Coveconnectionwinter

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.

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 adminstrators. Photography and layout are handled by Abby Lasky, Development and Communications Coordinator. All questions 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

Winter 2016

The Cove School Board of Trustees – strategically-focused, personally engaged

Front Row from left to right: Ross Vangalis, Rob Flanagan, Lisa Flanagan, Maureen Klatt, Joseph Hickey, Dan Dickinson Back Row from left to right: Jay Goodgold, Jim Ball, Michael Irgang, Richard DiStasio, Don Law, Linhard Stepf, Donald Olsen, Mark Shambo, and David Graff

The Cove Board of Trustees is a uniquely talented and dedicated group of parents, community members, and professionals who meet in committees and at formal board meetings throughout the year to serve the Cove Community.

In June 2014, the Board of Trustees approved a new five-year Strategic Plan for the school. The plan, now well underway, was highlighted in the Cove Connection and was the focus of the Board’s annual retreat that took place on November 20, 2015. To see a copy of the full Strategic Plan, visit our website at www.coveschool.org.

Executive Director Director of Education “Like” us on Facebook Clinical Connections Neiman Marcus

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Aim to Serve Different/Alike Art for the Senses Russell Barkley Erin’s Law

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At the start of the retreat, the Board was greeted by members of our Student Council and was inspired by several of our seniors who demonstrated the skills they have learned through their work internships. Additionally, students demonstrated the skills they are learning through their assistive technology training.

The Strategic Plan “Live” brought action to words through these student-focused activities and allowed our board to see firsthand of the progress we have been making toward our goals.

Springfield Trip Elementary Update Hour of Code High School Update Junior High Update

continued on back page 7 8 8 9 9

YPC Music and Theatre Cove Alumni Parent Association

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From the Desk of the Director of Education

By John R. Stieper, III

The New Year is off to a great start. Before we close the door completely on 2015, I’d like to reflect upon a few highlights from the past few months.

Cove families and friends came together to celebrate the Cove version of Thanksgiving at our annual November Potluck Dinner and Book Fair. It was an evening filled with good food, conversation, laughter, student art work, and the magic of Dennis DeBondt.

Fall parent-teacher conferences were well attended this past November. You do not have to wait until March 23 and 24 to schedule a conference with your child’s team. Please know that you are welcome to contact your child’s case manager or teachers to schedule a conference at anytime throughout the school year.

The Transition Team and Parent Association continue to offer parents education opportunities. This past October, the Transition Team provided opportunities to students and parents to learn more about

various post-secondary programs at its pre-CHOICES event at Cove. Students and parents were able to talk directly to representatives from various post-secondary programs that serve students with learning disabilities. The Parent Association offered an opportunity earlier this month to learn about Cove’s 1:1 program, internet safety, cyber-bullying, sexting, and social networking. Please check the Cove Minute for additional upcoming parent-education opportunities.

There is still time to register your child for a Spring After School Program. If you need another copy of the Spring 2016 After School Programs brochure, it can be found on our “Virtual Backpack” at www. coveschool.org/current-families/virtual-backpack.cfm. Please encourage your child to enroll in at least one after school program. Spring after school programs start the week of January 25th.

Likewise, please encourage your child to attend at least one after school social event this spring. The Parent Association sponsors several elementary/junior high school social events throughout the year.

The next elementary/junior high social event is February 5th at LifeTime Fitness.

The next high school social event is January 22 at Dave and Busters. Participation

in after school activities and social events are an excellent way to enrich your child’s learning experiences, develop new skill sets, as well as provide your child with new opportunities to socialize and connect with peers.

Cove high school and junior high school basketball players exhibited good sportsmanship on and off the court at the recent junior high and high school Special Olympics Regional Tournaments. The junior high blue and yellow teams placed first in their divisions and will go downstate to Bloomington-Normal this coming March.

The high school yellow team placed fourth in their division. The high school blue team took first place in their division and will join the junior high teams downstate this spring. Congratulations — way to go Cougars!

The 2016 New Year looks very promising.

Moving forward, we still have a lot of work to do and are looking forward to the start of second semester. Thank you for working together with us and for your ongoing partnership to provide the best educational opportunities and experiences for our students. Happy New Year!

