Posted on January 14, 2014 by Matheny
Shane, left, and Josh Szott.
The students and patients at Matheny look forward to the annual visit by the varsity basketball team of the Delbarton School, an independent Roman Catholic learning center in Morristown for young men in grades 7–12. But this year brought a special twist. Delbarton basketball player Josh Szott was able to compete along with his brother Shane, a student at Matheny. Josh and Shane are the sons of David and Andrea Szott of Morristown, NJ.
The physical education and recreation therapy departments at Matheny created an assortment of basketball games designed to level the playing field, and the Delbarton players either competed against the Matheny players or helped them compete against each other. They also tossed T-shirts into the audience in the Robert Schonhorn Arts Center and displayed some of the skills they use against their regular opponents.
The event is always a huge success and, besides being fun, helps the Matheny students and patients improve their physical, emotional, cognitive and social well-being.
Delbarton player Drew Douglas with Matheny student Vraj Desai.
Posted on January 9, 2014 by Matheny
Skanska employees, from left, Lisa Mancuso, Robert Duncan and Kim DeRocco.
Who needs Santa when you can have Skanska instead? During the recent holiday season, employees from Skanska USA’s Parsippany, NJ, office made their annual visit to Matheny to drop off toys collected in the company’s toy drive. Sweden-based Skanska is one of the world’s leading construction groups. This is the fourth year that Skanska employees have visited Matheny during the holiday season.
Posted on January 7, 2014 by Matheny
Bottom row, from left: Pito Walton of Peapack; Frances and Charlotte Steele of Bedminster; Bella Walton, Peapack. Top row, from left: Jane Steele; Betsy Walton; Joan Millard of Toms River, NJ; Ali Millard and Lily Steele of Bedminster; and Mrs. Orr, visiting from Florida. (Also caroling, but not pictured, were Susan, Emma, Ellie and Ryan Palmer of Oldwick).
Jane Steele of Bedminster, NJ, and Betsy Walton of Peapack, NJ, and their families have been visiting Matheny’s students and patients on a regular basis for years. Several years ago, they decided to sing Christmas carols during one of their weekly visits.
“We invited friends to join us,” recalls Steele, “and got a very large turnout. Each year the same friends are excited to return and sing. It is a wonderful reminder of the true meaning of Christmas. One year we brought a very large homemade gingerbread house and the children dipped the hard candies in the gooey icing and stuck them on the house. They loved it!”
The majority of Matheny students and patients are full-time residents, and volunteers are welcome days, evenings and weekends. For more information about volunteering, call (908) 234-0011, ext. 282.
Posted on January 3, 2014 by Matheny
In our aquatic program, students have the opportunity to increase their independence through new individual and group strategies introduced by therapists and educators.
At The Matheny School, our mission is to provide an integrated educational and therapeutic experience for our students, who have a diverse range of abilities and disabilities. Here’s how we do it:
• We enhance the potential of children with multiple disabilities through the development of Individual Educational Plans (IEPs) that focus on tailored, attainable goals and objectives.
• We encourage our students to explore their own interests within a positive learning environment.
• We enrich their daily lives by increasing their gross motor, fine motor, and visual and perceptual skills.
• We help our students learn, without limits, through an interdisciplinary approach combining therapy treatment, social services, psychology and medical care.
Our adaptive physical education program develops ways for Matheny students to participate in traditional sports such as basketball.
