Coveconnectionspring

THE

CoveConnection

Cove’s Mission and Vision Statements

A quarterly publication for the Cove Community

The Cove School provides highly individualized education and life strategies for children with learning disabilities.

Spring 2016

Victorious Cove Cougars!

By John R. Stieper III, Director of Education

The Cove School, a private K – 12 day school, is a national leader in educating children with learning disabilities. Cove was founded by pioneers in the field of learning disabilities in 1947. Cove provides children from diverse backgrounds with an individual educational experience in a safe and respectful environment. Cove’s dual purpose is to provide students with customized learning strategies to complete an academic curriculum and to facilitate the development of their social, emotional and self-advocacy skills. Cove’s approach to learning creates an environment for students to build the self-confidence necessary to make a successful transition to their community schools, or to make post-secondary choices.

THE

CoveConnection

The Cove Connection is a quarterly publication circulated to parents of the Cove community.

The content is provided by teachers, staff, and administrators. Photography and layout are handled by Abby Lasky, Development and Communications Coordinator. All questions

The Cove junior high blue team receives awards at the Special Olympics Basketball Tournament in Bloomington

We have a lot to celebrate! It has been an outstanding season for our junior high and high school basketball teams. While both teams had several victories throughout their season at home and away games, there are two basketball tournaments that stand out.

regarding the Cove Connection can be directed to Abby at alasky@coveschool.org, or by calling (847)562-2100 ext. 2221. Your suggestions and feedback are welcome!

Inside this Issue

Cove basketball teams placed first, second, and third in their divisions at the Special Olympics

Basketball Tournament in Bloomington, IL. The junior high blue basketball team won gold medals; the junior high yellow basketball team won silver medals; and the high school basketball team won bronze medals. Not only did our students play well together as a team, they also demonstrated exemplary sportsmanship both on and off the court. Our players were excellent representatives of Cove School. continued on page 4

Cougar Basketball 1 Director of Education 2 Student Council 2 Clinical Connections 3 Cougar Basketball cont. 4

Elementary Update UL Safety Presentation Entrepreneurship Spring Cleaning Alumni Reunion

5 5 6 6 6

Education Funding Parent Ed Series Project Fair V- Show Careers Day

News From Art Room

7 7 8 8 9

Parent Association Footsteps Project Junior Mall Visits Summer School Cove 5K

10 11 11 12 12

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From the Desk of the Director of Education

By John R. Stieper III, Director of Education

I’d like to take a moment to highlight two Cove seniors for their leadership and contributions to making our school and community a better place.

Lisa Hiebl is the recipient of the Techny Bridge Builder Award. This award was created to honor a group of outstanding high school students from the northern suburbs of Chicago who have modeled kindness and empathy, and who contribute their time and talent to better their school and our world. Lisa is a Cove senior who is dedicated to her academics and giving back to her school and community. Lisa is well respected by her peers and teachers.

Lisa stands out as a positive role model and leader as seen in her service as a Big Buddy mentor to elementary students, and her participation in Cove community service projects (warm clothing drive, food pantry collection, and Orphans of the Storm pet supply collection). Lisa also creates vibrant flower arrangements that she donates to

brighten school learning spaces and community events. In addition, Lisa demonstrates a capacity for leadership through her service to student council.

Diana Ferarro was honored at this year’s annual Illinois Principals’ Association North Cook Student recognition breakfast. Diana is a Cove senior who demonstrates a capacity for leadership through her service to student council and her participation in the high school Holocaust Museum leadership day. She shows responsibility with regards to attendance, and She demonstrates pride, dignity, and respect in personal conduct and relations with peers.

She is a good role model to others as seen in her participation in Cove’s Big Buddy program. Diana acts responsibly and encourages responsible actions by others. She has led and participated in several community service projects, such as the collection of oranges for lunches for the local homeless shelter. She exhibits dedication to school, staff, and her fellow students.

We are very proud of Lisa and Diana for their contributions to our school and community.

Lisa Hiebl (center left) receiving the Techny Bridge Builder Award

Diana Ferarro (center) receiving the Illinois Principals’ award

Student Council Supports Orphans of the Storm

By Dr. Robin Johnstone, Ph.D., NCSP Clinical Director

During the month of February, our High School Student Council sponsored a collection of pet food and supplies for Orphans of the Storm in Riverwoods, IL. This animal shelter is known for its quality care of dogs and cats. Many Cove students volunteer their time at the shelter especially in their spacious cat room.

