Cardinal Cushing School offers a wide variety of program options to meet the complex needs of each individual student. While not every student in special education requires the structure and supervision provided by a residential program, for those students who do need this level of care, Cushing has a program to meet that need. The Residential Program at Cardinal Cushing
School operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Students in the Residential Program attend either our Academics or Vocational Programs during the day (M-F) and reside on campus during the remainder of the week, accounting for the largest portion of a residential
student's time at Cushing.
The Residential Program works collaboratively within the total
Cushing Program and is based on a functional Life
Skills Curriculum. The focus of this co-educational
program is on teaching our students important Life
Skills needed to become fully integrated members of
their communities and to lead fulfilling lives. These
Life Skills include but are not limited to social skills, behavior management
skills, domestic skills, hygiene skills, community skills, and leisure/recreation
skills. The Residential Program strives to provide
concrete, hands-on experiences that are meaningful
to the student and increase independence in all the
activities of daily living.
The Residential Program has the capacity to serve a total of 125 residential students. In 2004 Cushing opened 11 brand
new house units on the school's 200 acre campus. This made
it possible to move those students living in our dormitory
building into homelike settings similar to what the
other students were living in already. Almost all students
in the regular Residential Program now live in house
units designed to run much like a group home in the
community . In these homelike settings, students have
the opportunity to learn to cook a meal, do their
own laundry, keep their personal spaces tidy and learn
social skills. Each student is challenged to advance
his/her individualized skill level and to develop
at his/her own pace. The staff-to-student ratios in
these houses differ depending on the ability level
of students in the residence. Current ratios vary from
a 1-to-2 staff-to-student ratio to a 1-to-5 ratio.
Occasionally, a student may require a 1-to-1 ratio, and this can be provided upon approval and funding by the student's school district or state agency.
An exceptionally devoted Recreation Department staff have
developed a wide array of activities that students participate in. The Recreation Department,
housed in the recently remodeled Recreation Center, provides
a variety of clubs and activities for students. A sample of these clubs and activities
include but are not limited to Boy/Girl Scouts, newspaper
club, aerobics, bike club, walking club, dances, year book club, movie nights, and
many more. Organized varsity and junior varsity sports teams are also a favorite
including basketball, softball, and volleyball. Our
students also are very active in Special Olympics throughout
the year. In the summer months students access our
recently opened accessible outdoor pool for hours of enjoyment and exercise.
One of the many highlights of the year in the Recreation Department is the annual Senior Prom. This event, held at an off campus location features our students dressed to the hilt in tuxes, suits, and evening gowns. They are escorted to the off campus location by limosenes to enjoy an evening of food, fun, dancing, and music. Each year, the students at the prom select a prom King and Queen from among that year's graduates. This event is one example of many that allow our students to experience life events in an environment of true acceptance that can not be replicated elsewhere.
In addition to the recreation activities on campus,
our students are active members in the community including
trips to sporting events such as the Boston Red Sox
and the Brockton Rox. They also go to museums, the
library, movies, and a favorite - shopping at the
Mall. Community excursions such as shopping and going
out to eat enable our students to practice a multitude
of skills including making purchases, communication, social skills, and problem solving. These skills
are frequently represented by goals in student IEPS.
In all of our residences, the staff members
strive to provide a warm, homelike atmosphere for
the students who live with us. While we can never
recreate their real family environment, we want our
students to feel like Cushing is their home away from home.
Parents and guests are welcome and encouraged to visit the school
during regular visiting hours
(9 a.m. to 9 p.m.) or at specially arranged times scheduled through
the student's Student Services Coordinator. Families
are frequently invited to join in or attend holiday events, open
houses, Special Olympics, proms, and sports events
throughout the year. Cushing also has a very active
Parent Advisory Council that meets at least quarterly
and participates in a number of activities throughout
the year including the annual Harvest Festival held each fall on the campus of the school. We believe that maintaining students' involvement
with families is important for all children for whom
this possibility exists. Many families take their
children home for weekend visits in addition to our
regularly scheduled holidays and vacations. Others
stop by during the week to take their children out
for dinner, a movie, or a shopping trip.
When students leave Cardinal Cushing School, they
move into a variety of living situations including
supported-living environments (community residences,
staffed apartments, specialized foster care), home
with their families, or out on their own. The goal
of the Residential Program is to empower each student
with the skills to live as independently as possible,
maximizing his/her potential to enjoy a healthy, happy
and safe life as a productive member of the community.
For more information about the Residential Program call or e-mail:
Chris Pike
Director of Residential Life
Cardinal Cushing School
405 Washington Street
Hanover, MA 02339
(781) 829-1216
