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2013 NAPSEC Legislative Day Washington, DC |
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NAPSEC Educator of the Year Tom Celli, Maggie Kondovski, Diane Somers Chapel Hill Academy
Maggie Kondovski Chapel Hill Academy Lincoln Park, NJ
"Take this flyswatter and smack the words on the wall that rhyme with bat." No, that's not the crazy talk of some weirdo, it's just the kind of thing you might hear Maggie say to the 1st grader who cannot sit at a desk while he is learning. And it is great fun to watch what game she will come up with next to engage a child in learning.
Maggie Kondovski has been with Chapel Hill Academy for nearly 15 years, and in that time she has transformed from a new teacher into an invaluable asset at Chapel Hill. Beginning as a classroom teacher, Maggie proved to be exceptional in terms of meeting and exceeding the individual needs of students, collaborating with other teachers in best classroom practices, and working with parents, child study teams, and administrators in ensuring that students were receiving the most appropriate and beneficial education. Maggie furthered her education, resulting in certification as an LDTC. Since then, Maggie has been the muscle behind paving individual roads for each student to realize his or her fullest potential by synthesizing the cooperation and efforts of students, staff, parents, and administrators. She is not a classroom teacher who gained another certificate and took a desk job. She rolls up her sleeves and works for the benefit of the students and the staff on a daily basis.
Upon the acceptance of each student, Maggie reviews the IEP for test scores, modifications, and academic background of each student. She meets with the student, both informally for some ice breaking conversations, as well as formally for placement testing, to make certain that the students' needs and abilities are completely understood and accurate, before they are placed in the most appropriate academic setting within our school. After a student is placed, Maggie continues to track their progress for the duration of their time at Chapel Hill. She formally evaluates each student twice a year, and informally assesses progress on a regular basis, to make certain that each student continues to succeed. Maggie teaches specialized reading and math classes for students with significant needs that cannot be adequately met in a classroom setting. She provides pull-out instruction for students who are in need, whether or not their IEP calls for such support, and she co-teaches with classroom staff when significant support is needed in a group. Maggie's expertise and incredible attention to each student, afford her the ability to implement academic remediation plans before the student begins to experience difficulty in the learning process. This is not just a remarkable skill, it is the opportunity to prevent a child from going through the painful process of feeling like they are failing in the education process. There are not words powerful enough to describe the value of sparing a child even a day of negative experience in learning. Maggie makes that happen every day.
Maggie is an uncommonly skilled professional in terms of lending her ingenuity to her co-workers. As a direct result of the time she spends with students, she is able to observe each teacher in action. It would be easy for her to just write up a list of recommendations for improvement in teaching and be done with things; but that is not who Maggie is. Another of her endearing qualities is her innate need to tell the classroom teachers what they are doing that is working. Maggie never fails to give a compliment, inquire about a lesson she saw that went well, or to give her co-workers the proverbial pat on the back. Her guidance and experience are shared in a way that makes teachers feel supported and comfortable. When she does suggest techniques for improvement, it is always well thought out and said with great tact. Her door is always open and teachers are not intimidate d to go to her for help or support, because it seems that she always has not only the right answer, she's also got a plan to facilitate whatever is needed.
Maggie is a dedicated, innovative, and supportive member of Chapel Hill Academy, without whom we would simply not be as successful.
Maggie has spent many years advocating for children through Chapel Hill Academy as well. She has manned booths at both ASAH and Lincoln Park Day, which provide an opportunity to speak to educators, vendors, and community members about special education and the people it serves.
Maggie is a dedicated, innovative, and supportive member of Chapel Hill Academy, without whom we would simply not be as successful.
Maggie implemented the use of "Study Island", a test prep web site that is used throughout the school year, and sets up rewards that are earned every few weeks for students who have logged in the most time practicing. She served on the Academic committee during the Middle States re-accreditation process, and avails herself to parents and teachers for guidance in the support of students. Although it seems trivial, it is important to talk about the "textbook lady" hat. There are far more interesting tasks that Maggie takes on, but this one exemplifies the great effort that Maggie puts into every task. The wants, needs, and opinions of students, teachers, and parent s must all be taken into account. Maggie painstakingly gathers information regarding trends in education, researches the experience other programs have with different material, and spends a great deal of time reviewing samples with teachers. Once the material is ordered, she continues to assess the effectiveness of the material being utilized in the classroom to ensure that Chapel Hill remains at the top of our game, in terms of providing the most current and beneficial material for educating our students. Although it might sound like a small detail, it is a fact that Maggie is perfectly willing to go to the administration to gain approval to order one series of book s for a group of four 7th graders, who are not best served by the same textbooks as the other middle school kids. And that is exactly the reason that she is invaluable to students and staff. She doesn’t stop at what is cost effective. She doesn't quit when most students are taken care of. She works determinedly until each individual child has exactly what he or she needs to be successful.
