-distance race. I would like to use the sash as a symbol to connect the people in Boston and Musashino. Some people may run and some people may walk. Speed and time is not important. I ask everyone to make this fabric move forward, passing the sash among the people like a baton, at their own pace with a smile. The sash relay serves as a bridge of the 25th Anniversary of Boston Higashi, and the 50th Anniversary of Musashino Higashi. My wish is simply to use the sash to connect people: our children with autism, family members, relatives, teachers and those who support us. How to use the sash for attaining this purpose is up to you. Please think creatively. I

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would be so pleased if you would consider participating in this event for fun. Another sash kept in Japan will be used to connect students from the Musashino Higashi Kindergarten through Specialized High School, the alumni and everybody who supports us. We appreciate your participation in making this event successful both in Japan and in the United States. Sincerely, Shuhei Usui Representative President, Parent Associations of Musashino Higashi Gakuen

A Note From the Tokyo School

(below and left) First runs to celebrate the 50th Anniversary by the Presidents of the Parents Associations in Murasaki-kai Sports Day on May 18th, 2013. The “Tasuki Relay” goes on through a variety of school events until the next Sports Day in 2014.

(above) Mr. Terada receives a “Tasuki” to present to the Boston Higashi School.

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friends or keeping score in a game. We can’t wait to see you all at Bon Dance!! Thanks for a wonderful year!

Elementary Highlights Chris Stanbrook, Elementary Master Teacher

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What a Busy Summer Happy summer from the Elementary Division! We are riding the wave of success from our excellent performance at the Annual Celebration this year! We want to thank everyone for coming out and being a wonderfully supportive audience as we conquered the Evil Shredder as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles on the balance disks and provided Simple Gifts

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with our keyboard harmonicas! We are currently participating in the summer schedule and are enjoying participating in many different activities such as musical arts and crafts with Judy and yoga with Brett! We have also been exploring the magical realm of science with AI and Marion! We are having so much fun learning and gaining new experiences! Finally, we are preparing for our next event, the Bon Dance in August! Art teacher Leni has been

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leading us in making our mikoshis so we can carry them in the parade! We have been having many dance practices and getting ready to dance around the yagura stage. We are eager to show our family and friends how much we have improved since September! We have many students who will participate in the Bon Dance for the first time, and we are excited to show them how much fun we can have!

“Wa -shoi!”

Middle School Highlights John Kolwaite, Division Director

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Hot Fun In The Summer Sun The Middle School Division began the summer term bubbling with success and confidence from our awesome performances at the 26th Annual Celebration. The summer term is the time to push that confidence into new challenges, and to generalize our skills and awareness to summertime activities. Along with our usual academic routine,

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we have added nature, art, playing instruments, scavenger hunting, rollerblading, origami, frisbee golf, cooking, and kite making. But the most fun is our huge water slide on the front hill! It’s been a hot Higashi summer. Of course we are having fun but we need to use our academic and communication skills to have the most fun—like reading a recipe and using measuring equipment, having conversations with our

Junior High Highlights Jen Kelley, Junior High Master Teacher!

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Year-End Fun Junior High has had a fantastic year and has been enjoying the long hot days of summer! Annual Celebration was a huge success for Junior High. The staff and students were thrilled to show off their physical education and music skills to their friends and family. The summer curriculum is up and running. For the summer semester, Junior High has been learning to cook, ride bicycles, use water safety skills, and sing and dance to a variety of summer

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songs in music. In academics Junior High is continuing to refine skills in the areas of Language Arts, Mathematics, Social Studies, and Science lessons. Students have also continued to discuss a variety of vocations and have begun to practice vocational skills around the school. Each class has the opportunity to prepare snack for Junior High, complete cleaning activities throughout the division, and work on clerical skills such as preparing mailings and shredding on a weekly basis. Junior High is looking forward to wrapping up the academic

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school year and summer by taking field trips to community swimming sites and bicycle riding at a local trail! Bon Dance is coming up fast and Junior High students have been practicing their dances and preparing the mikoshi! We hope to see all our friends and family there!

“Wa-shoi!”

