High Road School of Cecil County is a Type I educational program serving the instructional and behavioral needs of adolescents in a supportive and structured environment.  The program is designed to focus on personalized academic and behavioral goals so students may return to a less restrictive setting as quickly as possible.  The goals of the program are as follows:

• To provide each student with the academic and social skills necessary to be successful in the school, community, and family system;
• To prepare students to return to a less restrictive setting;
• To prepare students for Maryland State testing programs;
• To provide students with consistent and structured tutorials designed to prevent regression and produce both academic and behavioral gains;
• To provide students with an array of cultural and recreational experiences;
• To provide students with the opportunity to increase their knowledge of the history of Maryland.

High Road School of Cecil County offers a graded program in grades 6 through 12 for 45 boys and girls ages 11 to 21.  Classes are small (no more than nine students to one teacher and assistant) ensuring that personalized instruction is provided to each student.

In addition to primarily serving students with serious emotional difficulties, High Road School provides services for students who also have been diagnosed with specific learning disabilities, communication disorders, other health impairments, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and intellectual limitations.  Students are referred to the program through the local school systems (Cecil County Public Schools and surrounding jurisdictions), on average for one school year.  Students may be eligible for the program regardless of their current living situation (e.g. parent’s home, foster care, or Alternative Living Unit).

A personalized educational program is developed for each student.  The program utilizes the curriculum for grades 6 through 12 of the Cecil County Public School System.  High Road School operates Monday through Friday, from 9:30am to 4:00pm.  The educational program focuses on academic instruction in English, math, science, social studies, and career training.  The morning is devoted to academic instruction through tutorials, and the afternoon incorporates academic and recreational activities, including field trips.  In addition, when students are ready, they receive school to work training in the community.  A strong behavioral management system is also implemented which emphasizes the development of appropriate behaviors necessary for academic and social success.

In addition to the 10-month school year, an Extended School Year (ESY) program will also be available beginning in 2005.  This program provides academic and behavioral support through subject-area tutorials.  Recreational and cultural experiences are provided on half-day trips.  These trips also relate to the culture and history of the State of Maryland.

Parents are always encouraged to visit the school at any time.  Opportunities are available to learn about the educational program and to become more involved in their child’s academic endeavors. Family involvement is a high priority at High Road School of Cecil County.

Read and Succeed

Ms. Carri Vandzura is excited to announce her new role for the 2011-12 school year. Ms. Carri has been teaching High Road students for almost 7 years now and has worked with students in Delaware, Elkton and Perryville.  This year she will continue working with our students, but in a different capacity. Ms. Carri will be assisting Ms. Nicole, the Maryland North region’s reading specialist, in offering several types of reading interventions, such as Wilson, Edmark, and READ 180. Ms. Carri stated “I am excited to be helping students and reinforcing reading goals that teachers are working on in the classroom. Students that have received reading specialist services in the past have demonstrated a greater sense of self- confidence when reading a loud and when completing independent work”

North Bay Field Trip

I want to begin by thanking all of the parents for their cooperation on returning the pages of paperwork necessary to make this trip possible. The staff that gave up their time to stay with the students over night deserves an abundance of gratitude.  Last, but definitely not least, the New Hope and High Road students that went on the trip need to be commended the most.  They showed a tremendous amount of respect for the North Bay staff and the facility, and enthusiastically bought into the message North Bay was sending to them about conservation and taking individual responsibility about the environment that is immediately around them.
 We arrived March 15th at about 11:30am and immediately were greeted by an enthusiastic and friendly group of North Bay staff members that ushered us to our cabins and then lunch (which I will say was phenomenal) of chicken tacos.  After lunch, the fun really began! The North Bay staff had us split into groups and we rotated around the facility going from the ropes course, to the scales and tales animal presentation, to a giant rope swing, the nature hike, and finally the 150 yard zip line.  It was more fun than I had ever seen our students have on a field trip, that‘s for sure.   After those 5 fun-filled hours, we headed back to the dining hall for a spaghetti dinner.  We went from the dinner to the game room where the students enjoyed shooting pool, playing table tennis, and of course, eating smores.  After all that fun, students began to show signs of sleepiness.  We watched the movie “Despicable Me” but I would guess only about half of the students made it through the movie without falling asleep.  We were a worn out group of campers.  We awoke the next morning to breakfast and headed out to learn about the “Great Pacific Garbage Patch”.  This presentation proved to be motivational to all of the students as they picked up about 8 huge bags full of garbage and half a dozen tires from the beach.  Seeing all they accomplished, the students walked to lunch with a feeling of pride.  They cleaned the beach for the sake of cleaning the beach.  They weren’t paid; they just cleaned the beach because it was the right thing to do.  After lunch, we gathered our things and headed back to school.  
Thank you to everyone that had even the smallest part in making this happen.  This is a field trip that, I’m sure, the students will never forget; I know I never will.  I really look forward to next year’s trip.
-Mr. John Lochte

