Crossroads Monthly Report
May 2023
Principal's Message
I cannot believe that we are already entering the final month of the school year. The month of May has not only brought the beautiful weather, but also many fun activities here at Crossroads. Our Elementary school was invited to participate in a Mini Golf Trip at Hyatt Hills Golf Course sponsored by Connors’ Crew. They had a beautiful day playing golf and participating in a pizza party. Our Middle School program had their end of the year field trip at Funplex, where they were able to play games and go on rides. Crossroads was also visited by Union County Vice Chairwoman Kimberly Palmieri-Mouded who awarded the school with the Kids Dig In Grant and our Earthboxes for planting. May is also the month where we honor the wonderful staff who work tirelessly for the students of Crossroads. The staff here at Crossroads were treated to an appreciation lunch. We were all very touched by the generosity.
With the end of the year approaching I wanted to mention some of the special events we have coming up over the next few weeks. On Wednesday June 7 we will have our Preschool Stepping Up Ceremony for our students who are stepping up to Kindergarten or Preschool 4 next year. On June 14th we will host our 8th Grade Commencement Ceremony where we will honor our 8th graders who are moving on after this year.
Crossroads School is dedicated to providing students with an excellent educational experience. In order to ensure our school is meeting your needs and to identify areas where we could potentially address unmet needs, we have developed a feedback survey. We would greatly appreciate you taking 10-15 minutes of your time to provide us with your valuable insights. Your input will be vital as we ensure that we continue to provide the services that make us strong and work to improve in areas that need our attention.
You can access the survey at the following link: Union County ESC Feedback Survey
General Information
Enrollment as of April 27, 2023
Actual: 51
Changes: Entered: 1 Exited: 0
Referrals: 10
Intakes Scheduled: 6
Accepted: 3
Fire Drills: 5/25/23
Emergency Drills: 5/31/23 (Evacuation)
Upcoming Dates
June 7, 2023 - Preschool Stepping Up Ceremony
June 14, 2023 - 8th Grade Commencement
June 15, 2023 - Early Dismissal
June 16, 2023 - School Closed (Juneteenth)
June 19, 2023 - Early Dismissal
June 19, 2023 - Early Dismissal (Last Day of School)
Crossroads Staff and Student Spotlight
Student of the Month - Matthew
May’s student of the month is Matthew! He has grown so much this school year and has been transitioning from using his AAC to mostly spoken language. Although tiny in stature, his voice is mighty when he is communicating his wants and needs! Matthew impressed us beyond measure when he began asking for common items in full sentences. We are multilingual in 105, so we try to use Spanish and English in conjunction daily. Matthew has started saying “I want agua (water) independently”. Watching him transition from gestures to spoken language has been the most amazing thing to watch as a teacher. Academically, Matthew has been working hard to master new skills within motor imitation and listener responding. His attention to his friends and teachers throughout the school day has improved dramatically, and he has been initiating greetings all on his own! We love Matthew and 105 is so proud of everything he has accomplished!
Certified Staff of the Month - Alexis Lorenz - Teacher
1. How long have you been working at the commission?
I have been working at the commission for the past 4 years. This will be my 24th year working in the field of special education and I truly enjoy working with all the students and staff at Crossroads School.
2. What would we be surprised to find out about you?
On Sundays I volunteer as a “Buddy” to work with children and adults with intellectual, emotional and physical disabilities in teaching them soccer skills, self confidence and improve skills in relationship building.
3. What is your dream vacation?
My dream vacation would be to go on an African safari. I love to learn about different cultures and watch all the different animals in their habitat.
4. What is your favorite meal?
My favorite meal is Chicken Paprikash with dumplings. It is a Hungarian chicken dish made with onions, sour cream, paprika and other delicious ingredients. My grandmother made it the best and I am still working on perfecting her recipe.
5. What is your greatest accomplishment?
My greatest accomplishment is earning my degree in Special Education at Kean University. I am also proud to say that I followed in my father’s footsteps and became an educator. I know he would be very proud of me
Paraprofessional of the Month - Halley Daniels - Paraprofessional
1. How long have you been working at the commission?
I have been working at the commission for 3 years now. I am grateful to have learned so much in that time.
2. What would we be surprised to find out about you?
Something I think people would be surprised to find out is that I am a writer. I have studied medieval literature. I also write poetry and short stories.
3. What is your dream vacation?
My dream is to travel to Ireland and visit the city that my family came from.
