Annual Report 2018–2019 A Letter from the Executive Director and Board President Temple Grandin “Continuing the Momentum”

Friends & Families of Spectrum360,

As we entered the new year, we wanted to continue the We worked to find ways to invest in our staff and encourage their momentum of our successes from last year. We strived to make own family and personal health with the launch of an Employee sure that the programs we launched, the ideas we implemented Donated Leave Program and kickstarted a personal health and the resources we invested in continued to improve and initiative across all programs thanks to a grant from our health thrive to address the challenges and needs of our students and insurance provider, CIGNA. adults. We cannot become complacent; we have to continually As adult and student demands grows, our physical space at assess, evolve and adapt to the ever-changing needs of our all of our campuses has become limited to serve and provide population. To do this, we needed the unrelenting commitment individualized learning experiences, expanding programs and effort from our staff and the support of our board, families and serving more students and adults. At the Upper School, and donors. This support allowed each program to achieve so construction is almost complete for the 20,000 square foot “Rigid academic and social expectations many wonderful things. We invested hours of time expanding expansion that began last year.* We have begun the process of curricula with the development of a STEAM program. We selling our Verona school and are actively searching for a new planned new activities for our after school program, and facility to serve our growing needs. We have signed a lease launched additional RESPITE programs. We added more to expand our Independence360 Whippany location which community-based experiences providing critical skills and doubles our size and allots us more room for new activities and could wind up stifling a mind that, while learning that allow our adult clients and students to become initiatives . This expansion will be supported by fundraising more independent and successful members of our communities. dollars and supported by the Development Office. Our teams spent time growing our community partnerships We appreciate our strong leadership team for helping our across all programs and added over 20 new partners during this staff navigate through their daily challenges and maintaining year. We expanded our community education and outreach the focus on our mission. We also want to thank our first it might struggle to conjugate a verb, with the launch of a workshop series targeted to families and Assistant Director in our history, Danielle Taylor. Since her hiring professionals that featured renowned speakers and content. in October 2018, she has helped manage us through various Our Film and Culinary programs were granted DDD approval monitoring and accreditation processes and reviewed employee allowing adults to use these funds to participate in these policies to ensure compliance and that they properly address programs. Our development team raised almost $1MM from not the safety and needs of our staff and students. Thank you to all could one day take us to distant stars.” only special events like the Hall of Fame Dinner, Fore the Kids of our friends, families, donors, students, clients and staff for

Golf Tournament and Walk for a Lifetime, but also donations and helping us to fulfill our mission. *As of the print date, Upper School grants from individual donors, organizations and corporations. expansion has been completed and is currently being used by staff and students.

Bruce Ettinger, Ed.D. Michael J. Reimer, Esq., Ph.D. Superintendent/Executive Director President, Board of Directors

SPECTRUM360.ORG ANNUAL REPORT 01 CulinaryAcademy360 Academy360 Upper School’s Academy360 Lower School launched an official Academy360 & Community Based Work Clinical Department catering service that Independence360 held Experience program CulinaryAcademy360 and reignited its mission to allows students to be 28 respites, providing added four FilmAcademy360 FilmAcademy360 opened provide support services hired to prepare, set up participating students new participating recently produced the their programs to everyone to our parent/caregiver and serve food for events. and clients the chance employers to our list of video for the bell ringing Academy360 Upper in the larger community, community. Named The first engagement was to spend time with their community partners, for ceremony at NASDAQ for School formed the offering the general public Spectrum Connections, it the SWK Technologies friends, practice social a total of 30 workplaces Academy360’s Linda SWK Technologies. The Positive Education enrollment in a variety of is committed to offering Empower Northeast User skills and enjoy a wide providing experiences Feldman won the 2019 video was projected on Leadership Team, different classes. They also our families clinical Conference which held variety of community for our student population. National Association of the NASDAQ Tower and comprised of 25 volunteer began accepting NJ support and resources as over 100 guests. activities like hiking, plays, Over 70 students Special Education Marquee in Times Square. staff members, focused Division of Developmental well as the chance to movies, and sports events participated in the CBWE Programs Award for FilmAcademy360 on educating and Disability (NJDDD) Goods connect with each other. program and over 35 Leadership & Innovation community partner, assessing student and Services funds, making participated in job sampling. in Special Education for Spectrum360 hired Pfizer continued their Independence360 character strengths in the classes more financially its unique building-block Danielle Taylor as the internship program, grew its enrollment to order to help them accessible to a larger approach to musical first Assistant Director recently accepting a over 100 clients. develop personal profiles number of students. education. in its history. second round of paid which will influence their interns. educational, vocational, Spectrum of Options and recreational path. Independence360 free-and-open-to-the- developed a 12-week Academy360 Lower & community seminar series prevocation workshop for Upper Schools hosted held five seminars during clients who are close to over 600 community- the year, educating nearly gaining employment but based instruction 400 parents, caregivers, need some additional (CBI) trips to practice and professionals about training on soft skills, functional skills and wide-ranging topics professionalism, and become familiar with related to autism. Organizational and Programmatic workplace social skills. real-world scenarios. Thank you to our community partners who provided this opportunity Highlights to our students.

