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Dear Archway Friends and Family, 

As we approach the end of another successful year, I want to take a moment to express my heartfelt gratitude to every one of you. Your dedication and passion for our mission have been the driving forces behind the growth and expansion of our services across all our programs and our schools. 

Together, we are reaching more individuals and families in need than ever before. It is your hard work and commitment that make a difference in the lives of those we serve. I am continually inspired by your dedication and compassion.  

As we reflect on our accomplishments this past year, let’s also look forward to the exciting opportunities ahead, as we can continue to expand our services and reach more communities where they are greatly needed. I am excited to work alongside all of you.  

Thank you once again for your dedication and support. I am proud to work alongside such an incredible family of professionals.   

Sincerely,   

George Richards   

President/Chief Financial Officer 

On November 11th, we celebrated Veterans Day to honor and celebrate the courageous men and women who have served our nation. We extend our heartfelt thanks for your service, sacrifice, and dedication to ensuring our safety and security. We also want to acknowledge the members of our Archway Family who have served or are currently serving. 

Thank you for your service:  

• Shane Lamotte Harris, Sr., CAA Security Guard 
• Brenda Ruiz Hernadez, LS Paraprofessional 
• Peace Toleito, Auburn GH Direct Support Professional 
• Deidra Simpson, CP Paraprofessional  
• John Reed, CAA Paraprofessional 
• Alejandra Nicole López Santiago, CAA Paraprofessional 
• Donnie D. Gamble, JK Program Director 
• Howard F. Wallace, Lafayette GH Direct Support Professional 
• Ameerah Fussell, US Teacher 
• Craig L. Vines, Upper School Universal Paraprofessional  

Creative Fun: Advanced Abilities Day Programs Celebrate Fall 
with Art 

Our friends from the Advanced Abilities Day Program were fully engaged with their friends and enjoying themselves during an art session. The group painted a fall-themed craft to take home and share with their families. 

Friends Enjoy a Fun-Filled Day of Mini Golf at Big Swing 

It was a beautiful fall day, perfect for a group of friends from the Advanced Abilities Day Program to head out on an enjoyable community outing to Big Swing Mini Golf in Sewell. The light-hearted competition among the friends included supporting each other's efforts and cheering each other on. It was a wonderful community outing and a lot of fun for the group of friends! 

Archway Program Friends Explore History at NJ State Police Museum 

Friends from the Archway Advanced Abilities Day Program enjoyed an exciting community outing last week. The group visited the NJ State Police Museum in Trenton. They learned the history of police uniforms and badges, and they visited interesting exhibits on criminal investigation, including peering through microscopes! They also saw a display dedicated to the Lindbergh baby kidnapping and investigation. Everyone enjoyed the visit, and each found something that interested them.  

A Delicious Cookie Creation at the Advanced Abilities Day Program!

In honor of the Thanksgiving holiday, Advanced Abilities Day Program participants made Thanksgiving turkey cookies out of Nutter Butter cookies, Keebler Elf Fudge Stripe Cookies, Reese's Pieces candy, chocolate chips, marshmallows, and chocolate frosting. Our gluten-free friends used granola bars, pretzel chips, marshmallows, chocolate chips, and Nutella. They almost looked too good to eat, but we powered through and enjoyed every last crumb! Yum! Great job, everyone! 

Advanced Abilities Day Program Celebrates Thanksgiving with a Delicious Meal 

The Advanced Abilities Day Program friends and staff shared a special Thanksgiving meal before the holiday break. Everyone enjoyed hot turkey and gravy, mashed potatoes, stuffing, string beans, and cranberry sauce. They all enjoyed the food and the get-together. It was a lovely way to spend time together before heading home for the holiday. 

Upper School Students Spread Holiday Cheer with Festive Decorations!

During Horticulture Class with Ms. Terri and Lisa, students from Upper School Room 8 decorated the admin building for the holidays! They did a great job bringing holiday cheer to everyone working in the admin building and to everyone passing through! 

Upper School Celebrates Thanksgiving with Festive Luncheon and Feast!