4. What is your favorite meal?
If I had to pick one food it would be fried chicken. But I love to try new foods. I also love cooking so I am always trying new recipes.
5. What is your greatest accomplishment?
My greatest accomplishment is working in the Special Education field. I knew from a young age that I wanted to be a teacher. I love working with our students and feeling like I am making a difference.
Classroom Spotlights
Ms. Allison's Classroom
Much to Love About May
During the month of May, our students were very busy! We started off by celebrating Cinco de Mayo with a special snack of chips and salsa. Our students and families shared their love for Teacher’s Appreciation Week with a delicious luncheon, cards, gifts, and so many hugs. All of us were so thankful to Connors’ Crew for our first field trip in years!! Our entire elementary school played mini golf and had a special pizza lunch at the Hyatt Hills Golf Course. Students practiced social skills in the community, including taking turns, waiting in line, listening to staff, and cheering each other on. It was a wonderful day!
Self Reflection & Mental Health Awareness
Our classroom staff works very hard to not only meet the needs of our students, but to teach our students how to appropriately advocate for themselves. Many of our students are engaged in a positive behavior intervention system, where they earn stickers for independently listening, following directions, and demonstrating the friendship skills we have taught them. Leo, Lyla, Ava, and Harith all earned enough stickers to pick from the prize bin during May. They also practiced being peer buddies to their younger classmates, Yusef and Kenny, by engaging in hobbies and sharing with them! It’s wonderful to see the pride, joy, and friendship that grows from these important relationships!
Ms. Gaby's Classroom
What a blast it has been in 105 in the month of May! April showers bring May flowers, so we tried to be outside enjoying the sunshine as much as possible (pollen permitting!). Everyone has found their favorites on the playground and someone they are fond of sharing their recess time with. Noah and Matthew often say “Push please” to each other on the swings, Joshua and Dilan hang out on the bridge laughing, and you will often find Jose and Sidney walking the perimeter trying to find dandelions to blow in the wind. We also went on our first field trip and went mini golfing! As the school year winds down, we have been exploring new play skills and games. Our toy closet is full of games that require turn taking and waiting…so we have been playing whenever we can as a class. Dilan, Jose, Joshua, Matthew, Noah, and Sidney have done a phenomenal job describing what games and activities they want to play. Additionally, we have a basketball hoop in the classroom that the students (and staff!) regularly use to break up the day. Truth be told, we think all of 105 will be first round picks in the next NBA draft with how much our dribbling has improved! We have so much fun in 105 and are lucky to have had not only a fantastic May, but an incredible school year overall.
Therapy Spotlight
Speech Department
The Speech Department is happy to be reporting this month because it is Better Hearing & Speech Month. Did you know… “58% of teachers will have a voice disorder during their career”. This month we spread awareness to the school community of how to use better vocal hygiene tips for teachers and language enhancement tips & tricks for students!
Spring is in full swing in speech this month! Our students are being immersed into spring vocabulary and activities that make learning fun! In speech groups this month, we have done a spring scavenger hunt, made cookie flowers, and created butterflies out of coffee filters! The students have shown many smiles doing these hands-on activities. A great way to carryover growing language at home is to talk about things you see, especially while outdoors this time of year!
May at Crossroads
Crossroads was awarded Earthboxes as part of the Kids Dig In Garden Grant
May Field Trips
Crossroads in the Community
Out and about working on Community goals in Target
Specials Report - Mr. Pat- Music
Crossroads Parent's Corner - Jessyca Munera
A New App for Families
I am extremely happy to be able to introduce Crossroads to Iwonderspectrum, a social media platform forum that I created to bring parents with children on the spectrum together to share their ideas, concerns and get advice on anything that involves autism awareness and support. I wanted us to be able to share what has worked for us and maybe help another parent in need or a parent whose child has just been diagnosed with autism. This app will create a safe and supportive space for parents raising an autistic child, those who work in childcare with autistic children and people that are on the spectrum themselves. Forums on the app will explore different topics such as nutrition, education, community resources and much more. Iwonderspectrum is available on all platforms and all comments are able to be translated to your language of choice. I hope we can all connect and communicate and share this app to anyone we know thank you so much for your support.
For more information please click the link below
About Us
Website: https://www.ucesc.org/schools/crossroads_school
Location: 45 Cardinal Drive, Westfield, NJ, USA
Phone: 908-233-9317