Gallery Space: A Breath of Beauty in Winter

     American artist Georgia O'Keefe (1887-1986) said,"I found I could say things with colors and shapes that I couldn't say any other way---things I had no words for."

     Art is an often-used medium at Laraway, providing opportunities for the children and youth we serve to "say things" with art, to express emotions and creativity.  From the Art Room at our school to craft activities in our foster care and behavioral intervention programs, Laraway is ablaze in color.

     A new exhibit in Laraway's Gallery Space is the work of our of our youth whose inclination to paint large, colorful flowers, reminds one of O'Keefe's work.  This young person was first introduced to art when she was very young, by a family member who is an artist. 

     The exhibit is up until the end of February.  For more information or to arrange a visit, please contact Katherine at Kstamper@Laraway.org or (802) 635-2805 x 106. 

Plan 'Til You're Planted

This month, the Laraway Art Gallery is featuring a slightly different form of art- garden plans! The garden plans were made by students during a Farmer on Site lesson in January and their feedback was integrated into the 2016 garden design. Please stop by and check out the creative ideas students have for this upcoming growing season. 

Plan ‘Til You’re Planted

On a cold January day, huddled inside a cozy, heated yurt, Laraway students directed their attention away from the snow on the ground outside and thought of sunshine, flowers, and tasty produce. During the first Farmer on Site of the year, the Land Stewardship team facilitated a garden planning workshop with school groups. Surrounded by pictures of creative garden designs, piles of books, and lots of colored pencils, crayons, and plenty of magazines to make collages, students got to work drawing a vision of what they would like to see in the Laraway gardens this upcoming year. Ideas big and small were crafted, including a hot pepper patch to be turned into tasty hot sauce, flowers of all kinds spread throughout the garden, and a dragon sculpture bench. Staff feedback also suggested a quiet space, pumpkin patch, and outdoor classroom. Students reminisced about produce they enjoyed last season and would like to continue to grow such as green beans, tomatoes, and carrots. As they flipped through seed catalogues, new types of plants caught their eyes such as sunchokes, wild roses, and rhubarb. From that planning session, a garden plan has been crafted and preparations are starting to be made for projects. Students will be starting seeds at the end of February, building projects will start up in March, and plants will be in the ground by April. We look forward to a creative, educational, and bountiful 2016 garden season!

If you have any ideas or would like to be more involved feel free to email Ginny (gcooke@laraway.org) or Cornelius (cornelius@laraway.org).    

A Dragon Sculpture Bench to sit on during outdoor classes.

An Earth Bed to relax and rejuvenate in the garden.

A collage of flowers- one group of students expressed in interest in planting "flowers everywhere"!

2016 Laraway Garden Plan

You're Invited: Open House at Laraway's Morrisville Office

   

     Did you know that Laraway opened an office in Morrisville?  Our Backpack Program, providers of public-school-based behavioral intervention supports and consultations, now has its own office at 30 Mountain View Plaza, Units 3 & 4 in Morrisville.  Space needs and a desire to locate program staff closer to where clients reside precipitated the move.

     Join us for an Open House at Backpack's NEW office in Morrisville on Thursday, February 18th, 2016 from 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.  Meet our staff, sample light refreshments and learn about the program.

     Please RSVP by Thursday, February 11th to Jena at 802-635-2805 x 226 or JGouldHopkins@Laraway.org,  We hope to see you there!

Thank you, Duncan Tingle, for a decade of distinguished service on Laraway's Board

                                                 
     Duncan Tingle stepped down from Laraway's Board of Trustees followed a decade of distinguished service.  As a retired special educator and school administrator, Duncan brought valuable insights and expertise to Board discussions.
     Duncan served as President of Laraway's Board during our capital campaign, providing solid support and guidance through periods of research and discernment.  He was on board and active when it became evident that the best choice for Laraway was to move to and renovate a Johnson Farmstead.  Today, Laraway's 39-acre campus supports educational and therapeutic services in a pastoral landscape.
     "I could always count on Duncan to attend a donor event and lend a hand wherever needed," said Katherine Stamper, Laraway's Development Director.  "He's also a historian and lover of literature and I could also count on Duncan for a great conversation on good reads."
     Thank you, Duncan, for all of your fine work on behalf of the children and families we serve.

