Christmas is coming

The Season of art 

                               

Christmas at school is always a very special time.  It provides an opportunity to leave everyday routines behind and just have fun.  The spirit of fun and joy infuses everything and is rooted in the joy of the season itself. The question becomes , how do we translate this for the children, and how do we make this a special time which reflects our love for each other.

As we hit the first of November we allow ourselves to dust off the Christmas music and get it going in the morning.  Having broken out the Christmas songs, we can get started on the decorations and planning the performance for the Christmas Party.  This year we have decided to return to a more traditional nativity play after a couple of years of rather raucous Jamaican grand markets and jonkonoo happenings.  Our celebration always finishes with Santa, and this year, as always, our children have been “nice”, so there will be something in Santa's bag for each one of them (thanks to the “Dad” who has become our Santa Helper. )

Santa arrives last year

It is sweet to see the children's faces light up when Santa arrives with his elves. He bends down to each wheelchair or chair and hands each one something special.  Our volunteers, who bring so much to our school, arrive in the Christmas spirit in November to begin the celebratory work.  Marcia Thwaites (aka Grandma) takes charge as producer and choir master . The children become very excited each time Grandma Thwaites arrives because it means no matter their ability to sing, their attempts are celebrated  and there will be fun days of practices ahead.  For Grandma, they will work tirelessly and joyfully to make their "voices" heard.  This year “Auntie Suzie” (Suzanne Mahfood Beck) has a group of our dancers rehearsing a dance to "O Holy Night."  Through the years we have learned that certain members of staff have hidden theatrical talents, and even though we will be in Bethlehem, a certain little mosquito and her tidings of no joy will make an appearance.  A part is found for each child and rehearsals are enjoyed over and over again. 

Everyone is involved in creating

In keeping with our belief that each child’s effort is valuable, decorations are mostly handmade by them.  Paint, glitter and glue abound.  Salt dough ornament production is enjoyed as much by the adults as the children.  Messy is OK – the process is to be enjoyed. 

Auntie Leslie's salt dough candle holder made by the children last year

While all the preparations which centre on the children are ongoing, there is another more serious side to Christmas at S.T.E.P.  This is our busiest fund raising time with the sale of our Christmas Cards in full swing.  Tables and spaces are taken over and persons co-opted to call prospective customers, count and pack cards and make deliveries.  The busier the card centre the better.  Note the cards here on our page to the right and give us a call or an e-mail to purchase these wonders and support our school. ($100 each) (thestepcentre@yahoo.com)

  

At heart , we return to celebrating the birth of the baby whose message of peace and love for all, especially for the most vulnerable remains, with us.  It has been a difficult term at the school, but we have received much and are grateful in return.  

May we wish all of you and your families a very Merry Christmas and a New Year filled with peace and joy.  Once again we remind you that you are welcome to come and see the "Joy in action" of each of our children sharing their special blessings  for the holiday in their Christmas celebration and production. 

December 17th 9:30 AM at the school at 4 Tremaine Rd. Please call us to let us know you are coming , so we can be prepared with enough chairs. (946-3611)    

For each one of our faithful supporters and readers we wish for you the love of the people who surround you and make your life rich. Though times get busy and "balance sheets" stretch thin, remember that joy will find you if you but open your heart to receive it. As our children know, it isn't about your ability to keep up or have much, but to do whatever is within your abilities. Recognize the moments when you are surrounded by a celebration of spirit, and accepted by folks who love you...... just the way you are!!!!    

Merry Christmas from the Tropics 

                                       Post written by Hillary Sherlock
    

Back to school and better than ever

Smiles make it all worthwhile

Written by Leslie Wan on behalf of the Step Centre

It has been awhile since we have given a shout out from our lovely little school where the children thrive,love endures and smiles abound. Many wonderful things have been happening at the school, but like most of this island, we have been working under duress, as we all negotiate the dreaded chikungunya virus that has taken turns hop-scotching across our staff. It ran across the island. The dreaded "chik v" carrying mosquitoes have claimed many of us (including this writer) but blessings from above only two at a time in the staff and not all at once. We are saying many thanks that the children have not been overly affected by this and the staff have been champions as they continue to struggle through the after affects of a virus that is wicked and enduring. Mosquitoes are really a menace is our opinion. But, as always we are about the children, and making sure that they will be fine no matter the current trials and tribulations not under our control. After reading, please take a moment to see our Christmas cards to the right and consider ordering them to support our children.  

