COMMUNITY OUTREACH

About COMMUNITY OUTREACH
 Key Center School is committed to helping our students participate in the community to the maximum extent possible and our Community Outreach Program is a critical component of that commitment.  Since Key Center School is not a typical "neighborhood" school, our students and parents often do not live in the surrounding community. Our Outreach program serves as a two way street - bringing the community in to Key Center as well as taking our students out into our local community.
We bring the community to Key Center School in a variety of ways.  For example, “Lee to Key Connection” meets bi-monthly with Lee High School students interacting with our older students in a variety of ways - encouraging development of social skills, providing classroom interaction and establishing friendships with our students.
 
Spinny Johnson performed in September of 2010.  This upbeat, dynamic program featured fun and amazing basketball skills while teaching the importance of education, respect, goal setting, determination and perseverance.  John Taylor the “Kinderman” visited Key Center in December.  He brought “Kindercise” in action to our Key Center students a moving and chanting approach to learning.  Kindercise is a highly interactive program which engaged our students by using original chants and story songs in call and response.  The assembly presented a varied combination of movements, rhythms and chants.  Our students learned a number of concepts, including sign language, community building and also participation in color recognition games.

Key Center School students also have opportunities to interact with the high school students at Edison Academy, visiting the cosmetology department on a regular basis. The cosmetology students, in turn visit our school in May to help our students prepare for the Key Center Prom at the Waterford Center.
Last year we were able to extend opportunities for integration to Forestdale and Springfield Estates elementary schools.  We will continue these two programs this year on Wednesday’s and Thursdays.

Key Center also participates in the Key to Key Peer Helper Program.  Daily interaction with children with disabilities and observing and participating in classroom instruction allows students from Key Middle School to gain valuable insight and understanding of the challenges our students face on a daily basis and increases their acceptance of people with disabilities.  Key Center School students benefit by interacting with peers from the middle school, learning of social skills and appropriate behaviors.