Spirit Week 2011

High Road School of Cecil County recently celebrated Spirit Week! Spirit Week is week long event where students exhibit school pride and school spirit with daily dress-up themes and activities. This year students and staff celebrated with crazy hair/hat day, sports team day, pajama day, and mix-match day. Each day a tally was taken to keep track of how many students from each classroom participated. At the end of the week, Ms. Leslie’s was rewarded with a pizza party due to such a high level of participation.

New Goals for a New School Year

During the first week of the new school year, the students in Ms. Kristin’s class were asked to identify goals they would like to accomplish this year and develop a plan outlining the ways in which they plan to accomplish these goals. The students were excited to share their ideas. Here’s what they had to say:

Jason- “I want to be on blue level for most of the school year. I also want to work on expressing my feelings in a positive way”

Joey- “I would like to achieve gold level status!”

Cassie- “I will not call out as much and learn more about how to take care of animals”

Anthony- “I will communicate with staff and peers in an appropriate and positive way”

Tyler- “I will work on using my inside voice”

Dameer- “I will get off red level and show respect to staff, students and myself”

Randy- “I will work towards going back to public school”

Good luck working on your goals! We believe you will be able to accomplish all you set out to do!!

Cody's Challenge

Many of our students have numerous challenges and roadblocks to overcome in order to graduate from high school. At the High Road School of Cecil County, we strive to help each student with individualized strategies to meet academic and behavioral goals, as well as help each student find a voice to advocate for themselves.

There is one student at the High Road School of Cecil County that has not only overcome a huge challenge, but has met this challenge with determination and a positive attitude which has led to an extremely successful school experience.

Cody Disabatino, a High Road senior, is very excited about his upcoming graduation at the end of this school year. Cody is visually impaired and must utilize alternative learning tools to access his education. Cody possesses a wonderful sense of humor and makes any classroom a little bit more fun with his jokes and good nature. Cody loves basketball, video games, and riding his bike. He is planning on attending Cecil Community College next year and studying graphic design. He has already scored extremely well on placement tests.

When Cody came to our school, he barely knew Braille and was very reluctant to work with teachers due to his anger and frustration. The first step for Cody was to work closely with his social worker to identify causes of his anger and work on utilizing positive coping skills during appropriate times. He began to make progress and started building good relationships with staff and students. The academic success followed the behavioral success and before he knew it, Cody started learning how to read Braille. Learning Braille is difficult and a lot like learning a new language. Cody was dedicated to focusing on this aspect of his education because he began to see results and understand the importance.

The High Road School of Cecil County, as well as the other High Road Schools in the Maryland North Region, couldn’t be more proud of Cody and his success. In celebration of his graduation and all of the overwhelming challenges he has overcome, the entire region has created a fund where staff and students can donate money to purchase a laptop and software to assist the visually impaired for Cody. This technology will help him immensely at his community college next year.

Cody is a great role model for our current and prospective students. Since his first day of school, he never let his disability get in the way of what he wanted and worked hard to get there. We are very proud of Cody and hope he continues to inspire those around him.