Laraway Celebrates Martin Luther King, Jr. Day with a Day of Service

        Martin Luther King, Jr, the slain civil rights leader, once said:  “Life’s most persistent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?’”

     Laraway Youth & Family Services’ staff embraced this question, marking the federal holiday with a day of service at the Johnson-based nonprofit.  Blankets were crafted for children in shelters. Cards were written and games were created for seniors in assisted living.  Bowls were designed for a hunger awareness project.  Toys were made for dogs living in shelters, waiting to be adopted.  These and other offerings of goodwill honor the legacy of Dr. King.

     “Our day of service helps us to look beyond our agency, supporting the work of other folks doing fine work in the community,” said Katherine Stamper, Laraway’s Development Director.

     Laraway Youth & Family Services is a non-profit organization dedicated to identifying and building on the strengths of children and youth with emotional, behavioral and mental health challenges, through alternative education, therapeutic foster care and public school based behavioral intervention supports.  For more information, visit Laraway.org or email KatherineS@Laraway.org. 

Teaching at Laraway, solving a puzzle

     "I enjoy teaching this population and figuring our how to best help

 them to learn.  It's like solving a puzzle." 

~Laraway Teacher

     How might teaching a child experiencing special needs be similar to figuring out a puzzle?  This is a question I've pondered since visiting with a group of Laraway teachers.  They settled into the conference room following a day of engaging students in hands on learning in math, science and literacy.

     Basic advice on solving a puzzle often includes the following steps:  Flip pieces upwards.  Find the edge pieces.  Sort by like pieces.  Sort out any "special" pieces with distinguishing characteristics (lettering, etc.).  Work on small sections at a time.  Don't give up.

     Students who come to Laraway typically have struggled in traditional school settings.  What's a teacher to do when a student arrives, ready (or sometimes, hesitant) to learn?

     The teaching equivalent of "flipping a piece" upward might be getting to know a student, really  taking taking time to learn what he or she cares about and how he or she is most comfortable as a learner.  "Finding the edge pieces" might relate to creating a safe environment where students are willing to take risks in their learning to see how far they can actually go.  "Sort by like pieces" might be about allowing students to gather with others----in a school club or classroom activity---with others who share their interests.  This builds community.  This helps young people forge friendships tied to common interests.  "Work on small sections at a time" recognizes that---precious few learners experience Eureka moments of instantaneous, full and complete learning.  Most learners require small bites of information that, collectively, form a body of knowledge.  Finally, "Don't give up" reminds us that it takes time for children to heal from past hurts so they are ready and open to learning.  Even then, it can take time to find the best best way---the missing puzzle piece---to help a student grasp a mathematical concept or complete an assignment.

     Laraway's strength is in meeting youth where they are at, creating individualized programs to address their unique needs while helping them realize their full potential. 

Submitted by Katherine Stamper, Laraway Development Director

Winter Farmer on Site

   The days are getting colder (well, maybe it doesn’t feel that way right now, but it’s coming!), the darkness is reaching its peak, and the garden beds were put to rest well over a month ago. As we wait for the snow to fly, though, Laraway school students are still engaging with the garden in a different way through our Winter Farmer on Site (FOS) program. FOS winter edition is held every other week from November through April in a cozy yurt and features a different theme during each class. Thus far, students have discussed the makings and benefits of compost, dug their hands into different soil types, and created their own garden plans using colored pencils and collages. Each FOS integrates a variety of learning opportunities tailored to multiple engagement styles. We use game play, storytelling, writing, mathematics, hands on activities, and sharing circles to engage with the diverse learning styles of our students. And we have lots of fun!

Digging in the compost and looking for critters!

During our soil unit, students and staff had a "Soil Shimmy Shakedown" that consisted of passing a jar of soil and water around while busting a move to T-Swifts "Shake It Off". The results? A great visual of the different layers soil consists of- clay, silt, and sand.

Students and staff got creative with ideas for next years garden and drew up/collaged their own garden plans.

Article and photos by Ginny Cooke, Land Stewardship Americorps VISTA.