High Road School of Perryville is a Type I educational program serving the educational and behavioral needs of students in a therapeutic and structured environment.  The program is designed to focus on personalized academic and behavioral goals so students may return to a less restrictive setting as quickly as possible.  The goals of the program are as follows:

• To provide each student with the academic and social skills necessary to be successful in the school, community, and family system;
• To prepare students to return to a less restrictive setting;
• To prepare students for Maryland State testing programs;
• To provide students with consistent and structured environment designed to prevent regression and produce both academic and behavioral gains;
• To provide students with an array of cultural and recreational experiences;

High Road School of Perryville is approved by the state of Maryland to service students in grade 1-12 (ages 6 years old – 21 years old).  In addition to primarily serving students with emotional difficulties, High Road School provides services for students who also have been diagnosed with specific learning disabilities, communication disorders, physical disabilities, intellectual limitations and other health impairments,.  Students are referred to the program through the local school systems (Cecil County Public Schools and Harford County Public Schools),  Students may be eligible for the program regardless of their current living situation (e.g. parent’s home, foster care, or Alternative Living Unit).

A personalized educational program is developed for each student.  The program utilizes the curriculum for grades 1 through 12.  High Road School follows Cecil County Public School Calendar, open 180 days with student instruction from 9:45-4:15.  The educational program focuses on academic instruction in English, Math, Science, Social Studies, and career training.  In addition, High Road School is approved by MSDE and able to offer all courses students need to graduate. The morning is devoted to academic instruction through tutorials, and the afternoon incorporates academic and recreational activities, including field trips.  In addition, when students are ready, they receive school to work training in the community.  A strong behavioral management system is also implemented which emphasizes the development of appropriate behaviors necessary for academic and social success.

Parents are always encouraged to visit the school at any time.  Opportunities are available to learn about the educational program and to become more involved in their child’s academic endeavors.  Family involvement is a high priority at High Road School of Perryville.

Fine Arts Festival 2010

Student performances make a lasting impression

This year, the 5th Annual Fine Arts Festival took place on April 29, 2010 at the Columbia Meeting House in Columbia, Maryland. This is our biggest and most spectacular event of the year and it’s the only time that all 10 Maryland Schools unite for a single event. 

To help ensure that the Fine Arts Festival is a success each year, a committee, featuring staff representatives from all of the schools, meets monthly to create, plan and implement the event.  Under the leadership of Carrie Spies (Chief School Director – Northern Maryland) and Greg Marancik (Chief School Director – Southern Maryland), the program signifies much of what our schools stand for including vision, hard-work, unity, dedication and passion. 

The Fine Arts Festival is an amazing showcase of projects and performances submitted by High Road’s most creative and talented students.  For months, the students at each of the 10 schools work diligently to prepare artwork and practice stage performances.  This year, as a result of the committee leadership, this year’s event was the best ever.  With over 300 people in attendance (including several school district representatives from Baltimore City, Prince George’s County and MSDE), the students showed off their creativity on the canvas and on the stage.

The show began with an art show featuring student displays from each of our schools.  There was an artistic tribute to Michael Jackson from High Road School of Prince George’s County, art inspired by endangered species from High Road School of Cecil County and a nature themed collection from High Road School of Southern Maryland. There were also numerous collages, sculptures, jewelry pieces, artistic photographs, and paintings on display.

The performances were kicked off by Ju’Not Joyner, a singer who was among the top 36 finalists on American Idol last season. He briefly spoke about his experience attending non- public schools in Maryland and sang his version of “Hey there, Delilah”.  More specifically, Ju’Not spoke to the students about commitment, hard work and desire. 

The New Hope Academy student drummers and pep squad were the first to deliver a heart pounding performance.  The beat of the drums reverberated throughout the room and energized the audience instantly.  For the next 90 minutes, our students rocked the stage with exhilarating singing, dancing, and even poetry by Dalton B from the High Road School of Cecil County. A modern day rendition of Kyo Sakamoto’s SUKIYAKI was given by Joey P from the High Road School of Baltimore County, and a hip dance routine was performed by the students from the High Road Academy of Prince George’s County.

The show was concluded with the Bulldogs Band from the High Road Upper School of Prince George’s County and a Michael Jackson and Jackson 5 medley from the High Road School of Prince George’s County.

