Announcements

Change is never easy but always constant. As the school year comes to an end, my 5th grade students and I take the time to reflect on our experiences, both positive and negative, over the past year. One thing we realized is this: students are motivated to be successful because of the constant support they receive from Green Chimneys staff.
Each year, Green Chimneys School teachers work diligently to provide a safe and rewarding learning experience for students. For children struggling with social, emotional and behavioral challenges, establishing a supportive environment from the very beginning of the school year goes hand-in-hand with providing students a set of clear expectations and routines. To guide their success, my class practices ROCK (a component of Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports or PBIS for short). Every day, we discuss ways to display Respect, Ownership, Communication and Keeping Safe not only in the classroom but all around the various parts of campus.
Practicing these skills in the classroom has not only affected students academically but also socially and emotionally. As a teacher here, it is critical to help children develop skills they can use in life beyond Green Chimneys. For example:
As you can see, we not only focus on academic growth, we also facilitate each student’s personal and therapeutic growth too. Our hope is that coping skills, life skills and tools transform from being a part of our students’ everyday language to eventually being a part of who they are. Over the past year, I am delighted to say that my students have made tremendous progress in using these skills both in and out of the classroom. It truly makes me feel proud to be their teacher.
This article was written by Green Chimneys School Teacher Melissa DiCanio.
Lily, Java, Summer Wind, Beata, Alexa
There’s a whole lotta llamas at the farm!
Green Chimneys has been a long-time home to llamas Lily and Java, who arrived in 2006 as trained therapy animals. Llamas are environmentally sensitive, intelligent creatures that get along well with children and are noted for being well-socialized, extremely curious and highly approachable, making the pair excellent “facilitators” for the therapeutic programs at Green Chimneys.
In the fall of 2011, Lily and Java were joined by a group of llamas, creating a complete community of camelids.