“Educating Students for Success in a Changing World”
S
elf-Advocating:
Speak up for yourself and make good decisions about your life
P
otential Reaching:
Believe in your capabilities and give only your best
E
nvironmentally Responsible:
B
e good stewards of the earth and its resources
C
ommunity Focused:
Support those around you by being a committed worker and volunteer
T
rustworthy:
Show your integrity by being dependable, honest, reliable
R
espectful
:
T
reat yourself and others with kindness
U
nique:
Love your own irreplaceable self and see the beauty in others
M
indful:
P
ractice compassion, gratitude, and awareness of each moment without judgement
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From the Desk of
Michelle Johnson
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At Spectrum Charter School “Celebrating Education & Community Service” is central to our mission, our values and our curriculum since 1999.
Together our teachers, our staff, our Board of Trustees and our students created the following pledge that reminds us every day of who we are, how we are trying to live our lives and hopefully teaching others these important values and lessons.
THE SPECTRUM PLEDGE
:
I pledge to be a
self-advocate
who believes in my
potential
; to care for myself, my family, my
community
, and our
environment
. I will show the quality of my character by being
trustworthy
,
respectful
, and valuing the
uniqueness
of myself and others. I will remember that where I fail, I learn.
I will be
mindful
and take each moment as an opportunity to grow.
Next year will mark our 20
th
Anniversary. As we plan for our future, our Board members are working on a strategic plan that will allow us to evolve and grow.
I invite all of you to learn and grow with us – Be a Friend and Like Us on FaceBook, Support our Amazon Smile program this holiday season and throughout the year, Volunteer or be a Sponsor of our next
Touch-a-Truck & BEE Well Family Expo
on May 4, 2019, Share this
Spectrum Gazette
with family and friends.
Thank you for your ongoing friendship and support,
Michelle Johnson
,
CEO
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Spectrum Charter School welcomes back students, staff and stakeholders for this 2018-2019 School Year!
In addition, we welcome eleven new students and families to Spectrum Charter School this fall as well as our newest staff member, Ms. Taylor!
The friendships in the classroom and across the school are flourishing! The buzzing coming from the lunchroom is an indicator of high levels of socialization among our students. In the photos, the students in Classroom 1 are building relationships as they create card towers of commonalities. Ms. Marie and Ms. Brandy facilitate the activity while learning about the students.
We look forward to all of the exciting learning and enriching activities yet to come this school year!
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Therapy Dogs in the Classroom
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Spectrum Charter School supports families’ right to choose the school that best fits their child’s learning needs regardless of where they live.
Finding the right school for your child is one of the most important things you can give them. Having a voice in this decision matters! "The desire for quality school cuts across race and socio-economic background because there are factors beyond test scores that make a school a good fit for a student", says James Fogarty, executive director of A+ Schools.
(
http://www.aplusschools.org/
).
The agency is dedicated to educating the public through hosting events such as the 4
th
annual Pittsburgh School Choice Fair. Spectrum Charter school is proud to have been invited to be a represented school for the fourth year running. The 2018 Pittsburgh School Choice Fair is being held Saturday, November 17 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the Union Project. Spectrum Charter School will also participate in National School Choice Week later this school year during the week of January 20-26, 2019. Look for more information to come on how you too can support this important family right to choose!
Jennifer Schurr
, Principal
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This year, Spectrum Charter School has welcomed the Westmoreland County Obedience Training Club Thera-Paws volunteers to our school. Thera-Paws is an active Pet Therapy program in the Westmoreland and Eastern Allegheny County area. Pet Therapy provides residents of hospitals and personal care homes a break from times of loneliness and isolation. The students have been able to rotate between the visiting therapy dogs in small groups of 2-3 students. In the future, students will be able to listen to stories being read while they pet one of the therapy dogs. The students in all of the classrooms look forward to the next time the therapy dogs come to visit the school. A visit from a therapy dog can brighten a day!
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Community Based Vocational Training
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At the beginning of September, the students at Spectrum Charter School began working at our Community Based Vocational Training (CBVT) sites. Each class is assigned CBVT sites on a weekly basis. The partnering sites we visit are: Delmont Food Bank, Global Links, Lincoln Park Community Center, Monroeville Christian Church, Concordia, McKenna Senior Center, Brother’s Brother, and Monroeville Library.
