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CTC NEWSLETTER December 2025 www.celebratethechildren.org

Important Dates

Student Spotlight

🎅🏻

12/23

12/24-1/4

Early Dismissal, 1:00pm

School Closed, Winter Recess

❄️

Updates & Resources Topical updates, tips, & tricks from our staff, by department! A Letter from the Executive Director

Edu HQ

Staff Spotlight

Railmen for Children Santa Train

Floortime

S2C

CTC’s Pre-K

Y.A.P. Talent Show

Holiday Tips

SLP

Footwear

Shoe Tying

Chat Club

Behavior

C.A.R.E.S.

Trainings

Meet the New BCBAs

Celebrate the Children School 1

CTC Community

MCPCA Meeting

Surviving the Holidays

@ctc_school

(973)989-4033 www.celebratethechildren.org 230 Diamond Spring Road Denville, New Jersey 07834

To Our CTC School Community, Partners, and Stakeholders, Celebrate the Children is feeling very grateful. On behalf of our CTC Family and our Board of Trustees, we thank you for your continued support. As CTC celebrates our 22nd year, we have never been stronger in our commitment to our mission and advocacy for individuals with neurodiversity. At CTC, the future is bright for our students! We are strong and dedicated to advancing our program each year, aligning with current research to support the continued development of our program. In turn, this continues to support a rich and nurturing environment for our students to thrive. As we continue to move forward in our mission to support our students and families, we are extremely grateful for your generosity of both donations and financial support over the past year. As a result, we have been able to continue to support our state-of-the-art program and upgrade our facility. Each and every year, we assess how to improve and to provide a richer educational and developmental environment for our students. We take this responsibility very seriously. Our enrollment continues to be the highest to date and we are very fortunate to have partnered with new school districts, community partners and stakeholders who all share the same vision as CTC. Together, we are making great strides and a huge difference in the lives of our CTC Community. This school year, our focus is on positive growth and mindset using the tenet of “When We Believe, We Succeed.” In word and action, we believe that our students are capable and intelligent. We believe in the power of partnering with families and caregivers as a united team. We believe in training our staff to be the best educators. We believe in being the best we can be. As CTC is a not-for-profit organization, we rely on fundraising and financial support for the advancement and expansion of our programming, technology, initiatives, and new ideas. Celebrate the Children has always been unique in our DIR® Methodology and educational practices. We are truly grateful if you would donate to our year-end appeal. We sincerely thank you for your commitment to Celebrate the Children and our mission. Regards,

Lauren Blaszak, Executive Director & Co-Founder of Celebrate the Children To support Celebrate the Children’s Annual End of the Year Campaign, please scan the QR code or visit www.celebratethechildren.org. Checks can be addressed to Celebrate the Children and mailed to: 230 Diamond Spring Road Denville, NJ 07834, Attn: Annual Appeal

Student Spotlight Each month, one randomly-selected CTC student shares their school experience and what makes them unique!

December Student of the Month: Kes! Max: Hi, Kes. Congrats on Student of the Month! What’s it like living in a different country for school? Kes: Pretty nice! A lot of good citizens. Max: What is your favorite thing about CTC? Kes: Music class. Max: You are very musically talented, is that what you want to do as a career? Kes: Yes! Max: What is your favorite thing about music? Kes: The patterns in hip-hop. Max: That’s cool. How’s the spring concert coming along? Kes: It’s coming along great! Max: Can’t wait! Thanks, Kes, you are a great guy. Interview conducted by Y.A.P. student Max. Thank you to Ms. Nicole for facilitating! 3

Staff Spotlight Members of our amazing staff share their CTC stories, personal hobbies, and professional motivations!

December Staff Member of the Month: Michele! Q: What is your favorite part of your job? A: My favorite part of the job is making connections and forming positive relationships with students. There is no greater feeling when you see a child light up simply because you walked into the room. I love that I can be there for them in play but also when they are having a tricky moment. It makes me happy that they feel safe with me. Q: What are your hopes for the future? A: Personally, all I want is for my children, family, and friends to be happy and healthy. I would love for my position at CTC to continue to evolve in ways to best support our school and students. I look forward to the future and am excited for all the changes that come with it. Q: What inspires you most? A: People being selfless and kind to one another, watching someone overcome a significant challenge and seeing the pride that comes from that, making a positive impact on others through helping and teaching. I also find nature very inspiring. I love to look out at the water whether it be a lake or ocean, it brings a sense of calm that I sometimes need. Q: Is there anything you would like to say to your colleagues? A: would like to tell my colleagues that I appreciate them and I see how hard they work each and every day. I'm proud to be a part of such an amazing team of thoughtful and caring individuals. I also want them to know that I am here for them just as much as I am for the kids.

