Message From The Superintendent - June 2022
Greetings!
We hope everyone is doing well! Here are the updates.
We had gone three months without anyone testing positive for the virus. Unfortunately, the virus reminded us that it is still a problem. We had 11 people test positive in May. Luckily, nobody was hospitalized due to the virus, and we are hoping for smoother months ahead.
We continue to partner with Franklin Township to restore Brady Lake Park.
The three new Bocce courts and the two new soccer goals are in place. Islerscaping, out of Windham, is currently working to fix up the softball field and fences to be ready for the softball season in July. Thank you, Islerscaping! Portage DD Special Olympics athletes are very excited!
We are just finishing the 21-22 school year on June 2nd.
Another great year by the students, families, and Portage DD staff! Thank you!
We also wanted to say goodbye to both of Portage DD's teachers, who have decided to retire at the end of this school year. Good luck and best wishes on your new chapter to Mary Beth Brown and Diana Harrod. Both have worked here for over 30 years. We will miss them, but we appreciate all they did to improve students' lives over their incredible careers!
We announced last month via a unanimous board resolution that the 22-23 school year will be the last. We do this with a heavy heart. We have been so fortunate to be a small part of the students' lives that have walked through our doors. The good news is that we are expanding school ages services differently. The plan is to work more with all eligible Portage DD students. We also are working with the students, families, and school districts to make a smoother transition for the 23-24 school year.
We are currently working with the local school districts on planning for the 22-23 school year. We will continue to Provide SEL (Social Emotional Learning) classes, Building Independence for transition students, CPI (Crisis Prevention Institute) training, professional development, and facility usage (Pool, gym, and life skills area). We also plan on having a Lending library for all school districts to utilize. It will have adaptive equipment, sensory-related needs, and assistive technology. The list of items continues to grow to help support the local school districts.
In addition to that, we have already created a social recreation program for kids 12 to 17. On July 1st, we will be starting our youth respite program. We are funding this completely, and Buckeye Residential Solutions will be the provider working with the kids and us to give families much-needed respite. In the not-so-distant future, we want to have some residential youth homes; that way, we do not have to send youth out of county and or out of state.
Portage DD has seen a dramatic increase in our Early Intervention program referrals for kids 0 to 36 months old. We are now hiring a part-time Speech and Language Pathologist and adding another Developmental Specialist to keep up with the demand. Thank you to the entire Early Intervention team for assisting the kids and families!
We are thrilled to announce that two athletes, Aaron Dallner (Powerlifting) and Brendan Casey (Swimming), and our Special Olympics coordinator Colleen Brown will participate and coach in the Special Olympics USA games in Orlando, Florida, starting June 5th through June 12th. We are very proud of Aaron, Brendan, and Colleen! Best of luck!
We also wanted to continue to thank the providers, families, Portage DD staff, and people in the community who help make lives better for the people we serve. Thank you!
Thank you again for your continued support. We are incredibly grateful for all the families, providers, staff, community, and people we serve! Portage DD will continue to strive to meet and exceed your expectations.
WE ARE HERE FOR YOU.
Sincerely,
John Vennetti