Monarch School Of New England

Programs: With over 40 years of innovation and experience, the monarch school of new england is a unique, comprehensive year-round private, non-profit, special education day school for students with severe intellectual, physical, medical and developmental disabilities, ages 5 - 21. Some of the disabilities we serve include: autism, deaf-blindness, developmental delay, emotional disturbance, mental retardation, multiple disabilities and visual impairments. Younger students attend the foss site on eastern avenue while older students up to the age of 21 attend the williams site which includes a vocational program; both schools are located in rochester, new hampshire. Rooted in the belief that each child deserves an environment, in which they can flourish, the school designs programs based on the individual needs and capabilities of each student. Students here are seen for their abilities & for the capacity to learn and grow. Teachers, program assistants, education technicians, behaviorists, the school's psychologist, occupational therapists, nurses, physical therapists and speech/language pathologists are all involved in supporting a child's learning. It's an integrated team approach in which the needs of the whole person are addressed. Individual education programs (ieps) allow that each student has a customized individual program to include:academics - educational staff develops an academic program for each student based on chronological age, functional abilities and nh frameworks and common core standards. In any given classroom there are students with different abilities; teachers are able to present their lesson plan and adapt their presentation to accommodate those differing needs. Integrated approach - staff continually address the issue of developing activities that have multiple outcomes. An occupational therapy session could involve a writing lesson, an english lesson as well as a therapeutic intervention. This approach requires that teachers, therapists and educational technicians work collaboratively as a well-tuned team, ensuring that there is meaning at every level of any given teaching moment. Related services - therapy staff provide occupational, physical, speech/language, and behavioral and vision therapies. These talented and creative individuals offer traditional therapeutic interventions as well as an array of innovative opportunities such as aquatic therapy; hippo therapy and therapeutic riding; horticultural programming; recreational opportunities (i. E. , kayaking, snow shoeing, hiking, bowling, sledding to name just a few), aba and other behavioral therapy strategies. Vocational training - the vocational program begins with rudimentary skills (i. E. , sorting, stacking, assembling) and progresses to placement in community intern sites where they work in local business (i. E. , florist, public works department, auto parts store). Students are involved in a dog treat business enterprise. They purchase raw materials; mix and bake the treats; package and deliver the finished product to pet stores and vet clinics. Students re-stock and collect donations that are then used to support classroom activities and start the process over. Our goal is a smooth school-to- work transition. Community integration - students are exposed to the community though activities such as shopping for groceries, enjoying a meal at a restaurant, getting books from the library, playing at a public playground or attending a local theater production. We want our students to be comfortable in community settings and to enjoy the company of their fellow peers and residents. Transition - whether a student is transitioning from msne to the mainstream or from school to work our goal is to prepare them for continued learning and success. From their first day to their last, transition is an important consideration. Within 60 days of admission the student's team develops a plan that begins the process of transitioning to the home school or preparing for adulthood. Evaluations and assessments - our professional staff is available to our students and non-students alike. We administer a full battery of tools to determine each students ability level academically, developmentally, functionally and physically, in order to form a base from which to develop comprehensive and integrated educational programming.