At each of these sites the students complete vocational tasks such as: cleaning, packaging foods, organizing, serving food to seniors, sorting and packaging medical items, and socializing with residents. During the 2017-2018 school year, the students at Spectrum Charter School had over 1,000 volunteer hours working at these sites!
This school year brings two new Community Based Vocational Sites for us. The students will be working at Animal Friends and Carnegie Science Center. We are looking forward to volunteering at these sites and expanding our work skills!
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September 21
st
, 2018 Spectrum students took part in their second annual
Peace One Day
celebration. International Day of Peace was established in 1981 by a unanimous United Nations resolution.
Peace One Day
provides a globally shared date for all humanity to commit to Peace above all differences and to contribute to building a Culture of Peace. This is a day of global unity to where every city, country and continent vows to practice peace on the same day with one another.
Our school has chosen to join in this mission. Each teacher incorporated a peace lessons into their classroom
.
We celebrated by taking a school-wide pe
ace
picture. We have so much fun putting a spin on these traditions each and every year.
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It’s a Cool Time
to be Fit
As the weather starts to get cooler, people start to spend more time indoors, and get less time exercising! Unfortunately this kind of inactivity can lead to weight gain.
Looking for ways to avoid those extra pounds?
Try limiting those extra calories. Drinking more water (sometimes the need you are feeling is thirst and not hunger), and getting more exercise.
Make time to play! Set aside 30 minutes three times a week to do fun activities with your kids. You can run in place during the commercials when watching TV, sing and dance while you clean or walk around the block before or after meals.
Parking the car further from the store will help burn calories, as will taking the steps instead of the elevator.
Ask your children to teach you some of the yoga they have learned at school.
Students will benefit from these small lifestyle changes and will enter the new seasons stronger and healthier.
What suggestions do you have to become more fit? Feel free to connect with the school nurse - Esther Jones at:
ejones@spectrumcsi.org
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Featured Resource
The
Autism Caring Center
was founded by two parents who recognized the need for additional support and encouragement for families and individuals with autism. With more than 10 years of experience in autism advocacy and training, the Autism Caring Center staff offers personal experience and professional skills to their community.
The Center will provide the following:
Consultations
by telephone or in-person to support individuals and families in their need for resources and information
Autism training
for schools, community groups, and businesses.Training is provided at no charge to non-profit organizations.
Monthly support groups
for parents and individuals throughout Southwestern PA.
Social events
for individuals with ASD, their families and friends.
Advocacy services
including IEP meeting support and court testimony.
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News from the Parent Task Force
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H
ello!
My name is Heather Yee, the PTF (Parent Task Force) president. I am excited to say that this new school year has gotten off to a great start. We have been involved in welcoming many new families and are excited to have them (and all family members) find meaningful and constructive ways to become involved with Spectrum Charter School events and activities.
Our Parent Task Force group will meet once a month to talk about different ways to help Spectrum families, classes, and our school. There will be occasional guest speakers, teacher comments, and much more. We will be getting parents and children together for different outings, while getting to know each other too.
All are welcomed; please consider joining our meetings on the 3
rd
Friday of each month in the school’s lunch room at 1:30 pm.
For more information about the PTF and becoming involved please feel free to contact me at:
yeeclan@gmail.com
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Will You Be Our Friend?
Help Spectrum Charter School
Parent Task Force
by clipping and saving Box Top$ For Education. Box Top$ helps our school to earn dollars.
Box Top$ can be found on 100's of products that you are already using - Look for them on General Mills, Pillsbury Betty Crocker cereals and bake goods, Old El Paseo and Yoplait. Nature Valley and Annie's... Hefty, Reynolds and Paper Mate....just to name a few! Just clip...and save...and share with the school...it's that easy!
Your thoughtful donation can be mailed to our school: 4369 Northern Pike| Monroeville, PA 15146
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~ Celebrating Education & Community Service Since 1999 ~
4369 Northern Pike | Monroeville, PA 15146
412-374-8130
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