On Tuesday, February 23, council members delivered the food and supplies that were donated by Cove students, fam-

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ily members, and staff. Eight students accompanied Dr. Johnstone and Mrs. Gray to the shelter. 303 Taxi graciously donates the taxi ride back and forth from the shelter, so please thank these drivers when you see them or use their services as they are strong supporters of Cove.

As always, the student council is very grateful for the generosity of Cove community members. Their service projects are met with enthusiastic participation.

Get ready for upcoming events including a book drive for local children’s homes.

Clinical Connections

By Dr. Robin Johnstone, Ph.D., NCSP Clinical Director

Spring is here! This season of the school year is filled with decisions as students start looking toward transitions that could include a move to junior high or high school or even a college program. State testing has been completed and some of our older students will be taking placement tests or the ACT exam. While all of these experiences are a natural part of the educational process, they can still be very stressful.

accommodations such as various methods of presentation (directions read aloud, repeated, or altered with assistive technology), methods of response (use of technology or scribe), extended time or a flexible schedule, and finally, having students take a test in a small group or one-to-one.

Everyone is affected by stress and reacts to it in different ways. Stress is a way that our body responds to the demands made upon us by the environment, our relationships, and our perceptions and interpretations of those demands. Good stress is that optimal amount of stress that results in our feeling energized and motivated to do our best work. Good stress encourages us to develop effective coping strategies to deal with our challenges, which ultimately contributes to our resilience. Bad stress occurs when our coping mechanisms are overwhelmed by the stress and we do not function at our best. The same event can affect children and adults in very individual ways. One

Parents can assist in the reduction of stress. It is important to remember that your emotions have a direct impact on your child. Thus, if you show signs of stress or anxiety, your child will be very sensitive to that and can display some of those same characteristics. How can you help? Here is a list provided by the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) • Be aware of your child’s behaviors and emotions.

• Build trust with your child.

• Be available and open to talk with your child when they are ready.

Good stress encourages us to develop effective coping strategies to deal with our challenges, which ultimately contributes to our resilience. person may see a carnival ride as thrilling and another may see it as a major stressor.

Stress can become distress when we are unable to cope, or when we believe that we do not have the ability to meet the challenge. The solution is to adapt, change, and find methods to turn that bad stress into good stress.

• Encourage the expression of feelings.

At Cove, we offer students multiple opportunities and strategies to reduce stress. Practicing Calm Classroom activities, working within the Camp Cope-A Lot curriculum, or participating in Cognitive Behavior Therapy are just some of the programs that we offer. In addition, we support students by reducing test anxiety. This is accomplished by providing study guides, teaching study skills, and allowing students to take practice tests. Testing

• Encourage physical activity, good nutrition, and rest.

• Teach and model good emotional responses.

• Encourage them to tell you if they feel overwhelmed.

• Encourage healthy and diverse friendships.

• Teach your child to problem solve.

• Remind your child of his or her ability to get through tough times, particularly with the love and support of family and friends.

• Keep your child aware of anticipated family changes.

• Monitor television programs that could worry your child and pay attention to the use of computer games, movies, and the Internet.

• Use encouragement and natural consequences when poor decisions are made.

• Help your child select appropriate extracurricular activities and limit over-scheduling.

• Make your child aware of the harmful effects of drugs and alcohol before experimentation begins.

• Monitor your own stress level. Take care of yourself.

• Contact your child’s teacher with any concerns and make them part of the team available to assist your child.

• Seek the assistance of a physician, psychologist, or social worker if stress continues to be a concern.

Adapted from: “Stress in Children and Adolescents,” Ellis P. Copeland, Helping Children at Home and School III: Handouts for Families and Educators, NASP, 2010.

The full handout is available online at http://www.nasponline.org/families.

As a community, let’s work together to establish a less-stress filled educational experience for our students. Working together with these various programs and strategies, we can equip the students and ourselves with powerful tools to have us cope with the daily challenges that we face.

