Dorothy B. Hersh High School
 

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DOROTHY B. HERSH HIGH SCHOOL
The Dorothy B. Hersh High School is a fully accredited private school for students with developmental disabilities between the ages of fourteen and twenty-one.  Most Hersh High students are mentally retarded, but some have other disabilities, such as autism, and many have multiple disabilities.  Hersh High is a part of The Arc of Monmouth, and operates in roomy classrooms in the Arc Center in Tinton Falls.  The intimate nature of the school makes it ideal for students who need special attention to thrive.  Each class is taught by a highly qualified, certified special education teacher who is aided by at least one teacher assistant.  A major focus of the school is transition to adult life.  The wide range of adult services offered by The Arc of Monmouth, and the extensive knowledge of Arc’s employees about the service system for adults with developmental disabilities, help the high school promote this transition for its students.

FLEXIBILITY
Flexibility to meet the needs of students with disabilities is a forte of Hersh High.  We go out of our way to meet the needs of students, families, and school districts.  For example, we have provided part-time programs for students when the child study team and family determined that the student would best be served part-time in another program, such as the local high school or the Monmouth County Career Center.  We are willing to provide either the vocational/ transitional portion of a student’s plan, or the academic portion.  Just contact us to discuss the way Hersh High School can fit into the plan for the student.   

ACADEMIC INSTRUCTION
The key to the lessons taught at Hersh High is their practicality for the student’s real life, and his or her future as an adult functioning in today’s world.  The typical school classes of reading, writing, and arithmetic are taught in ways that make them “functional” for the student’s life.  For example, reading classes may emphasize learning to read signs that are common in the community, or words in recipes used to cook simple meals, as well as reading for knowledge and pleasure.  Mathematics lessons may focus on deductions a student may find in a paycheck from a job in the community, or calculating change from a purchase at a store. 
 

FUNCTIONAL DAILY LIVING SKILLS
Our innovative functional daily living skills instruction provides students with the opportunity to expand their current skills to function as independently as possible as they reach adulthood.  We encourage independence in self-care, with each activity following a three step task-oriented process: introduce the task, review and then assess progress. Building on the progress on each task allows for continued reinforcement and a successful learning experience. Some areas that are addressed include personal care, hygiene (including oral care), time orientation, housekeeping tasks, simple meal preparation, basic first aid and safety issues.  At times the training is done in a local Arc group home, providing students with a hands-on learning opportunity in addition to the classroom atmosphere to develop the skills.
 

HOME ECONOMICS
Hersh High students participate weekly in the preparation of meals to encourage new or expanded abilities   Teachers review safety issues with students and encourage them to increase their abilities in all aspects of culinary preparation.
 

HORTICULTURE
In addition to a regular academic schedule, students are able to enjoy learning about different aspects of horticulture. Students may help prepare soil for an outdoor garden, plant vegetables or flowers, water, fertilize, and watch the plants grow, or they may plant or transplant and care for indoor plants.
 

MUSIC
Hersh High students enjoy music, which is incorporated into other parts of the curriculum, e.g., physical education exercise groups.  Now they are also being introduced to playing hand bells, and encouraged to join in a school Hand Bell Choir.  Hersh High School educators have found this to be an excellent activity for increasing attention span and time on task, as well as exposing students to a type of music most have not experienced before.
 

ART
The school’s art program enhances critical thinking, builds awareness of nature, communicates emotions through color and form, and tries to aid the students to see things in a new way.  Lessons are always structured, but with much room for individual creative growth.  The emphasis is on the “process” or all that occurs within the art experience.  Art classes build an awareness and appreciation of art and the student’s ability to be part of the process. 
 

PHYSICAL/ADAPTIVE EDUCATION
Physical education classes offer students a chance to develop a healthy outlook on exercise, and increase their stamina, strength, and self-confidence.  Individual and group instruction enables students to acquire skills necessary for lifelong health and fitness.  Increasing stamina and endurance is built on a variety of exercise equipment, such as a stationary bicycle, and in outdoor activities such as walking.  An effort is made to cover physical education activities that can transfer into the student’s daily life.
 

SOCIAL GROUP
The social group meets weekly to assist students in dealing with social situations that they encounter in everyday life, and help them learn about who they are as individuals and what their goals are.  A variety of strategies are used, including role-playing, short video scenarios and class discussions.
 

SELF-ADVOCACY
This class is designed to assist students to learn and to practice the rights and responsibilities of citizens. The purpose of this class is to enable students to uncover their hidden strengths and allow those strengths to evolve into leadership skills.
 

COMMUNITY OUTINGS
Hersh High students participate in weekly community trips that help prepare them for their adult role in society.  These excursions offer continued learning opportunities in math, reading and social skills.  They may involve shopping for food for a planned meal, visiting a library, or enjoying a recreational venue. In addition to the weekly community outings, special school trips may include attending plays or concerts, going bowling or to play miniature golf, visiting a planetarium or museum, and more. 
 

