When I am building in the block room,

Please don’t say I’m “Just Playing.”

For, you see, I’m learning as I play,

About balance and shapes.

Who knows, I may be an an architect someday.

When you see me engrossed in a puzzle or some

“plaything” at my school,

Please don’t feel that time is wasted in “Play.”

For, you see, I’m learning as I play.

I’m learning to solve problems and concentrate.

Children learn even the earliest math concepts very young. Sorting, matching, sequencing, classifying and learning to make patterns are all early math skills. Some great math activities include counting items, sorting toys at clean up time (or putting silverware away), stacking plastic food containers (nesting, sizes), cooking (measurement, sequencing), blocks of all sizes and shapes (structure construction, problem solving, positional concepts) and water and sand play (displacement, measurement, comparisons) etc.

MAINE’S EARLY LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS  – Math 

Young children are natural mathematicians. Even as infants and young toddlers they engage in matching and sorting activities. Children age three to five are eager to learn the role of math in everyday life, and benefit from rich learning environments and adults who introduce important concepts and content to them. This approach supports an appreciation for math and gives the young child a foundation in math which builds upon their natural curiosity and desire to learn.

To learn more about The Early Learning Center at Pine Tree Society, click here.

When you see me sitting in a chair

“Reading” to an imaginary audience,

Please don’t laugh and think I’m “Just Playing.”

For, you see, I’m learning as I play.

I may be a teacher someday.

When the children at The Early Learning Center at Pine Tree Society engage in activities from the “Handwriting Without Tears” curriculum, they sing, play, color and build their way toward a lifetime of joyful learning while focusing on readiness & writing, language & literacy.

MAINE’S EARLY LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS  – Early Language and Literacy

Children acquire language and literacy skills through meaningful interactions with people in their lives. Early childhood is the most critical time for language and literacy development, and the foundations built by students during this time are essential to children’s later learning. Some language and literacy learning is incidental and arises naturally during play and everyday experiences. Other learning depends on explicit instruction that occurs through formal teaching. Young learners can actively construct their own language and literacy knowledge, but they also need intentional interactions with adults to further their development, provide motivation and strengthen essential skills.

“This is where I wanted to be, and this is where I am.”

Brian Schaab feels lucky to be a part of Pine Tree Society’s Communication Pathways team.

“Two years ago, I met Linda Bonnar-Ivery and knew Pine Tree Society was where I wanted to work once I became a speech-language pathologist.”

Linda is the director of Pine Tree Society’s Communication Pathways program and knows first-hand how committed you have to be to earn a speech-language pathologist certification.

“Becoming a speech-language pathologist is a pretty big goal. It takes six years of school and a minimum of nine months of full-time supervision before you can be affiliated with the American Speech and Hearing Association and earn your certification to become a full-fledged speech-language pathologist.”

Brian is Pine Tree Society’s newest speech-language pathologist, but he’s no stranger to the team. After completing his master’s degree, he completed two years of clinical fellowship training at Pine Tree Society.

Before discovering speech-language pathology was his life’s passion, he set out to be a high school English teacher.

“I studied linguistics and language and became fascinated with how complex language is and how humans are wired to use it.”

That naturally developed into a fascination with communication in general and, in graduate school, he focused on language and literacy disorders.

“Brian has a love for literacy which gives him a unique perspective on communication. The field of speech-language pathology covers a lot of areas and reading comprehension is an important piece.”

The desire to share what he knows and help people communicate is what drew him to this line of work.

To be successful as a speech language pathologist you need to have a true passion to make difference and the innate desire to help someone build their communication skills.

You also need patience.

“When someone can’t talk or communicate, it’s frustrating for everyone and you need to be able to discover what the barrier is and figure out how to help the person get over that barrier,” explains Linda.

The goal is to help each person learn to communicate in as efficient and effective a way as they possibly can. That can include non-verbal communication.