Interview conducted by Y.A.P. student James 4

CTC Community Community Celebrate the Children is deeply grateful for all of the wonderful community partners we and our students are fortunate to work with. Every month, we shine a light on just one of the many amazing establishments in our community.

All Aboard the Santa Train For over 45 years, the Railmen for Children have been bringing holiday magic to life. This volunteer group of NJ Transit employees and retirees selects schools each year to ride a specially decorated holiday train filled with characters, music, treats, and most of all, joy. This year, Celebrate the Children was honored to be one of the schools selected, and our entire community felt the impact. All students, from the preschool to the young adult program, found magic on this train. The anticipation was almost too much to bear as we waited at the station. When the train appeared in the distance, adorned with a festive wreath and filled with elves and favorite holiday characters, there were smiles, cheers, and even a few happy tears. You could feel the excitement ripple through the crowd. Once on board, the energy was pure joy. Staff were glowing with excitement, dancing and laughing alongside students. Holiday music filled the cars, donated snacks were shared with care, and each student was called by name to receive a present chosen specifically for them. The look on their faces as Santa handed over each gift said everything. Of course, the Grinch tried to cause some trouble and sneak off with a few presents, but the train conductor was quick to intervene. Between the conductor's determination and the students' holiday spirit, the Grinch didn't stand a chance. Laughter followed him from car to car. We were especially grateful to have both James Free and Dave Decker, the current and former presidents of Railmen for Children, on board with us. They make it a point to attend every year, no matter what other responsibilities they have, because they know just how much it means to the students. This was more than a field trip. It was a reminder of the beauty of community, the power of generosity, and the kind of joy that only comes from a shared moment of wonder. Our students will remember this day for years to come. To the entire Railmen for Children team and the NJ Transit staff who brought this experience to life, thank you. Your kindness made this holiday season brighter for every single student, staff member, and family in our school. - Vanessa Graves Foster, Vice Principal for High School and Y.A.P. at Celebrate the Children School

Education HQ From internships, to specials, C.B.I.s, and more, Education HQ features topical program initiatives each month!

How Preschool Connects Themes to Everyday Learning In the Preschool, there is usually a theme for each month that ties the individual lessons together, plus the usual Preschool learning such as colors, shapes, and letters. Monthly themes help bring everything together. In the month of November, their themes were Thanksgiving, which was on brand for the month, and the Grocery Store. To get an idea of how these themes influence the classes, let's take a look at Literacy, Science, and S.T.E.M.: In Literacy, they read the stories “Turkey Trouble” and “How to Catch a Turkey!” Then in Science, the class designed their own turkey, which integrated arts and crafts and helped them hide from the farmer in the process, developing creativity, problem-solving, and early writing. In S.T.E.M., meanwhile, they took on the role of the catcher by designing “turkey traps” with marshmallows and toothpicks, using skills like design, structure, and balance. From these examples we can see how everyday classes and the monthly theme interact. The Preschool also sets up special activities connected to each monthly theme. In November they set up a pretend grocery store where the students "shopped" and "checked out" items, engaging with social skills, vocabulary, sorting, and counting. They even connected it to C.B.I. (Community-Based Instruction), an approach in which our school takes students to real locations to learn. They went to a grocery store to buy ingredients for an in-class Thanksgiving feast, tying both themes together. Students practiced the experience beforehand in the Play Store. Overall, November showed how Preschool uses creativity and imagination to build meaningful skills while keeping learning fun. - Written by Y.A.P. Student Menachem

Floortime Floortime is the heartbeat of CTC. Learn more about Floortime and the DIR® model here each month.

Young Adult Program Talent Show We’re excited to spotlight the hard work our Y.A.P. students have been putting in as they prepare for the annual Y.A.P. Talent Show, scheduled for Friday, March 27th. Performances will include karaoke, basketball tricks, and drumming, showcasing the creativity and confidence our students have built throughout the year. Since September, students have been participating in activities designed to strengthen essential Executive Functioning skills, including planning, organizing, time management, prioritizing tasks, and breaking down larger goals into manageable steps. These projects also encourage original ideas and shared problemsolving, helping students work both independently and collaboratively. This 7-month project supports students across multiple levels of social-emotional development: - Maintaining regulation during peer interactions - Showing emotional interest in others - Initiating spontaneous peer interaction - Working cooperatively with peers - Expressing emotions comfortably Implementing different DIR levels is crucial because they significantly enhance Y.A.P. activities. These activities are designed to improve essential skills such as motor planning, which helps individuals coordinate their movements; sequencing, which aids in organizing actions in the correct order; planning, which involves thinking ahead and mapping out steps; and organizing, which helps in arranging tasks effectively. By developing these skills through YAP activities, individuals can manage everyday life tasks more easily, such as preparing meals, completing school assignments, or following a daily routine. Overall, these tools are vital for fostering independence and success in various aspects of life

