facebook.com/montgomeryacademyonline · 2017. 10. 9. · basking ridge, nj 07920 908.766.0362 . ......

MONTGOMERY ACADEMY “WHERE YOU CAN BE YOURSELF” MONTGOMERYACADEMYONLINE.ORG FALL 2017

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LifeMONTGOMERYACADEMY

188 Mount Airy RoadBasking Ridge, NJ 07920

908.766.0362www.montgomeryacademyonline.org

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A Message from Mr. Anthony Gebbia“Just wait until real life…” I am quite sure that most of you have heard that phrase, and some of us may have said that. As we have aged we get caught up in our everyday lives – as we should be doing. But I think we often forget how truly “real life” the school years can be. This is multiplied exponentially for our students. Our student population is just as capable as any, but they need the proper modifications to level the field of play. One of the activities we have here at Montgomery Academy to address “real life” is the MAKE IT REAL program.

This invaluable program gives our students real, “real life” experiences. The MAKE IT REAL program provides internships, partnerships, and volunteering opportunities for our students who are ready to move part of their education outside of the classroom walls.

This month’s Montgomery Academy Life is dedicated to our MAKE IT REAL Program. This program provides our students opportunities to expand their technical skills in local businesses and organizations who partner with Montgomery Academy. Just as important as those “hard skills” the students will also be sharpening their “soft skills.” Our students will use the interpersonal skills they learned at school and apply them in real world environment situations in professional businesses and within the Montgomery Academy organization. In many ways, those soft skills are more important than the technical skills. With so many of the job opportunities for young people focused on service industry those

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MONTGOMERY ACADEMY CLUB 100 ANNUAL DRIVE 2017-2018Support Montgomery Academy online at http://montgomeryacademyonline.org

Yes! I want to be a member of CLUB 100Enclosed is my gift of $

If giving by check please make payable to:Montgomery Academy Foundation

~ Levels of Generosity ~Neighbor $1 to $99Club 100 $100 to $249 Advocate $250 to $499 Children’s Champion $500 to $999 Visionary $1,000 to $4,999 Mountaineer $5,000+

Montgomery Foundation is a supporting organization to Montgomery Academy, charitable donations are tax deductable under section 501 (c) (3) of the IRS tax code.

Credit Card Gift:◊ VISA ◊ MASTERCARD◊ Please charge my one-time gift of $ ◊ Please charge my gift of $ each month for months

Name as it Appears on Card

Account # CCV

Expiration Date Signature

◊ My company matches gifts and my form is enclosed or is in the mail.

“soft skills” are essential in having an organization maintain its returning customer base and customer satisfaction.

As special education advocates, teachers, and parents, we are so naturally protective of our children and students. We fear that we won’t always be there to protect them from criticism and confusion. The MAKE IT REAL Program is designed to give our students the confidence and social skills to interact with customers. This is accomplished while being able to understand

and solve complex situations in a real word environment. These experiences will help our students become self-directed and self-advocates, while transitioning into post-secondary school, trade schools, full-time careers, and even college.

That is why we are so proud of the MAKE IT REAL program – if only because it truly provides a real experience in what we refer to as, “real life.”

I hope you will enjoy our MAKE IT REAL themed newsletter. And – if you have a business, organization, or an opportunity you believe might be a good fit for our student interns, please let us know.


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Cheryl’s Curriculum Corner2008 – 2009: It was the first year of the new Make It Real Program. The MIR program was originally designed to expose students to various career options and experiences. The program gave students the opportunity to explore their abilities and interests in relation to career acquisitions. It focused on preparing students to be able to make appropriate decisions in various home and work scenarios. Special attention was paid to increasing the student’s self-confidence and esteem while directing them to use appropriate work related behaviors.

Full of optimism, energy and the experience of working with students on all different levels, a small group of us set out to create the most engaging program possible.I remember literally walking the streets of Gladstone and Peapack, and enlisting the various companies in the area. It was an impressive first start: an architectural office, a florist, a beauty parlor was among the first internships made available to us. We drove students to their places of employment and in some cases their buses would pick them up from there to take them home at the end of the day.

For our in-house internships, several categories were planned and developed: Building Maintenance and Repair, Culinary Arts, Clerical Skills, and Landscape Design. In the classrooms, teachers used various programs and materials to develop job interviewing skills and resume writing. Students also added banking and budgeting skills to the list of needed areas that they required to live on their own.

Those were exciting years back then. We have grown in so many ways thanks to a great dedicated staff. Students who started the program, are now working in jobs in their lives that to some degree was thanks to their early beginnings. Some of these students, now in their adult lives are working as nurses, teachers, business people, to name a few fields.

I can’t wait to see how the MIR program continues to develop.


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A Message from Mr. Thomas Nolan

Welcome to a new school year at Montgomery Academy! Whether you are new to the program or you have been here

with us before September 2017 we all want to send out a big, warm welcome as we start the year. We are all very excited to get started with the year and spent the first staff days updating our training and

making sure the building was clean and organized to kick off the year. Now that the students have arrived, the building is again filled with lively conversations, excited greetings and some of the usual anxiety about starting new again.

This predictable and very normal anxiety related to the transition back is expected and planned for, especially by the social workers and outreach workers who are trained and ready to explore and handle these feelings and related behaviors. It is important to remember that the team works diligently all year to minimize the feelings and concerns that can impede student success and can usually do a much better job when they are provided information from any sources who have insight regarding the children. Therefore, if you haven’t yet completed the “green sheets” that came home with the welcome packet please do so as soon as is possible. These permission slips are provided to you to ensure that the counseling team here has the most up to date information so they can collaborate with any professional resources you already have on your team – psychiatrists, psychologists, outside counselors, social workers, etc. We find it powerful when we have as many teammates we can in helping to support children. We are very open to ideas, insights, suggestions, and strategies that we can explore to do our best to help in each child reaching his/her personal goals and successes.

