September 2025 Outplacement News

Welcome to Outplacement News for Families, the latest resource for parents, guardians, and caregivers for students enrolled at LEARN's Outplacement programs. We are happy you are here, choosing a LEARN school education for your child.

This newsletter will be delivered electronically on the 1st Tuesday of the month and will include:

• Leadership Letter
• Celebration Station
• Counselor's Connection
• Resource Roundup
• Community Corner
• & more!

Welcome to the start of another wonderful school year with LEARN Student Support Services! Students and staff are off to a great start - they've returned to the new school year with an eagerness to learn and excitement for a year of growth ahead.

At LEARN Transition Academy we've continued expanding our building by welcoming in some new students for the 25-26 school year. In the first month of school, our students are working at some of our established community-based learning sites as well as developing relationships with new community partners. We want to express a huge thank you to some of our long-term partners in the community: East Lyme Pizza Restaurant, The Gard Arts Theater, The Yellow Farmhouse, and Anytime Fitness in Niantic. We are so very appreciative of their time, partnership, and commitment to developing our students' independence.

We are continuing to expand our enrichment programs for students at Ocean Avenue LEARNing Academy promoting access to music, art, technology, wellness, and service learnings. Our Maker's Space, which has been wonderful for project-based learning, will expand to house our vocational lab! This will help integrate and break down community and vocational experiences to support independence and mastery as students venture outside OALA. We were so happy to see so many families at our PIzza in the Park event and look forward to seeing you at our Back to School Night later this month.

You all are the greatest partners in the work that we do and we look forward to teaming with you this school year!

🚨 Important Reminders:

• Early dismissal for students on 9/12 and 9/26
• Back to School Night will be hosted at your students respective school on 9/24, be on the lookout for more information coming soon

Ms. Lilli's class isn't ready to give up summer vibes and is soaking in every moment they can outside ☀️ In the first week of school they spent time enjoying the fresh air and working together to create some beautiful sidewalk art 🖍️ Teachers are always looking to explore ways students can utilize creative outlets to learn, explore, and express themselves. We can't wait to see what else students create this year!

This month we are excited to celebrate our Physical Education team across our Outplacement programs 🎉 Emily, Dan, and David are committed to make sure all our students have access to safe and fun ways to move their bodies while they are at school. From activities big to small like Field Day and community walks, our PE team

• How would you describe our LEARN community?
• Emily: A group of dedicated and caring individuals who work together to help students be their best selves
• Dan: We have a group of very open, empathetic, hard working people
• David: Hardworking
• What is your favorite thing about working at LEARN?
• Emily: Getting to problem solve ways to make an inaccessible world accessible for all students and seeing their joy
• Dan: Working with our wonderful staff - it makes it a lot of fun
• David: Having supportive coworkers who encourage new activities in class
• What is a fun fact about you?
• Emily: I have scuba dived the Great Barrier Reef
• Dan: I love to dance and I am a jack of all trades
• David: I have an 80lb dog named Thor
• Finish this sentence, "outside of work you can find me..."
• Emily: Doing tummy time with my daughter or going for walks
• Dan: Hanging out with my granddaughter
• David: Collecting nature's treasures (acorns, rocks, leaves, etc.) with my daughter
• What are you most looking forward to this school year?
• Emily: Expanding our PE program and getting all students into the community
• Dan: I transitioned full time to LEARN Transition Academy this year, so I'm looking forward to enhancing my skills with the students and staff there
• David: Finding physical activity for each student to enjoy
• Tell us your favorite local coffee or lunch spot!
• Emily: Karma Kitchen in Mystic for a smoothie bowl
• Dan: Flanders Fish in East Lyme and 374 in Niantic
• David: The Yolk Cafe in New London

Hello, families! Please allow us to introduce ourselves - Gillian Nolan and Wendy Gavin, School Counselors at Ocean Avenue LEARNing Academy. We are so excited to kick off another school year and help facilitate meaningful activities and opportunities for our students!

This year, you can find updates here in the brand new Counselor's Connection - your monthly peek into the heart of what we do. With this, we will share some of the things we are doing to support your child's growth, well-being, and exploration. We can't wait to highlight some of wellness trips and initiatives, enrichment activities, and vocational lab projects that all students will have access to. We encourage you to reach out and connect to learn more about our work with your students!

