Faces 4 Autism's “Bubbles for Autism”/ Letter to Parents for Autism Awareness Pilot

March 31, 2014

Dear 1st & 2nd Grade Hartshorn Parents & Guardians,

Some of you may know that April is Autism Awareness Month, and tomorrow your child will participate in an activity to acknowledge this via the Faces 4 Autism activity “Bubbles for Autism”.  During recess the first and second grade students will blow bubbles up into the sky. Why bubbles?  Because bubbles represent joy, happiness, & laughter and bring people together.  The point of this event is to celebrate differences and raise autism awareness; and awareness is the first step toward acceptance.  

Autism is a socialization and communication disorder.  A new report from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) shows 1 in 68 children nationwide have autism; 1 in 45 children in New Jersey, which is reportedly the highest in the nation with the report indicating statistics showing 1 in 28 boys in New Jersey have autism.  This month you may see some items coming home from Classroom Resource Kits which Autism New Jersey has created to support teachers in understanding the disorder, and helping to spread Autism Awareness. 

If you or your child is interested in learning more about autism you can go to www.autismnj.org. To learn more about fundraising efforts to bring these activities and kits to our school you can go to http://www.realshorthills.com/real-house-tours-benefiting-autism-nj/.  Any questions, please contact Melanie@RealShortHills.com or feel free to call (973)768-1818.

Happy World Autism Awareness Day (April 2nd)!

Best,

Melanie Rosenbaum

(MSPEC) Millburn Special Education Committee building rep

(SEPAC) Special Education Parent Advisory Committee building rep

Autism NJ Rocks/ New House Tour Date

The other day in the mail came this splendid white box that looked like a delightful present.  And it was!

The box contained Autism NJ's classroom kit which we helped raise money for from the House Tour Benefiting Autism and Keller Williams Realty's Red Day.

The kit designed for teachers contains booklets in kid speak of autism facts, brief lesson plans which teach "students will understand that everyone has different abilities", posters, pencils, autism ribbon tattoos, book marks, decorations, and more, all for a classroom with 25 students in grades K thru 5.                        

This kit will help spread autism awareness throughout the community, just in time for Autism Awareness Month in April.

Autism affects 1 in 45 children in New Jersey.  It is a socialization & communication disorder.  There is a range and a spectrum within the disorder.  Behaving independently and appropriately are some of the biggest goals of people on the spectrum.

I spoke with Brynn Alberici, Special Event Coordinator at Autism New Jersey, and was thrilled that the next House Tour coming in May will now help create kits especially for Millburn Township.  Appropriately so, since the tour was planned by "Real Short Hills" and the homes on the tour were in Short Hills, which is a part of Millburn Township.

Thank you to Autism New Jersey for creating such an amazing resource to help spread Autism Awareness within Millburn Public Schools.   Last year Autism NJ's theme was to "Build Acceptance" and this year their theme is to "Make a Statement".  Mine is "Thank You"!!!

Please look for more information for the next house tour, and attend this great event for this awesome cause.  The next Tour is on Saturday, May 3rd from 12noon - 3pm.

Best,
Melanie

Autism Awareness Club Holds Successful Fundraiser At Soul Cycle

The Millburn High School Autism Awareness Club held a different kind of fundraiser, cleverly titled "The Awareness Cycle".  Members of the Millburn-Short Hills community hopped on a Soul Cycle bike for an intense spin class to raise awareness.  Soul Cycle generously sponsored the event at the newly opened Short Hills boutique studio on Feb. 7.  The participants raised over $1,400 while possibly burning the same amount of calories in a celebrity favorite Soul Cycle signature ride. The class, which is centered around community, brought town students, parents, the High School principal, along with members of the school board to sweat together for a good cause.

Photo from The Independent Press.
Principal Miron and students pictured together after the fundraising ride.

While Soul Cycle may not be a work out for everyone it was wonderful at creating a space for community to come together by encouraging each other to push through resistance and come out stronger. Julia Truitt, the high school senior and President of the club has created an organization that is dedicated to spreading a message of compassion, understanding and most importantly inclusion.  She has been honored in the past for her efforts at promoting awareness and fostering community. She did an amazing job with planning this successful event!  Her mother, Regina Truitt is a member of the School Board and is also focused on building a strong sense of community in town. We are lucky to have them both so actively contributing to our school district.  I was delighted to have participated and to have been a part of such a strong knit community that supports one another.


The Autism Awareness club will be hosting more events for Autism Awareness Month in April.

Keller Williams Premier Properties and Real Short Hills will also be hosting the second annual House Tour to Benefit Autism Awareness.  

For more information about the house tour, visit Real Short Hills.