2018 – 2019

02 ANNUAL REPORT SPECTRUM360.ORG SPECTRUM360.ORG ANNUAL REPORT 03 We Love Our Community Partners PSO360 Our Parent-Staff Organization (PSO) is end-of-the-year bounce house party Through leisure, work, and volunteer opportunities, our partners expand our reach and provide invaluable interactions composed of volunteers who work for the Academy360 Lower School with the larger community, enriching our students' and adults' understanding of the world around them and helping to tirelessly to help provide enhanced pre-k/elementary students. promote autism acceptance. social experiences for all Academy360 Once again, the annual Academy360 Lower School and Upper School Lower School holiday shop they students and their families, as well as sponsor gave students the chance to provide support for A360 families and view and purchase Spectrum360 Academy360 Upper School Independence360 staff. Through these activities, (at a nominal cost) donated gifts ScanHow After School Program: Volunteers: members of the PSO are an active and gathered by the PSO360 members. Charity Buzz Academy of St. Elizabeth Holiday Express vital part of our school community. Staffed by volunteer parents, this NJACE Montclair Kimberley Academy Wells Fargo Bank Next for Autism Mount Withum As usual, this year our PSO360 raised experience provided our students the Carbone Clinic Seton Hall Preparatory School funds for and organized dances at our opportunity to practice their shopping

Pyramid Educational Consultants Papermill Playhouse Volunteer Opportunities: A360 Lower School schools, conducted monthly family skills and enjoy a sense of independence Community-Based Work Experience Program: CAU Auto movie outings and other family while finding presents for loved ones. The Bethwood Community Food Bank of NJ activities, and purchased the annual And as they do each year, PSO360 Academy360 Lower School Board and Brush Garden Terrace Nursing Home Calabria Restaurant and Pizzeria Great Swamp Nursery Academy360 Spirit and Field Day parent volunteers generously After School Program and Clubs: Eagle Rock Lanes Caldwell Pediatric Therapy Center Habitat for Humanity (Morris County) T-shirts. They also sponsored an recognized staff by sponsoring and Livingston Heritage Middle School Program Caldwell Public Library Harmony House (Newark) serving at the A360 Upper and Lower CVS (Livingston) Hanover Township NJ Rock Gym School Staff Appreciation Luncheons. Sky Zone Essex County Prosecutor's Office Home for Good Dogs New York Sports Club (British Swim Club) Franco's Pizzeria & Ristorante Morris County Prosecutors Office Franklin Steakhouse New Eyes for the Needy (Milburn) Student Interns/Volunteers: Godfather Pizzeria Novartis College of St.Elizabeth Goodwill Industries Store & Donation Center PSE&G The College of Hackensack UMC/Mountainside Hospital Spectrum360 Business Office Golda Och Academy Home Goods (East Hanover) St. Hubert's Animal Welfare Heritage Middle School Kings Supermarket (Verona) Center Sunrise Assisted Living A360 Upper School Kew-Forest School Kohl's (Woodland Park) SWK Computerized Financial Services Inc. Montclair Kimberley Academy Marshalls (Totowa, West Caldwell, East Hanover) Wells Fargo Montclair State University Modell’s Sporting Goods (Livingston Mall, [words] Bookstore Students Roar in The Seton Hall University Woodland Park)

Verona High School Capstone Program Mountainside Medical Center Employment: Bed Bath and Beyond Lion King Olive Garden (Livingston) Community Experience: Central Physical Therapy Petco (West Orange, Verona & East Hanover) Essex County Environmental Center (Roseland) Cody Arena Pups @ Play Foodtown (Cedar Grove) Comprehensive Cardiovascular Consultants Regent Street Cafe Girl Scouts David Mitchell Fine Event Design Saint Barnabas Ambulatory Care Center Montclair Fire Department Delaware North Food Services The high school musical is a rite of Shoprite (West Caldwell, Livingston) Montclair Learning Center FTC FBO TGIFridays (East Hanover) passage in many schools. It is no Powerflow Yoga Jersey Mike's TJ Maxx (Livingston) Verona Community Pool Lenny's Pizza different at Academy360 Upper School. Walgreens (Verona) Verona Fire Department Maplecrest Ford Once again, the Academy360 Upper [words] Bookstore Verona PBA McGivney & Kluger Mount Pleasant Animal Shelter School has blown everyone away with [words] BookStore Nicole's Broadway Dance Center Barnes & Noble (Livingston & Woodland Park) Regal Drapes this year’s musical production, The Volunteer/Donation Opportunities: The Grand Rollercoaster Productions Lion King. Due to previous sold out 4-H Manga New World Comics Bear Hugs for the Holidays (St. Barnabas Sketcher's performances of the musicals, this Tenna Medical Center) year’s offering was moved to a larger Big Dog Rescue Project TJ Maxx Unex theatre on the College of St Elizabeth’s Novartis FilmAcademy Operation Homefront 360 Unifirst campus in Morristown. The play ran on Westminster Hotel Operation Santa Paws Corporate Partners/Internships: the evenings of May 21st and 22nd, Pajama Program for the Holidays Bayer​ YMCA Susan G. Komen Foundation Pfizer Big Lots almost filling the 500+ seat theatre for Toni's Kitchen Food Pantry SWK Technologies Amazon each show. This production included a ProductionHUB​ A360 Upper School Mountian Ridge Country Club Kings Supermarket large all student cast and crew. Led by NJACE Stop and Shop our national award-winning music CulinaryAcademy360 No Limits Media/Bloomberg TV Still Life Event Design teacher, Linda Feldman, and with the SKW Computerized Financial Services Inc. Dollar Tree