Perhaps this can be best summarized by a quote from the author, Maya Angelou, “If you don’t like something change it; if you can’t change it, change the way you think about it.”

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Victorious Cove Cougars - Continued It was an exciting weekend at the CAAEL Tournament and Art Fair. The high school blue team won 1st place in their division; Luke Janosy won the 3 point shoot out contest in the high school division; the high school yellow team placed 5th in their division; and the junior high team placed 5th in their division. Cove students once again played hard, and demonstrated good sportsmanship both on and off the court. All three teams won trophies for their good team sportsmanship.

On another note, we also received some exciting news from the CAAEL Art Fair. Congratulations to Dustin Vo for taking 2nd place for his “Three Wolves� sculpture and to Luca Joseph who received an honorable mention for his color pencil optical illusion drawing. Cove was well represented by several young student artists at the CAAEL Art Fair. We are very proud of all of our talented student artists. Special thanks to our art teacher, Laura Silverberg, for encouraging our students to share their creative talents and for making it possible for them to participate in the CAAEL Art Fair.

Special thanks to our coaches: Brett Goldberg, Bill Norwell, Rob Wachowiak, Heather Bergren,

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Regina Aniolowski, Stacy Franke, Ilyas Dagli, Adrienne Testa, and Daron Teske for their hard work, leadership, and dedication to our players and our school. They make it possible for our students to further develop their athletic skills and grow as a team, as well as participating in the Special Olympics and CAAEL Tournaments.

Thanks to our Cove cheerleaders and pom squad and their coaches Brenna Akrap, Kristy Bonolo, Krystle Schrantz, Lauren Baylian, and Stephanie Divito, for showing their school spirit and cheering on the Cove cougars to play their best all throughout the season.

Additionally, we extend a huge thank you to our Cove families, friends, and staff for cheering on the players all season long. Your ongoing presence and support at home, away, and at weekend-long tournaments meant the world to our players.

Congratulations to the junior high and high school basketball teams on a great season, and on their all star performances at the downstate Special Olympics Basketball Tournament in Bloomington and at the CAAEL Basketball Tournament in Arlington Heights. WAY TO GO COUGARS!

Elementary Update

By Laurie Bender, Elementary Case Manager February was a month of enthusiasm and innovation. The elementary project fair was a huge success. The science and social studies classes showcased their hard work with projects that were displayed in the hallways in front of each classroom. Mrs. Franke‘s and Mrs. Petersen’s classes used both posters and tangible objects to teach us about the planets in our solar system. In Mrs. Bonolo’s class, each student took a topic of interest that included the planets, the water cycle, and landforms. Mrs. Campbell’s class brought the Stone Age to Cove School by displaying housing, clothing, and food used by people of that era. Ms. Hollander’s class brainstormed ways to move a meteorite. Mrs. Bender’s students created posters demonstrating severe weather conditions using visuals and unique materials.

The variety show proved the students’ exceptional talents. From singing and dancing to stand-up comedy and martial arts, Cove students went above

and beyond. We are so proud of them!

UL Presents Important Safety Information to Cove Elementary Students

By Stephanie Pritzker, Director of Development

In recognition of Black History Month, each classroom took a step back through history by researching information about African Americans. The students designed footprints to symbolize their journey while noting their accomplishments during their lifetime.

To enrich the students’ understanding of these famous heroes, the footprints were displayed on classroom doors to share with everyone.

Product evaluators from Underwriter Laboratories came to visit and present Safety Smart, a program to raise students’ awareness on fire safety as well as health and fitness. Some classes learned about the dangers of not changing a smoke detector battery and developed an action plan if a fire were to occur. Other classes learned about healthy habits including eating, sleeping and good hygiene.

The Cove School is so proud to have a new relationship in our local community. UL! UL is a global independent safety science company with more than a century of expertise innovating safety solutions from the public adoption of electricity to new breakthroughs in sustainability, renewable energy, and nanotechnology. Dedicated to promoting safe living and working environments, UL helps safeguard people, products, and places in important ways; facilitating trade and providing peace of mind.

As you can see, it’s been a fun-filled spring here at Cove School!

In an effort to help keep children safe and healthy around the world, UL developed Safety Smart.® Safety Smart is a global educational program designed to improve children’s awareness and understanding of safety, health, and environmental issues, and ultimately impact their behavior.