Warm Regards, John R. Stieper, III

Help Cove Get to 1,000 “Likes” on Facebook!

By Abby Lasky, Development and Communications Coordinator

We’re Getting There!

In October we sent out an email encouraging you to “Like” our Cove Facebook page. We also wanted you to ask friends and family members if they would “like” us too. Our goal is to get our page to 1,000 likes by the end of the school year.

Why do we want to do this? It’s simple. The more people who see Cove on Facebook , the more they can become aware of who we are and what we do. Beyond sharing your wonderful children and their accomplishments, we want to make sure that our community members know that Cove is a

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thought leader in the field of learning disabilities. By sharing classroom activities, special programs, and events, we hope to convey all of the important work that we do for students with special needs.

Currently we are at 630 likes, a 26% increase prior to our Like campaign!

Please continue to spread the word, and share our page. We know that like us, you are proud of Cove, and want the world to know it! Help us get to 1,000!

Clinical Connections

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

The term assessment is a common term and action at Cove. We just finished and compiled the data from our annual assessments. This information was shared with the faculty and Board of Trustees.

Not only is this data used to determine curricular decisions and interventions, it is continually reviewed to monitor student progress. Our annual assessments, along with frequent progress monitoring, help guide our instruction throughout the school year.

New this year is time set aside for Level Two Interventions in reading and math.

Level Two Interventions apply to students who indicate a need for review of a particular concept, are not making sufficient progress, or need specialized teaching techniques. Three days per week are devoted to extra time in math instruction and two days will include additional reading interventions.

We are also preparing for the second year of the PARCC tests. PARCC is an acronym

for the Partnership for Assessment for Readiness for College and Careers. Students in grades 3-8 and our high school juniors will complete these tests during the week of March 14. All high school juniors will take the ELA (English Language Arts) portion of the tests. Only students who

meet the math criteria will take the math assessment.

This year, the PARCC exam will consist of six or seven test units, depending on a student’s grade level, compared to the eight or nine sessions that students took last spring. The PARCC Governing Board’s decision also reduced the math testing time by 60 minutes, and removed a half hour from the English language arts portion for most students. Though the test structure will change and include fewer questions, the PARCC assessment will still test the full range of standards and measure whether students are mastering the

situations. This plan calls for students in the fifth, eighth, and tenth grades to take an NGSS-aligned exam in spring 2016.

The exam will be online and testing time should take 90 minutes or less. Additional details about the test schedule and for-

Though the test structure will change and include fewer questions, the PARCC assessment will still test the full range of standards and measure whether students are mastering the knowledge and skills they need to stay on track for success in college and/or their chosen career field. knowledge and skills they need to stay on track for success in college and/or their chosen career field.

PARCC assessment results can be used for the purpose of placement into college-l.

The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) is also developing a new science assessment aligned to the Illinois Learning Standards in science to be administered to students during the 2015-16 school year. The standards are based on the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and will provide students a more engaged and hands-on science education that instills a deeper understanding of the core concepts of science and the ability to apply these concepts to real-world

mat should be released later this school year.

In order to prepare our staff and students for these new assessments, all will have training to introduce them to the test format and accessibility features on the computer. We will be testing the compatibility with our technology infrastructure and the students’ interaction with the computer-based format. Last year, we found that most students were very engaged with the test and that they liked the technology tools built into the test.

During the test sessions at Cove, every effort will be made to reduce anxiety and take this in stride. All student identified modifications and accommodations will be utilized. It is important that students come to school well rested. Snacks and breaks will be allowed. For private pay students, who do not take these tests, special projects will be designed for them during this time. If you have additional questions, please do not hesitate to contact me or your child’s teacher.

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Neiman Marcus, a New Partner in the Neighborhood

by Abby Lasky, Development and Communications Coordinator Earlier this summer, Neiman Marcus Northbrook reached out to The Cove School to form a partnership. After receiving a comprehensive tour of the school and discovering that Cove had a robust arts program that included fine arts, theater, music, and photography, Cove was informed that they would be this year’s beneficiary of Neiman Marcus Northbrook’s annual Love to Give Collection.

The Love to Give Collection is part of the retailer’s Give and Give Back program.