So let's start with the grateful giving that will also highlight our happy "doings" and where they will hopefully lead.

1. Special thanks to the German Embassy.....

We were blessed and grateful to the German Embassy here in Jamaica for their gracious grant which has allowed us to have our school fully grilled to better protect the building. Windows are all now secured with grills. This will allow us to move forward on future computer acquisitions. These computers will serve both to assist our students in school work, and also help us in our income sustaining revenue, such as our Christmas card sales and our seedling garden. Education is always enhanced by technology these days. It was a mandate for us from the beginning, that securing our environment was exceedingly important and we understand that sometimes all we do is about harnessing synergies to move to the next step in the progression. This grant also gave us the funding for the equipment (containers) we needed to begin the recycling component of our curriculum, as well as the equipment to begin our composting work which will help sustain our seedling garden. (Once again we are trying to teach important lessons as we teach the means to the protection of the environment)

Grilling  complete all over the school

2. Special thanks to the Grace Kennedy Foundation - Thanks to them for sharing resources and lessons with our children AND for their corporate giving.

Grace Kennedy has agreed to provide our school with a new computer and a laptop with the stipulation that we secure the school with grills. Bingo... we got the grilling and soon we will welcome the computers. With these computers we will better be able to do administrative functions, and, the computers will be used for training and for our income sustenance. The computers will help us to develop curriculum support material, give us the links for our future environmental component of the curriculum and help us to develop resource packs for ourselves and other schools of special education and early childhood curriculum. STEP Centre is always aware that while we care about our kids, we also have an obligation to highlight special education needs throughout the broader Jamaican community. Changing perceptions about special education leads to improving lives! 

In addition Grace Kennedy Foundation, in the body of Carolyn Mahfood, came and gave us information and training on basic recycling and the reduce / re-use principles. We got a recycling  box that we will collect plastics as a learning lesson on good environmental citizenship. We will also be recycling paper.  We are grateful to the Grace Kennedy Foundation for the IT equipment they have committed to, the recycling and environmental lessons they presented to the students and staff, and importantly, their vision that no matter the challenges our children face, they are worthy to teach them lessons that ALL children 
should have.  

Our children learning about recycling 

.                       Little of this and a little of that - playing catch up...........
.

Friday Penny Collection......We recently began a continuing campaign called the Friday Penny Collection. The principle of the "FPC" is to reinforce in our children that giving and charity to others is an important part of our lives. At the Step Centre we are endlessly grateful for all that our supporters give us, and the many ways we get supported as we pass on our special education mission. In return we understand that we must instill this same understanding in our children, and we must pass along that which is given to us. We want to teach our students the importance of paying forward in gratitude for what we receive. So, every Friday we will collect coins of any denomination and also money bills. All the money we collect will be going to the "Seven Oaks Wildlife Sanctuary" in St Ann, Jamaica. Wendy Lee, who runs the sanctuary, in turn will help us to develop a teaching resource pack on "Wildlife conservation and Animal Rehabilitation". Check out her Facebook page for where our coins will be going.           https://www.facebook.com/sevenoaks.jamaica

Brandon our proud Garden Manager

The Step Centre garden........Yep, our garden is still going strong. The children love the importance we place on living things, and it serves as a place where we can walk with the children when we need to quiet them, give them a little change of pace or even give them some visual stimulus as they use their walkers and wheelchairs. Teachers connect with them as they allow them to meander along the small walkway. Our seedling garden is ongoing and we sell some seedlings as we lock in the lesson of growing and sowing. Our garden now has a GARDEN MANAGER in the form of our young student Brandon who steadfastly is managing to write the sales receipts and bills for our seedlings, and counts our money sales. He packs out the seedlings from his wheelchair and even listens very intently as our gardener explains how he works with the plants and what helps the garden. It is a mission for Brandon, a sense of dedication to a cause and an acknowledgement that his work is important for the school and all the children. From our garden we have reaped at least 7 pumpkins so far and sold them. Some lessons and undertakings are far more than the financial gains, and more about the lesson of the mission and the sense of accomplishment that comes with the work. 

