October Updates and Reminders
Calendar Reminders
- IEP Days (No school for students both campuses)- September 30, 2019 and October 1, 2019
- Weekend Workshops for Parents and Community Members- October 12, 2019 10:00-11:30 (See below for more information.)
- Columbus Day (No School for students both campuses) - October 14, 2019
- Surviving and Thriving Parent Support Group (Meeting at Annex)- October 19, 2019 10:00 am to 11:30 am (Childcare is provided with advanced registration.)
- Halloween Party- October 31, 2019 (More information to come)
- In-Service Day- (No School for students both campuses)- November 5, 2019
- Weekend Workshop for Parents and Community Members- November 9, 2019
- Dine and Donate: Grub Burger in Willow Grove- November 14, 2019
- Surviving and Thriving Parent Support Group (Meeting at Annex)- November 16, 2019 10:00 am to 11:30 am (Childcare is provided with advanced registration.)
- Thanksgiving Feast- November 25, 2019 (More information to come.)
- Thanksgiving Break- (Schools Closed for students and staff both campuses)- November 27, 2019 through November 29, 2019
Weekend Workshop Information
The first Weekend Workshop will take place Saturday, October 12th and will be led by Marybeth Harmer and Jillian Winn. The topic is ABA 101 for Parents, Caregivers, and Family Members. Please use the link below to access the flyer for more details and RSVP informationl
Help Support ASUA!
Thank you to everyone who attended the Dine and Donate night at Anthony’s Coal Fire Pizza! It was a great turnout, and everyone had a great time supporting ASUA! Our next Dine and Donate Night will be Thursday, November 14 at Grub Burger in Willow Grove. They will donate 20% of all sales including dine-in and to-go!
AmazonSmile – Who doesn’t love shopping on Amazon! Every time you make a purchase from Amazon.com, the AmazonSmile Foundation will make a donation to ASUA. Go to https://smile.amazon.com/ and select A Step Up Academy to be your charity of choice!
Giant A+ Rewards Program - Do you live near or shop at a GIANT Grocery Store? If so, you now have the opportunity to earn monetary rewards for A Step Up Academy! Obtain a GIANT BONUSCARD and register it online. Shop as usual and be sure to use your card at check-out to accrue points for ASUA. Cards only need to be registered for the program once. Our ID is 41057.
We still need vendors for our First Annual Holiday Market on Friday, December 6! If you or someone you know would like to be a vendor, please contact Trish Corvo at trish@astepupacademy.org. The Holiday Market will be your one-stop shop for holiday gifts for your whole family! Free childcare will be available while you shop.
Professional Visits
ASUA recognizes and values its role in supporting our students and families by assisting with bridging home and school. ASUA is as flexible as possible with accommodating classroom and related service observations by home therapists or psychologists from other agencies who are working with our students at home.
Throughout a school year, ASUA can get over 100 requests for visits by non-ASUA professionals. Maintaining the culture of the classroom and the comfort and safety of our students is our first priority. With that said, please be sure to be mindful of the following procedures for observation visits by your home team members:
1. ASUA requires current clearances in accordance with our school policy regarding specific clearances and timelines. These clearances must be provided two weeks in advance of the visit. Please have your home team members check with Marybeth Harmer or Jillian Winn regarding those requirements.
2. ASUA requires at least 48 hours notice of a requested visit by a home team member.
3. ASUA does not allow more than one person in a classroom at a time observing and observations are to be limited to one hour.
4. All visitors are required to sign in and receive a badge at the reception desk upon entering the building. When signing in, all visitors will be asked to provide a valid form of identification. For visitors from outside agencies, school districts, or that are otherwise not associated with the family, written permission for the visitation will need to be provided in advance from the parents.
5. ASUA reserves the right to determine to what level an observation may occur. This could include, but is not limited to, observing from the door versus inside the classroom.
6. To ensure privacy and confidentiality, visitors must only conduct observations of the student they were scheduled to see. Communication regarding other students is unacceptable. Similarly, no imagery (still or video) should be taken during an observation. Should a visitor violate these policies, they may be asked to leave the premises and future visitation rights may be revoked.
ASUA is thrilled to have just learned that we have been awarded a grant for an access control system and visitor management system. More information will be shared soon about those systems and any updated procedures or policies as a result.
Art is coming to ASUA!
Ev Smith has a B.A. with a concentration in Digital Fabrications from Arcadia University where he did his thesis on Sensory Processing Disorder. He taught sewing and 3D printing at the Lavner Summer Camps in Philadelphia. Ev is multi-talented and works in a variety of media.
Kay and Ev will be conducting art classes with ASUA students each month. Classes will take place at the Annex on the first Friday of the month and at Jenkintown on the third Friday. They will be working to introduce students to a variety of media in the disciplines of painting, drawing, and sewing. Smocks will be provided and media will be contained to the washable, but creativity is sometimes messy.
About Us
Annex: 2450 Hamilton Avenue- Rear Building, Abington, PA 19001
Email: jamiej@astepupacademy.org
Website: astepupacademy.org
Phone: 215-885-1075