January Newsletter

Unified Sports Program receives the Massachusetts Sportsmanship of the Year Award from MIAA.-  very proud of our student athletes!  Congratulations!

Sharing best practices and promoting inclusive opportunities for students with special needs    

Executive Director's

Message

Dear LABBB Community,

Welcome 2025!  2025 promises to be a year of a change…. Change can be stressful for many and can bring unintended consequences and gains! We resolve to continue to improve our practices and to make certain that LABBB students get the very best educational experience!  A gentle reminder that to care for each other and ourselves through this upcoming year ~ remember the importance of a pause, the importance of a breath, and the importance of empathy, compassion, and gratitude. Kindness truly matters.

Unfortunately, we also need to remember that sicknesses (colds, Covid, RSV, flu etc.) continue to infect! We support all health protocols and remind everyone to maintain healthy practices, covering your noses and catching your cough, washing your hands and if you are sick, please stay home and get better! I continue to be grateful to this community for putting the best interest of our students first. 

A reminder that ‘Dialogue with the Directors’ is happening! All are welcome! We will be hosting these as drop-in meetings to discuss what is on your mind- while we will not be answering specific student related questions, we hope to engage in dialogues with parents and/or community members about how to keep LABBB’s mission strong and vibrant for another 50 years! These meetings will be held at the LABBB Central Offices at 70 Blanchard Rd., Suite 206, Burlington, MA and will be held on January 29, 2025 from 9:30- 10:30 am and April 1, 2025 from 9:30 - 10:30 am.  

Recreation opportunities continue for our middle and high school aged LABBB students. If you are interested in exploring any of these opportunities please contact your child’s teacher or program coordinator.

It is that time of year, when the weather can impact our schedule! We are exploring a few options to deliver news like this in a timely manner but for now, updates will be available on the website and will be shared through the Constant Contact platform, just as we did last year.  

LABBB Evening Parent Meetings

LABBB Evening Parent Meetings will continue on the same evenings as our monthly dances (Thursday evenings). This allows parents of middle and high school students to drop off their daughter or son at the Lexington Community Center (39 Marrett Rd., Lexington, MA) then attend the meetings upstairs. We also encourage our parents of elementary school students to attend these parent nights. These informative meetings provide time to discuss and learn about a variety of topics related to programming, MCAS, special needs planning, recreation, transition, post -22 planning, supplemental security income (SSI), financial planning and many other important topics. Keep your eyes open for a survey regarding parent night topics that are of interest to you. We want to hear from you!

Parent meetings for 2024-25 will take place from 6:45 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. on the following dates:

Our presenters and speakers are scheduled, but may change…

January 9, 2025 - Basic Rights with Attorney Meinelt

February 6, 2025 - Social Media Safety

March 13, 2025 - Estate Planning with Karen Mariscal

April 3, 2025 (NO Parent meeting); Transition Fair April 10

May 15, 2025- Understanding Executive Functioning with Elise Wullf 

LABBB’s Transition Fair date - April 10, 2025 **** Change in date; please note. Flyers coming soon.

We look forward to seeing you!

Please do not hesitate to contact me directly at pgirouard@labbb.net with any questions or comments.

With appreciation,

Pam

AAC: The Importance of Honoring Multimodal Communication

By: Dilys Tan

At Wellington Elementary School, we work with many students who use Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC). AAC, as the name suggests, can be used to "augment" or increase communication as a secondary support, or provide an "alternative" form of communication for students who are non-speaking. Using AAC prioritizes honoring all forms of communication, from non-spoken means of natural communication (gesturing, sign language, vocalizations) to the use of external supports for communication (communication books, speech-generating devices, and pre-recorded messages just to name a few).

Pictures, drawings, and other forms of symbolic representation are a good way to diversify the ways children can express themselves. In a world that centers speaking as the main form of communication, it can be frustrating for students who cannot speak to express all their desires and dislikes, or share their innovative ideas. Everyone deserves to have their opinions heard, and our students at Wellington Elementary School are no exception! From the expressions of joy when they are doing things they like, to advocating for their needs with their devices (e.g., “I need space please”), each action, sign, or symbol selection helps to express a world of meaning.

Apart from giving a student more ways to express themselves, it is important to note that AAC can play a big role in supplementing a child’s understanding of spoken language as well. Often, when a child finds it difficult to understand an instruction or comment, providing them with a visual that corresponds to the meaning of the message gives them another means of understanding what is being said. This extends from visual symbols representing routines in the classroom to making a new craft. Pictured above is a recent craft made by some students at Wellington and some of the instructions they had to help with their understanding.

All in all, AAC is vital for our students as it bolsters their understanding by providing them with multiple ways of understanding new concepts, and gives them a wider toolbox to express themselves. The children at Wellington Elementary School have many messages to share, and I hope that we can give them the time and opportunity to express them. 

Transition Department :

“Gift of Giving: Student Santa for a Cause!”

