Summer at The Bell Center
We are finishing up our summer programs next week, and we wanted to share with you a little about what summer at The Bell Center looked like this year. We served over 80 children in seven unique programs.
• Munch Bunch – Due to rising needs, we were able to offer two Munch Bunch classes. Munch Bunch is our class that focuses on self-feeding and broadening a child’s acceptance of different foods.
• All About Me – Classes that were focused on achieving developmental goals in a classroom setting. We also were able to have six sessions of classes for our youngest program participants that worked on individual goals in a small group or in an individual setting.
• Summer Steps – We offered two Summer Step classes that our recent graduates were invited to attend. This class is designed to allow for more independence for the children and to allow them a smoother transition to their next school placement.
• Sensory and Skills – was a class that we offered once a week. This class helps children work on their fine motor skills and pre-writing skills through sensory play and exploration.
• Kindermusik – This class allows caregivers and their children to work on learning new skills while participating in music activities.
• My Friends – My Friends helps children with sensory, social and communication challenges participate in classroom routines and learn to tolerate new sensory experiences.
• Learn to Learn – Something that is unique to The Bell Center is that during the summer some of our programs are offered in a “Learn to Learn” setting. This allows caregivers to work with their children in group sessions and get feedback from the therapists and also other families. The families enrolled in Learn to Learn also generate the goals that they would like to target during the Summer session.
In June we were offered a great opportunity by Maynard Cooper Gale and AEA Group to take our toddlers to the McWane Science Center for a field trip. It was a great day! Our toddlers enjoyed exploring the museum and had a lot of fun with the volunteers from both organizations. Our children, their families, and our Bell Center staff were also treated to lunch. Thank you so much Maynard Cooper Gale and AEA Group!
The theme for June was The Great Outdoors so classes went on “camp outs” in the classrooms, had s’mores, and talked about camping, bears, picnics, ice cream and more!
For July and August the theme is Water and Water Play. Classes participated in lots of water based play activities, used their imaginations to pretend to fish, talked about ducks and frogs and sun and sand activities. They also had a special snack time where they “fished” for goldfish using pretzels and cream cheese.
This summer at The Bell Center has been jam-packed with learning and fun. As we wind down summer, we start to prepare for fall. We will have a two-day staff retreat at Children’s Harbor on August 21st and 22nd and then we have five days of staff development before the babies start back on August 31st and the toddlers start back on September 5th.
We are sad to see the summer go, but are excited and looking forward to the fall!
