The Cantalician Review
is the new e-newsletter of Cantalician Center for Learning, Inc. The quarterly e-newsletter aims to inform its supporters, community partners, and the individuals and families it serves about its services, events, and happenings at the 501(c)3 nonprofit organization.
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Happy first day of spring, happy WNY Day of Giving!
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Welcome to Cantalician Center for Learning
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Our Services:
School Age, Daycare, Preschool, Early Childhood Community Services, Day Habilitation Services, Employment and Contract Services through our division, Diversified Labor Solutions, Children's Health Home Care Management, and Medicaid Service Coordination.
Our Mission:
Rooted in the Catholic principle of Human Dignity, we provide person-centered compassionate services that promote independence and offer meaningful opportunities to individuals with disabilities.
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Mark your calendar
MSC Change to Care Coordination (Two opportunities to attend)
Date: March 21, 2018
Location: DLS, Tri-Main Center, 2495 Main Street - Suite 360, Buffalo, NY 14214
Time: 4:00 p.m.
AND
Date: March 22, 2018
Location: Cantalician Center, Academic Campus, 2049 George Urban Blvd., Depew, NY 14043
Time:
3:00 p.m.
Date: March 24, 2018
Location: KeyBank Center, 1 Seymour H Knox III Plaza, Buffalo, NY 14203
Time: 2:00 p.m.
Date: May 31, 2018
Location: Tewksbury Lodge, 249 Ohio St, Buffalo, NY 14204
Time: 5:30 p.m.
The following events are for staff, friends, and/or family members of Cantalician Center ONLY!
Memorial Service for Louis Malkiewicz
Date:
April 9, 2018
Location: North Buffalo Community Center,
203 Sanders Rd, Buffalo, NY 14216
Time: 10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
Cantalician Parents Group Meeting
Date:
March 26, 2018 (Tentative Date)
Location: Cantalician Center (Academic Campus - Room 14)
Time: 6:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
Cantalician Center Presents Shrek The Musical Jr.
Date:
June 1, 2018
Location: Cantalician Center (Academic Campus - Gymnasium)
Time: 12:30 p.m.
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In Memoriam: Louis J. Malkiewicz
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Louis J. Malkiewicz passed away this month. He attended Cantalician Center for more than 55 years and began his journey at the organization in the School Age program. When Malkiewicz graduated, he became a member of the maintenance team alongside his father. In 2011, he left the maintenance team to become a laborer with Cantalician Center's Contract Sales division. From 2012 to 2014, Malkiewicz was an active member on Cantalician Center's Board of Directors. This was one of his proudest achievements. In 2015, he decided to retire to spend his time in Cantalician Center's Day Habilitation Services where he continued to volunteer in the community and explore Western New York alongside his many friends. Malkiewicz was also a longtime member of the Alhambra - Cordova Caravan Corporation. The Cordova Caravan has been a large supporter of Cantalician Center for more than 40 years. During his time at Cantalician Center he never missed an event, especially the Spring Gala Celebration. He was so dedicated to the organization he could be seen wearing Cantalician Center t-shirts most days. Malkiewicz is remembered for embodying everything that it means to be an "exceptional" member of the Cantalician Center family.
"I'm deeply saddened by the loss of Lou. He was one the most enthusiastic supporters of Cantalician Center, always trying to make the organization better. I recall many mornings where he would come into my office and say, "I got me a good idea" and he would proceed to give me an idea on how we could improve.
There was also the time he told me he figured out that I was really, "Anne, the Queen of Canada" and he "knew it was true” no matter how much I convinced him I was not. He was always making me laugh,"
said Anne Spisiak, Executive Director, Cantalician Center.
"Louie was added to my father’s maintenance team at the Eggert Road facility to transition into a cleaning role. My father found Louie to be a hard worker, however; I found him to be a good reporter as he would let me know how much work had been done each day and what they ate for lunch. Louie was always a prominent figure at Alhambra [Cordova Caravan Corp.] sponsored events and presented as though he was the “Chief Leader” while wearing his Alhambra hat. Even after my father passed away, Louie always asked how “John” was doing and told me that he missed seeing him. I truly believe that my father will be visiting with Louie and that they will be having an awesome time," said Judith Maciolek, Supervisor of Physical Therapy, Cantalician Center.
"Louie was dedicated to the Cantalician Center. It didn’t matter whether he was buffing the floor or cleaning a bathroom stall, he took pride in everything he did. He was one of the friendliest people I have had the pleasure of working with. It didn’t matter who you were; if you were wearing a suit and you were in the building, Louie would stick out his hand and introduce himself. I would often joke with him that he should run for office. At one point, when we were located on Hertel Avenue, there was a committee where they had elections and Louie was running. You would have thought he was running for president of the United States of America. He appointed the sales and marketing coordinator at the time as his campaign manager. Louie was always willing to be part of anything that was going on at the organization and he wasn’t afraid to give you his opinion. He will definitely be missed," said Kevin Tomasik, Manager of Facilities, Cantalician Center.