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Emergence Highlights Paul Brennan, Emergence Master Teacher

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Biking in the Community In the Emergence Program, we teach our students skills that they can use in the community to make their lives richer. We teach them functional skills that help them to live in and be a constructive part of the community. We also teach them a wide variety of leisure activities that they may come to enjoy and engage in during downtime. These skills are essential once they have moved on from Higashi and they have less structured leisure time. We include PE activities as well since physical exercise is

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such a large part of our students’ behavior management and self-regulation. We want them to enjoy a wide range of physical activities. To this end one of the activities we teach our students is biking. As with most of the EP activities, once our students have learned a skill on campus, we encourage them to generalize the skill to community settings. This year we took our students class by class, to the Pope John Paul II Park in Dorchester. It is a beautiful park with a walking and bike trail around the outside, with hills, straight ways and plenty of bends. Our students really enjoy this activity and are

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usually able to complete numerous laps in the time we have. This year our PE teachers Tomoko and Johnny led the activity and a great deal of enjoyment and success was had by all. We hope that biking is one of the many activities that our students will choose to do with their families and future support staff that they can all enjoy together. Before the summer vacation, we expect to take our students to a similar local park to enjoy some rollerblading in the community, also.

High School Highlights Jen Tomase, High School Master Teacher

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Working Hard, Playing Hard The students in High School did a great job at Annual Celebration performing “What a Wonderful World.” They also worked hard at both the Higashi T-Shirt store and at the snack store. Now that we are back from vacation, both the students and teachers have settled into the summer schedule. In physical

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education, we have started to play kickball by learning to kick the ball, throw and run the bases. The students are enjoying cooking classes, outdoor games, music video club and getting to ride down the water slide! As the school year winds to a close, it is amazing to look back at all we have accomplished this year. Great job, High School!

(right) Making lemon meringue pie!

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Class of 2013 Gift !

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Thank You Class of 2013 The families and graduates of the Class of 2013 will be fondly remembered. When visitors, guests, staff or family members enter through our main entrance, they will notice a “Main Entrance” sign. This is the gift presented to the school by the graduates at the Emergence Brunch the morning after the Formal Dance. Now everyone will

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know exactly where to enter the school, thanks to the Class of 2013. Boston Higashi School wishes the graduates the best of luck! We express our deep gratitude for the beautiful sign. It will serve as a wonderful reminder of the Class of 2013!

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Transition News Joe Murphy, Director of Transition

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The summer of 2013 is historic in terms of the number of graduates now entering adult services. From the beginning of June through the end of September, Higashi will say good-bye to several more students. These graduates are now heading closer to home and this group stretches far and

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wide. The transitions include one to Connecticut, two to England, one to Wales, and one to Ireland. So the wonderful skills of our students will continue to influence people worldwide. Saying good-bye to so many has been difficult for all of us but we know our students and families will continue to push forward and

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always remember their time at Boston Higashi School. We hope all the graduates and families visit often! Boston Higashi School wishes all the graduates the best of luck. We can’t wait to hear about all of the great things that they have accomplished beyond their education.

Katie Turner Kyle TurnerSammy Rosenbloom Edwin TrinidadAllen Thomas Smith IV

Reece HolmesKalah Garnett Jonathan Govinden

Rachael DunnZachary Danning

Tyler McDaniel Patrick O’BrienMorgan McNamara Sammy Rosenbloom Edwin TrinidadAllen Thomas Smith IV

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A Note from the Ed Office Janice Oliver, Coordinator of Student Services!

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A big thank you in advance to our fabulous parents for returning student annual consent packets prior to the start the new school year! The Education Office has been busy preparing for the 2013-214 school year and we ask that you kindly remember to keep us informed of any changes to your child’s student information. In addition you can call or email us with pick-up information or if you need to request staff assistance with navigating medical appointments for your child. To contact us, dial (781) 961-0800 (ext. 105) or send us an email at edoffice@ bostonhigashi.org. The Admissions Office looks forward to another great year

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welcoming new students to our school. This past school year was notable for 21 new admissions and we are ever grateful to all of you who attend our Open Houses to share your experiences with perspective parents. Look for our school advertisement on MBTA

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trains this fall. Our new School Guidelines book will be distributed on September 4th along with the 2013-2014 calendar and we look forward to another wonderful year working with all of you.

(left) Our talented staff in the Education Office: (front from left) Margo, Yumi, Amy, Leanne, (back) Janice and Ellery!

