OUR CAMPUS CULTURE When a student comes to one of The Home’s special education schools, they are met with an environment that caters to the needs of the whole child. The schools provide safe, secure surroundings that allow each student to thrive socially and academically.

“The tried-and-true disciplinary actions and supports found in traditional public-school classrooms haven’t worked for our kids,” says Audrey Bethel, a school counselor with The Home. What does work? A high staff-to-student ratio, individualized academic, social and developmental support, trust building and out-of-the-box thinking that often takes youth outside the classroom.

This includes innovative coursework designed to keep kids engaged, provide incentives and prepare students for future success. Discoveries made in these programs inform other subjects, impact students’ academic progress and have lasting therapeutic benefits. Take a look at a few of the unique programs designed to help students at The Home reach their fullest potential…

MAKING A SPLASH WITH SCUBA DIVINGThe Wediko School’s Open Water Diver program is an adventurous course where participants can receive PADI (Professional Association of Diving Instructors) scuba certification. Students spend a semester learning the foundations of diving before applying the skills in a pool setting. Once mastered, students are required to practice skills in a lake or ocean. Upon completion, kids earn a certification card that allows them to dive down to 60 feet — a huge point of pride! Lead teacher Jason Dawson, a certified Divemaster, regularly takes certified students on shipwreck and ocean dives in Lake Winnipesaukee and in York, Maine. Such outings are therapeutic for children with social and emotional challenges.

ISSUE AT A GLANCE

2 Letter from the President 3 Student Spotlight 4 Wediko’s Side by Side Program 4 Events

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LESSONS LEARNED »Persistence, Social Awareness, Healthy Risk-Taking, A Sense of Accomplishment

NEWS FROM THE HOME FOR LITTLE WANDERERS • SUMMER 2021

THE HOMEPAGE

Wediko students master underwater skills within a controlled water environment before practicing in a lake or ocean.

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A COURSE WHERE KIDS RIDE HIGH IN THE SADDLEThe Equestrian Element program, led by vocational teacher Beth Christensen, brings students at Southeast Campus to East Over Farm for a work-hard, play-hard session that includes equine science, farm chores, horseback riding, and a chance to drive a miniature horse and cart. Christensen grew up on a farm and knows the value of fresh air and a change of scenery. The kids in this year-round program look forward to their East Over trip all week, and know to rein in wayward behaviors. The animals can be soothing companions for the students. In fact, Christensen once overheard a troubled youth confiding in a bunny after cleaning its hutch.

LESSONS LEARNED »An Appreciation for Nature, Creativity, Respect, Employability

LESSONS LEARNED »Self-Regulation, Teamwork, Industry, Responsibility

HORTICULTURE THAT HELPS STUDENTS GROWIn Clifford Academy’s Horticulture program, youth study environmental influences on plants and are introduced to horticultural technology, trends and industries. Budding horticulturalists receive hands-on training in pruning, planting and transplanting through work with annuals, perennials, potted plants and flowering bulbs. The course has a vocational lens and includes a marketing component as well as direction on the habits, techniques and attitude needed to flourish as an entry-level employee at a nursery or landscape construction company. For students, the gardens are a natural escape from the confines of the classroom, and often double as a place of healing.

FROM THE PRESIDENT

Dear Friends,

I find it fitting that, during a time of year that dazzles with color and renewed energy, I am sharing with you the first of our communications to feature The Home’s dynamic rebrand. Our new look, with its beacon-of-hope logo and vital, vibrant color palette, is the visual expression of our work here at The Home, which is, simply, to create Better, Brighter Futures for Kids. If you look closely, you’ll find that our new logo was constructed in such a way that creates a divide between the H and the M in the word HOME. Circular type surrounding a heart centerpiece fills that void, symbolizing the way in which, every day, The Home strives to close the gaps that stand between at-risk children and hopeful futures.

Our mission statement has also been revamped: “To help vulnerable children and their families build permanent, positive change.” This language crystallizes the end goal of every one of The Home’s 25+ programs. What hasn’t changed, however, is the commitment to child welfare services that has set our work apart for over 200 years.

June also marks the end of the school year, when we honor grads and students as they look ahead to their futures. What better time, then, to highlight The Home’s special education schools and innovative programs. As you read through this newsletter, you’ll find that our learning methods are successful because they take a holistic approach. We delve beyond the academic and vocational to support the social and developmental growth that is equally critical. Join me in celebrating the victories featured here, as well as the hard-won accomplishments our students strive for daily on their journeys to discovery.

Happy reading and thank you for your continued support!

