Please join us in congratulating the Matheny School and Transportation teams for a very successful and informative Transportation Safety webinar. Thank you to all who joined us!Passcode: Transportation2023!
August 22, 2023 – Peapack, NJ – New Jersey students will return to school in just a few days. Back to school can be stressful for anyone, but for kids with special needs finding the right school environment is essential. The Matheny School, located on the picturesque campus of Matheny in Peapack, has provided a blend of high quality therapeutic and educational services for students from all areas of New Jersey with medically complex developmental disabilities for over 75 years.
Anne Bruno, the Matheny School’s Assistant Principal, stated “Our students have many different learning styles and educational needs. Each student’s team addresses all of his or her requirements. Therapies such as physical, occupational and speech are integrated into the student’s educational routine. Many therapies are delivered right in the classroom, minimizing the amount of classroom time the student misses,” she added.
The Matheny School also provides skilled nursing care via their school nursing team. According to Bruno, “Many parents are struggling to find 1:1 nursing care in schools and Matheny has excellent school nurses dedicated to providing care to our students during the school day so they can attend class with their peers.”
Technology is fully utilized within the Matheny School. Students have access to iPads, computers, Smart technology and individualized augmentative devices. Staffing is maintained at a high level to ensure that each student can reach his or her maximum potential.
Recent events have focused attention on the critical issue of safe transportation of all students. Those who need to be transported while seated in their wheelchair or on a stretcher are especially vulnerable. The utmost care is taken to ensure every student’s safety and comfort. Matheny’s dedicated school and transportation teams will be presenting a webinar on safe transportation practices at 2 pm on September 13th. Please go to Matheny.org for more information or to register.
The Matheny School offers year-round enrollment for all NJ school districts and an extended school year program during the summer. For more information, please visit matheny.org, call 908-234-0011, or email mathenyschool@matheny.org.
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About Matheny – Matheny’s mission is to provide exceptional care and an optimal quality of life for children and adults with special needs and medically complex developmental disabilities. Matheny is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization and is headquartered in Somerset County. It was founded in 1946 after Walter and Marguerite Matheny’s son, Chuck, was born with cerebral palsy (CP) into a world ill-equipped to care for children with special needs. Matheny is comprised of a fully accredited special hospital, five community group homes, an adult day center, the Matheny School – a non-profit private special school, The Arts Access Program – an award-winning fine arts program, and outpatient clinics serving the community. Matheny patients have a diverse range of medical conditions such as Cerebral Palsy, Spina Bifida, Lesch-Nyhan Disease (LND) and a wide range of rare diseases. To learn more about Matheny, visit us at http://www.matheny.org or follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram: @mathenymedical.
June 21, 2023, Peapack and Gladstone, NJ – The Matheny School recently held two graduation ceremonies. The first, held on June 20th, marked the advancement of four 8th grade students to a high school curriculum. The second, held on June 21st, celebrated the completion of high school studies for an additional four students.
The Matheny School’s high school graduation featured keynote speaker David Szott, who is a Matheny parent and director of Player Development for the New York Jets. Szott shared his memories and the sense of pride he felt when his son, Shane, graduated from the Matheny School a few years ago. He expressed his gratitude for the efforts of the many teachers, aides, therapists, and “behind the scenes” staff who helped to make the day possible. The ceremony included remarks by Peapack Gladstone Mayor, Mark Corigliano; Matheny President and CEO, Bill Kent; Chair of Matheny’s Board of Trustees, William A. Krais, Esq.; Vice President of Education and Principal of the Matheny School, Sean Murphy; President of the Matheny School Board of Education, Dr. Kristen Labazzo; and Father Paul West, Matheny Chaplain. After the ceremony, guests enjoyed a reception provided by the Friends of Matheny.
Matheny’s high school graduates are: Valedictorian, Tyse M.; Salutatorian, Ayman H.; Avalena E.; and Amanda C. All four graduates will move on to Matheny’s Life Enrichment Program for adults.
Photo Caption: All four high school graduates on stage during the Matheny School graduation ceremony.
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About Matheny – Matheny is a special hospital and educational facility. Matheny’s mission is to provide exceptional care and an optimal quality of life for children and adults with special needs and medically complex developmental disabilities. Matheny is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization and is headquartered in Somerset County. It was founded in 1946 after Walter and Marguerite Matheny’s son, Chuck, was born with cerebral palsy (CP) into a world ill-equipped to care for children with special needs. Matheny is comprised of a fully accredited special hospital, five community group homes, an adult day center, a non-profit private special school, a fine arts program, and outpatient clinics serving the community. Matheny patients have a diverse range of medical conditions such as Cerebral Palsy, Spina Bifida, Lesch-Nyhan Disease (LND) and a wide range of rare diseases. To learn more about Matheny, visit us at http://www.matheny.org or follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram: @mathenymedical.