Therapeutic Riding Program

The High Road Schools of Perryville and Cecil County are participating in the Freedom Hills Therapeutic Riding Program again this year. This program is a fun, hands- on and extremely beneficial program that brings horses and individuals with disabilities together for a variety of therapeutic goals.

Students began their lessons at Freedom Hills, which is located in Port Deposit, Maryland, in September and “work” on the farm on a weekly basis. Students are responsible for grooming their assigned horse, organizing supplies, cleaning different areas of the stable and farm, and walking their horse to and from the paddock. They also participate in riding lessons. The students were encouraged to establish a relationship of trust with the horse before riding. One student commented, “My horse seemed to trust me. I walked him, groomed him and fed him before we started riding. I thought I would be nervous to ride, but I wasn’t nervous at all!”

Staff members at the farm agree that individuals have the potential to learn about aspects of life such as accountability, forgiveness, learning through mistakes, teamwork, responsibility, and concentration by interacting with the horses.  One staff member mentioned the amount of emotional control it takes to master riding. 

This program has provided a huge incentive for students to do well in school as they have to maintain the 2 highest behavioral levels in order to participate. Ms. Carri, a teacher in Perryville, is thrilled that the program has been a hit with the students and is not surprised by the never- ending questions about Freedom Hills and one question in particular, “When can we go back??”

High Road School of Cecil County Graduation and Awards Ceremony

On June 11th, the High Road School of Cecil County celebrated our outstanding graduates with a graduation and awards ceremony. It was a beautiful day, perfect for a graduation, and staff, students, and guests were invited outside to sit under the tent and hear the teachers talk about some of the positive experiences they have had with the graduates during the school year.

Ms. Leslie spoke and presented Cassy Doelle, Jason Duff, and Jerell Banks with a certificate of completion for the 8th grade. Mr. Jemel presented Michael Gustafson, the only senior, with a certificate celebrating his upcoming graduation in November. Michael has been at the High Road School of Cecil County for over 4 years now and has matured into a very polite and well-respected student. Michael will attend Cecil Community College as soon as he graduates and plans to transfer to a four-year college. Michael has a deep interest in science (especially physics) and hopes to work at an observatory one day.

One senior commented that he liked when Mr. Gary gave out some fun awards. For example, Josh Eder received the “best smile” award, Randy LeTendre received the “most creative” award, and Brandon Torres received the “best dancer” award.

We are all so proud of the students that graduated and were promoted! The dedication they have demonstrated to themselves and their education is remarkable!

Working Together to Help a Student in Need

When the staff and students at the High Road School of Cecil County heard about a High Road School of Delaware student who recently lost everything when his home caught on fire, they knew they had to help. A group decision was made to donate the proceeds made from their annual community car wash to help the Delaware student and his family.

Cecil County students and staff started washing the first car at 10:30am and did not stop until the school buses arrived to take the students home. At one point during the day, the line of cars wrapped all the way around the school building! The students took pride in their fundraiser, scrubbing tires, washing and drying the exterior and vacuuming and wiping the interior of the cars. When asked about the car wash, Tanner D. said, “It was hard work, but it feels good to help another student in need!”

PAWS for People

PAWS for People is a non-profit, volunteer organization serving parts of Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey. The organization’s mission is to provide elders, children, and folks with disabilities individualized, therapeutic visits with gentle, affectionate pets. PAWS provides one-on-one therapeutic visits to High Road students in Cecil County every other month. The students get to spend about 1 hour with the animals during individual therapy, group therapy or reading time.
The social workers in Cecil County are responsible for facilitating the visits between the students and pets. “We have seen our students benefit in several ways as a result of interacting with the animals and participating in this program” Pet therapy has been proven to have physical health benefits such as lowering blood pressure and diminishing pain as well as mental health benefits such as reducing depression and anxiety, encouraging communication and increasing socialization. One student described the animal visits best when he said “They spread happiness throughout the school!”
To learn more about the PAWS for People program, visit www.pawsforpeople.org

