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Perspective Newsletters
Fall 2000
RECREATION THERAPY
Page 2
During late September, students from both schools participated in a field trip sponsored by the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. The Chesapeake Bay Foundation is a private, non-profit conservation organization dedicated to "Save the Bay" with programs in environmental education and conservation.
 Our students took a trip on a "skipjack" harbored in Annapolis. The skipjack is a bay built sailboat designed to harvest oysters. The skipjack serves as an excellent platform for students to learn about oysters, the Chesapeake waterman, and the issues relating to the past, present and future of the bay and the people that make their living on it. The skipjack fleet on the Chesapeake Bay is the last fleet of boats in the United States working under sail. In the late 1800s there were close to 1,000 skipjacks on the bay. Now, there are less than ten oyster dredge boats that go out.
From the Annapolis harbor, students and accompanying adults motored on the Stanley Norman out onto the Severn River where students assisted setting up the sail and navigating out toward the Chesapeake Bay. Students learned parts of the skipjack, sail handling, and navigation skills. The philosophy for these field trips is that "doing" and first-hand experiences are the best ways to learn about the environment. The students talked with Captain Dave and Chesapeake Bay staff, Craig and Earl, about the history of the boat. Students studied a map of the Chesapeake Bay and the surrounding watershed and identified their location on this map. They dredged for oysters, threw a trawl net out and collected fish, crabs, and jellyfish. Living specimens were put into aquariums and students examined and picked up these different critters of the Bay. Earl even showed them how to shuck an oyster and explained how oysters filter pollutants from the Bay.
The students have talked about the trip ever since - they were involved in the trip and its activities. They asked questions of the staff, worked together as a team to pull up the sail. When asked what they learned, the students remembered that Craig had told them that what you net from the water is a reflection of the overall health of the Chesapeake Bay.
LEARY SCHOOL PROGRAMS
Welcome to the 2000-2001 school year - both to new and returning staff and students. We had a very successful ESY program again this year - our biggest yet with over 90 students. Their theme - Down on the Farm - was carried out through trips to working farms and integrated curriculum in the classrooms that, for some of our older students, included budgeting and, for our younger groups, vocabulary and learning about animals. Congratulations to everyone who made this summer a great one!
Our two-week orientation for both new and returning staff offered us an opportunity to learn new skills and brush up on the basics. All of our staff is now MANDT trained and prepared to use group counseling in a positive and productive way. We have also renewed our commitment to maintain a drug and alcohol free environment for our students through a multi-faceted approach, including education, treatment and predictable consequences.
Along with the many educational and personal goals for this school year, both schools have implemented a school-wide values initiative. In the first semester, we will be focusing on self control, responsibility, and respect. In the second semester, we will discuss tolerance, cooperation, and forgiveness. We will kick off this study of values with a school-wide essay or project contest. Students can either write about one of the first three values or complete a project - maybe a drawing or a classroom play - to demonstrate their understanding. After that, the classrooms will develop lessons to help students learn the meaning of these values and demonstrate their understanding.
This fall has found many of our students on recreation therapy outings. While many of our younger groups have been to local parks, some of our older groups have ventured farther afield - boating trips on the Potomac River and two one-day trips on one of the remaining "skipjacks" on the Chesapeake Bay. Please see the article within this newsletter that will explain it more!
We wish for all of you - students, staff, parents, and friends - a healthy and productive year.
Francesca Creo, Director of Programs
Deni Brancheau, Program Director
PARENTS' SUPPORT GROUP
We are once again sponsoring the Parents' Support Group. All parents and/or guardians are welcome at these meetings, which run from 7:00 - 8:30 every other Wednesday at Leary School, Prince George's County. Transportation and child care for younger children (ages 2-13) are available upon request.
Many of our parent/guardians tell us that these meetings serve to help them feel heard, understood, and supported by each other and by the group facilitators. They exchange thoughts, feelings, and suggestions that they are then able to try out and share the outcome with the group at the next meeting.
The upcoming schedule includes November 1, 15th, and 29th; December 13th, and January 10th and 24th.
If you have any questions or need to arrange for transportation or child care, please call Dr. Caracosta in Virginia (703-941-8150) or Ms. Alexanderwicz in Maryland (301-839-5486).
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