Alumni Breakfast

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Residence News - Intermediate Jonathan Rollock

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We have had such an exciting school year! To begin, our intermediate family has grown so much as we welcomed Christian, Malcolm, Josephat, and Sultan into our division. New friendships are forming fast as students work their hardest and help each other learn. We have welcomed not just new students, but we have begun many new and exciting activities with many new activity leaders. Intermediate students are working hard to master new notes on the recorder with Jared, cutting, pasting, and coloring with Katie, and working on communication skills with Cailin. Our students have learned so much already, we can’t wait

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to see what they learn next! This year, we have gone on many exciting trips; flying kites, swimming at the lake, playing frisbee, and visiting zoos, parks, and movie theaters just to name a few. Everyone is eagerly awaiting our next trip to the Brockton Rox Baseball game where we will feast on burgers, fries, and other ballpark classics while watching our local college summer baseball team from the privacy of our own box seats! Talk about dining in style! Everyone experienced a fun and successful Family Day. Family, friends, students, and teachers all wore a smile while they went on hayrides, rode the waterslides and played games. Our students

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prepared and practiced hard to get ready for this big event, but our one surprise activity, the reptile show, was a rousing success. Students and family lit up at the chance to get close to some very big lizards. Our boys were brave and rose to the challenge, and some were courageous enough to even pet an alligator! Getting closer and closer to the end of the school year, big changes are just around the corner. As we continue learning and growing, we eagerly await our next great adventure together!

Residence News - Middle School Chie Mitsui

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Middle School students and staff thank you for coming to our Family Day!! We had a great time and students were very happy with their families and friends. As we draw closer to the end of this school year, we have had many events and memories from this past school year at the residence that will not be soon forgotten. One of these events is actually underway currently in the middle school division. Each group in Middle School is visiting the Children’s Museum in Boston

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this summer! The Museum is open till 9 p.m. on Fridays this season; therefore students can go and have fun even after dinner. The students are really enjoying each exhibition such as the water bubbles in the science playground, construction experiences in the construction zone and many simulations of different job experiences like piloting space shuttles, hairdressing and teaching in a classroom. As a way to enhance this trip, Cailin, the social communication teacher at

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the Residence, is also joining the Middle School students at the museum. We hope to find ways we can better these types of trips into the community by using the students’ communication devices both on and off campus. In closing, we still have other events such as Division Birthday Parties, “out to eat,” going to the movie theater, and visiting ice cream parlors. The students and teachers make learning fun in Middle School and this school year we have had a lot of fun.

The New Residential homework time is a hit with

both students and staff!!

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Residence News - Girls Tiffany Phillips-Goodman

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With the closing of the school year, excitement builds for the year to come. We also take the opportunity to reflect on the time we have spent together both as a division and as a family. Through the halls of Higashi, you can hear the constant laughter radiating out

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of Girls Division. You can see our Andrea showing us her impressive tumbling skills. You can see us perfecting our homework skills-using blocks to add and subtract and using worksheets to learn our letters. You can see our Samantha showing her bravery by petting Wizard the Lizard at our recent

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Family Day Reptile Show. You can see our teachers bringing out the best in our students and our students bringing out the best in our teachers. The Girls Division has valued our year together and we can’t wait to see the great adventures coming in the year ahead!

Residence News - High School Jesse Kihiko

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This year’s Family Day presented an extraordinary opportunity for the students in High School Division to showcase the skills that they have been learning over the school year. The High School students worked extra hard to perfect their basketball skills and soccer skills. They also took time to practice playing Corn Toss, a game that saw our students raise their competitive spirit. Therefore, it was a show of talent when High School students took to the

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basketball court shooting hoops with precision and kicking soccer shots with great skills and sinking beanbags in the hole. The High School students also did well at the car wash stand despite the heat. They washed all cars sparkling clean and at the same time wet themselves to cool down. At the reptiles show, the students were all ears as the rules of the show were reviewed and they even took turns to correctly identify the various animals of the reptile family on the Eno-board.

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Finally, when it was time to interact with the animals, the students enjoyed petting a giant boa constrictor and watching a variety of reptiles on display. Family Day ended with a music concert. Our students took the stage by storm and the rapping trio of Nick, Antony and Dale electrified the stage by rapping Hall of Fame by The Script. When all was said and done, this year’s Family Day was our day and the High School Division enjoyed every moment of it! There is no limit to what we can accomplish.

Residence News - Junior High Henry Ndakalu

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Get your bathing suits, sandals, baseball hats, sunscreen and shorts. This is summer time! Talking about the warm weather, we extend our warm welcome to the newest members of our division Harrison and Johnson. Your adjustment to Junior High division will be smooth, facilitated by the staff and peers. Changes in the weekly plan include soccer at the backfield, extra swimming at the ponds and beaches, kite flying at the parks and some summer surprises. In spite of the heat during this year’s Family Day event, the activities scheduled for the day were very cool. “A cook out in bathing suits and sandals?” asked one of the students in their usual conversations. “Wait, don’t you