North Bay Field Trip

I want to begin by thanking all of the parents for their cooperation on returning the pages of paperwork necessary to make this trip possible. The staff that gave up their time to stay with the students over night deserves an abundance of gratitude.  Last, but definitely not least, the New Hope and High Road students that went on the trip need to be commended the most.  They showed a tremendous amount of respect for the North Bay staff and the facility, and enthusiastically bought into the message North Bay was sending to them about conservation and taking individual responsibility about the environment that is immediately around them.
 We arrived March 15th at about 11:30am and immediately were greeted by an enthusiastic and friendly group of North Bay staff members that ushered us to our cabins and then lunch (which I will say was phenomenal) of chicken tacos.  After lunch, the fun really began! The North Bay staff had us split into groups and we rotated around the facility going from the ropes course, to the scales and tales animal presentation, to a giant rope swing, the nature hike, and finally the 150 yard zip line.  It was more fun than I had ever seen our students have on a field trip, that‘s for sure.   After those 5 fun-filled hours, we headed back to the dining hall for a spaghetti dinner.  We went from the dinner to the game room where the students enjoyed shooting pool, playing table tennis, and of course, eating smores.  After all that fun, students began to show signs of sleepiness.  We watched the movie “Despicable Me” but I would guess only about half of the students made it through the movie without falling asleep.  We were a worn out group of campers.  We awoke the next morning to breakfast and headed out to learn about the “Great Pacific Garbage Patch”.  This presentation proved to be motivational to all of the students as they picked up about 8 huge bags full of garbage and half a dozen tires from the beach.  Seeing all they accomplished, the students walked to lunch with a feeling of pride.  They cleaned the beach for the sake of cleaning the beach.  They weren’t paid; they just cleaned the beach because it was the right thing to do.  After lunch, we gathered our things and headed back to school.  
Thank you to everyone that had even the smallest part in making this happen.  This is a field trip that, I’m sure, the students will never forget; I know I never will.  I really look forward to next year’s trip.
-Mr. John Lochte

Big Improvements!

Jory B. came to High Road of Cecil County in February 2009 from the Cecil County Alternative Program.  Since his arrival to our school, Jory has made significant improvements both behaviorally and academically. He has maintained green and blue levels for the majority of the 2009-2010 school year.  He is respectful and kind to peers and staff.  Jory exhibits a great sense of humor that allows him to make friends easily.  Recently, Program Director, Mr. Gary, sat down with Jory to ask him about his progress this year.

Mr. Gary: “What do you think your behavior strengths and weaknesses are?”

Jory:  “I am very funny and outgoing.  It is easy for me to make friends and I think people would say I am fun to be around.  My strengths can also be a weakness because I can get off task easily and take jokes too far.” 

Mr. Gary:  “How do you feel you have improved on your behavior?”

Jory: “I attempt to do my work, even though I don’t want to at times.  I try to focus on my work and staying on task.”

Mr. Gary: “How has your new awareness of your behavior helped you improved academically?”

Jory:  “Well, I took the HSA’s in January and have improved my scores by 40 points each in Algebra and Government.  Even though I didn’t pass them I am very close and confident that I will pass next time I take them.”

Mr. Gary: “What is your favorite subject in school and why?”

Jory: “I like biology because I like hands- on work and I like learning about living and non- living things.” 

Mr. Gary: “What do you like most about High Road?”

Jory: “The staff is very friendly.  I like the food. I get to use the ping pong table when I have a good day and some day I will beat Mr. Ethan.”

Reading is a Treat!

Ms. Melanie began a new reading program in Elkton this school year.  Each time a student reads a book, they write the title of the book on an ice- cream scoop.  Once they have collected five ice- cream scoops, they post them on the “Ice- Cream for Books” bulletin board for everyone to see.  Students are rewarded with an ice- cream sundae with all of their favorite toppings and ice- cream themed prizes. The students are motivated by this incentive and have definitely increased the amount of time they spend reading! Since the beginning of the school year, the students have read and enjoyed over 95 books!

Scales and Tales

The students at the High Road Schools of Baltimore County, Delaware, Cecil County and Perryville, along with the students of New Hope Academy gathered for an exciting program called Scales and Tales. 