As much as the counseling team needs to have this information to provide them a strong foundation for their work, the teachers and office staff also need your attention to other means of collaborative communicate. Teachers will be reaching out to you regularly to ensure that everyone remains on the same page throughout the year. The first step in implementing this home to school dialogue is to provide all of your pertinent contact information via the emergency cards that were sent home in the welcome packet. Please be attentive to this very important information. At any time if you need to be in touch with a teacher please feel free to reach out. Please be sure to discuss ahead of time the best means of mutually convenient communication, whether it be via note, phone or email; whatever is easiest tends to increase the likelihood of maintaining an open line of communication for the year. Also, note that if the contact method changes in any way to make both the teacher and front office aware of those changes so we know we can stay in touch. It is also imperative to make sure to call on any day that your child may need to be absent from school. Please make sure to call

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HIGHLIGHTS OF THE 2016 - 2017 SCHOOL YEAR

the front office directly as soon as you know your child will not be attending. Lastly, but surely not least, please also remain attentive to the ongoing communication regarding our hot lunch program. If you have questions or concerns about anything to do with the lunch program please be sure to call the main office.I am confident that when everyone continues our usual commitment to this teamwork approach to communication and collaboration that we will once again experience much positive growth and success with the children.

Looking forward to a great year to come! Warmest regards to all.

A Message from Mr. Thomas Nolan Continued


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A Message from Mr. Thomas Nolan Continued


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MAKE IT REALMontgomery Academy Life had a wonderful opportunity to interview Michael Engbar about the Makeit Real Program. We hope you enjoy learning about this very important Montgomery Academy Program.

Montgomery Academy Life: When did the Make It Real Program start? Michael Engber: The program began in 2005. MAL: Who started the program? ME: The program was started by our then Assistant Principal, Cheryl Lentini and two Montgomery Academy teachers Nancy Klein and Bill Majerczak. MAL: Why was the program started? ME: The staff saw the increased need for students to develop the independent living and life skills necessary to transition into employment or post-secondary education. MAL: What have been the most successful parts of the program? ME: In my opinion, the most successful

parts of the program have been the internships, volunteering, and community based instruction/

education. This has afforded our students the opportunities to practice and learn skills in a real-world environment.

MAL: What part of the program still requires extra attention?

ME: We are always looking to build up our in-house opportunities. We already have valuable components like the Project Room, Independent Living Kitchen, MIR Café, and a video program, etc. We are beginning

to expand and adding new parts of the program like a weekly Smoothie Shop and Cappuccino Shop. This will better emulate real working business situation which then teach students skills. MAL: How many of the internships turn into actual part / full time jobs after the student exits the program?

ME: This has happened several times! We have had students offered part time or full time jobs in Burger King, YMCA Day Care, and The Stone House Restaurant, just to name a few. MAL: What are some of the “soft-skills” taught in the program? ME: Communication and interpersonal skills, reliability, teamwork, dress and appearance, independence, self-advocacy, self-direction, focusing and completing tasks in a timely and accurate manner, accountability and time management. All skills that can translate into ANY career.


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MAL: Do the students have to apply? Are the students interviewed and do they have resumes to submit to potential internships? ME: Yes, students interview with me for paid internships or our more demanding internships. Sometimes students are interviewed by supervisors outside of Montgomery Academy, such as at the YMCA Day Care, Burger King, or Matheny School. Our community partners want to ensure that students are a good fit, just like they would do with any potential employee. MAL: Many of the students think the program is, “cool,” but what are they learning/achieving as they grow into their positions? ME: They explore career options, gain confidence, learn soft skills, add experiences for their resume, and grow more independent for their transition to adulthood after Montgomery Academy. MAL: What are some of the other parts of the program that help students transition from MA to the post-high school years? ME: So many! Cooking lessons, lessons

on self-care, resume writing, volunteer and recreation opportunities. Students also work with hands-on projects and crafts that build

creativity, interest, and fine motor skills. Students work as a team to determine what items to make and sell in the school

store (essentially running a business). Budgeting lessons within the school and in the community help our students use and exchange money on their own. Communication and social skills are also a big part of MIR. We promote social interaction in all aspects of the program. There’s so many other aspects but I would run out of room!

MAL: How do students pick, or how are they chosen for different internships? ME: Students fill out a MIR application. This is not only good practice for completing applications but I can indicate who would be the best candidate. I try to match

students with job sites they are genuinely interested in but also expect students to try new job sites that I feel they can learn valuable lessons in. MAL: What qualities are you looking for when recruiting for the program? ME: Everyone has the opportunity to participate in MIR. But I have found that students with drive, curiosity, and an open mind tend to best take advantage of what’s offered. MAL: Do the students get paid? ME: Yes, they do in a local hospital and this year we are adding Burger King as a paid internship!


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MAL: How are the students transported? ME: Montgomery Academy provides transportation to and from their job sites. The students’ job coaches who are also with them every step of the way! They work directly with our students and really help our students grow and learn in their job sites. MAL: Is the MIR program part of the student’s IEP? ME: Typically, when students are in MIR, their IEP goals are career and life skill based which is in line with MIR.


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Did you know that as part

of the 2016 and 2017 Gran

Fondo NJ, Team MA has

biked over 1,050 miles?

You can ride with us next year

by registering at:

https://granfondonj.com/

Team MA 2017 Polar Bear Plunge


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Basking Ridge, NJ 07920

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facebook.com/montgomeryacademyonline · 2017. 10. 9. · basking ridge, nj 07920 908.766.0362 . ......

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