We can’t wait to see the students shine on stage this March as they demonstrate not only their talents, but also their growth, effort, and teamwork. 7

- Regina Frandano, Floortime Specialist

Spelling to Communicate Spelling to Communicate (S2C) is a powerful practice that allows non-speaking individuals to communicate their thoughts through typing or utilizing a letterboard. Celebrate the Children is proud to empower and amplify their voices.

Holiday Tips for Families of Nonspeakers The holidays can be magical—but they can also be overwhelming. Families often feel pulled in many directions, trying to balance celebrations, traditions, and the needs of every family member. For nonspeaking autistic individuals, this time of year can bring both joy and stress. 1. Don’t Mistake Overwhelm for Misbehavior: Pause before correcting. First ask, “Is this environment too much?” 2. Build in Quiet Breaks: Create a “holiday escape plan”—a calm corner, car break, noise-canceling headphones, or a scheduled sensory pause. 3. Let Children Choose How They Participate in Traditions: Participation is not all-or-nothing. Adapt traditions to fit your child—not the other way around. 4. Routines Still Matter: Protect key routines (sleep, meals, sensory breaks). Predictability reduces anxiety. 5. Prepare Children for Changes Ahead of Time: Previewing events decreases uncertainty and increases success. 6. Think of Food Freedom, Not Food Pressure: Respect safe foods. Celebrate connection, not the contents of a plate. 7. Give Me Communication Options Everywhere We Go: Bring the letterboard, iPad, keyboard, or whatever tool your child uses—always. Access to communication is not optional. 8. Don’t Force Socializing—Guide It Gently: Offer alternatives: a wave, a high-five, sitting nearby, or joining in silently. Inclusion looks different for every child. 9. Ask For Your Child’s Input: Use spelling, choices, AAC, visuals, or yes/no systems. Showing your child’s voice matters is the greatest gift. 10. Focus on Connection—Not Perfection: The holidays are better when we slow down, follow the child’s lead, and create moments of joy that fit our family—not anyone else’s expectations. Nonspeaking autistic individuals experience the world with rich inner lives, deep emotions, and a strong desire for inclusion and belonging. When families lean into understanding, flexibility, and authentic communication, the holiday season becomes more peaceful and meaningful for everyone. These tips are reminders that nonspeakers know what they need—and when we listen, we create holidays filled with connection, compassion, and genuine joy. - Lisa Romaine, S2C Practitioner at Celebrate the Children

Behavior Team The Behavior Team provides insights and tools to support student success, at school and at home.

Meet the New BCBAs! Hello everyone! My name is Justina, and I’m excited to introduce myself as the new BCBA assigned to the Upper Elementary wing. I’ve had the privilege of working with individuals with Autism for the past 16 years—across all ages and in a wide variety of settings—and I’ve spent the last 7 years practicing as a BCBA. I received my education through Rutgers University, and I’m especially passionate about collaborating with fellow professionals and families, as well as helping students develop effective and meaningful functional communication skills. After working in many different environments, I’m truly happy to be returning to a school setting. Outside of work, I love snowboarding, traveling, and spending quality time with my family. A fun fact about me: I lived in Colorado for the past eight years and recently moved back home to New Jersey this year. I’m really looking forward to getting to know the team and supporting our students together!

Hi everyone! My name is Dana and I am the BCBA for the High School. I have been a BCBA for 1 year and have been working in the field for 15 years. I received my degree from Arizona State University. I am passionate about helping students reach their fullest potential as well as working on social skills. For fun, I like to try baking new recipes I find on the internet! - Celebrate the Children’s Behavior Team 12

C.A.R.E.S. Corner C.A.R.E.S. stands for Counseling, Advocacy and Resources for Educational SupportOur School Social Workers and Counselors are here to support you and your child.