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know what follows?” volunteered his peer in the same group. “We have car wash, water play and I can’t wait to get myself wet!” The cookout signaled the beginning of Family Day 2013. As soon as the cookout ended the boys got busy. Armed with hoses, sponges, and buckets of soapy water they gave the cars a shiny look. Bathing suit or wedding suit, sandals or high-heel shoes, getting wet was inevitable as the students, staff and families joined in this activity cleaning one car after the other. It’s worth noting that even though the reptile station has always been a popular one with students in this division, the skillful use of the Eno Board was not only a platform for the students to showcase their new

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skills, but also offered an important window through which the students could learn a few facts about the animals they were just about to see. Stroking the alligator gently on the back, followed by viewing the snakes, lizards, and other small reptiles inside their containers left the students with joyful faces, despite their already long day. As we near the end of this academic year, Junior High still creates opportunities to learn, play, socialize and have fun through the scheduled activities, I pads included. We look forward to our Out-to-Eat activity in August, and more visits to the beaches and other community sites.

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Residence News - Overnight Martin Muhia

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The overnight team has been working hard, by making sure all students are comfortable and get quality sleep after a long day full of activities at school and residence . This prepares our students for the following day, making sure they are ready to learn. This semester we have welcomed new students who have adjusted well to the 24-hour educational approach of Daily Life Therapy®. They have begun to learn what is expected of them. In turn, this yielded a very productive night where each

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student had a restful sleep. From an educational view, the overnight teachers focus on students who have never slept in pajamas before coming to our school, or students learning to use the bathroom during the night. Our monitoring and teaching, using clear simple directions, has worked. They keep their pajamas on throughout the night and the students remain dry. The overnight teachers also are very keen on the essential skill of intently monitoring the students. They make sure the

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students are well cared for knowing each student’s individual needs during the course of the night, be it health or behavior related, ensuring they are always safe and comfortable. The overnight team has very highly dedicated staff who work tirelessly around the clock, always mindful of the student’s well-being and what a good night sleep does to promote the educational opportunities our students will have when they are awake.

Residence News - Young Adults Henry Njoroge

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The sunset is fast approaching on our academic year and the countdown continues to shrink. As Kyle, a student in YA will precisely say, “Two more weeks?” as he seeks confirmation from your eyes. Well, as hope of a great summer break takes precedence in both students and staff, we are tempted to look back with nostalgia on the massive triumphs of the year. The school year began with celebration and optimism as five young men, Max, Oliver, Harry, Chris W. and Edwin left for Brady Building. Though greatly missed by their peers and staff alike, they were replaced by great enthusiasts from High School Division. The ever happy Kyle and Ryan, the smart Eliezer and Zevi, the cheerful Morgan and the charming Billy; all found safety aboard in Young Adults. The house was full again and ready for the challenges that befits the new status and year. Soon, winter season commenced and imperatively changed our activities. Snow sledding, nature walk and making snowmen graced our weekly plan. The sun had hardly licked the last traces

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of snow when preparations for Valentine’s Day and then Graduation in April at Quincy Marriott were in full gear. Donning their formal wear, YA boys marveled the graduates and had a blast with them. The jubilance, enthusiasm and energy displayed by the YA team during the Fun and the Family Day warmed the hearts of both the parents and the guests in attendance. Young Adults also applauds the new feathers added to residence activities. Activity leaders in Art, Music, P.E, Technology and Vocational fields have evoked the great potentials enshrined in our students. Stronger bonds, productive lives, creativity and innovation have been the results. Undoubtedly Connor and Zevi are the leading stars in cafeteria set up. Is it not true that new challenges evoke learning? What makes YA rock and roll? The secret is in great teamwork. Tim, Macharia, John, Dennis and Jose, your brilliance and devotion is highly appreciated. Jose joined the YA team last month and is fast learning the ropes. We all realize that our roles are interdependent

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and if we follow the wise counsel of our captain Hideyuki, our students’ potentials will be greatly nurtured. As we conclude the year, we look forward to a great feast at the Brockton ROX baseball games. Campanelli Stadium, here we come! Our boys have meticulously chosen their favorite meals. What an Out to Eat! We will eat and feast our eyes on a baseball game. Yes, gratitude has been our theme but we also reckon to Challenge, Believe, Together!

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Residence News - Emergence Boys Peter Gaitho

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Looking back at this year through the eyes of the EP Boys, staff and students have nothing but gratitude in our hearts; Gratitude that we have seen the year come and go, and each day that brought new opportunities for learning. The division has seen a number of students leave behind the memories of Higashi to embark on a new journey. We shall never forget the tales of Sammy, Tommy, Kyle, Stephen, and Chris. They will always be in our minds and we know they will excel in all their future achievements.

