Spring Appeal 2017

A journey of

a thousand miles

begins with a single step - Lao Tzu

26 March 2017 Susan Seamans, Executive Director P.G. Chambers School 15 Halko Drive Cedar Knolls, NJ Dear Ms. Seamans, This is Michael T. from Classroom 9.

I was wondering if the board could get a donated real cash register for the middle school cafĂŠ?

The current cash register we are using is not a real cash register. It comes from my class.

The problem is that the cash register gets filled with so many bills that we have to take the money out as it overflows with money.

Michael T. Classroom 9

Thirteen-year-old Michael asks for a cash register.

Why is that so extraordinary?

Discovering the unique potential within every child.

April 5, 2017 Michael T. P.G. Chambers School 15 Halko Drive Cedar Knolls, NJ 07927 Dear Michael, I was happy to receive your letter dated March 26th requesting that our Board of Trustees secure, or purchase, a cash register for the Middle School Café.

You have made a very good case for this request. A “toy” cash register that frequently overflows with money is just not acceptable for our middle school students. At P. G. Chambers School we set very high standards for our students and our programs. Having a proper cash register would help us meet those expectations.

Please research where we could purchase an appropriate cash register that meets the needs of our students and comes at a reasonable cost.

Kindly send me your recommendation, and I will expedite the purchase.

Please let me know if I can help with anything else.

Best regards, Susan Seamans Executive Director cc: Heather Gilliland, Principal Michael T., Classroom 9

According to his mom, Anna, Michael seemed to be a typical baby—until at four months old a mother’s instinct told her something was not right.

“It was his hands, kept in tight little fists all the time,” she explained. “We were told he was fine, but then Michael began missing his developmental milestones.”

Arriving at P.G. Chambers School at age three, Michael had a vocabulary of only ten words. Despite this, he was so outgoing, friendly, and eager to be a part of everything. Yet he couldn’t move or talk. How was this little boy with the gentle, loving, and curious mind going to grow up? Be independent? Become self-confident?

And ten years later... how does a young man facing these challenges take it upon himself to make a request of the school’s executive director?

What comes naturally to most children has taken Michael thirteen years to learn. To develop the skills to communicate his wants and needs.

To understand how things work at P.G. Chambers School and know we

have an executive director and a board of trustees. Most of all… to have developed the self-confidence to make this request!

Michael has grown into a young man who understands the system, articulates his needs, and is not afraid to advocate for himself and his classmates. He has a reputation at school for always investigating why and how things happen… and he never hesitates to make suggestions for improvement. Two years ago, he embraced his role in our Middle School Café and was ready to take the next step.

We continuously encourage all of our students to take the next step, and when they’re ready, we need you to be able to provide the resources they will need.

You may think, “It’s only a cash register.” But this cash register represents the next important step for Michael. He figured this out on his own! This is what P. G. Chambers School is all about. And why each year we need to raise over $1 million to be ready to support our students’ next levels of achievement.

Will you take a moment to remember those who have inspired you to take the next steps in your life’s journey, and make a gift that will honor them? By doing so, you are helping to make limitless possibilities a reality.

Who has inspired YOU to take the next step?

Officers of the Board of Trustees Unjeria C. Jackson, M.D. President Thomas J. Walsh Vice President Lori Solomon Vice President and Treasurer Susan Seamans Secretary and Executive Director Board of Trustees Joanne Balady Anthony Bonanno James J. Brazel Patricia Chambers Jerry DeFrancisco Eric C. Elbell Walter Kneis Aftab Malik Pavan Mehta John Mulhearn Gwen Packard Keith Savel Wendy Tait Steve Vittorio

To read more of Michael’s story, please visit www.chambersschool/Michael At P.G. Chambers School (PGCS), “discovering potential” is at the heart of our mission, inspiring us to provide the best, most comprehensive special education and therapy programs for children with disabilities and developmental delays and inclusive early education for all children.

We strive to instill a love of learning, encourage independence, and most importantly, inspire unshakable self-confidence. Our children are successful, as we have made this our singular focus for more than 60 years, building a reputation for excellence recognized throughout New Jersey.

Each year, PGCS provides services for more than 800 children and their families, both on-site at our school’s state-of-the-art facility, as well as off-site in homes, childcare centers, and schools.

PGCS children benefit from individualized instruction, innovative technology, community partnerships, and highly qualified educators, therapists, nurses, teaching assistants, social workers, and administrators.

We expect all students to make measurable academic improvements, communicate effectively, achieve independence and self-confidence, and, when the time is right, participate in their community schools.

P.G. Chambers School is a private, nonprofit, tax-exempt organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue code.

Tax ID #22-1551480. Information concerning charitable solicitations may be obtained from the Attorney General of the State of New Jersey by calling 609.292.4925. Registration with the Attorney General does not imply endorsement.