Making the Ocean Real – Students Visit Jenkinson’s Aquarium
All year, they have been studying ocean life, and the fish and animals that live in the ocean. It was time to see things first hand! For their very first time, 21 students from the Gateway School, 60 High Street, Carteret, a private special education school for students with disabilities, recently visited Jenkinson’s Aquarium, 300 Ocean Avenue, Pt. Pleasant Beach, N.J.
The students saw and actually touched sea creatures in the Touch Tank, observed live sharks, and saw other sea life at the aquarium. One student said, “My favorite was the clown fish!”
The students also saw the ocean from the boardwalk. Gateway teachers Amy Brandon, Erin Thein, and Doug Gruskowski, who accompanied the students, agreed that when students experience the ocean first hand, it helps them make those connections when they are learning in the classroom.
Gateway is one of three RKS Associates state-approved special education schools that include the Alpha School, Jackson, and the Harbor School, Eatontown. All three schools provide education, therapeutic, and behavioral support for children who have challenges, such as multiple disabilities, cognitive impairments, autistic spectrum disorders, learning disabilities, traumatic brain injuries, behavioral disorders, or other health impairments.
For more information about the Gateway School, contact Erika Casablanca at 732-541-4400. Email Casablanca at ErikaC@thegatewayschool.com.
*About RKS Associates: RKS Associates, made up of Ruth Reinhard and Jean Stack, prides itself on its leadership in providing for the needs of special education students in its three schools, which focus on a safe, nurturing environment for children with a variety of disabilities. Each school offers a twelve-month program with a wide range of services, including speech, occupational, and physical therapy; counseling; music; computers; physical education; and vocational training.
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/