Our Basil - bright beautiful and full of aroma and nutrients

One of our pumpkins growing strong

Peppers ready to begin 

We Welcome 

Our new Special Education teacher appointed by the ministry. We welcome Mrs. Margaret Headlam who has a bachelors degree in special education and is working towards her masters in same. She has strong experience in methods of communication and behavioral issues.

We celebrated Heroes Day and emphasized important qualities our National Heroes had and how they apply to life today   

Finally ............Christmas is coming and we are beginning to work on the Christmas Concert...... Save the date!!! 
Dec. 17th It is always a highlight of the children's year and something they work hard for as a celebration in teamwork and sheer fun. The public is always invited to celebrate our students and the special Christmas "Vibe"..... Plan on coming.....Dec. 17th- once again .

Our take away thoughts for this blog post............... We are continuing to work smarter and better to connect the dots that lead to the next lessons for the children. We emphasize that no matter what our children ultimately accomplish in life, we will be a leader in getting them to have "life lessons" that are important for all of us, no matter our challenges. We are grateful for our continuing support by folks and organizations like you and we thank you for sharing along with our blog.

                Words by Leslie Wan as we support YOU! 

Life is like a garden. You will find many weeds, and even some thorns, but don't emphasize the negative and overlook the green wonders that abound in God's garden. Support the tender young seedlings that grow in your soul until they burst forth in a plethora of colors and textures and strengths of character. For if the seedlings are nourished, the weeds can not thrive and your soul is enriched and sustained. ......  

                                                           
                                                    Leslie Wan

      

                

NEW SCHOOL YEAR IS UPON US

Each new school year begins with a to do /mission list.  The more relaxed pace of the “summer holiday” gives time for quiet reflection on where we want to go in the coming year and how we will get there. We consider, how we continue on our journey making our school a place where learning takes place in an atmosphere of lightness of spirit, strength of curriculum, and enlightened and energetic discovery. And while we always remember the importance of learning, engagement often begins with fun times.

This is my hopeful and directed "to do" list for The STEP Centre this year.  I have divided it into three main parts, but with one over- riding principle.

 – TO BANISH THE TRICKSTER WHO SOWS DOUBT ON OUR ABILITY TO ACHIEVE OUR GOALS,  TO LET GO OF THE SMALL VOICE WHO SAYS BUT WHAT IF OR WE CAN NEVER, AND OTHER ANXIETY BLOCKS. 

Looking back on our past year, it is obvious that we did more than we thought we could and we will continue to grow in our capacity to serve.  So here is that dedicated to do list for our new school year. While we don't have the resources right now to attain them all, we will strive for those resources and these goals.  

Cleaning for the new year- excuse the date a camera oops!   

      Organizing is important 2014-15 school year- bring it on!  

   

Improvements to our building which will enable program development:

·         Install security grills. We have worked hard for the equipment we have so it makes sense to make it as secure as possible.

·         Furnish and equip our conference/resource room to make it a comfortable multi-purpose space usable for training and information sharing. ( We assist with training for outside teachers in special needs students as well)

·         Securing enough computers for administration so we are not time-sharing on one slow unit which cannot even read a disc. Our staff only has one computer for all of us and our children have only one for all their educational needs.

·         Turning the principal’s office from a de facto storage room into an efficient working space to meet the demands of a dedicated and expanding educational program and a place to meet with parents and guardians on progress and goals for their individual student.