These efforts support The Heart of Neiman Marcus Foundation which is

dedicated to supporting youth arts education in Neiman Marcus communities across the country.

The Love to Give Collection was a shop within Neiman Marcus that carried a sampling of items from the store during the holiday season. Several of the items featured this year’s Neiman Marcus “Holiday Art” Collection, including holiday tins, a cookie jar, and beautiful serving trays.

Cove will receive 10% of the proceeds from the total sales of the Love to Give Collection purchased at Neiman Marcus Northbrook between November 5th and December 24th.

On November 18th, the Cove Annual Benefit Committee was treated to a special preview of the Love to Give Collection along with a fashion show in The Zodiac.

Neiman Marcus Northbrook has offered to send sales associates to the school as the benefit nears to help bundle and prepare baskets for the silent auction.

Additionally, they will be partnering with Cove for volunteer opportunities throughout the year.

Cove is very grateful to be the recipient of this significant community retailer. The school is proud to be recognized for their work that provides a comprehensive arts program for students with disabilities.

Aim to Serve!

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

At Cove we definitely believe that character does count! We encourage students to join student council in high school and junior high. Throughout the year we help facilitate some service projects in our area.

Most recently, the junior high students helped to contribute to Freedom’s Path which provides housing opportunities to our veterans. This particular service project was introduced by Shane Giblin and his family. The Cove community donated kitchen and bathroom supplies to help these veterans set up their new homes.

The high school was actively involved in

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collecting canned and boxed food items to help supply the Wheeling township food pantry that serves families throughout the northwest suburbs. The staff and students contributed items and the delivery was made on December 16.

During the month of February we will focus on supporting homeless and endangered animals. Please start saving slightly used dog toys and supplies to support a local animal shelter. Also, the junior high students are exploring the opportunity to support endangered animals that supports aspects of their current science curriculum.

We Are Different, We Are Alike

By Mary O’Brien, Social Worker and Mignon Dupepe, Art Therapist

“Respecting differences” was the theme for Cove’s elementary read-in for November. Books and activities were selected to encourage students’ awareness of exclusive behaviors and words versus words and actions that celebrate differences.

Elementary read-ins combine literature and art to reinforce important themes for Cove students. Cove social workers were the volunteer readers this month and supported the students in group discussions and art activities. Students enjoyed People by Peter Spier, Yoko by Rosemary Wells, and Weird by Erin Frankel. All three books explore our unique differences while promoting acceptance and respect.

Peter Spier’s wonderful illustrations highlight a variety of cultures and physical

characteristics of people throughout the world.

The themes and illustrations from People inspired a collaborative quilt project.

Each student designed a figure and quilt square to include in a “We are different, we are alike” unity quilt which is now hanging in the lunchroom. Other read in activities included creating friendship bracelets, calming mandala coloring, and participating in sorting activities that develop understanding of terminology that is hurtful and disrespectful.

We are committed to supporting activities that promote respect and celebrate our unique qualities. Thank you to Annemarie Bennett for guidance in our

literature selections, Laura Silverberg for her support with art activities, elementary teachers and assistants, and the social work team for providing their time and efforts to our read in.

Art for the Senses Program

By Mignon Dupepe, Art Therapist

Cove’s school-wide adoption of the Calm Classroom curriculum and recent addition of a sensory garden demonstrates our commitment to providing a variety of programming and resources that support our students and promote the best environment for them to learn, grow, and flourish.

Calm Classroom allows opportunities for students to develop calming strategies, self -regulation, self-awareness, and self-monitoring skills. The sensory garden permits learning in a multi-sensory format.

This year, we have developed a unique art program that will unite the principles of Calm Classroom, the sensory inspiration of the sensory garden, and meditative and peaceful art making processes. Visiting artists will highlight a specific art-making process and medium for students.

Students will have the opportunity to explore the art making process and participate in two other art-making sessions.

All sessions will reflect on the potential of calming practices, sensory awareness, and art making processes contributing to self-regulation, greatest performance, and achieving a “flow” state. These three areas of breath, sensory experience, and

art-making have been proven to promote relaxation responses in the body. The “Art for the Senses” program will highlight these benefits and permit the opportunity for students to experience these calming practices.

