Sammy’s confidence

Sammy Heisler.

During the first several years of his life, Sammy Heisler lived in a long-term care facility, where most doctors did not expect him to survive his many medical conditions. “How shocked they would all be to see how he has flourished,” says his mother, Doris Burman, a resident of Westfield, NJ. On Tuesday, June 18, Sammy will graduate from The Matheny School.

When Sammy first arrived at Matheny in January 1998, he was completely tube-fed. Since then, according to his mother, “Sammy has learned how to eat, handle a wheelchair and respond to familiar faces. But, by far, the greatest benefit Sammy received from Matheny is his self-confidence. The Matheny staff members have always treated Sammy and all the students with dignity and respect, and I strongly believe these interactions have enabled him to express his personality and develop into the charming young man he is today.”

Sammy initially came to Matheny, Burman recalls, because “he began to physically improve and soon became inquisitive about his environment. The long-term care facility was not geared toward development, and the Westfield School District knew about Matheny and agreed that it was an appropriate school for him.” As Sammy makes the transition into Matheny’s Adult Services Program, Burman says she “will always be grateful to this organization of dedicated, talented people.”

Sammy Heisler in Matheny’s sensory room with physical therapist Glenn Stackhouse.

Sean Murphy reads to Matheny student Ari Golub while Ari’s teacher Stacy Lafargue looks on.

Sean Murphy has two favorite words: “community” and “team.” He uses them frequently to explain the success of The Matheny School and to express his passion about its students, their families and his staff. “Together,” he says, “we tackle every issue. It’s important for teachers to see parents as partners and for the parents to see teachers as partners—everyone pulling together in the same direction for the benefit of the students. To create true opportunities, it takes a community, and it takes a team.”

Murphy, who grew up in Chesterfield, England, started working at Matheny 19 years ago as a personal care assistant and was named principal of The Matheny School in March. A resident of Washington, NJ, he received his BA in special education from New Jersey City University in 2001, became a special education teacher and was named vice principal in 2008. He also has an MA in urban education/administration and supervision from NJCU and is an adjunct professor in the psychology and education program at The College of Saint Elizabeth in Morristown and is on the advisory board of the Education Department at Centenary College in Hackettstown.

Matheny’s students all have multiple disabilities, and many of them are non-verbal. That, in Murphy’s opinion, should not prevent them from reaching their highest level of academic achievement while also obtaining maximum independence. One way the school helps them reach those goals is through technology, but Murphy insists that Matheny “does not have an assistive technology program. Instead, we integrate assistive technology into every single program that we have. If there’s something that someone cannot do without technology, you use technology to even the playing field. Because of technology, our kids can walk using adapted devices; and they can communicate. They can do practically everything; we just have to figure out how.”

“The one thing that sets this school apart is the team-based experience,” Murphy adds.  “It’s not just rhetoric; people are vested to make things happen. The tenacity and innovation here is second to none. I’m just lucky to be able to leverage the skills of people who are already here.”

At the Matheny School’s recent Open House, Matheny student Natalie Tomastyk talked about her work experience at the Gurukul Yoga Holistic Center with Ryan MacNaughton, assistant principal, special services, and Kathleen Simpson, special education case manager, at the Kittatinny Regional High School in Newton, NJ.

The Matheny School’s Transition program is designed to increase the independence of its students both within the school and in the surrounding community. One way that is accomplished is through community-based experiences and structured learning environments that simulate real-life working situations. Matheny students are currently receiving an opportunity to learn on-the-job skills at both the Bridgewater, NJ, Township Library and the Gurukul Yoga Holistic Center in Bridgewater.

Students also encounter an authentic work environment in the Tea Time Café, Matheny’s in-house school refreshment stand, equipped with an adapted cash register, AbleNet and Point-of-Sale technology. And they are able to enhance functional and social skills during weekly trips to local stores to apply what is learned in the classroom to real-world experiences.

Julie Gordon, speaking at The Matheny School Open House.