"Lou was an extremely hardworking and caring person always willing to help out. He was always ready and willing to help in the community and at Cantalician. Lou was Cantalician in my book
," said Mike Wrona, Medicaid Service Coordinator, Cantalician Center.
Cantalician Center would like to offer its deepest condolences to all that knew Malkiewicz and called him their friend and co-worker. He will surely be missed by all at our organization.
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2018 Winter Olympics
Written by: Mark Blesy,
Co-Principal
This year, the Winter Olympics took place in Pyeongchang, South Korea. Cantalician Center's Kindergarten through 2nd grade students celebrated the momentous occasion by learning about the history of the games and the athletic events featured. Students then participated in their own Winter Olympics, starting with an Opening Ceremony in which students proudly carried flag's of the various countries competing during a parade through the halls of the Academic Campus. The Olympic preparation activities included, picking a country to represent, decorating t-shirts, and making flags. Students enjoyed participating in the following events throughout the week: Speed Skating, Cross Country Skiing, Curling, Bobsled, Hockey, Dog Sled, Ski Jump, and Luge. The staff and students finished the week with their very own Closing Ceremony which included a banquet of food from each country represented by the students. Just as the Pyeongchang Olympics brought together countries and fostered new friendships, our Olympics did the same at the school.
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Let the March madness begin!
Written by: James Maleck,
Adapted Physical Education Teacher
This spring, Cantalician Center’s Adapted Physical Education program will begin its basketball unit with students. Our highly effective phys ed program is designed to adapt and meet the individual needs of each student we serve. Through basketball, they will learn how to move their bodies fluently, develop physical skills, improve fitness levels, and fine tune their personal and social skills to achieve a lifetime of health, wellness, and physical activity. As a phys ed teacher, it’s rewarding to see the student’s successfully demonstrate basketball skills including: dribbling, shooting, and passing. It’s amazing to get their positive feedback such as a laugh or smile. It makes me feel great that I am able to make a positive impact on their day. The fact that the student’s gain positive self-esteem and so much more is a “slam dunk” for all of the teachers in the phys ed department.
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The Therapy Corner: 5 signs your child may be struggling with a visual impairment
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Written by: Tony Gervase, Head of Vision Therapy
Did you know that 80% of what we learn comes to us through information which is gathered visually? Children with other impairments are at even greater risk if they cannot see or do not use their vision well. Here are a few things to look for while working with children in the classroom, in therapy, and/or at home.
1.Poor eye contact - The child may make eye contact only briefly or sometimes not at all.
2.Irregular eye movements - The child's eye movements may appear jerky. The eyes may move rapidly from side to side or in a circular motion. These irregular, rapid eye movements may increase under stress or when the child is tired.
3.Response to light - The child may turn away from or close his eyes to a light source. This may suggest a sensitivity to light. Children who are sensitive to light should be seated facing away from windows to minimize discomfort.
4.Difficulty when walking - The child may bump his arms or shoulders on door frames, feel for steps with his feet or fall to the floor frequently.
5.Difficulty with seat work - The child may have difficulty focusing on seat work. He may push his head back or put his face unusually close to papers and objects presented. The child may also under reach or over reach for objects such as blocks, pegs, etc.
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Learning a lesson in sharing!
Written by: Colleen Strough,
Daycare Director
The Daycare and Community Preschoolers at Cantalician Center shared their bakery creations with staff members as part of National Bakery Month. The little "bakers" put together a cart of delicious goodies, including sugar cookies, cupcakes, and brownies, and then delivered them to everyone around the Academic Campus. It was not only a great lesson in sharing, but a great chance to work on communication and socialization skills. Nice job sharing, Daycare and Preschoolers!
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Community and Day Services
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Changes in Medicaid Service Coordination
Written by: Marie Sutton, Coordinator of Medicaid Service Coordination
Cantalician Center and other agencies across New York State have been working hard to prepare for the anticipated July 1, 2018 transition from MSC to Care Coordination. This change is taking place because of the federal mandate that case management must be conflict free, meaning case managers should not work for agencies that also provide services to the individuals they work for. In order to remain proactive, Cantalician Center aligned itself with
Person Centered Services of WNY (PCS of WNY)
in 2011 as one of its founding agencies.
In 2016, PCS of WNY began a pilot to test out the new Care Coordination service and to get insight into what works, what doesn’t, and how to best offer this service to individuals with developmental disabilities. Cantalician Center proudly participated in this pilot to remain at the forefront of the transition. Teresa Spaeth, an MSC with the agency since 2013, became a Care Coordinator through a grant funded position to be able to provide feedback to them in order to make the transition to Care Coordination successful. Spaeth represented the agency very well and was asked to speak at many open forums and was featured in an article by
Millennium Collaborative Care
.
As the state continues to work on this transition from MSC to Care Coordination, the Cantalician Center MSC department has been working diligently to make sure individuals and families are informed of what’s to come. Cantalician Center will hold a forum on the change from MSC to Care Coordination that will take place this week to answer any questions individuals and families may have about the process. There is one thing we can ensure, is that it
will change the way we conduct services but not the way we serve people.
We hope to see you at the forum.
Click to learn more!
