RIVERVIEW SCHOOL
RIVERVIEW SCHOOL
Summer 2010
G.R.O.W.
Riverview School was established on beautiful Cape Cod in 1957 and has an international reputation for excellence in special education. The scenic 16-acre campus is an easy walk to Sandy Neck Beach and is located on historic Route 6A just one hour from Boston or Providence, RI. Beaches, lighthouses and quaint villages are among the many treasures found on Cape Cod.
G.R.O.W. Summer is a five-week co-educational summer experience for young men and women between the age of 18 – 22 with complex language, learning and cognitive disabilities scoring within the 70 – 100 range. Consistent with our Mission, Riverview is committed to developing student competence and confidence by remediating academic, social, and independent living skills.
G.R.O.W. Summer is staffed by experienced teachers and dormitory staff from the school year program and serves as an ideal opportunity for students entering the program for the first time in September to become acquainted with the campus, the faculty, and their peers. This helps to ensure a smooth and successful transition to G.R.O.W. in the fall. The “philosophy of the whole child” guides the ongoing dialogue between family and residential staff to ensure that student needs are addressed quickly and comprehensively.
ACADEMIC/VOCATIONAL SKILLS
Instructional classes are conducted in Reading, English Language Arts, and Consumer Issues. In the Reading class, students read a novel or a set of short stories which relate to a particular theme. In English Language Arts class, students focus on writing projects related to the book or short stories being discussed as well as focus on issues related to independence and community safety. Consumer Issues offers fundamental money skills that students need in order to successfully function in the community. During the afternoon, students participate in vocational and elective classes designed to develop work experience as well as personal interests and productive use of one’s time. Each Wednesday, students go out on a daylong community outing where they explore Cape Cod and the surrounding areas, experiencing many exceptional learning opportunities. Such outings may include:
• Whale watching
• Newport Mansions (R.I.)
• New Bedford Whaling Museum
• Martha’s Vineyard sightseeing
• Museum of Science/IMAX (Boston)
• Hard Rock Café (Boston)
• Tour of scenic Route 6A
• Canal cruise and seal tour
• Kennedy Museum (Hyannis)
• Beach trips
All students have the opportunity to participate in vocational skills training in the G.R.O.W. summer component. In the afternoons, students rotate through five career exploratory fields. Each work site exposes students to a variety of skills; students rate their interest in each area at the end of the summer. Their final evaluation is a Work Exploratory Assessment which evaluates student performance in five employability areas. Students entering their last year of G.R.O.W. participate in work experiences during the morning session. They begin their day by working in the breakfast café learning customer and food service skills and then leave campus to work at supervised community work sites.
PERSONAL GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT
As young men and women, our students are often faced with issues such as previous school failure, lack of friendship or poor self-esteem. Therefore, each student is assigned an Advisor who serves as a liaison between home and school and provides student support in areas such as self-awareness, self-advocacy and problem solving.
The head teacher, advisor and residential staff meet on a regular basis to discuss specific issues which may assist in the student’s transition from the classroom to the residential program and vice versa. This communication ensures that the “philosophy of the whole child” prevails.
Social competency guidance is given to students by all staff. Rather than providing social skills instruction in isolation, all staff are trained to assist students in understanding social errors and preventing their reoccurrence by reviewing and strategizing these situations as they occur.
HEALTH AND WELLNESS
Health care services are provided by full-time registered nurses. The campus has a six-bed health center where students can be assessed or rest if they are ill. Health care staff encourage students to better understand and advocate for their health needs by providing instruction regarding health and wellness and independent management of medicine.
Physical activity is also an important component of the summer program. Students enhance their level of fitness by receiving instruction in a state-of-the-art fitness facility called The Wellness Center.
RESIDENTIAL LIFE
Because living and learning are fully integrated on the G.R.O.W. campus, the residential program is designed as thoughtfully and thoroughly as the academic program. When students leave class, they enter another important dimension of their day. Much like the academic programming, all aspects of residential living serve to foster greater independence.
The residences at G.R.O.W. are staffed by a Residential Supervisor, an overnight Dormitory Coordinator and a Dormitory Assistant. There are six residences at G.R.O.W. which are located in the towns of Hyannis and Sandwich. The Sandwich properties are primarily used for the summer program.
Students are actively involved in menu planning, food inventory, grocery shopping, meal preparation and clean-up by preparing breakfast and dinners in their residences. During meal preparation, the focus is on individual cooking skills such as boiling, chopping and measuring. With a focus on proper nutrition, students make their own breakfast in their residences. Lunch is served on campus with a healthy selection such as a salad bar, fresh fruit, soup, sandwiches and a main entrée.
In all of the residential programming, the goal is to develop responsible, independent, community-oriented students. Skills such as room and dorm care, laundry, hygiene, time management, organization, fitness and leisure planning are taught in a structured, supportive setting. For afternoon, weekend and evening activities, G.R.O.W. students play an active role in designing and planning their individual activity schedules. Activity choices include:
• Swimming at local beaches and campus pool
• Deep sea fishing
• Melody Tent concerts
• Barnstable County fair
• Cape Cod baseball league
• Personal shopping
• Food shopping
• Social outings
• Movies
• Outdoor town concerts
• Canobie Lake Park
• Miniature golf
• Whale watching
• Pawtucket Red Sox games
• Weekly cookouts
• and much more …
G.R.O.W. Summer – Five-Week Program
Friday, July 9, 2010 9:00 – 12:00 through
Friday, August 13, 2010 at 12:00 Noon
Tuition: $6,847.00
A TYPICAL G.R.O.W. SUMMER DAY
Monday through Friday
7:00 – 8:15 Wake up, prepare breakfast, complete morning routine.
8:15 Depart residence for Academic Center.
8:30-11:30 M, T, Th, F: Classroom instruction.
W: Community outing (9:00 – 3: 00)
11:30 – 12:00 Lunch
12:00 – 2:00 Elective/vocational opportunities:
• Newsletter
• Culinary arts
• Office skills
• Computers
• Home safety, repair and maintenance
• History of Cape Cod (museums, local historical attractions)
• Art appreciation (hands-on activities with local artists, museums and exhibits)
• Oceanography (seal cruises, whale watches, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute)
• Nature appreciation (nature walks)
• Crafts
• Retail (school store and thrift shop)
• Food pantry
2:00 – 5:00 Home living skills/afternoon activity/dinner preparation
5:00 – 6:30 Dinner/cleanup
6:30 – 8:30 Recreational and cultural outings, which may include:
• Concerts on the Green
• Cape Cod Baseball League
• Cape Cod Melody Tent concerts
• Sandwich Boardwalk
• Canal and beach walks
• Barnstable County fair
• Wellness Center (Riverview’s fitness center)
• YMCA
• Borders/Barnes & Noble bookstores
• Movies
• Personal shopping
8:30 – 10:00 Social time/nightly routines/laundry
10:00 Quiet time.