MCPCA Meeting Many members of our CTC CARES team attended the November monthly meeting hosted by the Morris County Professional Counselor Association. Special guest speaker, Dr. Marc Gironda, Clinical and School Psychologist, spoke on the topic of Anxiety. He spoke about Clinical Anxiety being defined by a Risk Resources Ratio, meaning that Clinical Anxiety can be explained by a person's overestimation of risk combined with an underestimation of resources. Risk defined as how bad, threatening, or dangerous a situation is. Resources defined as the coping strategies, people to support, and interventions available to help a person manage their situation. When working with our students it will be helpful to keep this concept in mind and utilize this principle. Reality testing is beneficial for our students to accurately identify the actual risk versus the perceived risk, which is usually not as severe as first considered. Also, we should help our students accurately identify the resources versus the perceived resources, which are often times in greater abundance than our students realize. Initiating a conversation where we normalize how our emotions can inflate or deflate things, and then intentionally switching the perspective to discern the reality and facts of the situation will always lead to a lessening of anxiety, and a return to regulation. Utilizing this reflection over time, with the hope that our students can internalize this dialogue, will not only increase their resilience and ability to overcome challenging situations, but increase their mental health and quality of life. Our CARES team enjoyed spending time together and gaining clinical guidance that will be beneficial when working with our students. Dr. Gironda’s Risk Resources Ratio Principle: Overestimation of Risk

= Clinical Anxiety

Underestimation of Resources

- Kelly Parrella, School Social Worker at Celebrate the Children

Physical Therapy Department initiatives and activity recommendations from our Physical Therapists.

Footwear as a Foundation for Movement At Celebrate the Children, our therapists emphasize that foundational motor skills, body awareness, and core components of the early DIR levels rely on proper physical stability. This month, our Physical Therapy Team is highlighting the importance of well-fitted, supportive shoes to promote healthy alignment and support gross motor skill development. Ensuring students have the right footwear is a simple but powerful way to support their comfort and confidence in movement within the school environment. Throughout the school day, students are constantly moving: maneuvering hallways, playing on the playground, participating in therapy sessions, navigating communities, and engaging in classroom activities that require balance, coordination, and postural control. Proper structural support helps guide the body into optimal alignment by stabilizing the heel, arch, and forefoot. A shoe with a firm heel and supportive sole helps position the ankle and knee in neutral alignment. Improved alignment at the foot and ankle positively impacts how the knees, hips, and spine function together. This results in more efficient movement patterns, improved balance, and better postural control throughout the day. Contrastingly, shoes that are overly flexible or lack structure can allow for excessive and unwanted movement, increase energy demands during walking, and make coordinated motor tasks more difficult. Choosing the right shoe size plays an equally as important role in supporting natural foot development and movement efficiency. Children’s shoes should provide enough room in the forefoot so that the toes can move freely without compromising stability. Shoes that are too large can reduce walking efficiency, contribute to instability, and increase the effort required to move through the school environment. Shoes that are too small may restrict toe mobility, cause discomfort or injury, and interfere with normal foot growth. Finding the right fit ensures that students can move comfortably and safely as they walk, run, climb, and participate fully in school activities. Our Physical Therapists are always available to collaborate with our CTC families as we recognize the meaningful impact that footwear has on gross motor development. Our physical therapy team is available to assess a student’s current shoes, offer suggestions for proper fit, or guide parents toward styles that best support their child’s unique needs. Our PTs work closely with caregivers to ensure each student has the foundation they need to move confidently and comfortably. At CTC, we make it a priority to understand the child’s individual profile and sensory-motor differences when offering recommendations. Through collaboration, we can provide every student with the stability and support they need to be active, comfortable, and successful in the school environment. - Liz Foye, Physical Therapist at Celebrate the Children

Occupational Therapy A look into our Occupational Therapists’ involvement in student development at CTC.