NJ Autism Centers of Excellence Educational Partners: help of staff who did make-up, assisted Bergen County Community College Fitness: Soup Sisters in set design, and production and Exceptional Minds Boys and Girls Clubs (Lodi, Millburn ) Rutgers University Montclair Film Capelli of New York shadowed some students on stage, Princeton University New Jersey Film School PAL of Parsippany our students lit up the stage with their Rutgers University Voorhees Transportation Center Retro Fitness singing and dancing. Sheridan Hotel (Parsippany) Credits/Academic Internships: Bergen County Community College ​Montclair State University​

04 SPECTRUM360.ORG ANNUAL REPORT 05 Financials Spectrum360 Income Development Department Fiscal Year 2018 – 2019 July 1, 2018 – June 30, 2019 Educational Income $23,306,151 88.52%

Adult Program Revenue $1,892,250 7.19% Our Development Department works to increase S360’s ability to provide options across a lifetime that are affordable for all families. Monies raised Other Program Fees $208,797 0.79% help fund Academy360 after-school activities, overnight respites, scouting, Annual Fund $888,485 3.37% horticulture, our FilmAcademy360, CulinaryAcademy360 programs, as well as other activities not funded through tuition. As public funding does Endowment Fund $33,619 0.13% not cover the full costs of adult services offered by Independence360, $26,329,302 agrees to 2018-2019 donations also help to ensure the continued high quality of this program. issued DOE f/s

This year, through grants, special events, generous individuals, foundations, corporations, and community partners, we invested over Fundraising Activities $900,000 in the students, clients, and staff of Spectrum360. Our Fore the Special Events $ 497, 20 5 53.92% Kids Golf Tournament at Somerset Hills Country Club raised over $160,000, Foundations $256,115 27.78% bringing the mission and message Individuals $105,670 11.46% of Spectrum360 onto the golf course and into the minds and hearts of our Corporations $63,114 6.84% participants. Our Hall of Fame Dinner honored Pfizer, Inc. and The Memory of Anthony Trezza, for their major contributions in advancing our vision. The event raised over $140,000 and brought together the S360 community Here are some examples of of families, corporate partners, volunteers, students and clients. In the how the monies were spent: spring, our Walk for a Lifetime raised more than $150,000 from the extended Our programs are made possible S360 family and brought together over 600 participants in Verona Park for by the generosity of foundations, a fun day of walking, fundraising, and friendship. We had a record breaking corporations, and individual donors. event despite the rainy day. We thank the following organizations 108Students and clients that 71Number of state-of-the-art 50Clients participating in new fitness There were many successes this year, but a few stand out as special and individuals for their donations participated in respite programs fitness equipment purchased programming with access to highlights. We received several grants towards our adult program and this year in excess of $15,000. because of grants and other for our programs. Basketball, Swimming and other employment initiatives at Independence360 including TD Bank, Next fundraising efforts. physical activities. for Autism and The Hyde and Watson Foundation which will be used for • The Conti Group employment training, transportation and technology equipment. • Next for Autism Pfizer continued their partnership with FilmAcademy360 as generous • TD Charitable Foundation sponsors to our Film Festival as well as implementing an ongoing paid • Kurt and Gina Conti Family 685 Attendees that were able to enjoy 26Number of Adults who received internship in New York City with our FilmAcademy students. Foundation Academy360 Upper School 240 Vocational Training. Additional Trips taken because of • Pfizer production of The Lion King. the new van for Independence360 • AT&T We apologize for any errors or omissions and welcome the opportunity to correct them. Please • NFP Corporate Services email Rebecca Guardado at [email protected]. • The Hyde & Watson Foundation In an effort to reduce costs and as part of our Green Initiative, our full donor list can be found at • TIAA 334 35 1000 www.spectrum360.org/donors • Xandr Number of Academy360 Combined number of Independence360 Photographs taken because of grant • Benjamin Imbrugno Fund After School Program ipads and promoethan boards purchased. to purchase new camera equipment sessions that were held thanks to grant money.

