Annual Report 2018–2019 a Letter from the Executive Director and Board President Temple Grandin “Continuing the Momentum”
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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 Saint Dominic Academy 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)