Lesli Suggs, LICSW President & CEO

Will* arrived at The Home’s Southeast Campus (SEC) four years ago, shy, scared and awkward. He rarely spoke and struggled to relate to peers and staff. He’d pull his sweatshirt over his nose, cover his face, and utter strange sounds as a way of interacting. Fortunately, he found an outlet in basketball, and though he had never played, he had a natural talent for the game.

On the court, Will slowly came out of his shell, developing social skills and forming friendships. However, after a year, he hit a difficult period and required multiple hospitalizations. The Southeast staff worried he wouldn’t be able to regulate, rebound and return to the young man they had come to know. Thankfully, with time, medication and clinical support, Will was able to get back on track — and on the court.

ONE CAMPUS LEADS TO ANOTHERAt SEC, Will grew far beyond the inches that served him well in basketball. He learned to be part of a team, high-fiving and communicating with teammates and even running drills with younger players. Because he had begun to feel safe, he could let his guard down.

After two years, Will transitioned to school at South Shore Collaborative and excelled. He continued to play hoops and was eager to do so at a public school.

After advocating for himself, he attended Plymouth South High School as a senior and joined the varsity basketball team. From there, Will’s winning streak continued. He applied to multiple colleges, was accepted at every one, and has just completed his freshman year at UMass Amherst, his first choice.

“To go from Southeast Campus to living and learning at UMass Amherst is a huge and amazing accomplishment,” says Principal Sean Clark, M.Ed. Will is where he is due, in part, to the

support he received at SEC and the relationship-building guidance of his Clinical Coordinator, Emily Murray. Will navigated how to be teenager, found his voice, and now brings his A game to everything he does. •*The student’s name has been changed for privacy.

STUDENT SPOTLIGHT

“To go from Southeast Campus to living and learning at UMass Amherst is a huge and amazing accomplishment.” – PRINCIPAL SEAN CLARK, M.ED.

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Will’s Story

A SHY BASKETBALL LOVER SCORES A COLLEGE ACCEPTANCE

With your support, our school programs can continue to excel.

Visit THEHOME.ORG/GIVE to make a donation. Thank you.

THE HOME’S GOLF INVITATIONALSEPTEMBER 13, 2021 BLACK ROCK COUNTRY CLUBMeet us on the fairway of beautiful Black Rock Country Club Sept. 13 for a day of play to support the work of The Home. Participants of The Home’s Golf Invitational will play a private, top-rated golf course and enjoy great food, entertainment and company.

FOR MORE INFORMATION and sponsorship opportunities, visit thehome.org/golf

A ROUND OF APPLAUSE!Thanks to all who gathered around their screens to participate in our online celebration, Virtual Voices & Visions, May 6. We are so grateful that you were able to join us in recognizing The Home’s Frontline Heroes, this year’s honorees, and, at the same time, get a true feel for the work we do, which serves our greatest heroes, our kids! Because of your generosity, and that of sponsors including Natixis Investment Managers and TJX, the evening raised more than $900,000 to support crucial programs that help build better, brighter futures for kids. Thank you!

TEACHERS AND STUDENTS ADVANCING SIDE BY SIDE Kids spend six to eight hours in school five days a week. Factor in travel time, which can be substantial in the boroughs of New York City, and there aren’t many minutes left in the day. That’s why The Home’s Wediko school-based services meet children and teens where they are.

One example is Wediko New York’s Side by Side program. This eight-week, in-school initiative is designed to strengthen teacher-student relationships, build community and promote a positive climate. To start, the Wediko clinician observes the class and schedules an interview with the teacher to identify the presenting needs of the group.

“The teacher might say, ‘students don’t listen to instruction’ or ‘they don’t respect one another,’” explains Raven Shelton, LMSW, Site Manager at the High School of Hospitality and Management in Manhattan. With that feedback in mind, together, they’ll select a value like respect or understanding as the basis for cooperative activities, such as guiding a blindfolded teacher through a maze to build trust or creating a “word wall poster,” where progress on the skill building is noted throughout the week and discussed with the clinician at the following session.

In addition to social skills and professional development, Side by Side includes mental health discussions with a licensed clinician. The results can be eye-opening. For instance, in a session exploring “adultification,” some students shared the adult responsibilities they take on as teens. One youth revealed she hadn’t skipped school out of disinterest, but had, instead, been looking after her grandmother while her mother worked. Side by Side sessions encourage such dialogue, shifting the classroom dynamic to improve student outcomes, and mutually benefiting students and teachers. •

“Because of Side by Side, I noticed a stronger sense of community responsibility in the classroom along with greater personal accountability. There were fewer off-task behaviors and a conscious choice to focus on the lesson.” – MR. GRAYSON, 9TH GRADE TEACHER, HIGH SCHOOL OF HOSPITALITY

AND MANAGEMENT

10 GUEST STREET, BOSTON, MA 02135 888.HOME.321 • THEHOME.ORG

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