It’s been an exciting few weeks for our Matheny School students!
For the first time in four years, we were able to gather for our Prom. The community was thrilled to come together in our Robert Schonhorn Arts Center for a night of dressing up, dancing to good music, and enjoying the company of our friends, colleagues, and wider community. Thank you to all who worked hard to make the Prom possible! See our photo album below – special thanks to photographer Keith Bratcher!
To see videos from our graduation ceremonies earlier this week, check out Matheny’s Facebook page or follow @mathenymedical on Instagram!
Please join us in congratulating our Matheny class of 2023! We can’t wait to see what’s next for all of our students.
Please join the Matheny Team in congratulating Anne Bruno on her recent appointment to the position of Assistant Principal and Director of Curriculum at the Matheny School!
From a young age, Anne knew she wanted to be a teacher. After high school, she worked to make that dream a reality. She graduated from Rowan University in 2011 with a Bachelor’s in Elementary Education with a Teacher of Students with Disabilities certification, as well as a Bachelor’s in History. Upon graduation, Anne began a nine year teaching career in Special Education with placements as an inclusion teacher in a general education classroom, a resource classroom teacher, and teaching students with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Behavioral Disorders. After being a part of a few different schools, Anne began to search for ways she could help more than just the students in her classroom get the services and programs they needed, and decided to go back to school. Anne graduated from Montclair State University in 2020 with her Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership and certifications for School Administration and Superintendent. She joined Matheny in June 2021 as the Supervisor of Curriculum and Instruction and is excited and honored to now be in the position of Assistant Principal and Director of Curriculum to better serve our students and staff.
Matheny’s students and community are deeply grateful for Anne’s passion, experience, and expertise!
Halloween landed on a Monday in 2022, but that certainly didn’t dampen the spirits of those participating in our Matheny Halloween parade!
Highly anticipated by Matheny students and patients, the Halloween parade is an amazing reflection of our community’s passion and creativity. We were blown away by many of the costumes this year, including pirates, Ken and Barbie, Catwoman, and characters from Stranger Things, Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, and many other shows and movies. Which costume is your favorite?
We’re grateful to our Recreation Therapy team for their hard work coordinating this event. We can’t wait until next year!
On Thursday, October 13th, we were thrilled to be joined up on the hill by parents, supporters, and community members to celebrate 75 years of Matheny magic! It was wonderful to reconnect with old friends, see some new faces, and share both our history and the exciting plans on the horizon.
Thank you for your support! We cannot wait to continue telling the Matheny story – for the next 75 years, and beyond!
If you were able to join us on Thursday, we hope you had as much fun as we did! If you were unable to attend, we hope you enjoy these video and photo highlights!
It was no ordinary first day of school on Wednesday morning in Peapack! For the first time since March of 2020, the Matheny School is back to operating fully in-person five days a week.
There was an excited buzz on campus as school leadership, teachers, paraprofessionals, and other school staff awaited the students’ arrival. And as the students entered and greeted staff, the halls quickly filled with the welcome sounds of a bustling school building – sounds that have been very missed over the last two and half years. For Director of Curriculum and Assistant Principal Katie Hardgrove, the best part was the smiles on everyone’s faces.
“The resiliency of students and staff has just been so amazing – through virtual learning, and then a hybrid period, as well as quarantines and other hurdles”, she said. “As you go around the classrooms today, you can see how excited and engaged the students and staff are. Everyone is just so excited to see one another.”
The Matheny School currently has 39 students enrolled. The community is also growing, thanks to the recent addition of five new school staff who are eagerly getting to know their new students and colleagues.
When asked what she’s most excited about for the school year, Hardgrove emphasized the re-establishment of a routine. It will certainly take time and patience to fully adjust to this new normal. But as always, the Matheny School maintains its fundamental belief in the students’ talents and potential, as well as its commitment to encourage growth and maximize independence. We can’t wait to see the great work the students will do this year!
David Karner, Vice President of the Lord Stirling School, and board of trustees members, Michael Hecht and Joe Garlayda recently presented a check in the amount of $60,000 to Matheny. The board of the now closed Lord Stirling School disbursed funds to several charities. Their donation to Matheny is earmarked for the Matheny School and life enrichment.
Pictured from left: Anne Bruno, Matheny School Supervisor of Curriculum and Instruction; Michael Hecht; Matheny President and CEO Bill Kent; David Karner; Joe Garlayda; and Aimee Hunnewell, Chief Development Officer at Matheny.
Matheny, headquartered in Peapack, NJ is a special hospital and school providing exceptional care and an optimal quality of life for children and adults with special needs and medically complex developmental disabilities.