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources offers the program to local schools to give students the opportunity to see wildlife native to Maryland.

Ms. Morgan, a naturalist from Patapsco State Park, educated students on a variety of birds and reptiles in the area. Students got an up close and personal look at a baby and mother black rat snake, a diamondback terrapin, a great horned owl, and a turkey vulture. Students learned about wildlife habitats, diets, and life- spans. 

Ms. Morgan also discussed interesting wildlife facts and mentioned how each bird and reptile was brought into the park’s care.

During the program, students passed around a molted snakeskin, which one student said felt like wax paper. Some brave students had the opportunity to touch the black rat snake as they were leaving. The students enjoyed the program and learned lots of cool new facts about wildlife in Maryland!

Student Feature

Brian C. is a 10th grade student at the High Road School of Cecil County. He came to us from Bohemia Manor Middle School in November 2008. Brian likes to work on the computer and play video games. He also enjoys spending time outside and being involved in sports. His favorite subject is Physical Education. Brian is a member of various sports teams here at High Road School. He has remained on green or blue level since the start of this school year and was nominated “Student of the Week” in his classroom during the second week of school.
Academically, Brian has applied himself to excel in his school work. He is creative and uses details when asked to complete written passages. He does well when he is learning new concepts and has the ability to stay on task and put forth his best effort. Some of Brian’s previous areas of weaknesses included; excessive calling out, sleeping during rotations, being off task, and struggling to manage frustrations. Although he has not perfected these areas of concern, Brian has managed to make tremendous improvement. He also completes his homework and turns it in on a daily basis.
Brian has a positive relationship with staff and other students and he helps out within the classroom. He has shown the ability to make mature decisions. Brian’s goal for the school year is to remain on green or blue level, stay out of the quiet room, and complete all his work. We are proud of Brian for making such great improvements.  We know that he will continue to be successful in the future.

Cecil County Children and Adolescent Mentor Program

The High Road Schools of Cecil County in Elkton and Perryville are proud to announce that they have been awarded a grant from the state and the Cecil County Core Service Agency to provide mentoring services to youth in the local community. The Cecil County Children and Adolescent Mentor Program (C.A.M.P) is run by High Road School Social Worker Sara Carty and staffed by High Road Teachers and Assistants. The program matches each participating child with an individual mentor who serves as a role model to increase pro-social skills, self- esteem and confidence. The mentor and child engage in mutually agreed upon activities that provide a context for practicing skills and working toward the goals set forth in their individual mental health treatment plans. At the same time, the mentoring program provides an opportunity for fun, new experiences and lays a foundation for positive relationship building.

In order to be eligible for the program, the child or adolescent must be between 6 and 18 years of age and must be receiving treatment from a mental health professional. The child must also have a mental health diagnosis and receive medical assistance.

C.A.M.P offers services to an average of ten children and adolescents a month for up to one year. The mentor and mentee will spend one day a week together for up to 3 hours at a time. Some of the activities planned for the up coming months include bowling, miniature golf, nature trail walks, indoor swimming, rock climbing, movies, apple picking and other seasonal activities.

If your child fits the program criteria or you would like more information on the program, please contact Sara Carty by phone 410-398-6900 or by e-mail sara.highroadschool@yahoo.com

Reading Specialist

The Reading Specialist position can hold a number of different roles within a variety of school settings. This position is found at all levels, from elementary through high school, private and public schools. The primary role of a person in this position is sometimes a coach for classroom teachers and other times as one-on-one intervention teacher. In my position at High Road, I wish to fill both of these roles as intervention teacher and coach.

The students who meet with a Reading Specialist are most often recommended by their classroom teachers or Administrators. These referrals are based upon discrepancies in potential ability and performance, or reading skills that are far below what would be expected. When a student is referred, further testing is completed to determine the most effective course of action. I use a variety of assessments such as the QRI-IV (Qualitative Reading Inventory, 4th edition), and vocabulary and phonics surveys. These assessments allow me to identify whether a student’s weaknesses are in decoding alone, comprehension, or a combination of both.