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Throughout the trials and tribulations of the New England seasons, our Higashi students were determined to outshine mother nature. Rain or snow could not stop us from going out in the community and participating each week in shopping, bowling, swimming, golf practice, and visiting many fun places. The year was capped by a very well organized Family Day. We enjoyed having our families join us for a cookout where we exhibited our culinary skills and made mouthwatering burgers, shish kabobs, hot dogs and pizza. We

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then headed out to Westgate Lanes for the Annual Emergence Program Bowling Tournament. Kudos Apartment 4 for scooping this year’s winning trophy. You bowled everyone out! We can’t wait for the 2013-2014 school year to continue our growth at the Boston Higashi School. (below) Proudly wearing our team bowling shirts!

Residence News - Emergence Girls Winnie Koko

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This year has been a great one for the Emergence Program Girls. It has been a busy hive with the students engaging in both community and residential activities on a daily basis. To begin with, the girls have been involved in cooking activities three times a week throughout the semesters, and the menu, consisting of meatloaf, pizza, corn, and sandwiches amongst other items has been challenging yet interesting. The students have done an excellent job employing their culinary skills in learning each recipe. In preparation for the Formal Dance, we had the students participate in various school /residential dances including the

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Costume, Winter, and Valentine’s Day Dance Parties. The Formal Dance itself was fabulous. We saw our girls at the Emergence Program wear make up and dress up to celebrate with the graduating students at the Boston Quincy Marriot. The students also did well with the recent Family Day. The parents had a barbeque with the students, after which the girls went to Westgate lanes for the Annual Emergence Program Bowling Competition. The game was a tough one with close ties but the trophy for the day went to Apartment 4 boys who scored a whopping 102 points! Mary was the winner in the girls’ category and she also took a trophy home.

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Lastly, It was with mixed emotions that we had to let go of some of our girls from the Emergence Program. Three girls have graduated and they are Katie, Rachael and Kalah. They have been wonderful and have made tremendous achievements and long lasting friendships at the Emergence Program. They will be truly missed! Bringing smiles to our faces again, we welcomed three new students from the Girl’s Division, which included Erin, Abigail, and Mary. All students have adjusted well to the new environment and have done great so far meeting the challenges in the Emergence Program.

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Dr. John Ratey, M.D. Visits Higashi

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The Boston Higashi School recently welcomed a very important visitor to campus. Dr. John Ratey, M.D. is well known for his many accomplishments as a psychiatrist, researcher, presenter and as the author of multiple best-selling books. Currently, Dr. Ratey works as a Clinical Associate Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. He is also an Ambassador for the Active Kids at Reeboks “Boks” program, Advisor to the “Zero Spark” program promoting exercise in Japan and has recently become very involved in research on exercise for individuals with autism now being undertaken at The Center for Discovery, a program for

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children with severe mental frailties. Dr. Ratey’s work bears great similarity to Daily Life Therapy ®in that both put a strong emphasis on exercise. He is a forerunner in the mission to improve quality of life for individuals with conditions such as Anxiety, Depression and Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder by aiding in the research and development of programs that implement rigorous exercise and healthy diets. “Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain” (2008), one of Dr. Ratey’s most popular books, in particular, truly “sparked” the interest of members of the Higashi Staff. In this book, Dr. Ratey explained

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that vigorous exercise, such as jogging, improves brain function, ultimately leading to higher academic performance, reduced anxiety and an overall improved sense of wellbeing. After touring the school and observing morning jogging and PE classes, Dr. Ratey complimented BHS on its high-intensity physical education program and the positive effects that it has on our students. Furthermore, after being so impressed by our students and teachers, Dr. Ratey accepted an invitation to join the Boston Higashi School Advisory Board from CEO Michael Kelly. We anticipate that having such a knowledgeable consultant will be extremely helpful with our most recently developing research project: to evaluate the effects that exercise has on daily living skills and across learning domains with our students, as well as multiple areas of functioning in life skills.

(above) Dr. Ratey signing copies of “Spark,” (left) Meeting P.E. Teacher Akiko – his biggest fan!

(below) Observing jogging and P.E. classes

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Annual Celebration

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June 23rd, 2013

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Clinical Corner Dr. Ann S. Roberts, Director of Clinical Services !