Maggie's own community and neighbors benefit from her desire to serve children as well. As co-chair of the bake sale committee, she regularly facilitates fundraising events that provide assemblies and field trips to enhance the education of the children in her town. After organizing and running events such as BINGO night, Maggie was elected to the position of corresponding secretary of the P.T.A. in her town. This involvement in her own community makes her available to parents of children with disabilities, as well as typically developing children. She is able to advocate for valuable education through this position, as well as continue to inform members other community about the rights, needs, and success of special education and those it serves. Whether she is at her position on the t-ball field as "snack mom", or organizing the next sale that will fund educational events, she is able to lend her professional knowledge to parents and community members who have questions, concerns, or even just need someone to listen. Maggie has spent many years advocating for children through Chapel Hill Academy as well. She has manned booths at both ASAH and Lincoln Park Day, which provide an opportunity to speak to educators, vendors, and community members about special education and the people it serves.
Maggie is a dedicated, innovative, and supportive member of Chapel Hill Academy, without whom we would simply not be as successful.
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NAPSEC Direct Care Worker of the Year
Dr. Diane Gallager & Vanesa Wilkins HMS School for Children with Cerebral Palsy Vanessa WilkinsHMS School for Children with Cerebral PalsyPhiladelphia, PA
The students enrolled at HMS School for Children with Cerebral Palsy deal with numerous challenges of daily life as a result of their significant and multiple disabilities. Their complex medical needs, struggles to communicate and be heard, and extraordinary physical care needs make the workday of nursing care staff interesting, demanding and rewarding all at the same time. Vanessa Wilkins, Certified Nursing Assistant, consistently demonstrates a myriad of skills which leads to her success in meeting the special needs of our students, including some needs that aren’t always so obvious. She consistently maintains a calm and attentive demeanor, has outstanding personal work standards, brings a willingness and spirit of cooperation, and always demonstrates an innate kindness - all skills that distinguish Vanessa. Although small in stature, she is a cornerstone of the nursing and direct care team.
A tremendous effort is required by our students in order for them to communicate their needs and engage in social dialogue, especially as they use augmentative communication devices or specialized signs and vocalizations. This takes effort and patience on the part of the student as well as the listener! Vanessa regularly demonstrates patience, concern and respect as she communicates with our students. In the few years that Vanessa has worked at HMS, she has become an astute observer of subtle cues and reporter of changes in the students’ condition and their needs. She is pro-active in assuring the students that their needs will be addressed and communicates quickly and clearly to other staff members.
Vanessa’s supervisor summed it up, “What stands out to me, for example, when a student was having a crisis, the voice Vanessa used, her phrases, the kindness, and shall I say love and reassurance in her voice were so sincere.” They had a soothing effect on the student.
This is a perfect example of the special caring and commitment that Vanessa demonstrates towards the children in her care, every day.
It takes a great deal of courage for parents to entrust the care of their children with complex medical needs to our staff - often leaving them with someone other than a family member for the first time. Vanessa has worked, and continues to work diligently to develop and nurture trust with the families of those in her care. In return, she has earned that trust and the respect of families within our school community.
Vanessa not only listens to her supervisor, but other team members and not just those in the nursing department. She learns skills and takes recommendations from everyone she comes in contact with. Vanessa not only applies the skills and lessons herself, but she shares them with others allowing them to grow as well. She soaks up the instruction that is given as another way to become even better at what she offers our students.
HMS School values those who consistently carry out their duties in a way that demonstrates the core values of the school, behaves as a “Good Will Ambassador”, and is someone we never hesitate to have represent the school. Vanessa certainly fits that description. Our students, their families, and HMS School and staff are exceedingly happy and very fortunate to have her on our team.
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NAPSEC Related Service Provider of the Year
Dr. Geraldine Gibbia & Lynn Abelson The Phoenix Center
Lynn Abelson The Phoenix Center Nutley, NJ
The Phoenix Center is proud to recognize Lynn Abelson, a speech and language pathologist and DIR® Program Manager at The Phoenix Center. Lynn has been involved in the education field for over 25 years. She has experience working in public and private special education schools and preschools, center and home-based early intervention programs, and maintains a small private pediatric speech and language practice in northern New Jersey. Lynn is a leader in her profession and at The Phoenix Center and is applauded for her extensive involvement in the special education arena.
Lynn is also a sought after teacher, facilitator and presenter and tutors professionals seeking DIR® certification. Lynn’s extensive resume continues as an affiliate faculty member at The Center for Autism and Early Childhood Mental Health (CAECMH) at Montclair State University (MSU). The CAECMH serves as a center for professional development, education, clinical services and research around the issues of autism and infant and childhood development. Additionally, Lynn is an adjunct professor in MSU’s graduate certificate program in Developmental Models of Autism Intervention.