Following the individualized nature of our school programs, I am able to decide upon a plan with the classroom teacher that best meets each student’s needs. This may come in the form of individualized intervention in phonics utilizing one of a number of research-based programs, or as supplementary activities to assist the classroom teacher. If a student has strengths in phonemic awareness but weaknesses in comprehension, their plan for individualized sessions will reflect that. 

Some of the programs utilized in our schools include: Edmark Reading, Orton-Gillingham, Wilson Reading. Each of these is a research proven program that addresses the ‘Big 5’ areas of Literacy: Phonics, Phonemic Awareness, Fluency, Vocabulary, and Comprehension. Through these programs, students are offered intense, individualized instruction in the areas with demonstrated weaknesses.

It is our responsibility as educators to ensure that students have the opportunity to reach their potential. It is my wish that each of our students find independence in their reading, and that such independence helps them reach their goals.

List of Reading Interventions

Athletic Teams

The High Road Schools and New Hope Academy are committed to providing services, programs and activities that provide opportunities for students to grow both inside and outside of the classroom. For several years, our schools have had an Inter-High Road School/ New Hope Academy Sports league.

The Maryland North region of schools including Baltimore City, Baltimore County, Delaware, Elkton, and Perryville compete throughout the school year in three sports.

Fall – Flag Football
Winter – Basketball
Spring – Volleyball

These teams provide an opportunity for our students to gain knowledge and skills in team sports and sportsmanship.  Only students (on green or blue level) that have demonstrated the ability to make sound decisions can participate in practices and games.  The league provides students a chance to interact with students from other regional schools and to show school pride for their own.

Each sport season has its own playoff and crown champions for that season.  In flag football, the playoffs are in a bowl format similar to the NCAA.  Naturally, we have our own form of March Madness to crown our Basketball Champions.  

Each year, all the schools get together for a Sports Banquet where the students are celebrated for their athletic performance and sportsmanship.  All participating students receive a participation award at the banquet.

For more information about our Sports League Programs, please contact your child’s school and ask for the team coach.

Transition Program

All of the programming that is designed to transition the student from school to work emphasizes preparation for productive employment after graduation. To make this employment as successful and fulfilling as possible, we help the student explore his or her interests and then build upon natural talents in choosing possible career paths. As students mature, we encourage them to gradually become more self reliant. Our Transitional Services staff aids in this process by giving the students just the right amount of independence and interaction with the wider community, while still providing the supports necessary for the students to feel secure and confident.

School-to-Work Program
Our School- to Work Program offers students the opportunity to participate in true- to- life jobs within the school setting. The end goal of the program is to develop the student’s employment skills and social skills in order to maximize their potential for success in the real world. As such, students seek to obtain jobs by first filling out an application and interviewing for the position they are interested in, as they would in real life. Once the student obtains a suitable position at school, they are held accountable for their attendance and performance, so we work with them on such aspects of employment as punctuality, responsibility, and working independently. Many of the jobs the students procure involve our student - run on the premises retail business. Students participating in the School-to-Work Program are trained to operate many of the state- of- the- art machines that make customized products for sale through this retail business.

Community Work
New Hope Academy affords students the opportunity to take their learning outside of the classroom and transfer it into the community. We work with our students to practice the proficiencies they have mastered in the School- to- Work Program, and then, when a student is ready, a job coach accompanies them to volunteer or paid job sites out in the community. We partner with a wide array of local- area businesses, including restaurants, hospitals, preschools, and retail shops, to expose the students to real - life work experience and social interactions. In this way, students can explore numerous career avenues and gain valuable work experience to list on their resumes.

Official Site for Cecil County Public Schools
www.ccps.org

Maryland Association of Non-Public Special Education Facilities
www.mansef.org

The Parents Place of Maryland
www.ppmd.org

Freedom Hills Theraupeutic Riding Facility
www.freedomhills.org

Official Site for Maryland Public Schools
www.marylandpublicschools.org

Upper Bay Counseling Services
www.upperbay.org