·         Complete the tile work of the bathrooms to make them more hygienic, and pleasant.

2   The children’s program including curriculum development:

·         To refine individual/group scheduling to reflect individual learning targets.

·         To begin our recycling project and develop support curriculum material for it

·         To integrate our seedling nursery activities into the core curriculum

Our Seedling nursery

·         Expand the use of picture symbols including communication boards

·         Revitalize group assembly times

·         Develop multi-sensory storytelling as a part of literacy

·         Build on the strong foundations for inclusion of art and drama

·         Develop and adhere to a schedule for the optimum use of our wonderful sensory room.

For each individual child we consider the following questions:

·      Are we doing all we can to unlock this child’s capacity to experience and interpret the world ?

·       Are we recognizing quiet behaviors, not just the more demanding ones?

·       Are we securing and using new but available technology to assist this child?

·       Are we remembering the importance of play even for children with limited independent exploratory skills?

·       Are we respecting each individual’s right for choice?

Most important for all of us who work together, how can we strengthen each other as we try to work together as a team?

Inspecting the damage the drought has caused- sigh

As September comes closer,  it will be so good to see our children again and to begin to get to know our new students.  As always we start our year with a really focused and determined set of needs and goals, and through these missions we are cognizant that we build a better and more enlightened school. Most importantly, we work towards the goal that our children matter to this world and that each child has potential and personalities despite their many limitations.

Written by :Hillary Sherlock- Principal 

****Attention all*** 

We are collecting mobile phones (used) for a Digicel initiative. Digicel will give Ipad kits to special needs school who contribute to the drive and the school with the most donated phones gets $100,000 for their curriculum. Please bring us any old phones you have laying around. We are working hard for that goal!! We sure could use your help. Hey - make it an employee office project for a good charity!   
http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/magazines/career/Special-needs-school-to-trade-phones-for-tablets_16961311         

Bring us your old mobile phones

FINDING THE JOY WITH THE INVISIBLES

Written by Leslie Wan 

On more than one occasion when I mention that I love a little school called the S.T.E.P. Centre, I am asked to tell folks about it. I explain what it is, the children they serve, and the people who are there. The question that has come up a few times following the explanation is ..."How do you do that? Isn't it hard? I don't think I could deal with that sadness. " Now on those few occasions, I have been surprised. I have had to put together a less than articulate response. My first thoughts have been - "Sadness - what sadness?"  Then there is stifled anger because I think - "hard?" .....Hard is the child who lives with it..........Hard is the parent or guardian who deals with it at all the moments that are mundane, but totally important for that child....... Hard is the working parent who wonders how they can do this EVERY day for the rest of their life because they love that child no less than their other children, BUT will ALWAYS have that child for ALL of that child's life.

So let me see if I can put into words what these children bring to my life or  anyone's life who is touched by them.

1. ...True joy, the kind that when I leave on some days, I ask myself why do my cheeks hurt? The answer is, because I smiled so much I didn't realize it, and my cheek muscles got a work out. Oh I smile in life as much as I can, but these children make me have marathon smiles, and yet I never even realize I am smiling. Who can't be drawn into the moment when a child sees you  approaching and is genuinely happy to see you, and smiles so beautifully in greeting?

Joy and laughter on any given day

2. Laughter - Example - Working with a young fellow when it is obvious he is tired and doesn't want to do any more. I say "__________  just write your name for me on the bottom of your workbook now and we can be done for today." He looks at me with a very cheeky grin and says " Auntie didn't you go to school?" ... Auntie says... " Ofcourse I went to school!"  That cheeky grin gets bigger when he says " And you can't figure out how to write my name?"  Well I "buss" out with one big laugh and THEN I make him finish my request. (Which he does and then we laugh some more.) They simply make you laugh with some of the goofy things they do!

Who knows what can be accomplished if you just reach for it. 