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Day Hab urges people to stop using "R" word
Written by: Ashley Rodgers,
Community Integration Manager
In 1987, March was proclaimed as Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month and over the years people with disabilities have worked hard to raise awareness about equality and sensitivity.
In celebration of Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month, Cantalician Center's Day Habilitation (Day Hab) Services participated in “#EndTheRWord” campaign. The various Day Hab sites made posters and had them plastered all over Cantalician Center's social media pages to show others that people with disabilities have a voice and they will be heard. We wanted to let everyone who would listen know that the “R Word” is extremely offensive, hurtful, and that we are one group of many across the nation that would like to see people stop using that word all together! Day Hab concluded its participation in the campaign by visiting one of the "#EndTheRWord" pledge centers to sign our names and encourage others in the community to do the same.
The result of our efforts proved to not only make an impact locally, but nationally as our Twitter posts reached as far as Indiana with a like by their advocacy agency "Advocate for Indiana." It was also shared by the campaign's creators, the Special Olympics and Best Buddies, as well as New York State Senator Tim Kennedy. Thank you to everyone who participated. "We label jars, not people!"
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Community Prevocational (CPV) services to partner with community organizations, businesses
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Written by: John Rodgers, Opportunity Development Coordinator
Cantalician Center's Employment Services offer a number of different programs for people with developmental disabilities who are interested in finding a work opportunity that suites them best. Community Prevocational services (CPV) offers integrated, community-based work opportunities and individualized supports to assist people in acquiring the skills and work habits needed to be a successful employee. A number of CPV participants work at Cantalician Center's division, Diversified Labor Solutions (DLS) learning if the packaging and light-manufacturing field is a right fit for them.
In an effort to expose CPV participants to a variety of vocational opportunities, this year, Employment Services will be collaborating with community partners to offer participants with even more real-world work experiences. This exploration will allow all involved to get a glimpse of various career paths, which will help them continue the process toward a wide array of career opportunities. The experiences will include: tours of various businesses, short internship opportunities, and any work experience that fits within a participants desired career path. Our CPV services staff are proud to support each individual in their vocational path, and we look forward to further engaging with our community partners.
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2018 Variety Kids Celebrity Child: Jackson Buyea
Written by: Ashley Rowe, WKBW
BUFFALO, N.Y. -
Jackson Buyea's parents call him their 'tiny mighty'.
Jackson was born unexpectedly at 24 weeks. Bob and and Jen Buyea were driving to Indianapolis when they urgently pulled into a small hospital, ill-equipped to deliver babies.
"Jackson was born probably two or three minutes after we walked into the room," Bob Buyea said.
Jackson's eyes were fused shut. Nurses wrapped his body in saran wrap to keep his body warm, Bob and Jen recalled from the Cantalician Center, where we interviewed the family for the Variety Kids Telethon...
Read more.
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Cantalician Featured in NYSUT Advocacy Campaign
Cantalician Center was featured in a NYSUT campaign called; "Forgotten Schools - New York State's 853 Schools," that conveys the importance of increasing funding and support for 853 schools like ours. The video aired during a lobbying session in front of New York State lawmakers in February.
The Session was attended by Cantalician Center teachers Anne Reed and Colleen Christman. A big thank you goes out to both of them for helping to advocate on not only our behalf, but for all 853 schools across the region. Major kudos to the wonderful educator, staff, and students that participated in the video. The video was the first step in advocating for more funding and support for 853 schools. We're excited to continue to lend our voice to the effort until our voices are heard.
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2018 Cantalician Celebration
Cantalician Center's 2018 Celebration will take place at Tewksbury Lodge on Thursday, May 31, 2018 at 5:30 p.m. If you're interested in attending, go to
www.CantalicianCenter.org
or call (716) 901-8728. The cost is $75 per person. It includes: cocktails, pasta and carving stations, raffles, a silent auction, and more.
This year, a major focus of our fundraising efforts is the renovation of our Academic Campus Courtyard. The Courtyard is currently used as a secure space for our students to play outside, but the reality is that it’s not very child friendly. We would really like to make it a more fun and safe place for everyone to enjoy.
Cantalician Center is a 501(c)3 tax-exempt organization, making a tax deductible donation will allow you to also contribute to these target areas of need:
· Your donation will support the 85% of children and adults we serve that live in poverty and are in need of the necessary items to lead healthy and happy lives.
· Your donation will support field trips and activities that allow our students and individuals to learn critical life skills in the community.
· Your donation supports our ability recognize our “exceptional” employees who work hard each and every day to provide quality services.
We hope to see you there!
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Support us through AmazonSmile!
Remember when you're purchasing items on Amazon to go through
www.AmazonSmile.com. The site is the same Amazon. It has the same products, same prices, and same service. When you go through AmazonSmile to do your shopping, Amazon will donate 0.5% of the price of your eligible purchases to Cantalician Center. Just choose the "Cantalician Foundation" before you shop and you'll be good to go. Thank you for your support in advance!
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Cantalician Center for Learning, Inc.
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The Cantalician Review
is
produced by Ashley Hirtzel, Marketing Coordinator for Cantalician Center for Learning
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