Through its efforts, Safety Smart cultivates safety awareness, provides opportunities for children to learn and practice safe behaviors, and helps children make more informed safety choices today and in the future.

We were privileged to have UL ambassadors come to Cove classrooms to share their work to keep us safe! Thank you UL.

Left: An elementary classroom display honoring Black History Month with “Footsteps in History.” Top right: Ms. Hollander’s classroom meteorite project. Bottom right: Ms. Campbell’s classrooms’ stone age project.

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Entrepreneurship Class Learns About Starting a Business

By Carol Burke, High School Case Manager

Mrs. Burke’s and Ms. Ava’s Entrepreneurship class acquaints students with the knowledge of designing, launching, and running a new business. This course began with defining the characteristics and skills of an entrepreneur. The students were given an opportunity to market a new product to sell in the school store.

To prepare, they did market research to develop a business plan.

The “team members” sent out an all school survey to get ideas on which prod-

ucts were needed in the school store and conducted a focus group to determine which product they would market.

included total projected sales, expenses, total product cost, shipping & handling, and marketing.

Their findings determined that fidgets were needed in the school store. They chose Puffer Ball Baby Bear fidgets and decided on a mission statement, We strive to make people stay cool, calm, and collected by providing The Cove School with fidgets.

Their marketing plan advertised the fidgets during the morning announcements, and posters and fliers were hung up throughout the building.

They provided a financial plan that

A visual presentation was provided to a panel and the students became fully immersed in their business. The plan was approved and the project was a success, as they sold out completely.

“Spring Cleaning” at Cove

By Corey Hillman, High School Case Manager

On Tuesday, March 8th, Ms. Hillman’s, Ms. Bergren’s, and Mr. Farrell’s 6th period Sophomore Advisory classes decided to help out the Cove Community. Natalie Flanagan, Ava Mondi, Carli Kaufman, Charlie Paul, D. C. Carr, Jacob Riedler, Nick Lasalvia, and Gio Sanders.

Cove Alumni Reunion

By Luisa Rapisarda, Transition Specialist

On Friday, January 8, 2016, Cove School hosted an Alumni party for the 2010-2015 graduating classes. The evening included a creative art project and a variety of board games. Thirty-four graduates reminisced about their years at Cove; they shared stories of their successes; they enjoyed each other’s company; and they had the opportunity to exchange contact information. Many members of the Cove staff also attended, and everyone is looking forward to the next alumni event!

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We decided to pick up litter on the Cove School property. It was a beautiful day, but we quickly realized that our campus was not. We ended up filling four bags with garbage. It was not the easiest job we have ever done, but it was a lot of fun and worth the work. Now we know our

campus is a lot cleaner, and we know that we are the reason why. We are trying to think of another great opportunity for us to use our skills to help make our community better, whether it be the Cove community, the Northbrook community, or another surrounding community.

Making a Difference – Education Funding

By Dr. Sally Sover, Executive Director

The Cove School is dedicated to serving the needs of students with complex learning disabilities and currently serves 155 students from over 60 different school districts in Illinois and Wisconsin. Enrollment at our school is higher than ever, and next year we are expecting enrollment to increase even more. Our school and staff recognize the challenges our families have faced and work hard to be sure that all of our students’ needs are met despite the financial crisis that is underway within our state. Through our Board of Trustees, we-

Advisory Board. Both are active advocates for special education in our state and actively support the efforts of our school. Through my role as the President of IAPSEC (Illinois Association of Private Special Education Centers), I also have the opportunity to meet with legislators throughout the state to advocate for special education in general and to be a voice for the full continuum of services and placements that are critical in a state of ever decreasing resources. Our students can’t

State Senator Julie Morrison with her husband at donor event

Educational funding reform is a major goal for all of our legislative leaders in Illinois, and the uncertainty that comes from a state in financial crisis continues to cause concern amongst us all. The education funding crisis in Illinois is a significant one and one in which the Cove School monitors closely.

Dr. Sally Sover (center) pictured with past Board of Trustee President, Carey Cooper, and current Board of Trustee President, Dan Dickinson

have a Legislative Task Force who works with our legislative consultants to align ourselves closely with the key legislators in our state. We are thrilled to specifically have Senator Julie Morrison and Representative Elaine Nekritz on our Civic

Parent Education Series

wait for the state to fix their problems, and no solutions appear to be in sight.

conversations and staying close to legislative actions is a high priority for us.