3. Reality..........Reality isn't always a bad thing actually. On any given day we deal with so many people who appear to only be on the surface. You question sometimes, is there a motive here? You circle around not engaging too much while you ponder that.   But these children do not have a motive behind their gratitude. They are who they are and unfortunately can never change that. Is that hard for me? Sure-  You betcha!!! Sometimes I realize by engaging my heart so much, I may one day deal with a deep loss, such as death. But that is far outweighed by the gratitude I feel that here, things are for simple uncomplicated reasons and the children ask only kindness, patience, respect and attention. Simple as that......  

  

4. Finding a moment far outside myself. .......Nothing about this place or these children is about me! It is all about them! It is all about placing my heart and my energy in a greater calling than what makes me happy. It is about spiritually and emotionally adopting more children than the Lord gave me. Putting yourself aside is necessary in life. If these side moments never happen you never have the clarity and the gratitude to see what you are blessed with in life or the wonder of what a heart connection can make or what you bring to the world to make someone happy. "The invisibles" - that is who these children are if we don't stop to see them as we step outside ourselves. They could be invisible, they could be scorned, OR,  they can be that moment to remember that we all have a place in this world, and we all bring something to others if we open our eyes and our hearts to the view.

So remember..... it isn't always about any grand gesture that should paralyze you from "getting involved" ..The conversation in your head can be ........Oh my time is so limited and I just don't have a moment to spare. .........Prices are rising and I can't catch my breath  for  trying to figure out how to keep up........... What good is it if I can't make a full commitment of  resources or time? ............... 

The answer to all these questions above are the following........
I walk( thank heavens for me), I breathe normally and naturally, and my head and heart needs to have  time - to step outside myself . I need to remember the blessings that I have in life, experience the unparalleled and uncomplicated joy of being with little people who enjoy a moment in life in its simplest form. Too much of the rest of our lives are full of complications.

 That is the fact here..... While you are spending time with them ( or for them) ..... you actually are doing for yourself too. Your heart is expanded, your blessings are magnified and your smiles and joy are evident when 
you leave. 

How do I answer those folks about dealing with the sadness..........

They give me far more than I give them and they make my life fuller and richer because of my time with the children, and my other activities for the school! 

  

Leslie Wan (11 year volunteer)             

    

       

SURVIVAL DNA

Creating art is the best it can be. 

                   By: Hillary Sherlock - Director..........

Sometimes it is about what you are made of, sometimes it is about fate or chance, and sometimes it is about the folks and friends you meet along the way!

When Ann and Bambi faced the reality that there was no appropriate school for their sons they did not wait – they acted and our school was born.  When it was obvious that if our school was to develop additional funding would be required, our physiotherapist and chairman set about to create our charity card venture.  When it became only too apparent that we desperately needed to move out of the church hall, our Chairman did not wait for a new school to appear – she acted – scouring the “for sale” ads and driving all over Kingston to find a suitable location.  Each of these challenges was met by action to ensure our survival. 

The instances of our rescue from the everlastingly depleted bank account are numerous. It is just the nature of what we do I suppose and the “invisible” nature of our beloved children. We each have our own explanation of how our rescues have come about. Some say it’s the laws of attraction, others – it’s divine intervention, others – it’s the intervention of a loved one who has passed, but still is looking out for us. Serendipitous or fate or the kindness of people and organizations – we have survived.  It is as if our school in reflecting the struggle for survival faced by many of our children, has developed survival DNA of our own.  Certainly we must have assimilated some of their determination and perseverance.

It has happened so often, unvoiced needs have been met by unexpected gifts. There was the time in the early days when an English Volunteer had a chance encounter at a camp site in the Scilly Isles out of which a friendship of over twenty years with a group of UK Quakers has led to donations, sponsorship of children and much more.  Or what about the time when we were selling Christmas Cards at a craft fair  begin a conversation with Suzanne Mahfood  (a talented dance teacher) who has since become our dance Aunty. Even a comment on Mundo Grass and its potential to provide sensory feedback led to the involvement of students from the Caribbean School of Architecture to inspire our sensory garden/playground. Is that fate, is that our survivorship or is it the blessing of folks you meet along the way?  All, I would say of it, our will to not only survive but to thrive.

