Life Skills Curriculum

Cedar Chapel Special School's Program of instruction is based on the Maryland State Department of Education Voluntary State Curriculum. Students receive instruction in Reading, Mathematics, and Science while completing activities from the Life Skills Curriculum and are assessed in corresponding areas through the Alternative Maryland State Assessment Program (Alt MSA).

Reading
Mathematics
Science
Communication, Decision Making, and Interpersonal Skills
Personal Management
Community Access
Career/Vocational
Recreation/Leisure

Voluntary State Curriculum

The voluntary state curriculum has been developed by hundreds of educators from across the state. These educators were committed to the development of clear, concise, well-articulated documents that would afford every student access to a rigorous and meaningful education.”
—Dixie Stack, Director of Curriculum

The Voluntary State Curriculum defines what students should know and be able to do at each grade level in these content areas:

Mathematics
Reading / English Language Arts
English Language Proficiency
Fine Arts
Foreign Language

Science
Social Studies
Health & PE
Technology Education
MD Technology Literacy for Students

The VSC is the document that aligns the Maryland Content Standards and the Maryland Assessment Program and will be available in a number of formats for teachers, central office staff, students, parents, and the other stakeholders. The curriculum documents are formatted so that each begins with content standards or broad, measurable statements about what students should know and be able to do. Indicator statements provide the next level of specificity and begin to narrow the focus for teachers. Finally, the objectives provide teachers with very clear information about what specific learning should occur.

Click on this link for more information

Structured Teaching Program

Structured Teaching is a tool used by CCSS teachers and staff to organize student work and provide access to Content Curriculum. The "structure" consists of modifications in the environment, concrete and visual ways of presenting information, and proactive routines. It is individually designed around each student's strengths, skill, interests and needs.

The goal of structured teaching is to promote independence and meaning through structure over the life time of the individual. As an individual grows and changes, the structure may be adjusted but it will always be necessary, in much the same way that people always wear their eyeglasses to see properly. In many ways. Structured Teaching is simply a more concrete, conscious version of the organization we use in our daily life. For example, we depend on our daily planners and calendars to understand what we're supposed to do, when and where.

The following outlines the Elements of Structured Teaching.

Physical Structure

This is the way the classroom environment is set up so that each area of the classroom is visually organized; each space has a specific purpose and set of expectations.

Clear physical and visual boundaries

Boundaries are in place to help the child understand where an area begins and ends. It helps to establish context and segments the environment for the student.

Minimize visual and auditory distractions

Helps the student focus on the concept and not the details.
Develops basic teaching areas: Independent Work, One-on-One, Leisure, Transition, Group, Computer, Snack, Lunch ...based on the needs of the students.

Schedules

The Daily Schedule tells the student where they need to be, where activities will occur, and the order in which they will take place.

	The length of the schedule is dependent upon the needs of the individual student. It can vary from one item, a full day, a full week or a month. Object schedule
	Object card schedule
	Photograph schedule
	Picture/Symbol Schedule
	Picture/Symbol with written Schedule
	Written List Schedule
	Sentence Schedule

Work System

This is what tells the students what they will be doing once they are where they need to be in the environment. The work system clarifies information for the student.

pic worksystem

The work system tells the student:

	How much work
	What work
	When work will be finished
	What comes next

Visual Structure

This is what helps students keep working by providing information within the environment that clarifies, organizes or instructs.

Clarifies by drawing attention to the important details. (labeling, highlighting, color-coding ...anything that makes the relevant more obvious)
Organizes materials in the space and sequences. (all items in their place, limited number or spacing ...anything to organize)
Instructs by giving visual information about how to complete the task. (jigs, arrows, pictures, product samples ...anything that makes no verbal instructions necessary)

Adapted Aquatics Program

Mr Rick Blessing and Mrs Tanya Miller

Below are some general facts and benefits of aquatic therapy.

General Information:

Warm water (typically between 89 and 93 degrees) provides a calm and relaxing, yet motivating and unique environment.
In water children are able to complete functional activities that they may not be able to on land. In aquatic therapy it is assumed that the increased function in the water will carry over to increased function on land.
Research indicates that aquatic therapy has produced functional outcomes in fewer therapy sessions than land based therapy

Reasons for Use:

Performing therapy in a warm water environment assists with muscle relaxation, tone reduction and pain control.
Provides freedom of movement, promotes movement in a reduced gravity environment
A therapist can utilize the properties of water to address strength, motor control, proprioception (knowing where an extremity is in space), conditioning, endurance, edema, range of motion and coordination concerns.
Promotes activities of daily living
Encourages vocalization and verbalization

swimming pic

This sensory garden was designed especially for our students.

Student's can explore and experience it's calming effects.

Alternate Maryland State Assessment

CCSS participates in Alternate Maryland School Assessment (Alt-MSA), the alternate assessment for students with disabilities. Following the guidelines of the Voluntary State Curriculum, reading, math, and science skills are assessed based on daily individual instruction. A team of educators selects objectives based on the individual needs of each student. Students then complete a portfolio of assessment work that reflects student success with each objective. Students with disabilities in grades 3-8 and 10 must participate in either MSA or ALT-MSA. The decision for which assessment is appropriate for an individual student is made by each student’s IEP team.