The DVD of the 2010 Fine Arts Festival is coming soon!!!!!!

Plane Pull

On April 18th, 2010, The High Road School of Perryville joined efforts with the High Road School of Elkton and the High Road School of Delaware in a plane pull competition.  The event was held at the Delaware Air National Guard Base in New Castle, DE.  Team High Road competed against 20 other teams to see who could pull the C-130 aircraft 12 feet in the fastest time.  This aircraft weighs 100,000 pounds, is 97 feet long, has a wing span of 132 feet, and stands 38 feet high!

Staff from all three High Roads worked as a team to complete the pull and finished seventh overall.  More importantly, staff enjoyed a great outing, spending time with family and friends, and raising $750.00 for the Special Olympics.

Since the inaugural pull, 16 years ago, 316 teams have participated in the Delaware National Guard Plane Pull raising over $217,000 for Special Olympics Delaware!

International Day

International Day is a High Road School tradition that invites our students, staff and parents to learn about cultures around the world.  Each classroom will pick a country to represent and prepare a menu for our International Day Event, which is scheduled for Wednesday March 24, 2010.  Classes will research the customs and history of the country they have chosen.  This year we have a varying selection of countries. Mr. Lou’s class will focus on Japan and bring an Oriental perspective to our event.  Ms. Carri’s class has chosen Peru to show the school the interesting cultures that comes out of South America.  Mr. Ian’s class will study the Netherlands, incorporating Dutch history and cuisine into their lessons. More information about International Day will be sent home with your student as it becomes available.

Perryville Lions Club

Josh Strzegowski, Director of High Road School of Perryville, recently received an appreciation award from the Perryville Lions Club, which is a philanthropic organization dedicated to originating useful community enterprises and social activities which benefit the entire town and suburb. Josh spoke at a recent meeting informing members of the club and community about services provided to High Road School students. Thanks to Mr. Josh for helping to link community and school!

Scales and Tales

The students at the High Road Schools of Baltimore County, Delaware, Elkton and Perryville, along with the students of New Hope Academy gathered for an exciting program called Scales and Tales. 

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources offers the program to local schools to give students the opportunity to see wildlife native to Maryland.

Ms. Morgan, a naturalist from Patapsco State Park, educated students on a variety of birds and reptiles in the area. Students got an up close and personal look at a baby and mother black rat snake, a diamondback terrapin, a great horned owl, and a turkey vulture. Students learned about wildlife habitats, diets, and life- spans. 

Ms. Morgan also discussed interesting wildlife facts and mentioned how each bird and reptile was brought into the park’s care.

During the program, students passed around a molted snakeskin, which one student said felt like wax paper. Some brave students had the opportunity to touch the black rat snake as they were leaving. The students enjoyed the program and learned lots of cool new facts about wildlife in Maryland!

Therapeutic Riding Program

The High Road Schools of Perryville and Elkton are participating in the Freedom Hills Therapeutic Riding Program this year. This program is a fun, hands- on and extremely beneficial program that brings horses and individuals with disabilities together for a variety of therapeutic goals.

Students began their lessons at Freedom Hills, which is located in Port Deposit, Maryland, in September and “work” on the farm on a weekly basis. Students are responsible for grooming their assigned horse, organizing supplies, cleaning different areas of the stable and farm, and walking their horse to and from the paddock. They also participate in riding lessons. The students were encouraged to establish a relationship of trust with the horse before riding. One student commented, “My horse seemed to trust me. I walked him, groomed him and fed him before we started riding. I thought I would be nervous to ride, but I wasn’t nervous at all!”

Staff members at the farm agree that individuals have the potential to learn about aspects of life such as accountability, forgiveness, learning through mistakes, teamwork, responsibility, and concentration by interacting with the horses.  One staff member mentioned the amount of emotional control it takes to master riding. 

This program has provided a huge incentive for students to do well in school as they have to maintain the 2 highest behavioral levels in order to participate. Ms. Carri, a teacher in Perryville, is thrilled that the program has been a hit with the students and is not surprised by the never- ending questions about Freedom Hills and one question in particular, “When can we go back??”