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UNDERSTANDING THE NEW DSM 5

Although our students at the Boston Higashi School continue to have the same diagnoses along the autism spectrum as they always have, with the publication of the new DSM-5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manuel of the American Medical Association) that now replaces the older version (DSM-IV), the description of autism and its subtypes has changed. Consistent with this new description, the Boston Higashi School serves students within the full range of Autism Spectrum Disorder. Relevant older terms and subtypes are now subsumed under this ASD umbrella, which differentiates conditions by their place on a single continuum or spectrum. Students anywhere along this spectrum still have in common the defining characteristics of impairments, however rather than a triad of socialization, communication and flexibility/ imagination, the first two have been re-conceptualized as a single construct. Thus, to meet the criteria for ASD, individuals must show deficits in Social Communication and must also exhibit Restricted and Repetitive Behavior (RRB). Individuals who show such impairments may meet the criteria for eligibility for the Boston Higashi School. Deficits in Social Communication can often be characterized by difficulty with social and emotional reciprocity,

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impairments in various forms of nonverbal behaviors such as making eye contact, using and understanding body language and/or facial expressions and in using gestures, and deficits in developing and maintaining appropriate relationships, beyond one’s caregivers, including play-based and social friendships. Impairments in RRB’s can involve the exhibition of many stereotyped and/or repetitive movements or activities, excessive adherence to routines/rituals, excessive resistance to change including transitions, restricted or perseverative interests and altered reactivity to sensory input. For a diagnosis to be given, these characteristics must be present since “early childhood”, even if they do not manifest themselves until social demands exceed the youngster’s capacity, and they must be sufficiently limiting to impair everyday functioning. Rather than subtypes, functioning in each domain is seen as ranging along a continuum of severity defined by how independent the individual is. Three levels are proposed: 1. Requiring Support 2. Requiring Substantial Support 3. Requiring Very Substantial Support. Autism Spectrum Disorder is still regarded as a developmental, non-progressive in nature, lifelong neurological behavioral disorder that is derived from multiple etiologies, which are only partially known and understood. However, this is a more coherent conceptual view of the disorder rather than just a collection of symptoms. It is regarded as a condition the child has rather than defining the child, who is seen as a unique

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personality with other areas of strength and possibly need. Among other areas to be considered are problems with motor coordination, activity level and sleep regulation, level of anxiety, cognitive capability, and gastrointestinal or immune dysfunction.

The program at the Boston Higashi School has always recognized these domains as areas to be addressed educationally. Many motor coordination problems include difficulties with balance, coordination, spatial judgment, attention and awareness of one’s own body boundaries and of oneself in space, with clumsiness in large muscle activities as well as in eye-hand coordination for skills needed for daily living, for academic learning, or for play and with oral coordination for speech production as well as eating. Level of activity difficulties may include lethargy and under arousal as well as (seemingly) non-purposeful hyperactivity. Similarly, sensory difficulties may also be of the under aroused (hypo) or the hyper sensitive type. Many students react with overt anxiety to new situations, sudden loud noises, transitions, or changes in routines whereas others are less affected. Still others show this by irritability, tantrums, repetitive and/or stereotypical behaviors, aggression, or oppositional-defiant attitudes. Intellectual capabilities of those with Autism Spectrum Disorder can run the entire range as well and includes those with generalized impairment but with splinter savant skills.

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Parents’ Perspective Janet Murphy, Parent Association President!

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WITH GRATEFUL HEARTS As we move through the summer time the students returned to school from their June vacation with a more relaxed classroom schedule. Both the teachers and the students can enjoy the warm days of summer and the outdoors. We hope the teachers and the students can take advantage of all the learning opportunities the outdoors can bring to them. We hope all the students and staff had an opportunity to enjoy some vacation time. We are now preparing for one of our last events of the year, the traditional Bon Dance. We can experience the Japanese culture through the dances of all the divisions of the students and wear the Japanese attire of Yukatas and Obis. We enjoy this wonderful end of the year event together and celebrate the different culture through various foods offered to students, staff, families and friends who attend this yearly event. We will also have our annual election of officers for the Parent Association Executive Board at Bon Dance. New terms for these officers will begin with the new school year. On behalf of all Higashi

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parents, I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the current parents who served as an officer for the Parent Association this past year. Thank you to Paula Haite, First Vice President, Lisa Burgess, Second Vice President, Charles Borlam, Out of State Vice President, Sue Barber, Treasurer, Diane Cafarelli, Assistant Treasurer, Recording Secretary, Paula Baldassini and Patrice Dwyer, Corresponding Secretary. Thank you for giving of your time, talent and service to all the students, families, staff and administration in supporting the needs of the school throughout this year. Parents supported many events throughout the year including Bon Dance, Halloween surprises, Valentines party goodies, Formal Dance Limo for the Emergence Program, sending a parent representative to Japan. Our incredible seamstresses designed and created fabulous costumes for Annual Celebration. Everyone came together to meet other needs as requested by the staff and school whenever possible. We welcomed many new volunteers for all our events throughout the year. We appreciate all donations and support for the Parent Association. I would like to extend our sincerest appreciation to

