Sun, Mar 14 2010
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Published February 08, 2010 11:03 pm - In a county known for its covered bridges, it is fitting that a school for special students is named “Building Bridges School.” Building Bridges, building futures Jefferson school caters to students who previously had to attend out of county By PAMELA E. GRAN - For the Star Beacon JEFFERSON — In a county known for its covered bridges, it is fitting that a school for special students is named “Building Bridges School.”
“I just felt the name was fitting,” said Ginger Putman, principal of the facility, which opened at the beginning of the 2008-09 school year in the former Bethel Bible Church on Goodale Road. Designed to educate students who don’t fit into the traditional classroom for a number of reasons, Building Bridges has 24 students in three classrooms: Kindergarden through second; third and fourth, and fifth and sixth. Students come from Ashtabula City, Buckeye Local, Geneva City, Jefferson Area Local, and Pymatuning Valley Local school districts. Prior to creating the school, Ashtabula County students with these unique needs had to attend outside the county, which put an additional strain on tight budgets, Putman said. Children attending Building Bridges display behavior issues, such as lashing out in response to emotions they may not understand fully or know how to deal with, becoming overstimulated by their environment, or simply not knowing the proper way to interact socially with others. “The students are here to develop new skills and learn coping strategies and anger management,” Putman said. “We help them to learn to identify their feelings and be able to verbalize them, instead of acting out physically.” Teachers and counselors at the school strive for an atmosphere of calm and use a variety of methods to achieve that delicate balance. Much of what they do is known as sensory processing, Putman said. Laurie Orlando, a licensed social worker and child therapist with Signature Health, works full time at Building Bridges. She said sensory-integration class plays a big role in helping children maintain a sense of calm. “There is a lot of movement and activity. They use their muscles and learn to regulate themselves (behaviorally) through teamwork, playing hockey, relay races (and so on),” Orlando said. Putman added that other methods of letting the students know they are safe include putting gentle pressure on their shoulders, joint compression and the use of a weighted belt around their waist, which applies pressure to their core. “Some students like that feeling of pressure. It comforts them and makes them feel safe and protected,” she said. The other typical gym activities provide a release for pent-up energy and again move the children toward feeling calm, she added. A big part of what the school is trying to achieve is building trust among the students and their teachers and counselors, as well as with other adults in the children’s lives, Putman noted. “Progress may be in incremental small steps, but with these children, I look at it as a fairly significant progress,” Orlando said. Pat Janis, also a counselor with Signature Health, works primarily with fifth and sixth-grade students in a small room nestled in a quiet spot within the school. In addition to talking with students to help them sort out what they’re feeling and experiencing, both in the school environment and at home, Janis uses play therapy. A chess board is constantly set up for use by the older children, who find that this game of strategy helps them to remain focused. 
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