Key Center School

COMMUNITY OUTREACH

About COMMUNITY OUTREACH

We are looking forward to this school year knowing our “Community Outreach Program” will be a HUGE success! We have a total of 19 different places that our students will visit throughout the school year. All these different activities in the community give our students the opportunity to generalize the skills that they have learned in the classroom, while providing the community with the opportunity to learn about children with disabilities and programs for students with special needs. Moreover, our students gain a positive experience by interacting with their peers from the community.

Our Annual Fall Festival trips to Burke Nursery-Pumpkin Patch will get underway starting October 9th. Six of our elementary classes will enjoy acres of fun and education including a Cherokee storyteller in a Native American teepee, a traditional hayride, farm animals, mechanical rides and much more throughout the month of October. This year the storyteller, Mama Mary will focus on the legend of the Eagle with dance, drumming, history and songs of the Cherokee. Each student will receive a small pumpkin.

In addition to taking our students out in the community, we are also active in the community in other ways, such as having them come to us! The links below describe the other programs that Key Center has as an integral part of its community outreach program.

Community Out-Reach Program 2009 - 2010

“Books and Buddies”—Forestdale Elementary School. The interaction between the fourth graders reading to a group of our students twice a month helps our students with self control, appropriate social skills and communication. During the last six years this program has been a HUGE SUCCESS!!!
This is our 8th year visiting Borders Bookstore in Springfield. Students enjoy “Story Time” twice a month on Monday mornings with other peers within the Community.
Three times during the year, students will visit Kingstowne Library where the librarian shares with us a program designed around the seasons, that involves reading a storybook, a short movie, and a craft.
GORGEOUS is how our students look once they leave the Cosmetology Department at Edison Academy on the third Friday of every month. Our students have the opportunity to visit and receive the following services: shampoo, haircut/trim, blow dry, curl/style and manicure.
On the first Friday of the month a class visits Manchester Lakes Senior Center. Six volunteers read to our students, and they LOVE all the extra attention.
“Lee to Key Connection” is a program between Lee High school and Key Center School. 27 Peer Mediators (students) from Lee High School are involved in the program. The high school students come and work with a new friend, finding out what it is like to have a friend with special needs.
Kennedy Center National Symphony Orchestra - All Fairfax County Public Schools fifth grade students are invited to attend this symphony in the month of April.
On the second Wednesday of every month, a class will attend the “Moms and Moppets Kids Club” at Springfield Mall. Each month features a different performer.
Annual event—16 students and 8 staff will attend the CAPS Showcase at the Ernest Community Cultural Center of the Northern Virginia Community College. (Past nine years) Our membership provides us the opportunity to integrate cultural arts into the lives of our students through the different performances. A different artist will be performing every 10-15mins. The program runs from 9:30 to12:00 May 13th.
In May, the entire school attends the “Very Special Arts Festival” at Reston Town Center. Our participation provides us the opportunity to integrate cultural arts into the lives of our students via different performances.