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Maryellen Paradise, our parent liaison for all her efforts. She works hard behind the scenes to make it all happen for the Parent Association. I don’t know what I would do without her assistance. Another special ‘thank you’ to Deb Donovan, our principal, who attends all our Parent Association meetings and communicates to our Board on a regular basis on Boston Higashi events. She always makes the time to listen to our parental/guardian voices. This year’s theme “gratitude” was carried out throughout the year with the strong work ethic of all the staff and administration of the Boston Higashi School. Each and every one of them went the extra mile to bring out the best in all of our children. We thank each and every one of you for all you do. We continue to welcome new families and guardians. Parent Association Board members are always happy to listen to any comments, concerns and any new suggestions. I look forward to serving again as President of the Parent Association next year. Regards, Janet Murphy, President Boston Higashi Parent Association

Thank You Parent Association!

Your summer snacks for all the

teachers were such a sweet surprise!

-The Higashi Staff

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Family Day at the Residence

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July 20th, 2013

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Development News

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Higashi Pool Construction Project Update

On Thursday, August 15th, we held a reception at the School to officially kickoff the construction of the Swimming Pool Complex. Several of our donors joined us wearing hard hearts and swinging shovels as we had a ceremonial groundbreaking. We are hopeful for a mid-November opening. The final design for the project consists of two swimming pools (a lap pool with 3 or 4 lanes and a zero-entry pool), boys and girls locker rooms, and a snack bar facility. The pools will be open to the fresh air in the summer months and covered by an air structure/bubble during the winter months so that it can be utilized year round. A running track will surround the deck of the pool so that our students will

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have that available, particularly during inclement weather. We have raised over $600,000 so far but we need to raise much more to match our expected costs of $1.5 million. Please consider making a pledge or donation. If your company has a matching gift program, please fill out the appropriate form supplied by your company and mail it to the Development Office. We also hope that you will reach out to your family and friends to help us with this exciting project. Many thanks in anticipation of your support. Michael L. Kelly, Executive Director Yoshie Gordon, Director of Development & Corporate Relations

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(below and right) Exciting signs of progress are everywhere! The excavation of the site has begun, and heavy machinery can be seen in action on a daily basis, much to the delight of the students.

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~ Bon Dance Festival ~ August 11th, 2013

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Congratulations to this year’s Special Olympics participants! This year, Antony Galinas, Jayson Iocco, Matthew Mitchell, Michael Scanlon, Nick Baldassini, Rachael Dunn, Ryan Dwelley, Thomas Yamazaki, and Zahid Rashid represented Higashi at the games, held June 5th-7th. Thanks also to the staff who came out to support our students: Jennifer Coates, Henry Ndakalu, Fumi Turcotte-Shamski, Seimi Una, Mariko Hiruma, Jason Hurlock, Tomoko Ogino, Erica Ouelette, and Chris and Makiba White.

On August 4th, several students from Higashi attended “Fishin’ With A Mission,” a bass tournament for adults, and a day of family boating and fishing to raise autism awareness. Thanks to John and Aya Kolwaite for staffing a Higashi information booth, and to Mark and Lisa Burgess for bringing this amazing event to our attention! Here’s hoping it becomes an annual event!

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(above) South Shore Hospital’s luncheon was held on Sunday, June 2nd at the Quincy Marriott. (left) Milton Hospital’s was held on Thursday, June 6 at Milton Hospital’s Nangeroni Center.

Students and teachers who work at South Shore Hospital, Milton Hospital, and Meals on Wheels job sites attended volunteer recognition luncheons this summer. Kudos to EP students and staff for your hard work all year!

A big “Thank You” to our volunteer sewers! Not only did this dedicated crew help with costumes for Annual Celebration, they spent the month of August making new yukatas and obis for the Bon Dance Festival! We are so grateful for all your hard work! A big “Thank You” also to Diane Cafarelli for the donation of fabric, Janet Murphy for the donation of a sewing machine, and the Yamazaki family for the beautiful yukatas and obis!

(left) Mutsuko Maki, Zoey Parker and Mei-Ling Diep hard at work. (right) Lisa Burgess cutting fabric for obis.