CLASS “A” CATERING
In addition to the regular weekly cooking class, students who have developed good culinary skills assist in preparing lunches or breakfasts for groups holding meetings or events in the Arc Center.  This service has been dubbed Class “A” Catering.  This provides the students with further opportunities to expand their food preparation skills and related knowledge acquired in math, reading and social skills classes.
 

SOCIAL WORK SERVICES
Hersh High’s social worker can serve as a bridge to other services needed by the student and/or his or her family.  Our highly experienced school social worker has knowledge of the system serving persons with developmental disabilities, including the New Jersey Division of Developmental Disabilities and Division of Vocational Rehabilitation Services.
 

ON CAMPUS JOBS
Hersh High School has expanded job-sampling opportunities for students to include “on campus” responsibilities. Some of the job sampling areas available include plant care, office skills such as photocopying and shredding documents, household maintenance, inventory and re-stocking, and recycling. Participating students gain valuable work experience and opportunities for building socialization skills in a structured setting.
 

TRANSITION TO ADULT LIFE-COMMUNITY EXPERIENCE
Hersh High students can be very active community volunteers during their school years.  A variety of volunteer sites allow for job sampling experiences on an unpaid basis with a teacher or instructional aide trained in vocational assessment and job coaching techniques. The volunteer experiences help students develop work stamina, gain independence on a job and discover abilities or aptitudes that provide information for formulating personal employment goals. Working together with the Arc Employment Services Department enables Hersh High School to expand the field of possibilities for our students in the world of paid work.  Hersh High also works cooperatively with Arc’s Work Opportunity Center (WOC) in Long Branch.  Some students may move into employment in a community rehabilitation facility such as WOC upon graduation, and can have the opportunity for part-time experience their as part of their school week.
 

TRANSITION TO WORK- JOB CLUBS
Structured job clubs offer students the chance to learn about the world of work and the expectations of employers.  Job clubs are small groups of students who work together with a teacher and receive support for their developing work competence and independence. Videotapes, computer programs, student skits and role-playing of work situations are among the strategies used in job clubs.
 

TRANSITION TO WORK-FUNCTIONAL VOCATIONAL ASSESSMENTS
Hersh High School employees have many years of experience in preparing students to enter the world of work.  They can devise and implement plans for formal vocational assessments for students with developmental disabilities whether or not they attend Hersh High.  With approved funding from a school district, Hersh High will offer a customized series of work sampling opportunities and generate an assessment report to help guide the student’s team in developing a practical Transition Plan.
 

SPEECH THERAPY
The speech therapist works collaboratively with Hersh High School teachers, the social worker and the occupational therapist to implement each student’s Individual Habilitation Plan/Individual Education Plan. The therapist provides repeated exposure to concepts, encourages students to think on a more abstract level and enhance their ability to describe experiences, explain events in sequence, problem solve, draw conclusions and predict outcomes.  Specific areas of delay, such as receptive and expressive language, stuttering, articulation, auditory processing, and swallowing, are given attention.
 

OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY
Hersh High School’s occupational therapy program promotes the use of self-care, work and fine motor activities to improve a student’s daily functioning.  The therapist focuses on helping the student to develop functional skills and coordination of movement.  Some occupational therapy activities include small motor skills preparation, handwriting, positioning for school work, fine motor manipulation to help with work related tasks and practice of dressing skills.
 

HEALTH SERVICES
Hersh High is fortunate to have on the premises The Arc of Monmouth Health Services Department, or Ambulatory Care Center.  In addition to the full time school nurse, this center gives the school ready access to other medical care and mental health services for students. The center provides primary health care and care coordination services, referring patients to specialists as needed.  On-site psychiatric care with a psychiatrist who has extensive expertise in the treatment of adults and adolescents with developmental disabilities is also available from the Ambulatory Care Center. Group therapy with a psychologist and behavioral consultation are provided for our served individuals, as needed.
 

INFORMATION FOR PARENTS
The Arc of Monmouth regularly offers and invites parents and other caregivers of persons with disabilities to a wide array of informational meetings, including sessions on transition from school to adult services and supports, the individual educational planning process, and planning for the financial future of your child with a disability.  Arc’s Social Services Department is also available to provide information and referral to families seeking services.

• Academic Skills

• Independent Living Skills

• Social Skills

• Vocational Training

• Job Exposure & Employment Training

• Supplemental Services

• Family Life Education

• Extended School Year

MEMBERSHIPS AND CERTIFICATIONS

• New Jersey Department of Education

• New Jersey Division of Vocational Rehabilitation

• New Jersey Department of Labor

• Association of Schools & Agencies for the Handicapped (ASAH)

• National Association of Private Schools for Exceptional Children (NAPSEC)