Pictured above, from left to right, students Miah Scheiderer, Ayla Sparks and Harper Wimmers arrive for their first day of class at the Harold Lewis Center earlier this week.
(Photos submitted)
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Editor’s note: The following is submitted by the Union County Board of Developmental Disabilities.
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There were cooler temperatures Thursday morning, but there was a high degree of excitement and smiles as students arrived at the Harold Lewis Center for their first day of the 2018-19 school year.
“It’s a big day and our teachers are looking forward to seeing that first bus arrive and for the kids to start getting off the bus,” said Sue LaMendola, Children Services Director for the Harold Lewis Center. “We are starting the new school year with 181 students, which is an increase of more than 66 percent compared to just five years ago.”
The Harold Lewis Center is operated by the Union County Board of Developmental Disabilities. The school provides an early childhood education for children who are between the ages of three and six years old. Children attend preschool with individualized supports and services provided for those who need it. Some of those individualized supports may include speech, physical and occupational therapy, and/or adapted physical education to meet the identified needs of the child.
Peer models also attend preschool at the Harold Lewis Center. Peer models are children who are not currently experiencing any developmental concerns. Together, all students are learning the skills necessary to enter kindergarten such as academics, social behavior and communication while making friends and learning through play.
Since 2010, The Harold Lewis Center has collaborated with Marysville Schools to house the Structured Learning Classroom, which is designed specifically for children on the autism spectrum with an emphasis on structure and curriculum.
“The Structured Learning Classroom provides positive social, emotional and communication development to prepare students to be successful,” said Joanna Iannantuono, the teacher in the Structured Learning Classroom.