A+ Ideas, Programs, and Practices

The Eastampton Community School marks Veterans’ Day with an inter-generational experience and history lesson, rolled into one. Every year, during the week of Veterans’ Day, the school invites veterans from the community to share their stories with students, during inter-generational interviews. The veterans, spanning World War II through the Global War on Terror, and representing … Continued

  At Cape May County Technical High School, students are learning by helping save ospreys. Working in an outdoor classroom of marsh and inland waterways, with biologists from the state Division of Fish, Game and Wildlife, students have helped gather essential information on the county’s osprey population. Students monitor a particular area of the salt … Continued

At the Tighe School in Margate, students and their families are cultivating their knowledge about sustainability, and putting roots down in the community, by growing a vegetable garden. The garden was started in 2006 by a local restaurateur and community activist, and was awarded a grant by the New Jersey Agricultural Society. A group of … Continued

Young people with disabilities often struggle to find an appropriate social group, either because their needs are too significant or the group is too advanced to meet these needs. The Teen Advocacy Group (T.A.G.) program provides a social group that is fun, while using innovative teaching techniques to enhance social and community-based skills. T.A.G. meetings … Continued

The Hornet Hive Community Project at Hamilton High School West is more than a program for special-needs students. It is an altruistic effort helping the Hamilton community. Each year, the Multiple Disabilities Life Skills Program at Hamilton High School West chooses a social organization that it partners with to “give back” to the community. Disabled … Continued

This high school district and its broader community have come together to give Delaware Valley’s special education students valuable learning opportunities, as well as experience in the work world. More than 50 employers provide job training experiences to students. Job sites range from a lumber yard to a graphic design firm; and from the local … Continued

Bankbridge Buddies teaches elementary students social skills, as well as the value of “giving back,” by reaching out to the community to serve residents of a nursing home. Started in 2007, the program involves fourth- through sixth-grade students at Bankbridge Elementary School, in Gloucester County, who have multiple and behavioral disabilities. Each month, students visit … Continued

There are security cameras and locking systems, redesigned vestibules and even new blinking traffic lights near two schools. But beyond the physical changes, there is also an Emergency Preparedness Task Force and a “Team Guardian.” There are regular meetings held three times a year, among school officials, police, firefighters, and others in the community, where … Continued

The Special Education Parent Advisory Committee (SEPAC) sponsored a mental health awareness day for all high school students. General and special education teachers, administrators, board of education members, Child Study Team members, and guidance educational specialists created a special that included various activities involving mental health. The program was developed in conjunction with the Bergen … Continued

Food stations serving up whole wheat pasta, salads and make-your-own-sandwich. Focus groups that weigh in on dining options and culinary choices. An online menu, easily accessible through a click on a website. They might sound like features found in a restaurant. Instead, they are offered by the Union City School District through a multi-faceted nutrition … Continued