Remembering 9/11

The students and staff at the High Road School of Perryville wanted to do something important to honor those that lost their lives during the 9/11 tragedy. They created a quilt made of red, white and blue squares. On each square, students designed a personal thank you to the members of the Perryville Fire Department for all of the hard work and service they provide to the community. On September 11, 2009, a group of students had the privilege of presenting the quilt to the firefighters in remembrance of those who lost their lives in New York eight years ago. The impact of this project was felt by the entire school as it allowed them to connect with the community in a positive and meaningful way.

Perryville Spiders Update

The High Road School of Perryville’s basketball team continues to make strides in teamwork and sportsmanship.  With a 30-15 win against the Delaware High Road School, the Spiders are anxious to get more time on the court.  All participating athletes have made great improvements not only in basketball, but in communication and responsibility.

Reading Specialist

The Reading Specialist position can hold a number of different roles within a variety of school settings. This position is found at all levels, from elementary through high school, private and public schools. The primary role of a person in this position is sometimes a coach for classroom teachers and other times as one-on-one intervention teacher. In my position at High Road, I wish to fill both of these roles as intervention teacher and coach.

The students who meet with a Reading Specialist are most often recommended by their classroom teachers or Administrators. These referrals are based upon discrepancies in potential ability and performance, or reading skills that are far below what would be expected. When a student is referred, further testing is completed to determine the most effective course of action. I use a variety of assessments such as the QRI-IV (Qualitative Reading Inventory, 4th edition), and vocabulary and phonics surveys. These assessments allow me to identify whether a student’s weaknesses are in decoding alone, comprehension, or a combination of both.

Following the individualized nature of our school programs, I am able to decide upon a plan with the classroom teacher that best meets each student’s needs. This may come in the form of individualized intervention in phonics utilizing one of a number of research-based programs, or as supplementary activities to assist the classroom teacher. If a student has strengths in phonemic awareness but weaknesses in comprehension, their plan for individualized sessions will reflect that. 

Some of the programs utilized in our schools include: Edmark Reading, Orton-Gillingham, Wilson Reading, and Lindamood-Bell (LiPS). Each of these is a research proven program that addresses the ‘Big 5’ areas of Literacy: Phonics, Phonemic Awareness, Fluency, Vocabulary, and Comprehension. Through these programs, students are offered intense, individualized instruction in the areas with demonstrated weaknesses.

It is our responsibility as educators to ensure that students have the opportunity to reach their potential. It is my wish that each of our students find independence in their reading, and that such independence helps them reach their goals.

List of Reading Interventions

Transition Program

All of the programming that is designed to transition the student from school to work emphasizes preparation for productive employment after graduation. To make this employment as successful and fulfilling as possible, we help the student explore his or her interests and then build upon natural talents in choosing possible career paths. As students mature, we encourage them to gradually become more self reliant. Our Transitional Services staff aids in this process by giving the students just the right amount of independence and interaction with the wider community, while still providing the supports necessary for the students to feel secure and confident.

School-to-Work Program
Our School- to Work Program offers students the opportunity to participate in true- to- life jobs within the school setting. The end goal of the program is to develop the student’s employment skills and social skills in order to maximize their potential for success in the real world. As such, students seek to obtain jobs by first filling out an application and interviewing for the position they are interested in, as they would in real life. Once the student obtains a suitable position at school, they are held accountable for their attendance and performance, so we work with them on such aspects of employment as punctuality, responsibility, and working independently. Many of the jobs the students procure involve our student - run on the premises retail business. Students participating in the School-to-Work Program are trained to operate many of the state- of- the- art machines that make customized products for sale through this retail business.

Community Work
High Road School of Perryville affords students the opportunity to take their learning outside of the classroom and transfer it into the community. We work with our students to practice the proficiencies they have mastered in the School- to- Work Program, and then, when a student is ready, a job coach accompanies them to volunteer or paid job sites out in the community. We partner with a wide array of local- area businesses, including restaurants, hospitals, preschools, and retail shops, to expose the students to real - life work experience and social interactions. In this way, students can explore numerous career avenues and gain valuable work experience to list on their resumes.

Official Site for Cecil County Public Schools
www.ccps.org
 
Official Site for Harford County Public Schools
www.hcps.org