Currently, budget proposals from ISBE and from the Governor’s office differ greatly. The focus on developing a more equitable model for education funding within a system of total inadequate funding creates an environment in which every group is fighting for every dollar. Targeted special education funding is at risk and needs to be protected.

As a member of our community, I encourage you to also stay connected to the legislators in your area and to meet with them to speak firsthand of the challenges you face. Educating our legislators is important and no one understands the impact of these financial crises on individual families better than you. If there are any legislators you would like for Cove to stay closely connected to, please let me know.

Over the past couple of months, we have met with Superintendent Tony Smith, Illinois Secretary of Education, Beth Purvis, and Tim Imler from the ISBE Division of Disbursements. Through these discussions, we have been able to actively advocate for the needs of our students and for the funding that desperately needs to be preserved. Continuing these types of

Cove’s responsibility to serve the community is great and the ways in which we unify for the good of the special needs community is important – especially in times like these.

Sincerely, Sally L. Sover, Ed.D. Executive Director

By Christine Becker, Transition Specialist

On March 1, the Parent Educations Series welcomed Teri Steinberg who provided information on transitioning to adulthood. She very capably and clearly explained the complicated Illinois Adult Services System. Teri addressed topics

that included PUNS, secondary education, training programs/employment, financial responsibilities, social/recreational, healthcare/self-care, and housing.

This program was well received by the many families who were in attendance.

A lively discussion ensued as parents began to understand the diversity of the agencies and services facing them as they assist their sons and daughters navigating their transition journey.

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Imagine That! The Cove School Project Fair and Variety Show

By Dr. Robin Johnstone, Ph.D., NCSP Clinical Director

On Wednesday, February 17, Cove elementary and junior high students proudly displayed an array of projects illustrating various science and social studies concepts. Didn’t you like the way the students integrated technology into their projects? Weren’t the 3D boards just wonderful? Did you notice how the students used multi-media in the creation of the exhibits? What a fair it was!

even had acts that combined age groups as students supported one another. How courageous these students are to perform in front of a gym full of family and friends!

Start working on acts for next year!

As a climax to the evening, one-third of our Cove students illustrated their gifts and talents during our annual Variety Show. We were treated to comedic acts, song, and dance. In true Cove fashion, we

Careers in the Classroom 2016

By Marla Altshul, Transition Specialist On Thursday, March 17, Cove held its annual Career Day with 21 presenters from a wide range of career categories. We are grateful to all who participated and took time out of their work day to talk with students at “Careers In The Classroom 2016.” As in past years, this was a successful and enriching experience for Cove students. Students appreciate the exposure to realistic attainable careers, which is why this day is so valuable and informative.

students (present and past), relatives, and community businesses.

The Career Day program allows all the students in junior high and high school to choose four career presentations they have an interest in attending. Elementary students choose three careers and participate in a career related art project.

In the afternoon, the entire school came together for an all-school presentation. The Chicago Blackhawks had two representatives from the marketing and ticket sales departments. Rebecca Goldstein and T.R. Johnson spoke about how they became interested in sports marketing and suggested that students follow their hearts and pursue what they are passionate about. Rebecca was wearing her Stanley Cup playoff ring (the same one the team members get) and gave us an up-close look. Tommy Hawk, the Blackhawk team mascot also made a special guest appearance. He dazzled us with his dance moves, sprayed us with silly string, and threw out t-shirts to the crowd!

The days’ presenters included individuals with careers in the following fields: advertising, video game design, web coding, software development, music, veterinary medicine, real estate, auto parts sales, shipping/logistics, law enforcement, fire fighting, nursing, physical therapy, human resources, hairdressing, fish mongering, social work, dog training, and respiratory support. Among the presenters at Career Day 2016 were many parents of Cove

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Students could choose to dress up for the day. Junior high and high school students dressed in business causal attire, while some elementary students dressed up as “what they wanted to be when they grow up.” There were several future teachers, some professional athletes, firefighters, police officers, and even a fairy princess mom!

Another amazing Career Day for the books!