The aroma of roast turkey and gravy filled the all-purpose room of the Upper School on Tuesday, November 25th, while staff served students a delicious Thanksgiving Luncheon! Staff decorated the all-purpose room with fall colors and holiday decorations to mark the occasion, decorating tables with colorful tablecloths, floral centerpieces, and balloons. Students gathered with classmates and friends to enjoy a holiday meal that included turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, sweet potatoes, string beans, and more! To top off the delicious feast, everyone enjoyed a tasty slice of either apple or pumpkin pie. Yum!

Lower School Students Dive into Learning at Adventure Aquarium

Lower School students and staff enjoyed an educational and exciting visit to the Adventure Aquarium in Camden. The group explored various types of marine life, coral reefs, the Amazon rainforest, and, of course, lots of fish, including sharks! The exhibits were colorful and entertaining, each offering an interesting lesson along with the fun. 

Lower School Celebrates Thanksgiving with a Festive Feast!

Staff decorated the all-purpose room with colorful fall decorations and festive displays. They draped tables in fall colors and topped them with floral centerpieces and colorful turkeys in preparation for the Lower School Annual Thanksgiving Feast. Everyone gathered family-style while staff served a delicious assortment of traditional favorites, including turkey with gravy, mashed potatoes, stuffing, green beans, sweet potatoes, and rolls. Of course, what would a Thanksgiving Feast be without a sweet treat you need to make a little more room for? A scoop of vanilla ice cream alongside a generous slice of apple or pumpkin pie provided a tasty ending to a delicious feast!  

Lower School's Annual Punk the Staff Day Delivers Laughter and Green Slime!

The day before the holiday break, the Lower School experienced either a messy food fight or it was time for the Annual Punk the Staff Day! Ms. Monica gave Ms. Corinne a new “doo.” She covered her head with shaving cream, and the students thought she needed a few curls, so they added a few cheese curls! Isn’t she lovely?  

Ms. Alana experienced a new way to “enjoy” pasta without all those pesky calories or carbs, as students flung spaghetti down her less-than-stylish spaghetti pants.  

Ms. Lily was quite the sport, taking a pie to the face. Mr. Zachary joined in the fun with a pie in his own face. After all, no one should dine on pie alone.  

Ms. Marissa donned her chicken suit and shook her tail feathers for all to see! Mr. Brandon was quite the sport as students squeezed round after round of green slime all over him. In a generous moment, he even shared some of the slime with Ms. Corinne by giving her a big, slimy hug. 

Everyone had a great time, although we might want to check in with Mr. Brandon and his new green shoes.  

Lower School Students Celebrate Gratitude with Heartfelt Thankful Tree

The students and staff from Lower School created a Thankful Tree in the hallway outside of the gym. The tree reached from floor to ceiling and was filled with colorful fall leaves, sharing the many ways everyone was thankful. If your first thoughts were that students would fill it with gadgets and toys, you would be mistaken. Instead, we saw gratitude for abilities, for loved ones, and friends.  

Here are just a few of the many responses from students and staff: "I am thankful because I can be myself." "I am thankful because I have a beautiful family." "I am thankful because I have a loving grandmother." "I am thankful because I can paint." "I am thankful because I can read my books." "I am thankful because I can use my talker and my iPad." "I am thankful because I am awesome."

Creative Achievement Academy Celebrates Thanksgiving with Festive Luncheon 

The Creative Achievement Academy students and staff gathered before the holiday break for a Thanksgiving luncheon. Staff served a delicious meal that included turkey with gravy, mashed potatoes, stuffing, green beans, dinner rolls, soup, salad, and more. Everyone enjoyed the food and the quality time spent together before heading home for the holiday break. 

Students Erupt with Excitement in Mr. G's Volcano Experiment!

Students in Mr. G’s Cooper’s Poynt class made volcanoes during a hands-on class experiment. Students combined hand soap, baking soda, vinegar, and a few drops of food coloring to simulate a volcanic eruption. The students enjoyed the fun activity while also learning about magma, lava, chemical reactions, and geology.  