“For example, if a child is not going to talk, they might need an augmentive device or another way to communicate. Our job is to help each individual child communicate in as efficient and effective a way as they can.”

The non-verbal population is not who Brian initially set out to work with. But he soon found it to be his calling.

“Once I started it, I loved it.”

Being open to new experiences is one of Brian’s many strengths and he loves working with people with all different communication styles.

“I feel lucky to be a part of Pine Tree Society’s Communication Pathways team. I think they are the very best team in the world.”

Greetings from The Early Learning Center at Pine Tree Society.

We are happy to have the opportunity to share our love of learning and young children with you. While we are a special purpose preschool with a focus on special education needs, we develop our curriculum to meet the needs of the whole child. Young children learn best through play.  We’d like to share Maine’s Early Learning and Development Standards and some of our favorite pictures of the ELC children demonstrating those skills through play in our classrooms.

When you see me combing the bushes for bugs,

Or packing my pockets with choice things I find,

Don’t pass it off as “Just Play.”

For, you see, I’m learning as I play.

I may be a scientist someday.

MAINE’S EARLY LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS  – Science

Young children are born investigators. Children are curious problem-solvers, seeking to understand the world about them every day. Through early science experiences, these young learners explore, invent, investigate, question, discover and note changes in their environment. In doing so, they learn new words to describe and classify the world they experience, apply math knowledge, and use these tools to deepen their understanding of the world about them.

“I just love camp!”

That’s what Pine Tree Camp’s new Assistant Director, Dana Zimmerman, says when you ask what her favorite part of her job is.

She loves it all.

What she loves most about Pine Tree Camp is the philosophy that no challenge is too big.

“The staff is creative and adaptive,” said Zimmerman. “There’s no challenge they’re not willing to undertake.”

She majored in Recreation Management and minored in Outdoor Leadership and has worked for camps around the country ever since. Much of her experience has been with camps for people with disabilities.

Pine Tree Camp Director Dawn Willard-Robinson appreciates the fresh set of eyes Zimmerman brings as well as her extensive experience with creating intentional programming for campers.

“Her main focus will be on enhancing our programming so we can have an even greater impact on the lives of our campers,” said Willard-Robinson.

With intentional programming, there is always a goal in mind. For example, a nature program might also help a camper develop a social skill such as teaming up with a new friend to identify a plant or animal track together along the trail.

Zimmerman has a strong background working with challenge courses, which is a terrifi c asset for Pine Tree Camp.

“Last year we built a four element challenge course and Dana is going to help us develop programming so we can use it to its full potential for our campers,” said Willard-Robinson.

Each of the four elements of the course has multiple ways it can be used and Zimmerman loves the fact that the possibilities are endless.

“A challenge course is something that hasn’t been available to our campers in the past and it’s an experience they can’t have anywhere else,” she said.

In addition to creating programming, the next step is to develop a more extensive accessible trail system along the course.

Zimmerman is also working on all the possibilities for the camp’s waterfront and making it even more accessible.

A new program she’s heading up with the Career Development team is an effort to help interested campers transition to becoming camp staff.

“It’s an exciting time to work here. We’re always looking outside of the box and with Dana on the team, we can serve more people and expand camp programming further than ever before,” said Willard-Robinson.

Pine Tree Camp impacts more than 650 children and adults with disabilities each summer. For many, this is their first opportunity to participate in outdoor activities like swimming, fishing, kayaking, hiking, and boating. Participating in activities that take people beyond their disabilities has a tremendous impact. It builds self-esteem and self-confidence. That experience, coupled with meeting friends who understand, and experiencing the feeling of acceptance is transformational.

The children at The Early Learning Center have been exploring the changing seasons! We have been using our 5 senses to experience autumn. We have enjoyed watching the leaves change color and fall, playing in the leaves, making scarecrows, carving pumpkins and squash, examining gourds, acorns, pine cones and seeds and tasting pumpkin and apple snacks. We have also been working on getting dressed to go outdoors now that it is cooler outside. We are lucky to live in Maine where there are so many things to see, touch, taste, smell and hear in the autumn!