Scott Gordon is a 14-year-old student at The Matheny School. According to his mother Julie, Scott is “a caring, sensitive young teenager who is thriving at Matheny, thanks to the wonderful people who fill its halls.” Julie Gordon made those remarks at The Matheny School’s Open House, held May 21. Speaking to representatives from public school districts and other parents, she pointed out that Scott had been diagnosed with cerebral palsy and a developmental delay when he was about one year old.

“If I could sum up the Matheny experience in one phrase,” she said, “it would be ‘no limits.’ Simply put, the educators, therapists and caregivers at Matheny view my son, and all the students there, as capable children, with no predetermined limits on their achievements. There is no ‘one size fits all’ learning approach at Matheny. The educators know Scott and figure out what will work for him. The therapists push him to achieve all he can.  Scott is experiencing life to the fullest. I do not have the words to express the gratitude I feel to all those who work with our son.”

At the spring opening of the Dawg Pound, front row, from left, adult patients Mike Cornely, George Bracken and Taty Manousakis; back row, from left, adult patient Danny Teresi and adult services instructors Nicole Puopolo and Deanna Willard.

Matheny’s Dawg Pound, a retail enterprise designed to sharpen practical work skills for patients and students, has launched its spring season with new inventory consisting of magnets, ponchos and pajama pants.

The Dawg Pound was begun four years ago with startup funds of $5,000 provided by The Friends of Matheny, our auxiliary group, and Village Office Supply of Somerset, NJ. The operations are divided into three departments:  marketing, finance and sales/inventory. Teamwork, budgeting, effective advertising and customer service are all skills that have been learned by those working in the Dawg Pound, named after Matheny’s mascot, the Bulldog.

From left, Arts Access director Eileen Murray, artist Cindy Shanks and Matheny president Steve Proctor.

Three artists from Matheny’s Arts Access Program attended the opening reception on May 19 for “New Jersey Medical School – ARTS,” an exhibit on display in the Medical Science Building of UMDNJ in Newark from May through August. The artists – Jessica Evans, Luis Rodriguez and Cindy Shanks – had paintings in the exhibit, along with nine other Arts Access artists. Arts Access enables people with disabilities to create fine art, assisted by professional artist-facilitators.

Art from three Arts Access satellite programs – the WAE Center of JSDD (Jewish Services for the Developmentally Disabled of Metrowest, Inc.) in West Orange, NJ; the Arc of Mercer County in Ewing, NJ; and Hattie Larlham in Twinsburg, Ohio – are part of the ARTS exhibit as well. In fact, staff members from Hattie Larlham, a facility for children and adults with developmental disabilities, visited Matheny on May 20 to spend the day with Arts Access staff members and artists.

Jessica Evans in front of her painting, “Trapped and I Can’t Get Out.”

Jackson Tantleff of Bernardsville, NJ, left, and Brennan Maillot of Gladstone, NJ, push Matheny student Kim Alarcon toward first base.

The annual baseball game played between members of the Somerset Hills Little League and students from Matheny is an event that participants on both teams look forward to every year with great anticipation. This year’s game, in which SHLL players helped the Matheny students bat and field and pushed their wheelchairs along the basepaths, was again a lively fun-filled event and truly uplifting for both participants and spectators.

The game was held on Friday, May 10, at the Kiwanis Rotary Little League complex in Bernardsville, NJ. Baseball is one of several adapted sports played by Matheny students and patients as part of Matheny’s recreation therapy program, which provides a variety of recreation opportunities and resources to improve physical, emotional, cognitive and social well-being.

Brad Dallas, left, and Ryan Tantleff, both of Bernardsville, NJ, with Matheny student Shane Szott.

Matheny student Natalie Tomastyk and recreation therapist Saori Cheth.

More than 40 Matheny students, patients and group home residents competed in the Somerset County Special Olympics on May 4 at Bridgewater-Raritan High School in Bridgewater, NJ. The Matheny athletes received 40 gold medals and 28 silver medals, and Matheny will be sending eight athletes to the New Jersey State Special Olympics from June 7-9 at The College of New Jersey in Ewing, NJ. They will be competing in track & field, bocce and power lifting.

