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“Friends understand each other even if not a single word is spoken”
-By Shona Carle
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The school was fortunate to have the wonderful group of PenPALS from Sir Winston Churchill Secondary join us on two different occasions this term. Although the PenPALS have little experience with autism, they have lots of experience in having fun. When we come together, the result is always an afternoon full of excitement, exposure to new activities, and lasting memories.
In October, the PenPALS organized “PAL-o-ween”! The students were entertained with telling spooky stories; making creative masks, and dancing to music from Thriller and the Monster Mash(seeing the staff try to dance was especially scary!) The art was displayed on a large night time background, created in advanced by the talented artists from the PenPALS group. In keeping with tradition, the afternoon ended with a group sing-along and everyone was treated to a healthy snack of tangerines and celery that were peeled and arranged to look like little pumpkins. A very cool (and healthy) idea!
A winter theme of “Jingle PALS” brought a smaller team back in late November, and again there were several different fun activity stations the students rotated throughout. Jars were decorated and later filled with delicious hot chocolate, marshmallows, tea and sugar for all to enjoy later with family. Cute snowmen were made from doilies and everyone practiced their dance moves to both fast and slow-paced top 40! The staff members’ dancing skills are slowly improving as we learn a few new moves! Instead of a group sing-along, we all came together, sat in a big circle and shared our favorite winter memory while we passing a beautiful ball of wool back and forth to our friends. The result was a spectacular snowflake design.
A big thank you to all the PenPALS who volunteer their time and fund all the activities on their own. The afternoons we spend together are so special and we truly appreciate the great deal of thought and preparation that goes into each visit.
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Head of Adult Program Article
-By Karin Terado
Well, it’s been a very busy fall what with getting to know our new students and planning for this term – an exciting and challenging time of the year! Some of the highlights we’ve experienced over the past several months include: celebrating our Thanksgiving lunch together as a program, Beth and Karl’s amazing shopping expedition (more about that later!), Julia’s promotion (more about that later too!), new student intakes, shared classes with our Frog Hollow Neighbourhood House Seniors group who have cooked their way into our hearts and our 5th Annual Parent Meet and Greet. This year has been a special one as we once again welcomed our new parents and returning families but with an exciting twist. This year our families were able to see a special video, made especially for this event, entitled “Welcome to PALS Adult Program” which was made by our staff and students (special thanks goes to Nikki F who spearheaded this project). It highlights what the students do in the program, on a day-to-day basis, much more effectively than words can - and it’s funny too!
On a slightly different note I would like to say a special thank you to Sarah C. as she says goodbye to PALS. Sarah has been a dedicated, respected and very well-liked colleague and friend of the program. Her students have been very fortunate indeed to have had Sarah as their instructor and we have all benefitted greatly from her laughter, her sense of fun and her obvious joy and commitment to her work – we’ll miss you Sarah and the best of luck in all of your future endeavours!
In closing, as we prepare for the Christmas Season, and all of the exciting activities that lie ahead (decorating the office, a visit to see PALS Christmas Tree at the Sutton Place Hotel, staff parties, program parties and Secret Santa gifts, Christmas skits and staff/student lunches etc , I would like to take this opportunity to thank our community for your support, our donors, our Board of Directors, our staff and volunteers, but most of all our families and students who are the heart of PALS programs. Have a wonderful Christmas and a happy holiday season!
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Teaching Resources
– By Nicky Waring
Finding teaching resources suitable for adults with ASD has been a constant challenge at the Adult Program. So over the last year we have started work on a comprehensive curriculum covering Social Skills, Vocational Training, Community Participation and Life Skills with units of work and resources that will take the students through 3 levels of progression. We have also developed a detailed assessment and target setting program to assess students on entry and then assess their progress in each area every quarter. Throughout all areas of the curriculum we are also working on Executive functioning skills and are developing resources and strategies to help students with their planning and time management skills. The aim is to have a practical, age-appropriate curriculum and resources with high quality resources for young adults with a range of language skills that we could potentially share with other providers and the community.
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