There will be three dates for the “Art for the Senses” program this year and three breakout sessions for each date. We are very excited to welcome three talented artists to Cove School for our “Art for the Senses” program this year. Thank you to Susan Underwood, Nancy Behles, and Sallie Stanley for donating their time and talents to this program.

Students will be divided into three groups and will rotate through all three sessions of art making. Currently, we are coordinating other artists and volunteers to assist the students.

Please feel free to contact Mignon Dupepe at mdupepe@coveschool.org if you would like to volunteer to help.

We are looking forward to designing a creative and calming experience for Cove students this year! Please feel free to contact us with any questions or to donate any supplies towards the “Art for the Senses” program.

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Professional Development with Dr. Russell Barkley

Erin’s Law Presentation

by Samantha Joseph, Social Worker

by Stephanie Pritzker, Director of Development

On January 15, Cove hosted an Annual Professional Development Workshop. This year’s guest lecturer was Dr. Russell Barkley, Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at the Medical University of South Carolina.

Dr. Barkley presented the following topics: Executive Functioning and its Impairment in ADHD: What Teachers Need to Know; Recent Advances in ADHD Diagnosis, Etiology and Management; and The Other Attention Disorder: Sluggish Cognitive Tempo and ADHD.

who attended greatly benefited from his knowledge and expertise. You can read more about Dr. Barkley and see/order books he has written at www.russellbarkley.org.

We are pleased to continue to offer this program free of charge as an expression of our gratitude to the community, and to all those who serve students with special needs.

Over 190 participants from a myriad of professions, school districts, and private practice attended the full day event.

Dr. Barkley’s extensive knowledge in the area of ADHD is of great relevance to both Cove and the wider community. All

Cove Summer School Program Save the Date!

Friday, June 17-July 29 A great way for your student to maintin skills and have fun!

More details to come; course listings will be available soon!

For more information, contact Dr. Robin Johnstone at rjohnstone@coveschool.org.

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On October 14th and 15th, all of our students had the opportunity to participate in a presentation by Victor Pacini called “Be Seen & Heard.” This presentation derived from Erin’s Law, a law that was passed in 2013, which requires schools to implement an age-appropriate sexual assault and abuse awareness and prevention curriculum for grades pre-K through 12.

Each student attended a thirty-minute multi-sensory presentation in which they were exposed to singing, book reading, and a discussion about safe and unsafe secrets. Victor discussed many topics such as distinguishing safe from unsafe touches, safety rules at home and school, saying “NO”, secrets, distinguishing between the blame/guilt a child may feel and the ownership of that responsibility, and reporting an incident and giving information on who to tell. The presentation was both fun and informative for students and teachers, as well as the parents that chose to attend.

The students were also involved in a follow-up discussion after the presentation, with their social workers. During this discussion the social workers continued the same language and information that was presented to them by Victor. The social workers were also available to answer many questions the students had regarding the presentation.

A very positive outcome resulted from this presentation from both students and teachers.

Each student was given a book to bring home with information that was presented during Victor’s discussion. All the students are encouraged to read this book with their parents and continue the discussion of Erin’s Law at home. If there are any further questions, please contact your child’s social worker.

A TRIP TO

Springfield

By Vivian Drexler, Director of Transition Services

On a glorious sunny November 6th day, 37 curious HS students said their goodbyes to their parents, and with their adventurous ten Cove chaperones, they boarded a comfy motor coach at 6:00 a.m. for a lively three-hour journey to Springfield, IL. With bottles of water and a variety of snacks to sustain us, we arrived on time at the amazing Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum for our first historical tour.

We then visited Lincoln’s Tomb, enjoyed our lunch in the sunny & windy outdoor Capitol Complex Center, and then toured the Illiniois State Capitol , House and Senate chambers. Walking up four flights was a test of our strength and endurance!

Our final visit was to Lincoln’s Home, and then to a local souvenir shop to buy ‘stuff’ to remember our trip.

A one-hour journey north to Bloomington brought us to our dinner stop at IL Wesleyan University’s scrumptious buffet.

Some shared memories: Sam & Lelia were thrilled to visit Lincoln’s home. How amazing to see some of the actual furniture and items (not replicas) used by the Lincoln family.

Diana especially enjoyed the buffet dinner at the university.