06 ANNUAL REPORT SPECTRUM360.ORG SPECTRUM360.ORG ANNUAL REPORT 07 Our Programs and Services 2018-19 Spectrum360 and its Available Board of Directors programs are members of includes two NJ State Board of Education Academy360 programs and President the following organizations: Approved Private Schools for students on the autism Michael J. Reimer, Esq., Ph.D. spectrum and with behavioral and related disabilities, ages National Association of Private Special Education Centers (NAPSEC) Vice Presidents 3-21. The programs include early education, comprehensive services include: Kristen Olson ASAH evidence-based academic instruction based on Differentiated Jonah Zimiles, Esq., MBA The Alliance of Private Special Education Schools of North Jersey Instruction, Universal Design and Discrete Trial Learning, life • Individual, Group Counseling, and Social Skills Training Autism New Jersey

skills, career development, and instruction in special areas provided by social workers, counselors, and psychologists Secretary New Jersey Educational Computing Cooperative Adam G. Lipkin including art, music, and video production. • Psychiatric Consultation Center for Non-Profits – NJ Treasurer Northern New Jersey Day Treatment Program Coalition Academy360 Lower School offers education for • Parent Training and Support provided by certified, trained Gregg Cuvin New Jersey Business and Industry Association students in Pre-school, Elementary, Middle School, mental health professionals 2018 - 2019 Board Members and 9th grade. • Applied Behavioral Analysis provided by BCBAs Daniel Adkinson Kenneth M. Blumberg, DDS Academy360 Upper School offers education for • Speech and Language Therapy Jyothish Daniel students from 10th grade through 12th grade and a • Physical Therapy Mark D. Green Young Adult Program for individuals from 18-21. • Occupational Therapy Adriana Herrera Spectrum360 programs • Medical Services provided by a certified school nurse and Vincent M. Howell Wayne Mandel are approved by: school physician Independence360 is an approved vendor for the NJ Division Marc Reimer of Developmental Disabilities offering a Day Program, • Comprehensive and Assistive Technology Cochleen Sands NJ State Board of Education NJ Division of Developmental Disabilities Vocational Program, Behavioral Supports and Counseling, • Visual Arts Dirk J. van der Sterre NJ Division of Vocational Rehabilitation Services Community-based Instruction, Respite, and more for adults E. Belvin Williams, Ph.D. • Music Medicaid with autism and related developmental disabilities. I360 is Honorary Board Member • Drama also approved by the NJ Division of Vocational Rehabilitation Nat Conti Services to provide Pre-placement and time-limited • Yoga Supported Employment. • Video Production • Culinary Arts • Horticulture FilmAcademy360 open to ages 16 and older, is a unique hands-on educational environment designed to help diverse • Physical Education & Intramural Sports Administration Academy360 Lower School learners explore and learn through filmmaking, video editing, • Life Skills Instruction Gina Catania, MA, M.Ed. — Principal game creation, and graphic arts. Classes are offered after Spectrum360 • Community-Based Instruction Tara Ann Hayek, MA, M.Ed. — Assistant Principal school, weekends, and summers, and are open to students Executive Director/Superintendent • Community-Based Work Experience and adults in the community. Bruce Ettinger, Ed.D. Academy360 Upper School • Vocational Assessment, Training, and Support Lynn Muir, MA, M.Ed. — Principal Assistant Director Kelly Cue, MA, M.Ed. — Supervisor of Curriculum & Instruction • Extra-curricular Activities, including: Danielle Taylor, Psy.D. CulinaryAcademy360 provides instruction by professional Independence360 Development Office chefs who teach “from scratch” culinary skills to diverse » Respite Program Kimberley Mitchell-Rushmore, MSW, LCSW — Program Director Kerry Guzman — Director of Development Jason Wetzel — Assistant Program Director learners in the community, ages 14 and older. Participants » After-school Programs learn in supportive hands-on classes in professional-grade Devin Hosbach A.C.R.E.S. — Manager, Career Development Services » Adult Enrichment Program Business Office kitchens, with options to expand their cooking skills for fun, Stacy Sara CPA, PSA — Business Manager » Integrated Activities with neurotypical peers FilmAcademy360 independence, or vocational exploration. Classes are offered David DiIanni — Director after school, evenings, and weekends, and are open to » Scouting Public Information Officer/Family Liaison Melissa Kuper (as of October 2019) students and adults in the community. » Community Education CulinaryAcademy360 Jennifer Lezak Miller, MSW (until September 2019) Michael Matthews — Director

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