Participation in Special Olympics is a key activity in Matheny’s Recreation Therapy program, which provides students and patients with a variety of recreation opportunities and resources to improve their physical, emotional, cognitive and social well-being. Students and patients are encouraged to take part in several adaptive sports teams throughout the year, including track & field, adaptive karate and power wheelchair soccer.

Matheny student Kimberly Alarcon, participating in a track & field event.

John Ebert, nephew of technology coordinator Alex Fraumann and a student at the Flocktown Elementary School in Long Valley, NJ, helps Matheny student Mark O’Connell play adapted miniature golf.

Staff members of The Matheny School brought their sons and daughters to work and then gave them a full day of education about everything that goes on in the school – from classroom instruction to adapted physical education to art and music.

The visitors saw how Matheny students benefit from the latest technology such as SMART Boards and Tables and iPads. They attended all classes, from preschool to high school, and they participated in a variety of adapted sports. It was an eye-opening experience for many and gave everyone a better understanding of the challenges and triumphs experienced daily by The Matheny School staff.

Adult patient Rasheedah Mahali with, from left, James O'Brien of Metuchen, NJ, Mike Berezny of Peapack, NJ, and Matheny social worker Kelly Haldaman of Bethelehem, PA.

Lelica Palecco, a vocalist with the B.D. Lenz All-Star Band, surveyed the room at The Skylands in Randolph, NJ, and proclaimed, “I’ve never seen a better looking group.” The occasion was The Matheny Prom. The stylish crowd was a mixture of Matheny students and adult patients, family members, volunteers from the community and staff members.

This eagerly anticipated event is but one example of how Matheny does everything possible to enhance the quality of life for its students and patients. The theme of this year’s prom was “A Sweet Escape,” and for four hours everyone did just that—forgetting about their disabilities and concentrating on having a good time.

The Prom was funded by a generous contribution from the Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation in East Hanover, NJ.

Matheny student (and Prom King) Yasin Reddick with Rachel, left, and Alyssa Scher of Red Bank.

Front row, from left: Yasin Reddick, Regan Pompeo of Basking Ridge, NJ, daughter of Hobart Group CEO Lisa Bair; and Jessica Evans. Back row, from left: Elena Hickman, Bedminster, NJ; Camille Caruso, Gladstone, NJ; Christine Monahan, Bedminster; Katie Dorsey, Lopatcong, NJ; and Greg Condit, Chatham, NJ.

Two Matheny residents, Yasin Reddick and Jessica Evans, volunteered at the Peapack-Gladstone First Aid Squad’s 21st annual Town-Wide Garage Sale, held on Saturday, April 27. Reddick and Evans helped out at the table sponsored by The Hobart Group, Gladstone-based promotional and marketing services agency.

The Garage Sale is a fundraiser for the squad, which provides emergency services to Peapack-Gladstone residents and has been very helpful to and supportive of Matheny.

Matheny student Aaron Turovlin and physical therapist Jessica Korab.

The front parking lot at Matheny was closed off and transformed into several basketball courts on Friday, April 26, as Matheny School students participated in adapted basketball games as part of a “March Madness”-type tournament to raise money for the American Heart Association.

The tournament was Matheny’s participation in the AHA’s Hoops for Heart program, designed to bring students together for a good cause. On the same day, throughout Matheny, employees were encouraged to wear red and donate $5 to help the AHA raise women’s awareness of cardiovascular disease and empower women to reduce their risks. Families and friends of Matheny students were asked to send checks to Matheny, made out to The American Heart Association.

From left, Sean Murphy, Matheny School principal; Sean Bielefeldt, Matheny director of recreation therapy; Daeon Troutman, Matheny student; Dawn Williams, Matheny teacher; Lori Bertoline, regional director, youth market, American Heart Assn.; Jim Hintenach, Matheny elementary supervisor, adapted physical education; and Kevin Long, Matheny student.