News from the Art Room

By Laura Silverberg, Art Teacher

2016 is the year of the multimedia artist. We began the semester with a sewing and weaving unit. Some classes sewed and embellished their own stuffed animal, while others created a tie-dyed and laced pillow for their room at home. Several of the classes are working on needlepoint projects and everyone created a 3-D wacky weaving mat which are currently on display at the front of the school. A favorite was our 3-D optical illusion drawings of hands and tunnels where the students practiced drying curved lines and shading to create dimension to their drawings.

2016 is also the year of the recycled art projects. Several classes created crayon sculptures, while others used all forms of recycled treasures to create a Louise Nevelson style sculpture. After gluing objects into an interesting pattern of shapes and textures, the students chose one monochromatic color to spray paint their sculpture.

One student was so entranced by the different objects he selected that his unique creation resembled a puzzle like the “I Spy” game we all know and love.

Two Important dates were also celebrated with the creation of art. Dr. Seuss’s birthday on March 2, produced art in the style of Dr. Seuss from everyone’s favorites Yertle the Turtle, If I Ran the Zoo, and Oh the Places You’ll go.

Perhaps the most newsworthy art project was our March 15 Cove caucus. Students Schoolwide voted for the candidate they believed would be the next President of the United States by coloring in a picture of that candidate.

As a result, we have predicted the following: the Democratic nominee will be Hillary Clinton and the Republican nominee will be Donald Trump. We will have to wait until November to confirm if our predictions were correct.

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“Thank You”

to the all the parents that support and volunteer at Cove events!

Save the date for our Volunteer Luncheon on Thursday, May 26th.

2016 Benefit Committee Congratulations to our phenomenal 2016 Annual Benefit Committee. We couldn’t be more proud of an amazing group of volunteers who made the event the success that it was! Whether it was strategizing about what silent auctions items to bundle, writing endless copy for our bid book, soliciting donations, running errands, or making time to attend meeting after meeting, we are grateful. Thank you!

The

Power of Possibilities THE COVE SCHOOL BENEFIT 2016

Cove Parent Association News

By Maureen Klatt, Parent Association President

The Parent Association had a very busy quarter! Once again, the Elementary and Junior High Students had the opportunity to swim in the winter at Lifetime Fitness!

This year’s event was a blast! It was held on Friday, February 5th, and it included an afternoon filled with swimming, sliding, pizza, gym games, and lots of socialization.

Health and Wellness Day at Cove combined with Jump Rope for Heart was held on Thursday, April 7th. The students started their day off with a healthy snack and then headed into the gym to participate in a variety of fitness activities including the Jump Robe for Heart Program. This day is filled with ideas on healthy choices they can make every day!

Our Dave and Busters Elementary and

Junior High Social was held on Friday April 8th. Students traveled to the Vernon Hills location for an afternoon of arcade games, video games, yummy food, and prizes all packed into one event of pure fun.

Our last General PA Meeting was held Wednesday, April 12th featuring Dr. Warren Rosen discussing important transition decisions for your student. We welcome all ideas for next year’s program topics!

Contact Stephanie Pritzker at spritzker@coveschool.org Start looking for the SchoolKidz in your student’s backpack or on the Cove Web site under School Supplies. Each year we partner with a school supply company that will both save you time and money. Again this year we have partnered with SchoolKidz, who offer us the best prices and have a list of everything your student needs for the upcoming 2016-2017 school year. No need to go to several different stores looking for the correct items and prices!

Save the date for our very popular “Grandparents’ and Special Friends’ Day” on April 29!

Feel free to contact any of our Parent Association steering committee members to volunteer or to suggest any

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new ideas you may have.

Maureen Klatt, President mkklatt@aol.com (847) 212-4990 Debra Johnson, Social Programming (debj3@sbcglobal.net (312) 524-4055 Betsy Crosswhite, Committee thecrosswhites@yahoo.com (773) 415-9624 Cindy Phelan, Committee Phelan847@yahoo.com (312) 752-7445 Tracey Redderoth, Committee redderoth@sbcglobal.net (630) 408-8198

High School Students Take a Walk in the Shoes of Giants

By Alex Laube, Math Resource Teacher and Annemarie Bennett, Media Center Specialist

Recently, Cove High School students were challenged to read a biography of a contemporary or historical person for whom the trait of perseverance was necessary to overcome a life challenge.