Cooper’s Poynt Students Celebrate Achievement with Fun Bowling Outing!

Cooper’s Poynt students who have reached Blue/Gold status enjoyed an exciting day of bowling at The Big Event as a reward for their continued hard work. Both students and staff enjoyed bowling several games and had a great time in the arcade. The group sat down to a tasty lunch of pizza before heading back to school. The outing was a great way to reward students for their continued good behavior and to encourage them to keep it up.  

Archway Early Learning Students Enjoy a Colorful Day of Sensory Splatter Painting! 

The students and staff from Archway Early Learning (AEL) had an exciting field trip to Paint Ground in Pitman to experience sensory splatter painting. Everyone got a little messy with paint and had a blast! Students used brushes, balloons, bottles, hands, and fingers to create artwork on canvases, walls, and even on themselves! What a fun day!  

Just Kids Celebrate a Month of Creativity and Thanksgiving Festivities!

In November, Jaggard Just Kids and Beeler Elementary School were busy with festive activities! On November 3rd, Jaggard's leaf-making competition saw Kindergarten take first place, followed by fourth and first grades. The week continued with paper pie crafting for Thanksgiving, fun sticker art, and even creating wooden turkey signs. On November 17th, turkey hats and festive Santa pets were made, while on November 19th, more turkey creations were featured. As Thanksgiving approached, students celebrated together with turkey hats and enjoyed a carnival day. Throughout the month, the creativity continued with projects like coloring turkeys and making candy canes, culminating in Just Kids Council elections on November 25th, where students shared their ideas for the year ahead. 

Atco Group Home Residents Enjoy Fun Fall Day at Berlin Park!

Our resident Atco group home friends made the most of a beautiful fall day during a community outing to Berlin Park. The friends had fun with the playground equipment, enjoyed the nature trails, and blew bubbles. Everyone loved being out and about on such a sunny fall day!

Molinda's Exciting Night Out: Cheering for the 76ers!

Molinda, one of the lovely ladies from our Voorhees group home, enjoyed a community outing to see the Philadelphia 76ers take on the Miami Heat! Even though her team didn't bring home the win, she had a FANtastic time cheering them on! Thank you to Larry Williams, DSP at the Voorhees group home, for providing the tickets and the companionship!  

Welcome to the Archway Family!

We are proud to welcome new employees to the Archway Family as our organization expands, allowing us to help more families throughout the community. Please help us give a warm welcome to the newest members of the Archway Family!

Legacy Partners with Vandoit to Launch Innovative 'Socialances' for Enhanced Crisis Response

Legacy is proud to announce a groundbreaking partnership with Vandoit, a custom van manufacturer, to bring our vision of specialized crisis response vehicles to life. These one-of-a-kind vans, which Legacy has coined “Socialances” (social services ambulances), are designed to meet the unique needs of our emergency crisis response teams.

Unlike traditional ambulances, the Socialances are not just about medical transport—they are mobile hubs for social services and behavioral health care. Outfitted specifically for our work, they allow Legacy’s crisis response teams to reach people where they are, often in moments of greatest need.

Each Socialance is staffed by a team of social workers who provide:

• On-the-spot crisis intervention and stabilization
• Referrals and connections to ongoing social and healthcare services

This initiative is driven by a simple but powerful goal: to bridge the gap for vulnerable individuals who may not otherwise seek or receive help through traditional emergency services. By meeting people in their homes and communities, Legacy is able to provide care that is compassionate, immediate, and tailored to the whole person. The Socialances represent not only innovation in service delivery but also a commitment to dignity and accessibility.

With Vandoit’s expertise in building customized vehicles and Legacy’s dedication to serving our communities, the Socialance initiative is a bold step forward in reimagining what crisis response can look like. Together, we are creating a new model of care—one that brings hope, healing, and help directly to the doorstep of those who need it most."

If you have news or information you would like to see in the next issue of The Bridge, please contact Kelly by phone: 856.767.5757 ext. 242 or by email: kelly.jones@archwayprograms.org.