Natalie loved hanging out with friends, and watching the movie Space Jam on the way to Springfield was fun.

Katya enjoyed searching for the most stylish dress in the museum and chose the pink rose flowered dress worn by Mrs. Douglas because “it looked elegant and rich.” Katya also liked the State Capitol building but not walking up the four flights of stairs!

Matt thought learning about Lincoln’s history at the Tomb was important.

Shopping at the local shop was a favorite for Robert who purchased a selfie stick and a golf ball with Lincoln’s photo.

Wayne thought that our guide, Paul – a musician and actor – was cool!

Mrs. Altshul, Lauren, Amanda, Abbey, and Andrew thought Springfield was a fun adventure. Visiting the museum, tomb, and home was a moving and personal experience that left us with a deeper understanding and appreciation of our 16th president, Abe Lincoln.

I was so pleased to once again (the previous trip was in 2006) coordinate this historical learning adventure. The differences between the chambers of the glittering House and sedate Senate were so interesting to see. Who wouldn’t love one of those original roll top desks?

Rubbing Lincoln’s nose was another fond memory.

Our chaperones were superb and didn’t lose a single student: John Stieper, Marla Altshul, Barb McKenzie, Patti Lubin, Brett Goldberg, Chris Grene, Marty Prujansky, Heather Bergren, and Joel Shrago.

Special thanks to Mrs. Altshul for ordering the delicious lunches, and to Nurse Lubin for taking care of our students during the trip.

Our thanks, also, to our motor coach driver, Mike, for a smooth, safe journey; to Paul, our guide, for his good-natured jokes and swiftly leading us from one site to another; to the tour company, Travel Services, Inc., and Richard Capone and staff, for planning our excellent trip.

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Elementary Unit Update

By Sue Petersen, Elementary Case Manager

So much has happened with our elementary students since the last Cove Connection! It is amazing to realize it is already January and that winter break is over. The warmer than usual weather in December made it seem like spring at times, but we know we are a long way from there!

There have been fabulous read-Ins; the Big Buddy program is wildly popular and much anticipated among our students each month; the annual Pot Luck dinner where we get to mingle with the families; the Scholastic Book Fair that took place before Thanksgiving and always a huge attraction for students and teachers alike; and most recently, the very STELLAR production of Spaced Out!, brought to the entire Cove community by all of our elementary

students. Under the expert guidance and production talent from our music teachers, our students literally brought our Solar System to life through magnificent song and dance for the Elementary Showcase in early December. All of the staff involved for weeks in putting and pulling the program together are always astounded by the hidden talent of our students and the enthusiasm they bring to the stage!

Our hearts were also warmed by the students and staff who contributed Christmas cards collected for a little girl named Safyre who lost her entire family in a fire and was badly disfigured herself. All she wanted was to fill a tree with cards, and we stepped up to the challenge in true Cove Cougar fashion! Finally, as the weather outside turns frightful remember to make sure your child is ready to play outside with boots, hats, snow pants. etc.

Time with their friends at recess is one of the highlights of their day! Happy New Year!

Hour of Code

by Patrick Black, Technology Facilitator This year, students at The Cove School participated in the Hour of Code. Hour of Code is a global event reaching tens of millions of children in over 180 countries. Students at Cove participated by completing block coding. They solved puzzles by moving blocks of code on the screen to teach the basic concepts of coding. These puzzles ranged from making a character move, to assigning points and what happens when a character touches another character.

The students were excited because this year’s tutorials included Star Wars: The Force Awakens, and Minecraft. Elementary students were assisted by the High School Computer Coding class along with volunteers from Pearson Education.

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During the Star Wars tutorial, students were asked to move the droid BB-8 around the screen to collect scrap metal. Then, students were asked to assign actions to the arrow keys to move R2-D2 around the screen to deliver messages to Rebel Pilots, while avoiding Stormtroopers. In the Minecraft Tutorial, students started by moving either Alex or Steve around the screen to collect resources. They moved on to creating loops that allowed their character to build a house by repeating a series of actions over and over. The goal of this global event is to raise awareness of coding and nurture problem-solving skills, logic, and creativity.