By: Carol Chaisson’s Functional ELA Class, HR 313 @ Burlington High School

Over the years LABBB has built a wonderful relationship with Waltham High School and its yearly “Student Santa” program. The father of one of our LABBB Coordinators began this tradition at WHS 40 years ago partnering with the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul, and LABBB has been involved since the late 90's!

Every holiday season, for the past 10 years, our LABBB Burlington High classrooms have sponsored two students from the program. Our students, their families, and our staff donate and we use the donations to shop for clothes, toys, games, etc., with the goal to help these children have a happy holiday!

This is a great learning experience for our students and an opportunity for discussions centered around empathy and giving back to the community. Students first discussed needs vs. wants. Math lessons were then focused on money, budgeting and students made a plan to go shopping. All three classrooms here at BHS set a budget, did online research on which items to buy, and went shopping at places such as Target, Marshalls and the Burlington Mall. Students were then responsible for gift wrapping and a few students attended the WHS assembly.

We are so fortunate to be able to participate in this tradition and many have said that they can’t wait to do this again next year!

Clinical: Social-Emotional Skill Building: Exploring Identity Through Personality Islands

By Kelly Sexton, LICSW

The beloved film "Inside Out" and its sequel provide a fascinating window into the mind of a young girl, illustrating how core emotions like Joy, Sadness, and Anger shape our experiences and guide us through life's transitions. At the heart of these stories lies the concept of "Personality Islands" – powerful symbols representing the fundamental aspects of one's identity. For Riley, the protagonist, these islands manifest as "Family Island," "Hockey Island," and "Goofball Island," each formed through a complex interplay of emotions, memories, and pivotal life experiences.

Inspired by the films, Ms. Chaisson and Ms. Niman’s Friday Counseling Group at Burlington High created their own Personality Islands. Students were encouraged to think about their interests, relationships, short and long-term goals, and other meaningful aspects of their lives. Students were given creative freedom to bring their islands to life using tools like drawing, writing, or digital platforms such as Google Slides.

The results were as unique as the students themselves. Some designed islands with objects symbolizing their passions and priorities. Others used personal photographs to represent real-life connections and experiences. For some, their islands reflected life transitions, such as vocational training or landing their first job. Examples of the islands students created include “Friends Island,” “Basketball Island,” “Hope Island,” and “Job Training Island.” 



As the project progresses, students will employ a backward planning strategy to uncover the core memories that serve as the foundation for their islands. In the film, these memories appear as glowing orbs – powerful moments that have left an indelible mark on an individual's identity. By identifying these foundational memories, students will gain deeper insight into the experiences that have shaped who they are today.

LABBB at Lexington High Counts Down to the 250th Anniversary of the Battle of Lexington 

By: LABBB at Lexington High School

Lexington commemorates the 250th anniversary of the Battle of Lexington and their interactive calendar stands as a visual testament to the town’s remarkable history and lively community spirit. As stated on its website, “The collective endeavor not only symbolizes the passage of time leading to this historic milestone but also underscores the unity and pride that defines Lexington’s identity.”

LABBB was thrilled to be one of the 365 groups to pose with the calendar located in front of the town office building and additionally with a laminated sign that was provided for us to capture a photograph with our students at Lexington High School. We marked Day 115 as a calendar keeper and we are honored to be part of remembering and celebrating this monumental event in our country’s history.

Take a look at us! Scroll down to see our four photos of 115 Days to Go - Lex250

LABBB Recreation

We hope everyone had a relaxing and enjoyable vacation. Spring is on the horizon, and we have our Spring 2025 flyers ready. Make sure to check the website for these in the next few days. We have new offerings this spring, but with suggestions from the Recreation Survey, we hope to offer more new activities for the fall of 2025.

Please see our website for the activities below

• Monday and Tuesday Bowling
• Wednesday Recreation
• Monday Zoom Bingo
• Monthly Movies.

We are excited to offer a new Wednesday Recreation activity this spring: afterschool Gaming at Omar’s World of Comics. All activities have a limited number of spaces which fill up quickly. The due date for all spring 2025 activities is February 3, 2025, but many will fill up well before the February 3rd due date.  

Dates to remember.

• Valentine Dance: February 6
• Monthly Movie Night: February 13

SAVE THE DATE: May 29,2025

LABBB Spring Formal, for students in graduating years 2025-2030 (17-22 year olds).

More information to come in the near future.

REMINDER: The LABBB Recreation Brochure and monthly trips/dances flyers will ONLY be in our emailed LABBB newsletter and on our website (www.labbb.com). They will no longer be sent to LABBB family homes via USPS.

Remember to follow @LABBBREC on Twitter

Belmont Recreation /Adaptive Programs - https://belmontma.myrec.com/info/activities/program_details.aspx?ProgramID=29854

Riverside Family Support

https://riversidefamilysupport.org

Housing Navigator Massachusetts

https://housingnavigatorma.org/

LABBB Central Office

LABBB Directors and Coordinators

LABBB Webpage

LABBB Collaborative

70 Blanchard Rd, Suite 206, Burlington MA. 01803| LABBB.com