Cedar Chapel Special School Alt-MSA Scores

100% of the students scored proficient/advanced in Reading
91% of the students scored proficient/advanced in Mathematics
90% of the students scored proficient/advanced in Science

For more information click on the link below

Alt-MSA Information

Physical Therapy Program

Mrs. Tanya Miller
Mrs. Joan Condyles

Physical therapists in the school system develop and coordinate innovative therapy programs, protocols, and methods designed to meet the educationally-related needs of students with disabilities. We do this by assessing the student’s basic skills and abilities in gross motor function, balance, posture and movement, motor control and coordination, orthopedic status, developmental or functional activities, range of motion, sensory integration, and kinesthesia. We work on improving their tolerance of sitting, walking, standing and being able to participate in activities for physical education and art. When we are unable to help students engage in activities as their peers do, then we find alternative ways. We help with ordering equipment the students may need, such as wheelchairs, positioning aids, walkers, or braces. We also provide staff orientation and training, and professional development opportunities for staff.

click on link below

Working with UMES Students

Speech/Language Therapy Program

Mrs. Joscelyn Apple, Speech/Language Assistant
Mrs. Wendy Ryan, Speech/Language Pathologist

pic speech Our goal at CCSS is to help our students to communicate to the best of their ability. We work with each child to determine the best method of communication for that child. It may be using their voice, sign language, an AAC (alternative augmentative communication) device, gestures, and/or picture symbols. We want our students to become successful communicators within our society.

We provide speech/language therapy in the following environments:

            *Individual sessions in the speech room
            *Group sessions in the speech room
            *Group cooking lessons in the classrooms
            *Group family life lessons in the classroom
            *Classroom morning meetings
            *Co-treatment with teachers, occupational therapist, physical therapist,
              when appropriate
            *On field trips

We are VERY proud of our students!
Please view the power point below to learn more about the speech/language therapy program at Cedar Chapel Special School.

_Presentation_1-15-08

Occupational Therapy Program

Mrs. Kathy Lueders

Although it sounds like it should involve finding a job or developing work skills, Occupational Therapy actually deals with strengthening fine-motor skills like writing, cutting, shoe-tying and using utensils. For adults recovering from an accident or stroke, that may include work-related skills; for children, whose "occupation" is school and play, it will focus more sharply on developmental milestones and skills required for playground and academic activities. Our Occupational therapist works with children typically using techniques and routines that may seem like play, but are designed to target areas of delay and difficulty. Occupational therapists are also trained in therapy with a sensory integration approach, which uses play-like activities to help children better process and tolerate the information they get through their senses

Sensory Integration Program

All of the information we receive about our world comes to us through our sensory systems. Much of this input comes to us on an unconscious level. Aside from the sense of taste, smell, sight and sound, there is also the sense of touch, movement, gravity and body position. All these sensory systems have receptors that pick up information to be perceived by the brain. All of these systems work together with one another to form appropriate responses.For some children, sensory integration does not develop as efficiently as it should and a number of problems occur in learning, development or behavior.

In therapy, a child will be guided through activities that challenge his or her ability to respond appropriately to sensory input by making organized responses. Therapy will involve activities that provide vestibular, proprioceptive, and tactile stimulation and are designed specific to the child. Typically, a variety of activities will be used to develop abilities as opposed to specific tasks. The child will rarely be a passive recipient, but will rather be an active participant in this play-like therapy. This type of therapy is almost always fun for children. When a sensory integrative approach is successful, the child is able to automatically process complex sensory stimuli more effectively. The child will have more normal responses to stimuli and an improvement in coordination and motor planning.

Art and Music Program

Mrs. MaryBeth Lampman

Students in the Cedar Chapel Special School Art and Music Program are easily motivated by the use of various art media and music instruments. As our “artists” and “musicians” experiment with media, concepts such as color, shape, line, balance, rhythm, tempo, dynamics, and tone color develop. It becomes obvious that the process of art and music is just as important as the product of art and music. For our very special students, art and music becomes a voice for silent thoughts and provides an alternate outlet for self-expression.

Look at our Green House

Project "Green House" helps our students learn many important skills.

Adapted Physical Education

Mr Rick Blessing

Mr Rick Blessing offers students many opportunities to interact with their classmates and participate in an adapted physical education program.

This structured program is designed to meet the special needs of each student.

Inclusion at Snow Hill Middle

Assistive Technology Team

Assistive Technology is technology used by individuals with disabilities in order to perform functions that might otherwise be difficult or impossible. Assistive technology can include mobility devices such as walkers and wheelchairs, as well as hardware, software, and peripherals that assist people with disabilities in accessing computers or other information technologies. For example, people with limited hand function may use a keyboard with large keys or a special mouse to operate a computer, people with low vision may use software that enlarges screen content, or people with speech/language impairments may use a device that speaks out loud as they enter text via a keyboard or access pictures that correspond to language. Students at CCSS access language, content curriculum and environmental control through various Assistive Technology Devices. Teachers and staff are constantly striving to find the best device to meet the individual needs of each student.

510 Coulbourne Lane, Snow Hill, Maryland, 21863



			Fax 410-632-5239 Phone 410-632-5230