High School Unit Update

By Alex Laube, High School Case Manager

The Cove High School advisory teachers were hard at work this summer revising and updating the curriculum for the 2015-2016 school year. The four-year curriculum focuses on two big ideas “Self Determination” and “College and Career Readiness.” With the goal of developing greater independence, the advisory program helps students set goals and identify the steps needed to reach them. In doing so, in advisory classes, students look at the connection between their post-secondary goals and their individual education plan at Cove.

To assist students in developing and understanding their education plans, students in advisory classes researched their home district graduation requirements and re

to sign up for a variety of new electives that would be offered exclusively in the second semester of the 2015-16 school year. viewed the Cove course catalog. During this process, students created graduation worksheets to monitor their progress towards their graduation requirements and identify upcoming courses that could fulfill additional requirements. Students then developed their ideal second semester schedules by balancing required courses and courses in which they were interested. This process was not only valuable for students as they take more ownership of their academic progress, but also, the process was essential to providing students the opportunity

New, semester-long electives were developed over the summer to help students meet their graduation requirements, appeal to student interests, and better align with post-secondary employment and educational goals. Some of these new classes included Entrepreneurship, Food and Nutrition, Integrated Fine Arts, Computer Programming, and Graphic Design.

By offering these (and other) courses as a semester-long rather than year-long course, it provides students with more opportunities to experience new classes while they continue to develop and revise their plans for the future.

Ms. Diehl’s Calm Corner

by Jan Diehl, Junior High ClassroomTeacher

This year several junior high classes decided to create areas in their room for students to relax and have a place to calm down. Ms. Diehl’s class has a corner with draping beads that look like sparkly icicles. Students use this calm corner to read, have quiet time, or to just have some space away from others. Ms. Wolf donated these beads to our room and we are so appreciative! Mrs. Larsson hung inspirational quotes in the corner for students to read while relaxing. The hanging beads are also helpful for students’ sensory needs. They enjoy touching the glittery beads, and they find it very soothing as they drape their hands across them like a harp!

With Calm Classroom as well as our Calm Corner, Ms. Diehl’s students are set to have a successful and peaceful day!

YPC (Young Professionals for Cove) Update

by Rebecca Ramos, YPC member The Young Professionals for Cove is a group of women and men, ages 21 to 40, who support the overall mission and activities of The Cove School. Acting as ambassadors of the school, Young Professionals for Cove members engage the community through volunteering, fundraising, networking, and advocacy opportunities. This group provides energy and insight to the Cove Board of Trustees, and helps attract new volunteers and supporters.

It’s been a busy fall for YPC as we’ve engaged in numerous Cove activities. A couple of costumed YPC members

boogied with the students at the Halloween dance, while a few others got their game on at Bingo Night.

The annual Pot Luck was a great opportunity for YPC members to interact with Cove families in a fun setting. We look forward to volunteering more in 2016 and making this year’s Benefit the biggest and best ever!

Do you know someone who would be interested in joining? Contact Stephanie Pritzker at 847-562-2100 x2104 or spritzker@coveschool.org for more information.

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Music & Theatre

By Dorothy Jean Lloyd, Music Drama and Digital Photogaphy

Spaced Out - Elementary Showcase

Sistema - From Ravinia to The Cove School

Thank you to the students for a wonderful performance and to the Elementary teachers/assistants for their outstanding support of our Elementary Showcase. Shout outs to Ms. Kempen-Schrantz for choreography/movement that so inspired our students. Ms. Silverberg brought the planets to life with student artwork and her own personal design expertise. Mr. Seale (music director) and the school band – including Mr. Wall (guitar), Mr. Kimes (bass guitar), Ms. Teske (percussion), were the glue that held it all together.

Finally, thank you to the four clarinet players that are part of our orchestral Sistema Program for a cameo performance in One Small Step.

The Cove School is proud and honored to be included in the Ravinia Sistema Orchestra program modeled after the highly successful, and influential, Venezuelan El Sistema created by José Antonio Abrue. Currently four elementary students from Cove are enrolled and practice 2 times per week at Cove with a guest artist from Ravinia and one additional day at an orchestra rehearsal on the Ravinia Festival grounds.

