Heart of Play Specialist to Present Workshops at Schools for Children with Special Needs
The Alpha School, 2210 West County Line Road, Jackson, and The Gateway School, 60 High Street, Carteret, state-approved RKS Associates special education schools, are hosting a workshop “Social Emotional Learning through Play” for staff, parents, and district personnel on March 20 and May 15.
The presenter Howard Moody, the author of The Heart of Play, specializes in workshops that explain how to use play as a tool in teaching many core elements of Social Emotional Learning, focusing on joy, cooperation, and connection.
Erika Casablanca, STEM instructor, explained that students in all three RKS schools have specific socialization goals during recess.
All three RKS schools, including The Harbor School, 240 Broad Street, Eatontown, provide education, therapeutic, and behavioral support for children who have challenges, such as multiple disabilities, cognitively impairments, autistic spectrum disorder, learning disabilities, traumatic brain injuries, behavioral disorders, or other health impairments.
Moody said, “In educational environments we focus on skills that help educators create inclusive, energizing, and meaningful play experiences that tie into social-emotional learning, character-building, or mindfulness-based curricula.”
The Alpha School workshop is Wednesday, March 20 at 1:15 p.m. The workshop at the Gateway School, a Lunch and Learn with a light lunch at 12:30 p.m., is Wednesday, May 15 from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. Registration is required for both workshops. CEUs are available.
For more information about the workshops, call the Gateway School at 732-541-4400 or the Alpha School at 732-370-1150. Also visit https://howardmoody.com. For information about school enrollment, contact Erika Casablanca at ErikaC@thegatewayschool.com. or 732-541-4400; or Dana Giblin at 732-544-9394.
RKS Associates Schools: Gateway School: 60 High Street Carteret, NJ 07008 (732.541.4400) https://thegatewayschool.com/; Alpha School: 2210 West County Line Road, Suite #1, Jackson, NJ 08527 (732.370.1150) https://alphaschool.com/ ; Harbor School: 240 Broad Street, Eatontown, NJ 07724 (732.544.9394) https://harborschool.com/