911�Թ� Archives - 911�Թ�

Rewind and Celebrate: A Look Back at 911�Թ�’s Amazing Year

911�Թ� — Fri, 21 Jun 2024 15:28:11 +0000

What a year at 911�Թ�! With so many exciting events and achievements, let’s rewind and celebrate all the fantastic moments that made the 2023-2024 school year unforgettable.

It was a sea of blue and gold as we celebrated the Class of 2024’s graduation. Excitement flooded the gym as our graduates gave heart-touching speeches and diplomas were presented. Each 911�Թ� student’s journey to walk across the graduation stage is inspiring and unique. We cannot express how proud we are of our seniors for working so hard and achieving this incredible milestone. Congratulations graduates!

This year, our robotics team, PATH To Domination, had an electric second season and continued to impress. As one of the only special education teams in the FIRST Robotics Mid-Atlantic competition, they broke boundaries with a first and fourth place finish at regional competitions. They finished the season by qualifying for the Mid-Atlantic District Championships again! Teamwork and dedication are understatements for this team. Practicing every day, making updates to their robot, and using the skills taught to them in our STEM-based classes, our students proved that they can accomplish anything.

The 911�Թ� Players, our talented theatre arts students, performed in two show stopping productions at the Center Theatre. Students rehearsed every Monday at the theater and practiced throughout the week, memorizing their lines and perfecting their stage presence. If you missed either performance, you can watch the full videos on our !

911�Թ� pride was off the charts during spirit weeks this year! A highlight was Autism Acceptance and Appreciation Spirit Week where students and staff dressed up in pajamas, their favorite sports team gear, and more. Our students and staff beamed with joy as we celebrated inclusivity throughout our campus community.

We want to extend our heartfelt congratulations to Lower School teacher Mrs. Sue Subers who received the Citadel Heart of Learning Award for her outstanding dedication to inspiring students and making an impact in their lives. Learn more about the Citadel Credit Union grants and teacher recognition .

911�Թ� was recognized again for our school-wide positive behavior support program. Our dedicated staff continued successful implementation of this program making 911�Թ� the only school in Montgomery County to receive distinguished recognition this year. We also honored 98 911�Թ� students for their exemplary behavior throughout the school year. What an amazing accomplishment!

As we wrap up another wonderful year, let’s celebrate all the hard work, achievements, and fun moments that made it special. We look forward to another fantastic year ahead!

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Your Impact at 911�Թ� – 2022-2023 Philanthropy Report

911�Թ� — Thu, 19 Oct 2023 19:26:02 +0000

We’re excited to share our with you, and we are once again offering the report electronically to make it easier for you to access this important information. If you would like to receive a printed copy, we would be happy to send one to you! Please email jbarrad@pathwayschool.org to request a printed report.

In this report, you’ll find a recap of our 2022-2023 fiscal year, a message from our President and CEO, a 911�Թ� Alumni success story, recognition of all financial donors, and additional information. We believe it is important for us to share the amazing accomplishments of our students and school community with you, our generous friends and supporters.

The 2022-2023 school year was another successful year at 911�Թ�! Just a few of the accomplishments from this past year include:

Launching our first-ever competitive robotics team which won in competitions!
Graduating an incredible group of twenty students.
Completing campus renovations, including former residential buildings Anthony Wayne and Valley Forge, to enhance our learning environment.
Celebrating a student’s impressive victory in a national math contest.

To view our Annual Philanthropy Report, click .

And please also consider continuing your generous support of 911�Թ� – there are many beneficial ways to donate, including recurring monthly gifts, Donor Advised Funds (DAFs), appreciated securities (stocks), IRA Qualified Charitable Distributions, and planned gifts from your will or estate. We would be very appreciative if you would consider increasing your contributions this year, given ever-increasing expenses. Becoming a monthly donor is very easy and convenient – you can set it and forget it, and you can change or discontinue your monthly contribution at any time! Contact Jory Barrad, Director of Development and Communications, at jbarrad@pathwayschool.org, for more details.

Thank you for all that you do to support 911�Թ� students and families!

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911�Թ� Publishes 2021-2022 Philanthropy Annual Report

911�Թ� — Tue, 23 Aug 2022 20:02:18 +0000

Dear 911�Թ� Supporter,

Each year we share with you our Annual Philanthropy Report. This year for your convenience, we are again offering it electronically. If you would like a printed copy, we would be happy to send one to you. Instructions to access the report electronically can be found below. In this report, we are providing you with a look back at our 2021-2022 fiscal year. We believe it is important for us to share with you all of the great things that 911�Թ� and its students are able to accomplish thanks, in great part, to you and your generosity.