 

Elaine is a DSP at Pine Tree Society’s W.T. Twarog Senior Enrichment Center in Auburn. During National Direct Support Professional Recognition week, she was asked what she finds rewarding about her job.  She replied:

I love my job as being a DSP for almost 33 years; it has changed me as a person. I am more patient, caring, loving and helpful and don’t sweat the Big stuff. That’s what they have taught me.

I enjoy working with the individuals I support every day to help them achieve their goals and learn new things. I enjoy seeing them laugh and have fun and seeing the smiles on their faces after they have reached a new task or goal or just having fun.

I enjoy making a positive difference every day in our clients’ lives and being able to assist them in their daily goals by providing my full attention and support. Seeing them smile gives me absolute happiness. It is a privilege to work with our clients—they truly do show us a different side in life, which has positively impacted my life.  And I want to thank each and every one of you for putting a smile on my face every day no matter what is going on in my life good or bad. Thank you!

We are so grateful to have dedicated DSP’s like Elaine making a difference in the lives of the individuals we serve every day!  A huge “thank you” goes out to each and every one of you.

A note from Pine Tree Society’s President & CEO Noel Sullivan:

Please join me in celebrating  National Direct Support Professionals Recognition Week which runs through this Saturday.

Across the United States, this week will be used to show appreciation to tens of thousands of direct support professionals who are the guiding force of each organization that supports individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and autism.

Every day at Pine Tree Society, our DSP’s can be seen having a direct impact on the individuals we serve. Helping individuals achieve their life goals, providing moment by moment guidance, support and perhaps love is truly important work that too often goes without the acknowledgement it deserves. Please take a moment in the coming few days to look around and see the work that each of you do, day in and day out, that is so meaningful to the folks that we serve and their families. Thank you and please accept my sincere appreciation and admiration of your good work!

Noel

Noel Sullivan

President & CEO

 

“I wanted to thank all of you for everything you do. I know we could go with, ‘it’s our job.’ But, really, you all are so thorough and positive and patient. It’s pretty fantastic.”

That’s an email Karen McClure-Richard, Director of Pine Tree Society’s Early Learning Center in Auburn, received from a mother at the end of the year.

The Early Learning Center provides educational programming for young children with special needs. Sarah Burtchell’s daughter, Makayla, is three and a half years old. She was one of 32 children marking their achievements at the annual End of Year Celebration.

“The End of Year Celebration is our best attended event all year,” Karen continued. “Parents and grandparents are there.  It’s a big day.”

This year, students and their families decorated their own cupcakes, made beaded necklaces and bracelets, enjoyed a temporary tattoo station and viewed a special student art exhibit.

All the parents received a portfolio of their child’s work.

“It’s a gift for parents and it’s also a way for us to assess how far a child has come.”

It includes everything from writing samples, to artwork, to what the child says they want to do when they grow up, to photos of them during the year.

“The portfolio is outstanding. It’s just full of so much stuff,” continued Sarah. “I’m a physical therapist and thought ‘Wow! I should do this too!’ It’s a fantastic look back.”

For some parents, it’s a bittersweet moment because their child is transitioning out of the Early Learning Center to kindergarten or pre-K.

“We are often the very first faces parents see when they are seeking help for their child. We represent the first step they took and they have fear and anxiety about changing the people they work with.  But that’s mixed with happiness, because they know how far their child has come.”

About half of the students are taking the step to attend kindergarten or pre-K.

“We serve eight different school districts so we try to pair parents with each other who have children moving to the same school.”

Makayla will be back for the summer program and will spend another year or two at the Early Learning Center before she’s old enough to transition to her next step.

“Early intervention has made a world of difference in Makayla’s life,” said Sarah. “It’s been a godsend.”