On the last day of school before winter break, Quintet Attacca along with the coordinator of the Sistema program at Ravinia and Cove’s guest artist, Kristina Setka, hosted a musical event featuring wind instruments: flute, clarinet, oboe, bassoon, and French horn. Cove students kicked off the concert by performing and introducing the Quintet. The Quintet created a friendly competition between the wind instruments styled on American Idol. It was an energizing kick off to winter break!

The musicals are a collaborative effort and the enthusiasm and dedication of the Cove staff were invaluable in creating a memorable day!

Cove Alumni Panel

by Abby Lasky, Development and Communications Coordinator

Six Cove Alumni participated in a panel discussion at Cove on Wednesday, January 6th. Representing graduating classes from 2012 through 2015, they spoke to current Cove high school students about their post-secondary experiences since leaving Cove. Here is a brief overview of each of the six graduates: Jack Milanak graduated Cove in 2014. Since leaving Cove, Jack attended McDaniel College in Westminster, Maryland before transferring to Lake Forest College here in Illinois.

Jack found the transition to living on his own challenging, but used the support that was available to him at McDaniel. Whether it was additional time for taking tests or getting help with his writing, he was 10

able to use accommodations to get what he needed. This past summer Jack secured a job for himself running rides at Great America. Currently he is working part-time at the Sachs Center in Deerfield where he was an intern during his senior year at Cove.

Jane Dickinson graduated Cove in 2013. Currently, Jane attends University of Whitewater in Wisconsin.

Prior to that she attended Lesley University Thresholds Program in Massachusetts and Loras College in Iowa. At Whitewater, she lives on campus and shares an apartment with a roommate. She has learned to cook meals, and how to manage her time effectively. Jane emphasized how important the relationships with professors can be, and that she also makes appoint

ments to meet with tutors on a regular basis. Jane figured out that she prefers not to have early morning classes! She is very proud of the 3.4 GPA she currently holds at Whitewater.

Tim Finnegan left Cove in 2012 and graduated from his home school, New Trier. Tim now attends Edgewood College in Madison Wisconsin. He is part of the “Cutting Edge” program. This is a program that provides accommodations for students with learning disabilities while they typically audit college classes. Tim is thriving at Edgewood! In addition to his studies, he volunteers, takes tuba lessons, and trains to run marathons.

He takes advantage of the services he needs in order to do well in school. Tim is working towards a paraeducator certificate.

Cove Parent Association News

by Maureen Klatt, President, Parent Association

It’s been a great fall for the Cove Parent Association! On October 23, the Elementary and Junior High Halloween Carnival Costume and Dance Party was a SPOOKTACULAR good time for students. All enjoyed games and dancing. On November 19, Cove hosted its annual Potluck dinner. Over 200 members of the Cove Community came together for a delicious variety of dishes and were entertained by Magician Dennis DeBondt. Families also had the chance to visit the Book Fair held in the Media Center.

The Parent Association passed out treats to all the students on their last day of classes before the Holiday Break.

Our Cove Choir filled the hallways with festive songs and music led by Dorothy-Jean Lloyd. It was a great way to kick off the holiday season!

Our 2nd Annual PA General Meeting was held on January 12. The topic was

Jimmy Kozlov graduated Cove in 2012. Jimmy began his post-secondary education at Lincoln College before transferring to Beacon College in Leesburg, FL. He has already received an Associate of Arts degree in Business Management and is working on his Bachelors degree. Jimmy credits his SLP and his teachers for helping him with his current success. When Jimmy is not taking classes, he helps with facility maintenance at the school.

Jimmy reported that learning how to manage free time in college can be challenging.

Internet Safety, Cyber Bulling and Social Networks. The presenters were Cove staff members, including our Technology Team and Social Workers. Please save the date for our next meeting on April 12! Special Note-Please make a note of our new start time for these meetings, 9:15- 10:45.

Dad and Kids Bowling was a blast which was held on January 31 at Pinstripes in Northbrook. We enjoyed bowling and lunch at this fun filled annual event. We will look forward to reporting on our Elementary and JH Friday Night Social at Lifetime Fitness in Old Orchard in our next Cove Connection! Health and Wellness Day and Hoops for Hearts is scheduled for April 7. Finally, please make note of our next Elementary and JH Social on April 8th at Dave and Busters. More information will come in the students’ backpacks.