The 2021-2022 school year at 911�Թ� was another challenging but successful year! Our entire community continued to adjust to health and safety protocols as we returned to more “normalcy” on our campus. 911�Թ� remains resilient and our mission carries forward – building academic, social, and life skills in students with special needs to promote their success and independence.

Please take a moment and look through our Philanthropy Annual Report. Here are a few things highlighted in this report that you may want to see:

Letter from our President and CEO, David Schultheis
2020 Alum Receives Dream Job
Listing of our 2021-2022 Donors
Financial Highlights
Board of Directors and Administrators Page
Ways you can continue to support 911�Թ�

To view the annual report, please click . If you would like to receive a printed copy, please email jbarrad@pathwayschool.org.

Thank you for all that you do to support 911�Թ� students and families. We are looking forward to starting another great school year at 911�Թ�.

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911�Թ�’s Own Wright Brothers Soar to New Heights

911�Թ� — Wed, 29 Jun 2022 20:27:26 +0000

Yes, the 911�Թ� School has its own Wright brothers – Zahiir and Zahkir’e! They are identical twins who had their own way of communicating with each other from the time they were babies. However, as they grew up, they had trouble communicating with others.

When attending public school, the twins were taunted, bullied, and physically harmed. They wanted to harm themselves and started refusing to go to school. When their parents learned more about their sons’ struggles, they knew they needed to seek a better educational environment – one that could assist with their learning, communication, and emotional challenges – for Zahiir and Zahkir’e.

In 2018, the family visited 911�Թ� and noticed that the campus was beautiful and welcoming. Their parents were impressed with all the services available. After deciding to send the boys to 911�Թ�, they saw immediate progress with Zahiir and Zahkir’e. The twins receive supporting therapy and have told their therapist how much they love school now. They enjoy playing football, basketball, and games in gym class and have also learned to make new friends. Zahiir and Zahkir’e are now thriving in their new environment at 911�Թ�.

“911�Թ� has a wonderful team, a good curriculum, and everything offered to help the students succeed is great!”
Nancy & Jamir, Parents

911�Թ�’s mission is to help many students with special needs like Zahiir and Zahkir’e build academic, social, and life skills to promote their success and independence after 911�Թ�.

To read Zahiir and Zahkir’e’s full story and learn more about how you can help support 911�Թ� students’ journey to success, click here.

Your donations support many students like Zahiir and Zahkir’e and promote their academic progress, as well as their success and independence both today, as students, and later in life as adults. You make the difference for 911�Թ� students, their families, and their communities. to donate and help support 911�Թ� students.

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Health and Safety Plan Updated: May 16, 2022

911�Թ� — Tue, 07 Jun 2022 18:24:02 +0000

911�Թ� remains committed to operating on-campus and in-person for the remainder of the 2021-2022 school year and for the 2022-2023 school year as well. To this end, we continue to evaluate our health and safety protocols and to update our Health and Safety Plan as required. We continue to base our protocols on up-to-date guidance from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the Pennsylvania Departments of Health and Education. We remain committed to providing our students, faculty, and staff a safe and hygienic learning environment.

Click here to download the recently updated full Health and Safety Plan.

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911�Թ� Update – 5/27/22

911�Թ� — Thu, 26 May 2022 16:26:55 +0000

To the 911�Թ� School Community:

It pains me to have to write another email like this, but after the events of the past few days (Buffalo, NY and Uvalde, TX) I feel compelled to write and describe the safety measures in place at our school.

One of the most important aspects of 911�Թ� is to provide a safe, therapeutic environment in which our students can feel valued and safe. Several university research studies have shown that students learn best when they are relaxed and feel a sense of personal safety. In the past several years, 911�Թ� has implemented a series of safety measures to help keep all on campus safe and secure.

