Weekly Update: June 16, 2023

At the end of May, students enjoyed another sunny, fun-filled Field Day!

2023 Yearbooks Are Here!

If your student ordered a yearbook, it was distributed to their classroom this week by the vocational team. Please check your child’s backpack if you haven’t seen it yet. If you missed the initial order and would like to get a yearbook, please email Mike Drew at mdrew@cotting.org and submit your $30 payment via Venmo, cash or check.

Our official 2022-2023 end-of-year t-shirts & hooded sweatshirts are now on sale! Available in several colors, fits and sizes (including youth), they feature the names of every student enrolled at Cotting School during the 2022-2023 school year on the back.

Order yours here!

Lexington Lions Club Carnival

The Lexington Lions Club would like to welcome groups/families with special needs on Friday, June 30, 2023 from 3-5 p.m. Free of charge with popcorn, water hoodsies, rides and games.

If attending please email the number in your group to prizzo@labbb.net.

Free Trike!

Our friends at Waypoint Adventure are offering this used trike (in decent shape–may need some minor maintenance) for FREE to anyone who wants it and is willing to come pick it up, right here on Cotting campus! If you are interested or would like more information, please contact Eileen Turpin at Waypoint Adventure by email:

eturpin@waypointadventure.org.

Looking for Web-Savvy Teen Volunteers!

Do you know an EXTREMELY ONLINE, website-savvy high schooler looking to accrue some volunteer hours doing creative work over the summer? We have the perfect opportunity!

The Cotting School PTO is looking for help to build a new website. This is a one-time, stand-alone volunteer opportunity! We need someone who can dedicate a few hours to helping us build our new site with an easy tool like Wix or Squarespace (no coding or HTML required).

Interested? Contact Kelly De Angelis by email at cottingschoolptoinc@gmail.com.

Saturday, June 24, 2023, 2-6 p.m.

Turn Back Time

250 Marshall Street

Paxton, MA 01612

Remember that first week of summer vacation when you were a kid? Well we are here for it and want to create that vibe here on the farm with our Family Spree Day! Come enjoy what summer has to offer and spend an afternoon at the farm.

Activities Include:

Lawn games

Petting zoo area

Water games

Challenge course

Dance party

Food for purchase: hot dogs for cooking over an open fire, prepackaged snacks, marshmallows for roasting, Italian ice and other goodies. You are welcome to bring your own picnic dinner to enjoy as well.

Story walk

Summer solstice craft table

Nature hike

Register here.

In Massachusetts, we are fortunate to have public outdoor and indoor recreation opportunities throughout our state. DCR manages state parks, beaches, skating rinks, pools, rail trails and shared use trails, and campgrounds in Massachusetts. At many of these locations there are accessible recreation opportunities and adaptive equipment available for public use. This guide lists trails and facilities that are accessible to people using a mobility device and locations where DCR has adaptive equipment available for public use.

Receive up to $110 in Amazon gift cards for families and their children!

WHAT: Help us learn how different speech strategies can affect intelligibility! Kids & teens

with CP will be asked to play talking games while we record their speech and

mouth movements. Parents complete an online questionnaire about their child’s history.

WHO: Children & adolescents ages 8-17 with cerebral palsy. Must speak English as a primary language.

WHERE: The study will take place with your choice of 1 session (at Northeastern University), or 2 sessions (1 at home, 1 at Northeastern University), totaling 2.5 hours. Free parking!

Message us to check eligibility and sign up!

smilespeechlab@northeastern.edu

fb.com/SMILeNEU

smilelab.sites.northeastern.edu/projects

The summer is here and your kayaking adventure awaits! Our kayaks are staged, the sites are reserved and now we’re ready for you to sign up! Join us for an adventure on the water. All programs are fully accessible. Click for more info on our adaptive kayaking program.

Waypoint Adventure kayaking adventures are popular. For this reason, we ask that you please limit yourself to signing up for a maximum of three programs. If you would like to sign up for more than three, don’t hesitate to send an email to programs@waypointadventure.org with the programs for which you would like to be added to the wait list.

After you register for your program(s), be sure to flag those details in your personal calendar so you don’t miss your session! See you on the water!

Register Now

Waypoint Adventure Summer Nights Programs are funded in part through the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation which provides free programming for youth.

If you are under the age of 21, you can sign up for any of the following programs for FREE! (All are listed in the link below for you to click on and register for).

• July 11th (5-7 p.m.) at Magazine Beach, Cambridge
• July 16th (10-12 p.m. or 1-3 p.m.) at Constitution Beach, East Boston (Spanish translation available)
• July 25th (2-4 p.m. and 5-7 p.m.) at Constitution Beach, East Boston (Spanish translation available)
• August 3rd (5-7 p.m.) at Magazine Beach, Cambridge
• August 17th (2-4 p.m.) at Constitution Beach, East Boston (Spanish translation available)

Register Now

Jul 12, 2023, 3:30 p.m.

This is the second session in a 4-part series for parents on supporting youth and young adults with IDD with decision-making. Featured speakers will include content experts from the Center on Youth Voice, Youth Choice as well as youth with IDD, who will share their expertise and/or lived experience in alternatives to guardianship and supported decision making.

Register here.

~Pam

Please share your own resources and questions with Pam Varrin at pvarrin@cotting.org.