Lynn has developed, implemented, and directed several programs at The Phoenix Center that celebrate our students’ strengths and embrace their families. She is currently in her tenth year of chairing the Phoenix Hero program that brings the following FISH! Philosophy principles to our students: play, be present, make their day, and choose your attitude. She leads a team of twelve talented and enthusiastic staff members that work cooperatively to keep the program fresh and exciting and catch our students shining. Each month Phoenix Heroes and Hero Helpers are recognized at a celebration and families are invited to attend. Over the years, Lynn has been instrumental in expanding our staff’s conception of a hero as even our students with significant challenges are recognized at these events. Our Hero Helpers learn skills such as food preparation, table set-up, copying, laminating, designing Hero materials, and photographing and introducing their peers at the celebration.
Lynn is very dedicated to her students and continually seeks out opportunities to expand her skill set. Thus, she was thrilled when the school’s executive director asked her to develop and lead a pilot program using the Developmental, Individual-Difference, Relationship-based (DIR®) model as its framework for intervention. The DIR® model is a comprehensive, integrated approach that supports emotional, language, social, motor, sensory regulatory processing, and cognitive development within the context of meaningful relationships. After attending an introductory course in 2005, Lynn’s interest in DIR® was ignited and she returned to school with a strong commitment to lead the DIR®-based Bridge to Learning program. Additionally, she devoted four years to attain a DIR® certificate in Speech Language Pathology and Occupational Therapy.
Lynn continually reflects on the efficacy of the programs she leads to reflect the changing needs of our student population and facilitate innovative programming that ties into the student’s educational and community-based learning objectives. The Bridge to Learning program was initially implemented to provide individual, small peer interaction, and classroom language and morning circle intervention informed by DIR®/Floortime™ principles. Additionally, parent and staff training and educational opportunities are provided for staff and parents to develop their understanding of the DIR® model.
In an effort to integrate the DIR® model into the fabric of the Phoenix Center and to reflect the school’s current emphasis on vocational and community based instruction, the Bridge to Learning and the Supported Employment programs joined forces to develop the Integrated Vocational Group. The Supported Employment program offers quality job coaching services, both on and off site, to our students 16-21 years of age.
Lynn is very generous in sharing her talents and time to benefit the students and families of our school and the special education population at large.
The union before the two group was formed because the biggest challenge our students face is not learning the technical skills needed for their jobs but rather demonstrating communication, social problem solving and self-management (coping) skills critical for job success. To that end, Lynn brought together the supported employment program manager, the school psychologist, employment specialists, clinicians and educators to strengthen the link between what our students learn in class and what they need to be successful at their job sites. This team recognizes that the biggest challenge our students face is not learning the technical skills needed for their jobs but rather demonstrating communication, social problem solving and self-management (coping) skills critical for job success. The DIR® model promotes self-regulation, purposeful interaction, shared problem solving and awareness of self and others which are critical skills for job success! Under the direction of the supported employment program manager and Lynn, the student’s on-the-job experiences are incorporated into weekly groups in two team teaching classes. The content of the classes adheres to New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards and the focus is on employability, coping, and job related problem solving and purposeful communication skills. Teaching tools and strategies include adapted lessons from life skills and social skills books. Student interaction and engagement is encouraged through sharing job experiences and challenges and role- playing. The students’ reflective skills are fostered through viewing videotapes of themselves and classmates and role-playing.
Lynn is very generous in sharing her talents and time to benefit the students and families of our school and the special education population at large. In 2008, Lynn and another staff member organized a school team to participate in an Autism Speaks march. The school exceeded its fundraising goal and staff camaraderie and awareness of Autism was increased. The following year Lynn and her co-chair invited our students and their families to join the Phoenix Flyers team. As a member of the school’s Strategic Planning Committee she provides input and enthusiastically volunteers for family outreach events such as Pasta Night, Bowling, Restaurant Night, and Alumni activities. Additionally, Lynn shares her knowledge with the staff through in-service presentations and teaching continuing education courses on a wide array of topics. Lynn’s dedication to our children and their families extend beyond the boundaries of The Phoenix Center. She volunteers her time providing support and guidance to families navigating the special education maze. She has participated in the DIR®/Floortime™ Coalition of New Jersey for the past eight years. In the fall of 2012, she assumed the role of co-chair for this group. This group of parents and professionals meet monthly to promote the use of developmental intervention through an integrated, multidisciplinary framework.
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| National Association of Private Special Education Centers
Building Awareness ¨ Changing Lives
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