Although Clearway's 2005-6 elective program contained a diverse array of course offerings that included theatre, forensics, golf, silkscreening, JAVA programming, ceramics, woodworking, and comedy writing (to name just a few), each year we continue to look for new ways to expand. Our elective program is central to Clearway's goals of capturing student interest, developing skills, and bringing students into the community.

This year we moved in exciting directions. First, Clearway expanded its sports options. Many students took part in an Ultimate Frisbee team that was coached by Clearway's drama teacher and Frisbee enthusiast Louie Cohn. Students developed skills, learned roles and strategy, and came together as a team. Students advocated for a match against another school, and we competed against Willow Hill School. Although we lost the match, students began to immediately talk with staff about more opportunities for practice and competition for next year.

This was not the only new development for electives. Clearway students also took part in rock-climbing at a local rock gym. Stressing a different form of rock, Clearway students took drumming and rock band at the All Newton Music School. The rock band elective even performed 2 songs at Clearway School's June Arts Night before an audience of over 80 family members, staff, and friends. Although there was much debate about whether Da Funky Dreadnaughts truly melted the audience's faces with their music as their lead singer promised, the crowd loved the performance.

Lastly, Clearway School's service learning class moved in new directions. This year's class focused on literacy. Students studied academic writing on literacy and schools, and members of the class traveled to Tufts University to hear a lecture from Jonathan Kozol. Students also went to a local Head Start program to read to pre-schoolers. Five students and 2 staff from Clearway took part in City Year's Serve-a-thon on Saturday May 5th. Clearway School's community continues to care about serving the community and hopes to move in new directions next year.

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Clearway and its juniors and seniors work hard to ensure successful transitions from high school. Transition planning is critical for our students as our program is so small (about 30 students) and supportive (so they need to prepare for the possibility of less support). Junior year, students begin working with Clearway's veteran vocational and transitional counselor, Kerry Dougherty. They identify transition goals and begin to work towards these goals. Juniors may start a work-study program, take S.A.T.'s, and/or take part in tours of local colleges and transition programs. Senior year, students not only take part in a work-study program, but they also take part in a transition planning class designed to assist with job and college applications, the development of a transition reference binder, and the identification of support services available to the individual student.

Clearway's academic classes also adapt during senior year to help ready students for the transition. For the first time, Clearway School and its math teacher, Chris Senhouse offered Calculus. After months of preparation, two students successfully took the A.P. examination in May.

Overall, teachers modify curriculum and supports for juniors and seniors so that it better reflects students' transition needs. This may take a variety of formats such as requiring MLA citations for research papers, increasing the volume of reading and writing required, creating resumés and cover letters, or requiring students to schedule meetings with teachers at "office hours" so that supports better mimic what is available in college.

Kerry Healy, Clearway's school counselor, has transition planning as a central theme in her groups with older students as students focus on managing the organizational demands and stress of transition.

All this focus on transition for older students paid off for Clearway's Class of 2007. Last year's seniors will move into the world of work, transition programs, and college. There is a range of college programs that our former seniors will be attending including Anna Maria College, Curry College, Landmark College, Newbury College, and the Rhode Island School of Design.

Good luck to our most recent Alumni. We hope to see them back for functions like Alumni Night/Senior Dinner. Keep Reading…

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Twenty-nine recent alumni and the class of 2007 came together on May 24, 2007 to talk about life after Clearway and to share stories. This is a huge number for Clearway considering that we average about 4 graduates a year. The ground rules for being invited were that you had to be a member of the classes of 1997 to 2007, although you did not have to graduate from Clearway School. 

After sharing nostalgia over a meal, event organizer Kerry Dougherty officially welcomed everyone back. Co-Director Peter Rosen then spoke to the alumni about Clearway's desire to better utilize its alumni. He spoke about the desire to continue functions like this, to have more events in which alumni can meet with our current students and share their experience and expertise, and to have alumni in leadership roles either with regards to fund-raising or the Board of Directors.  

Seven recent alumni took part in a panel in which they spoke about what life has been like after Clearway School. There were a range of experiences including those still in college and studying engineering, journalism, and sports marketing and those who entered the world of work in security, health care, video editing, and automotives. Although the experiences were varied, the themes of self-advocacy and perseverance were central in all the alumni's talks.

The night successfully helped friends reconnect and helped our seniors learn about life after Clearway. Special praise goes to the class of 2005 for having every graduate present.

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Clearway's long-time art teacher, Roberta Paul, has typically received good reviews of her classes from students at Clearway School. For the last 20 years, students in her Clearway classes have produced wonderful drawings, paintings, silkscreens, and fashion designs. This work has been on display in January and June each year for Arts Night.

In June 2007, Roberta's work was on display at the Allston Skirt Gallery in a show titled "Creation : Science." The work received a wonderful review in the July 7, 2007 "Arts and Entertainment" section of The Boston Globe. Kate McQuaid described her exhibition as a "lovely, tender show." She further describes the emotional impact of Roberta's work "Self Portrait" as "humbling and comforting." 