Our safety measures begin the moment students arrive on campus. All students are greeted by staff, and are (informally) assessed. Should a student seem agitated or unduly upset, a staff member is directed to the student so they can talk out issues the student may be having. This strategy is designed to be proactive and allow all students on campus to have a productive start to their school day.
Most classrooms begin the school day with a “morning meeting”. This is designed to help the student adjust to the school day and can help staff identify whether a student may be agitated or upset. Again, staff are directed to any student who seems to be in need of support, this process has been effective in redirecting students and helping them to have a productive day.
All buildings are locked and require an appropriate electronic identification badge to enter. ID badges are specific to each building, meaning not every ID badge will unlock every building door.
We are attuned to visitors on campus. Staff are prepared to question an unattended visitor and direct them to the Administration building for registration, etc.
All staff are trained in safe intervention techniques should there be a need for physical intervention (therapeutic or otherwise).
We encourage our students to speak with staff when they have concerns, and we participate in the Pennsylvania’s Safe2Say program which is designed to allow concerned individuals identify safety concerns at 911�Թ�.
Any student who has been identified as being agitated, disruptive or significantly impacting a classroom with disruptive behavior undergoes a risk assessment by one of the members of the clinical team. The aim of this process is to determine how viable a threat of self-harm, or of harm to the school community might be. If the student is determined to be a threat to themselves or to others, further action is taken, including counseling, hospitalization or in extreme circumstances, contacting the local police.
Annually, the entire school community completes active shooter training. All staff are required to complete safety trainings designed to prevent or to act appropriately in situations like what occurred yesterday in Uvalde.
We coordinate our safety measures and trainings with the local police, so they are aware of our processes and can act in a coordinated manner should the situation arise.

Sadly, no amount of training, preparation and implementation can fully protect our school from events like those in Buffalo and Uvalde. We all must remain vigilant and act decisively when unsafe situations arise. We are a school, and while learning and personal growth should be our biggest priority, in the past couple of years, the personal safety of all on our campus, and those they go home to, are equally a priority at 911�Թ�.

Parent Guidelines for Helping Youth after Mass Violence

Thank you for your continued support and understanding. If you have questions or comments, please feel free to contact me.

David Schultheis
President & CEO

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911�Թ� Students Develop a School-Wide Recycling Program

911�Թ� — Fri, 22 Apr 2022 14:43:51 +0000

This past December, two of 911�Թ�’s 8th-grade students, Eli and Hezekiah, took on the project of making 911�Թ�’s recycling program more visible and more robust as part of their school Merit project. They both want to see 911�Թ� become more “eco-friendly”. With the guidance and support of their teacher, Mrs. Dobbins, Eli and Heze have been doing quite a lot to make recycling a bigger priority for 911�Թ� students and staff. The students started by conducting a school-wide inventory of recycling bins on campus. They then ordered 45 additional bins to be placed, where needed, in classroom buildings and offices throughout campus. With the help of 911�Թ�’s corporate partner, J. P. Mascaro and Sons, the students then distributed literature to educate students and staff about what can be recycled, as well as activity packets to help everyone understand the importance of recycling while making it fun to learn about! A laminated visual poster was created with information about “single-stream” recycling to place above each bin, and Eli also created a video commercial, featuring fellow 8th-grade student, Aidan, that was included in 911�Թ�’s weekly news broadcast – 911�Թ� Today News. They even created a visual aid for the cafeteria, which is near the trash and recycling cans, to show exactly which items can be recycled and which cannot.

When asked why this was an important Merit project to tackle, Eli said “Up until now there was no real motivation for people here to recycle and the students hadn’t really been educated on why it is so important to recycle.” Eli further explained that recycling is important for many reasons, including reducing what goes into trash landfills and helping the environment, wildlife, and ocean life. Eli shared that he was initially concerned that the recycling effort wouldn’t go too far but he has been very pleased with the progress so far.

Eli says, “On our current track, as long as we continue to educate everyone about the importance to the planet of recycling, the program should continue to do very well.” When asked what other ideas they have to improve the program and recycling on campus, Eli replied “We hope to get 911�Թ�’s younger students to learn more about recycling, to be motivated, and to really participate in recycling both here at 911�Թ� as well as at home or wherever they may be.”

Congratulations to Eli and Heze for their amazing work on this Merit project and for elevating the importance of recycling here at 911�Թ� – great job, guys!

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Finding a Place at 911�Թ� – Syheem’s Story

911�Թ� — Wed, 13 Apr 2022 18:10:16 +0000

Syheem Curry enrolled at 911�Թ� in the fall of 2017 and continues to brighten the day of all of those who are around him with his warm and comforting smile. Even during the COVID-19 Pandemic, when masks prevent us from seeing his mouth, the twinkle in his eyes show the smile that we have all grown to know and love. His mother, Ms. Pouncey, said that she sees him smile so much more since starting at 911�Թ�. She shared her appreciation for 911�Թ� and how Syheem has grown during his time with us.

