SPECIAL PEOPLE/SPECIAL PROGRAMS
The radiance of Shabbat, the joys of celebrating Jewish holidays, the spirit and excitement in singing,
Jewish songs and dancing to their tunes, and the pride in creating a Jewish craft, are pleasures that every
Jewish special person enjoys at the AJE Special Education program.
A casual passer-by notes, "These rooms are always so upbeat, so lively, and cheerful." It's no wonder
that this is so, for teacher Ms. Sara Kahn states, "I know that my objectives are met when I see that the
kids love to come." The climate is always warm and friendly. It's a place where students enjoy themselves
and their specialness as people and as Jews.
The AJE Special Education Program welcomes students with any
type of special need. Currently these include learning disabilities,
emotional impairments, developmental disabilities and autism. Ms.
Bayla Landsman, coordinator of the program, who has been with the
Agency for the last twelve years, describes the program as one
providing many different small group settings divided according to
age and ability. Programs are designed to meet the individual needs
of each student. The twenty-five participants range in age from four
to adult.
Methods and subject matter vary from group to group but always
with an emphasis on material which is relevant to each particular
group. Some students may focus on holidays, music, mitzvot, and
hands-on projects, while others delve into the intricacies of text
from the Parashat Hashavua. Still others, who attend the adult study
group are involved in community based action programs of projects
and tours. Included in these were a bake sale to raise money for
Tzedaka, visiting senior citizens residences, a synagogue tour, and
more.
"We teach to accommodate their learning styles. We work to accommodate everyone's needs. When
teaching students with special needs, we put ourselves in their places, learn to see the world through their
eyes, and then develop their program accordingly," says Ms. Bayla Landsman.
In addition to the self contained program, a Resource Room at Adat Shalom serves ten children.
Students leave their classrooms to work on areas of difficulty on an individual basis. When the difficulty is
remedied, they return to their classrooms full time. Mrs. Bea Kreichman states that, "The program is a
definite asset to the school and I am delighted with the outstanding progress some of the students have
made."
The high staff to student ratio in all of the Special Ed classes, allows teachers and students to develop
unique and meaningful relationships and to accomplish much in a limited time.
The Special Ed staff is made up of Ms. Sara Kahn, Ms. Phyllis Koenigsberg and Ms. Bayla Landsman, all
of whom are certified in Special Education. Also on the Special Ed staff are Rabbi Jerry Godfrey, a
classroom teacher who has been working with children for 30 years, and Mr. Michal Broner, music
specialist. A group of high school students volunteer to assist the staff and to interact with the students.
These dedicated students were the recipients of the Walter E. Klein Youth Award this past year.
When asked why she feels it is important for a child to attend each week, one mother responded, "She
loves coming and she talks about it all week, how could I not bring her?"