Building Independence Through Shoe Tying Learning to tie shoes is a meaningful milestone for many school-aged children and it’s much more than just a self-care task. In OT, shoe tying serves as a powerful way to build independence, strengthen foundational fine motor skills, and promote confidence across various contexts. Shoe tying supports a student’s autonomy, promotes safety during movement, and builds routines that carry over into home and community activities. Shoe tying also engages multiple skill areas including: Fine motor skills such as finger dexterity, pinch strength, and in-hand manipulation. Visual motor integration by coordinating eyes and hands to follow the steps. Bilateral coordination by using both hands together in a coordinated manner. Motor planning by having the child sequence and execute steps in the correct order. Attention and executive functioning by requiring the child to attend to a multi-step task, problem-solving, and persistence. Self-regulation and confidence by building success through practice and mastery of the task. At CTC, we use creative and engaging strategies to help students learn shoe tying in a way that feels fun, accessible, and developmentally appropriate. Strategies include: Color Coded Laces: Laces with two colors or half & half laces helps students visually track each step. The contrasting colors improve visual attention, left/right awareness, and sequencing. Pipe Cleaner Practice Boards: Introduce shoe tying with pipe cleaners threaded through a practice board since they are stiffer than traditional laces, maintain their shape, and are easier for hands to manipulate. This method helps students learn the sequence without the frustration of floppy laces. Songs, Visuals, and Mnemonics: Present picture cards of each step, simple stories, and verbal cues (ex: “bunny ear with a tail”) to support memory and organization of the steps. One shoe does not fit all! Each student learns differently and OTs can tailor the shoe tying process so each student can participate successfully and as independently as possible. While practicing this new skill, your OT may recommend various adaptations to facilitate independence and promote the student’s self-confidence. Common adaptations include: slip on sneakers, velcro closures, elastic laces, lock laces, magnetic laces, zipper closures, curly laces, and more! We invite parents to have a discussion on their child’s level of ability around shoe tying so we can encourage best match practice opportunities that may build to complete shoe tying skills. Working collaboratively with families to problem solve simple steps to take will allow for the generalization of the skills at school to the home through low stress and meaningful opportunities that take into account each child’s fine motor and visual motor level. -Jessica Lago, Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant at Celebrate the Children

Speech- Language Pathology Speech-Language Pathologists detail their work at CTC and provide options for furthering communication at home.

Chat Club: Empowering Communication Through Connection This school year, our middle school students have been participating in “Chat Club.” These groups provide our students with communication opportunities to engage with various same-age peers within their school environment. Students of all communication abilities are welcome to join and share in engaging experiences and social opportunities. Students are encouraged to access total communication to engage with their peers, which may include; their AAC modalities, verbal expression, and gestural communication in a comfortable and fun oriented space. Chat Club focuses on promoting authentic communication while students chat with friends by asking questions, sharing opinions, and using communication in ways that feel natural and meaningful. This month, our students have participated in a variety of fall related activities, which have allowed them to practice skills related to inferencing, working memory, and following directions. To prepare for Thanksgiving, our students engaged in discussions regarding their favorite foods, family events, and feelings related to the holidays. They displayed team work in setting up a mock "Thanksgiving dinner” table set up. Students utilized their executive functioning abilities by recalling and identifying items needed to set the table (ie. plates, cups, utensils). In a collaborative effort, they then set those items on a place setting to prepare for their “meal.” Visual guides and AAC modalities were available at all times to support their processing and overall independence in completing the activity. The students enjoyed finding photos of their favorite Thanksgiving foods, which included creative choices such as french fries with ketchup and pizza! Chat Club will continue to provide students with experience-based opportunities throughout the school year to further support their growing social abilities. Having a social outlet where they can initiate topics of interest and meet new friends is a great way to support these skills within a natural context. - Kellie Buoye and Rachel Wierzbicki, Speech-Language Pathologists at Celebrate the Children 11

Parent Trainings Upcoming workshops and events designed to strengthen the home–school connection. Highlighting opportunities for parents to learn, share, and partner with the school in supporting every child’s growth and success.

Upcoming December 2025 Parent Trainings: December 17th 1:30pm - Parent Healing Group with Glenn December 18th 12:00pm - Abound Health RSVP at: www.celebratethechildren.org/parent-trainings.html

“Surviving the Holidays” Training Recap As the holiday season approaches, our team recently hosted a “Surviving the Holidays” training to support families in navigating this busy time of year. The session focused on practical, family-friendly strategies designed to reduce stress, increase predictability, and help children feel more confident and comfortable during holiday events. One of the key themes of the training was the importance of preparation and predictability. Families were encouraged to use visual schedules and calendars to outline upcoming activities, helping children understand what to expect. We also discussed the value of previewing holiday events with photos or simple explanations, as well as practicing greetings or routines ahead of time to build familiarity. Another major focus was supporting sensory needs. The holidays can bring an overload of lights, sounds, smells, and busy environments. During the training, we explored ways to create sensory-friendly experiences, such as identifying quiet spaces, bringing preferred comfort items, utilizing sensory tools, or offering breaks when needed. These small adjustments can make a big difference in helping children regulate during high-energy gatherings. The goal of this session was to empower families with tools that promote smoother transitions, reduce overwhelm, and create more positive holiday experiences. With a little planning and support, the holidays can be a time of connection, growth, and joy for everyone. If you would like more information feel free to reach out to Antoinette Price at aprice@celebratethechildren.org. Be on the lookout for our next training on January 22nd, "Functional Play"! - Celebrate the Children's Developmental, Training, and Support Department 14

When We Believe, We Succeed! www.celebratethechildren.org