Thank you to everyone who supported the directory with an ad this year. We raised over $13,000 for Cove! A brand

new record! We would also like to thank those who participated in our ongoing Gift Card program. Feel free to contact any of our Parent Association steering committee members to volunteer or to suggest any new ideas you may have.

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

Martin Burkemper graduated in 2015. Martin is currently enrolled in his home high school transition program SEDOL (Special Education District of Lake County) where he takes life skill classes and participates in internships. Martin is interested in becoming an auto mechanic and had an internship at an auto repair shop.

Next semester he will begin a course at College of Lake County called “College First” where he will learn more about how to be a successful college student.

Ramie Pagan graduated in 2015. He is now attending Dawson Technical School at Kennedy-King College in Chicago where he is learning to become a carpenter. One of his courses is learning

how to read blueprints. Raimie wishes he had worked a little harder at math, and now appreciates Mr. Laube more than ever.

Additionally, he continues to work at Trader Joes where he interned during one summer at Cove.

All six of our panelists had nothing but great things to say about their experience at Cove and how it prepared them for their post-secondary education. They admitted it was an adjustment managing their time, advocating for their needs, getting all their work done, learning to live with a roommate, and handling meal plans/meal preparation. However, they all seemed genuinely happy to reconnect with old friends and teachers at Cove, and reminisce about the “good old days!”

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The 2015 Cove School Board Retreat

The day continued with in-depth discussions about the political and financial matters impacting education in our state and the plans moving forward to continuously protect and defend the rights of our students at Cove. The development of a new financial model was shared as well, which will allow us to make stronger long-term decisions about our future.

Through the work of our Legislative Task Force and Financial Committees, Cove is in a strong position and will continue to meet with legislators and other state officials to be an influential voice for students with special needs.

The Board Retreat is an annual event at our school that allows all board members and administrators at Cove to come together for an extended period of time to focus on critical issues and the strategic goals of the school.

The Cove Board of Trustees will continue their work throughout the year through the committees that meet monthly and the board meetings that occur quarterly.

How fortunate we are to have such a wonderful and talented group of people working with and for us at The Cove School.

Sally L. Sover, Ed.D. Executive Director

Save the Date for: The Cove School Benefit Saturday, March 12, 2016 Loews Chicago O’Hare 5300 N. River Road, Rosemont 2016 Benefit Sponsors to date:

Our Board of Trustees for the 15-16 school year includes: Dan Dickinson – Board President, Managing Parnter, HCI Equity Partners; alumni parent Jim Ball – Attorney – Ball Law Group Scott Canel – President of Scott I. Canel & Associates; alumni parent David Crosswhite – Senior Vice President – Kaufman Hall; Cove parent Richard P. DiStasio - Consultant Lisa Flanagan – Cove parent Rob Flanagan – Attorney – Seyfarth Shaw LLP; Cove parent Jay Goodgold – Personal investor; Cove parent David Graff – Vice President – Project Services, MB Real Estate Joseph Hickey – Morgan Stanley Wealth Management Michael Irgang – Vice President, Chief Accounting Officer, OSI Group; alumni parent Maureen Klatt – Cove parent Don Law – Managing Principal, Indie Equity, LLC; alumni parent Don Olsen – Attorney – Waypoint Estate and Business Planning Mark Shambo – Director – McGladrey LLP Linhard Stepf – President, FrankfurtRheinMain Corporation Ross Vangalis – President, Queue Company; Cove parent David Woodhouse – David Woodhouse Architects; alumni parent

Honorary Lifetime Trustees: Carey Cooper – CEO – Danaco Solutions LLC; alumni parent Dean Gerber – Attorney – Vedder Price Edward Finnegan – CEO – Cozzini Bros.; alumni parent Ed Weil – Attorney – Dykema Gossett PLLC; alumni parent

The

Power of Possibilities THE COVE SCHOOL BENEFIT 2016

Join us for “The Power of Possiblities” Cove’s annual benefit and an evening you won’t forget.

The event includes live and silent auctions, dinner, live music and dancing. And new this year - the “Golden Paddle” raffle! The winner of this raffle will have the opportunity to bid on live auction items up to $5,000! Look for an invitation for this event coming to you soon!