• Gillian Nolan, gnolan@learn.k12.ct.us
• Wendy Gavin, wgavin@learn.k12.ct.us

Welcome to a year filled with connection, discovery, and caring support!

As the school year begins, The Arc offers an essential resource - The Ultimate Back-to-School Guide for Families of Children with Disabilities. This article dives into nine actionable strategies to help families and children transition in the new school year with confidence and support!

1. Allow time for adjustments

The first week can be bumpy for everyone. Stary observant on how things are going and don't hesitate to speak up if anything seems off.

2. Start with open dialogue

Invite your student to share what excites or worries them and consider co-creating a visual calendar to track dates and milestones.

3. Connect with educators and providers early

Share your students strengths and goals with the school team, establish a consistent communication approach.

4. Encourage self-advocacy

Teach your student age appropriate ways to express needs, like asking for breaks or space, empowering them to take an active role in their learning experience.

Ready to learn more? For the full article, visit www.thearc.org where they share additional support tips to help ease the transition! Plus, check out the poll below to tell us what you want to see more of in Resource Roundup!

CT Developmental Services (DDS) is partnering with Rewarding Work for 2 upcoming webinars. Rewarding Work is a free services for DDS-eligible individuals that connects DDS Employers of Record with qualified staff for a variety of direct-hire positions. Join one of these two webinars to learn how you can use Rewarding Work to identify and attract staff who fit your needs.

📆 Date: Tuesday, September 9th

⏰ Time: 10:30 AM

🎫 Register/RSVP: Register here to Join Virtually

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📆 Date: Thursday, September 11th

⏰ Time: 6:30 PM

🎫 Register/RSVP: Register here to Join Virtually

Special Olympics Connecticut and Unified Sports are partnering for their annual Fall Festival and will feature bocce, croquet, sailing, fold, and softball. Events are taking place across the state, so please visit their website for more information!

📆 Date: Saturday, September 13th - Sunday, September 14th

⏰ Time: Varies

🎫 More Info: See the Schedule of Events Here

📍 Location: Varies

Dress as your favorite super hero and help keep the museum safe! Visit Niantic Children's Museum super hero themed sensory-friendly evening designed to accommodate children on the autism spectrum or with sensory processing challenges. This event is free to attend, but a pre-registration is required.

📆 Date: Friday, September 19th

⏰ Time: 5 PM - 7 PM

🎫 More Info: Register Here

📍 Location: Niantic Children's Museum - 409 Main St, Niantic, CT

Check out the Niantic Bay Oyster Festival, back for their 7th year! Enjoy local oyster vendors, a variety of food vendors, and beer from local breweries. There will also be live music performances throughout the day, cornhole, and a kids corner! Admission to the festival is free - 100% of proceeds go to The Miracle League of Southeastern CT.

📆 Date: Saturday, September 20th

⏰ Time: 12:00 PM - 6:00 PM

🎫 Register/RSVP: No registration required

📍 Location: 400 Main St, Niantic, CT

The United Way Mobile Food Pantry is at Ocean Avenue LEARNing Academy every 4th Wednesday of the month! This pantry is walk-up only and we strongly encourage folks to bring bags or a cart if able.

📆 Date: Wednesday, September 24th

⏰ Time: 4:30 PM - 5:30 PM

🎫 Register/RSVP: No registration required

📍 Location: Ocean Avenue LEARNing Academy - 660 Ocean Ave, New London, CT

The United Way also hosts their Mobile Food Pantry at other locations throughout the month. Looking for more information? Visit their website here ⏩ https://www.uwsect.org/calendar

The Connecticut Science Center believes that everyone deserves an engaging and inclusive experience - which is why they host regular Sensory Friendly Days! They dim the lights, lower the volume, and minimize extra sound or motion through out the facility to make sure individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and sensory processing differences can also enjoy the fun of science.

📆 Date: Wednesday, September 24th

⏰ Time: 10 AM - 4 PM

🎫 More Info: Purchase Tickets Here

📍 Location: Connecticut Science Center - 250 Columbus Blvd, Hartford, CT