Since this project fell during Black History Month, many students drew inspiration from a wide range of heroes including Willie Mays to Ntozake Shange to Michaela DePrince. As teachers, we asked ourselves how we could take this assignment in a direction that would allow our students a chance to interact with each

other as a community of authors while fostering a positive learning environment that celebrates student achievement.

To achieve those goals, we asked our students to imagine what it would be like to walk in that person’s shoes, and what kind of shoes their subject might wear.

The students were then asked to bring in a shoe that represents their subject. Once the essays were complete, the papers were laminated and rolled up into the shoes and placed into organizers on the high school doors. As the sneakers, high

heels, dress shoes, and flats began to appear, the project came to life, showcasing the diverse perspectives of our students.

As a celebration of the students, their efforts, and their creativity, the entire high school came together for a Gallery Walk during which they had the opportunity to read the essays, complete a scavenger hunt, and mingle. Perrier, cheese, crackers, and the piano stylings of Mr. Seale made the gallery walk a festive and enjoyable time.

Junior High Students Go Out Into the Community for “FRIDAY Mall Day!�

By Tracee Gerber and Elizabeth Cortez, classroom teachers/case managers

Every other Friday throughout the school year the students in the junior high take the long walk over to Northbrook Court for lunch. The Junior High is accompanied by homeroom teachers/case managers, instructional assistants, and a variety of other support staff.

At the mall, students have an opportunity to practice skills and strategies related to individual IEP goals and quarterly benchmarks, as well as set personal goals. The focus is on public safety, social communication, self advocacy, money skills, and the Cove CHAMPS expectations all in a real world setting! Students receive direct instruction in these areas by participating in a variety of small group lessons and activities. These activities are facilitated by social work, speech/language, transition, and math teams, based on an integrative approach to learning. Each year, Friday Mall Day quickly becomes a valuable and favorite experience for staff and students!

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Sign up for Summer School at Cove - Registration Now Open!

Register for summer school now at: http://www.coveschool.org/program/summer-school.cfm

extended school year

The Cove School is proud to offer a comprehensive summer school program. Classes begin on June 17th and will be held daily from 9:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. School will be closed on Monday, July 4.

their school district. Whatever the reason, The Cove School meets the needs of the individual student by tailoring a schedule for each child. All classes have a maximum of ten students.

Basic academic courses are offered in the morning while electives and specialized instruction are offered in the afternoon.

Students new to Cove must submit their most recent IEP and diagnostic evaluations for placement in the program. All new and private pay students should fill out the online registration form found in “quick links” on the Cove website at www.coveschool. org. Private pay students can mail in a non-refundable deposit of $200 made payable to The Cove School by May 15, 2016.

The balance of tuition is due June 17, 2016.

Summer school at Cove is a unique experience for students with learning disabilities.

Students at Cove feel safe and supported.

Students get what they need to learn, and are accepted for who they are.

Summer school at Cove meets a variety of student needs. Some students need to maintain skills previously learned in a variety of subjects, others need remediation in a particular subject. High school students may need additional credits, still others may attend because of a requirement by

ESY

Lunch and transportation are not included in the tuition. Private pay parents are responsible for their child’s transportation.

Students who receive funding from their school districts also need to fill out the registration form.

The Cove School Summer Program June 17 - July 29

For more information and admissions, contact Dr. Robin Johnstone, Clinical Director, at 847-562-2100. Dr. Johnstone can also be reached by email at rjohnstone@coveschool.org.

Register for the race now at: http://www.coveschool.org/giving/cove-5k-run-walk.cfm If you, or a business you know of would like to be a race sponsor which includes free race entries and your company logo on our 5K t-shirt, please contact Stephanie Pritzker at spritzker@coveschool.org or call (847)562-2100.

SAVE THE DATE!

For The Cove School Annual 5K

Saturday, June 18, 2016 8:00 a.m. Erickson Woods

Winnetka Forest Preserve (Willow Road just east of the Edens Expressway) This is a chip timed race. Medals will be awarded for top finishers in each age category.

www.coveschool.org Contact Stephanie at spritzker@coveschool.org

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