Every encounter hasn't always been positive, sometimes offers have not been fulfilled, let downs are a part of any mission, and the struggle to meet daily expenses continues.  However, it is impossible not to acknowledge connections, not to believe in the power of people and it is easy to have faith that the mission we are on, to save children who too many forget, is worth all the struggle of continuance.

Painting with our feet is fun! 

I love Everybody

For each of you it is a reminder that even when the goal is a tall one and the road constantly seems like a dead end, there is always a clearing if you look hard enough.  Always someone or something to encounter to lead you past the tall obstacle and restore your vision.  

As always believe – we do!

Alligator eggs.......

Believing beyond possibilities and looking beyond the present

Believing no matter where we begin

I start my life on shifting sands but still I rise

Written by Leslie Wan 

It is hard to know what anyone who has never been to the STEP Centre will feel when they walk into our school. I would guess there are those who walk in and are overwhelmed by the challenges  our children face in daily living.  I would hope there are those who think as they enter....how wonderful that there is a place with such dedication and perseverance! But here is what you will KNOW after a few visits. You will know that the school is filled with children who love being here. It is  filled with staff who though this is their job, it is their passion as well. Our staff knows what each child is capable of (or not capable of) and on most days they make a choice to look beyond that, to what they HOPE for them to be capable of. You will learn that most of our staff has been with us for years and many of our children have grown up before our eyes and reached many landmarks along the way . You should be aware that behind each of our students is a dedicated parent or guardian or children's home that cares about that child and wants the best for them. Why would a child ever leave our school? Well for many reasons... illness beyond what the school or that child can handle, financial hardship of those who support these children, migration  of a parent or guardian, their age has placed them beyond our parameters, the parents/ guardians feel that what the student can gain is more than the sacrifice to keep them there and sadly also death. BUT EACH ONE OF THOSE STUDENTS ARE TRULY AND DEEPLY MISSED when they no longer pass through the door anymore. So mostly I would say that the visitor to the school becomes the STEP Centre believer and the believer becomes our ambassador for special needs children.

Concentration and determination, one step at a time 

 

     

What sets apart the STEP Centre from many other places is joy - pure and simple joy. It is not always something you see, but something you feel. It is that mischievous smile of the child who thinks he can get away with something and yet isn't upset when a staff will have none of that! You'll see a place where individual diversities are magnified to the "nth degree" and yet no one even sees them as unusual. You'll see laughter, messy fun hand painting, wheelchair dancing, and singing that is sometimes little more than squawking and grinning, but it will be LOUD and HAPPY and DETERMINED! You will hear children getting a geography lesson on the parishes of Jamaica,  teachers and students reviewing their homework of grammar and math, and teachers who are not afraid to scold them gently when they see a lazy day or a homework that has not been completed. Puzzles and color lessons, sensory work, physiotherapy, massage to relax tight muscles and calm the distressed, handwriting practice and on and on can be any part of a regular day. Through it all you will see happy children who thrive in the dedicated time and teaching they are getting, when most would look at these children  and think why bother. 

Lessons via the computer - sadly only 1 computer to share

Standing exercises and motor skills are worked on.

All of us on any given day, in any given week, can find ourselves annoyed and frustrated with things we haven't accomplished yet.  We think we are tired of fighting and slogging through things we think should come easier.  Life is like that, many valleys to climb  and hopefully the  hills are reached when we aspire to them. But importantly.........let's hope we have the wisdom to recognize those hilltop moments when we reach them, and isn't that something we often overlook? 

I hope that the next time you find yourself at one of those tired moments, you take a lesson from some of our children, their parents, and our staff.................SMILE because just smiling can change a moment and a mood. Remember that often it is about thinking greater than  the present, and believing beyond what you think is possible. 

Finally remember that every day brings new possibilities and most certainly more reasons to have faith that what you do now, no matter how small, is a step in the path to the higher moment just around the corner.   

Post by Leslie Wan