Syheem struggled in his previous school and Ms. Pouncey came to realize just how much these struggles were interfering with his ability to grow, so she began advocating for another school placement. 911�Թ� was fortunate enough to be on the list of options provided for consideration.

Initially, the admissions staff were a bit concerned about 911�Թ�’s ability to be the appropriate option for Syheem. Through conversations with multiple people throughout the admissions process, Ms. Pouncey convinced the team to ‘take a chance’ on him. She vividly recalls the conversation that allowed her to go into his trial period with ‘eyes wide open to the possibility that it may not be the right match’. Ms. Pouncey recalls respecting and appreciating the transparency of discussions and the dedication of the team to make the right decision for their family – even if that decision would be difficult to hear.

Syheem quickly acclimated to 911�Թ� and has been showing us all he can do ever since. Ms. Pouncey remembers him coming home from school talking about his teachers and what he was working on. For the first time, she saw him emotionally engaged and invested in school.

Ms. Pouncey describes Syheem as an introvert. In the past, this has interfered with his ability to speak up and advocate for himself. Through the trust he has built with his staff, improvement in his confidence, and lessons provided about the importance of making your thoughts/feelings known, he has shown the ability to make his voice heard – always in a respectful manner (just as his mother taught him).

Ms. Pouncey has been encouraged by the team’s ability to talk through concerns she brings to the table. She feels truly heard and understood at 911�Թ�, and she is grateful for the teams’ immediate actions implemented to solve concerns she may have.

“Syheem has had his learning struggles and it was frustrating as a parent. When 911�Թ� took a chance on Syheem and our family, he began to excel, has excelled, and is still excelling. I see more excitement and willingness to try new things. Syheem comes home wanting to talk about what happened in school. We live by the motto and hashtag “My Son is NOT his disability” and 911�Թ� has helped with encouragement, education, it’s staff support, and teamwork.” Ms. Pouncey states.

Syheem is starting to transfer some of the skills learned in school, at home. He independently can make some meals for himself, and she credits his programs focus on ‘learning the essentials’ to this carry-over. She laughed as she shared her excitement for the day he transfers more of his cleaning skills to home, but is grateful that he is mastering these skills at school. As most parents do, she spoke of being fearful of what things would look like when she is no longer around, but through experiences at school and him showing what he is learning at home, she is ‘not as afraid anymore’.

Do you know of a student who you think would be a good fit for 911�Թ�? Contact our Admissions department at 610-277-0660 ext. 5 or enrollment@pathwayschool.org.

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Health and Safety Plan: 2021 – 2022 School Year

911�Թ� — Tue, 15 Feb 2022 15:00:55 +0000

911�Թ� is committed to operate on-campus and in-person for all or most of the 2021-22 school year. To this end, we have created a Health and Safety Plan that includes up-to-date guidance from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the Pennsylvania Departments of Health and Education. Given the unique educational needs of our students, 911�Թ� School leadership has created an operating plan that integrates the recommendations of the public health community with the best practices of special education professionals. We are committed to providing our students, faculty, and staff a safe and hygienic learning environment.

Click here to download the Health and Safety Plan.

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911�Թ� Publishes it’s 2020-2021 Philanthropy Annual Report

911�Թ� — Mon, 20 Dec 2021 16:45:52 +0000

As 2022 is about to begin, we wanted to provide our 911�Թ� Supporters with a look back at our 2020-2021 school year. It is important for us to share all of the great things that 911�Թ� and its students are able to do because of the generosity of our kind donors.

The 2020-2021 school year was anything but normal at 911�Թ�. Our students and staff were challenged by a new hybrid learning model, health and safety protocols, LOTS of zoom meetings, and much more. But, despite all of those changes, we were and continue to remain resilient, and our 911�Թ� community is stronger than ever.

Please take a moment and take a look at our Philanthropy Annual Report. Here are a few things highlighted in this report that you may want to see:

Letter from our President and CEO, David Schultheis
A 911�Թ� to Transform and Grow Alumni Article
A Legacy that Lasts Planned Giving Article
Listing of our 2020-2021 Donors
Ways you can continue to support 911�Թ�

Please download the report here from our website. If you would like to receive a printed copy, please email lrhoades@pathwayschool.org.

Thank you to all of those who continue to support 911�Թ�. We wish our entire 911�Թ� Community a great holiday season and a Happy New Year!

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