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Changes will promote age-appropriate development for students

St. Anthony School Programs will move to a two-classroom model at St. Thomas More School for the 2016-2017 school year. The new set-up will offer a more age-appropriate setting for the program’s students with Down Syndrome, Autism Spectrum Disorder and Intellectual Disabilities to learn and grow.

“Splitting our students into two classrooms will make a huge difference,” Lisa George, program director, St. Anthony School Programs, said. “Our loving and dedicated teachers and aids will be better-equipped to meet each child’s needs in a more developmentally appropriate manner.”

St. Thomas More will be the second St. Anthony school to move to the two-classroom model, following St. Therese School in Munhall. The students will be separated by grade level, K-3 and 4-8, where both new classrooms will be within closer proximity to similar grade-level general-education classrooms, allowing for a more inclusive environment.
“This new model will allow both of our teachers, and their aids, more opportunity to not only collaborate with each other, but with their general-education colleagues, as well,” George said. “We are confident this change in setting will help our students build confidence and ultimately lead to a more independent lifestyle.”

St. Anthony provides speech therapy, behavioral health, social skills and motor skills services. Maureen Rykaczewski, Karen Babeji, Jennifer Cartier and Celine Rothaar are the classrooms’ rotating paraprofessional aides.

St. Anthony will accept up to six students in the K-3 program and up to 12 in grades 4-8 at St. Thomas More School. Many families qualify for financial aid. For more information about the program, visit www.stanthonykids.org.

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