This is not the first review for Roberta. She has received positive reviews in The Boston Globe since the mid-1980's. She has been written up in The Boston Herald, Boston Magazine, Art New England, The Boston Sunday Globe, and The New York Times.  Her work has been on display at numerous art galleries and museums throughout New England and New York. Congratulations to Roberta.

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For the last two years students have traveled to Woodland Golf Club to build their golf skills. Each semester roughly 5 students and one staff travel to Woodland Golf Club on a Friday morning.

Upon arrival, each Clearway student is greeted by a Woodland golf club member who will serve as his or her coach for the day. The lesson begins with driving on the practice green where the students use a variety of clubs. Next, students take to the carts where they practice playing the various holes on the beautiful course.

A number of students have signed up for golf for multiple semesters and their games have really developed. This year Barry Jones, the Woodland Golf Club member responsible for establishing this program, came to Awards Night to present a golf award to a deserving student. Every student who signed up for golf in the spring reports that they will sign up again next fall.

This spring Peter Rosen, Clearway Co-Director who coincidentally also is in charge of scheduling, was the staff chaperone. He was pleased to find that the staff chaperone also received a private golf lesson and could even drive the golf cart (with the supervision of a Woodland Golf Club member). He found it to be a wonderful way to wind down his week. Although there was student debate as to whether his game developed as quickly as they had hoped, students agreed that he was very relaxed and pleasant following his lesson.

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Our school continues to benefit from the generosity of so many individuals. In 2007, we have received over 70 donations. We have used these donations to continue to update our technology, to help support more electives in the community, and to help support our after-school program.

This year, Clearway School sent out satisfaction surveys to all of its families and sending school districts. Thank you to all that filled out the survey and provided us valuable feedback. Over half of the families filled out the surveys. A number of things became very clear. Many families are very pleased with the services that Clearway provides including the arts program; the dedication, communication, and expertise of the staff; the safe and nurturing environment; the individualization of the program; and the progress that students make. It was also very clear the direction that families would like us to move, and this should help focus our fundraising efforts. Our families would like us to expand our after-school programs to include sports and other electives.

Of course, we are still accepting donations if individuals would like to support us in this effort.

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Clearway School to Pilot New Technology/Engineering
  Curriculum from the Museum of Science

            Peter Rosen, Clearway’s Director of Curriculum and Supervision, recently met with program coordinators for Engineering the Future, a new curriculum being piloted by the Museum of Science. He was excited by the hands-on, challenging curriculum. The Museum of Science agreed to let Clearway pilot this new curriculum and the Museum wishes to hear how our science teachers will modify and accommodate the curriculum to meet our students’ needs. Clearway School will be the only special education school piloting the program.
            This summer, Peter Rosen and Becky Lothrop, one of Clearway’s science teachers, went back to school to the Museum of Science Teachers’ Institute to be trained on the new curriculum. The new curriculum is very different than anything that Clearway has used before. At the core of this textbook are a series of hands-on activities (from designing “putt-putt boats” to rodent detectors to testing concrete strength) that teach the design process and science concepts.
            Peter has searched for ways of bringing technology/engineering to Clearway’s high school program for over two years. Massachusetts has begun MCAS testing in this area at the 9th and 10th grade level, but Peter had not  been able to find appropriate material developed for high school. The Museum of Science similarly noticed this deficit and thus began the Engineering the Future Program. Clearway students have already shown an interest. Clearway’s engineering elective classes (“Catapults” and “Science by Design”) have been some of the most popular offered.

Parents’ Group Hosts Teacher Appreciation Luncheon

         On April 28, 2006 over a dozen Clearway parents took on the role of waitstaff for a Teacher Appreciation Luncheon at Clearway School. Numerous other family members prepared food for the event.
            The luncheon was the idea of Clearway’s Parents Advisory Council. The Council not only helped prepare a feast that included appetizer and dessert carts, but also transformed Clearway’s lunch room into a fine dining setting with china, tablecloths, and flowers. The parents presented teachers with gifts and poems of appreciation, and teachers heard testimonials from family members about the impact of their work.
            Many teachers reported that it was one of the nicest days of the year.  Clearway would like to thank our families for giving our teachers a wonderful boost.

 Graduation and Awards Night

         On June 21, 2006 Clearway graduated three seniors, all of whom are going off to college. The night began with an awards ceremony in which all 30 Clearway students were recognized for their achievements throughout the year.
            For the first time Clearway had an alumna speak as part of the graduation program. A recent graduate gave a wonderful speech about how, after many difficult school experiences, Clearway helped her have the skills she needed to do so well in college (she is currently a member of Phi Beta Kappa). Hopefully, Clearway will have an alumni speaker as an annual event at Graduation Night.
            The graduation followed. The entire last two rows were filled with alums from the last few years. Clearway plans to have an alumni speaker as an annual event at Graduation Night.