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Daycare Delights Pam Patrone, Director of Daycare!

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We have had such a whirlwind of excitement this summer, it is hard to figure out which event was the best. They were all so great! In June, we celebrated Father’s Day with our annual cook-out and wiffle ball game. It was such a fun time for everyone. Needless to say, the children won this year’s battle again! They had practiced so hard the week before and were so excited to play against their dads. However, what made this year’s even more special was that Keegan O’Hare and Toby Gray sang the National Anthem! They did such a unique and spectacular rendition that everyone was floored by their enthusiasm and rhythm. It was such a warming sight to see how their singing helped to bring all the families closer together.

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July was a hot (can I say HOT lots of times?) month. There was a lot of fun outside with water play. The sprinkler was going full blast for all the children to run and jump through. The pool was filled with cool, refreshing water as well as toys to play with. Once the children where all lathered up with sunscreen and had their hats on, out they went to enjoy the splashing and spraying of water. All summer long the older preschoolers have been getting their Mikoshi ready for the Bon Dance Festival. They have chosen such a wonderful interpretation of this year’s theme and can’t wait to show it off at the parade on August 11th. They have also been getting ready for their graduation! This year, on August 15th, 5 of our preschoolers will be graduating! Finn Collins, Sharon Mwangi, Keegan O’Hare, Anna Turcotte-

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Shamski, and Ayane White will all be going to Kindergarten in September. We will miss them all very much and wish them great fun and new experiences in their new schools. Among all the hustle and bustle of the past few months, and all the happy moments, we are sadly saying good-bye to 2 wonderful families. Higashi teachers Jim O’Hare and Kenny Gray are moving on to other opportunities and of course are taking their much-loved children with them. We are reluctant to see Cullen O’Hare and Toby Gray leave our program but know that wonderful experiences await them. We hope that everyone has a wonderful rest of the summer!

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Comings, Goings and Everything In Between at Higashi

Behvin McDonnell, Human Resource Manager

!We offer sincerest condolences to Sue and Nina Battista, Kristina Ayieko, Lucy Hurt, Katie Vaudrain, Sam Gathungu, and Uchenna Onwuka for the loss of their family members.

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We have welcomed the following new staff to BHS since our last publication: Alison Last, RN, Kerri Vetrano, Case Manager, Peter Cavicchio, Classroom Teacher, Paul Gitari, Residential Instructor, Evelyn Kariuki, Overnight Direct Care Please introduce yourself to these new employees when you see them! We said goodbye to the following staff: Julissa Bobadilla, Ramone Robinson, J. Eunice Belacy, Jennie Paskowski, Kenny Gray, Andre Hughes, Matt Kurkul, Carolyn Lam, Tyler Akabane, Jim O’Hare, Karen Miranda, Erika Ouelette, Stephanie Melkus, and Stephanie Kravitz. We wish them well in their future endeavors and thank them for their dedication to the students and staff here at Higashi.

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Congratulations to Jamie Marshall and his wife Yuko on the

birth of their son Kai James

on June 27, 2013

!Congratulations to

Jaclyn Briggs and her husband Christopher on the birth of their

daughter Paige Elizabeth

on June 14, 2013

! Congratulations to

Andres Mejia on the birth of his daughter

Joslin Marie on June 27, 2013

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Congratulations to Hiroshi Abe and his wife Kanae on the

birth of their daughter Ayaka Katelyn

on July 17, 2013

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!! More Please Bill Burke, Executive Chef !

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It’s August and we are rapidly saying goodbye to this school year. Looking back, it seems like yesterday we opened the new school year. So many good things have happened and we are really making substantial progress with all of our undertakings. Looking back today and

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looking forward to tomorrow can best be explained by a short jog that I took today. As I turned the corner by Day Care, I could hear the voices of many of our students laughing and as I got closer to the hill I saw the water slide. So many kids and staff alike were having a great time. You could tell by the voices that everyone was having fun. As I turned the next corner I could hear the sounds of heavy equipment preparing the ground for a world class swimming pool. I will be looking forward to hearing the happy sounds next summer coming from both the water slide and the new swimming pool. Both

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have their place, and as long as they generate happy faces we know that we are doing the right thing. Our vegetable gardens are coming right along and we will be serving Higashi grown vegetables very soon. The tomatoes that we had from last year’s garden were as good as any tomatoes that we had all year. I hope that all staff will have a well-deserved vacation and for those who will be working Vacation Program. Thank-you! Your vacation will be coming soon.

By Carmine DeCicco

Higashi Highlights - Summer 2013 issue

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