Callahan School to the rescue

LYNN ? Having emotionally impaired children under one roof has meant greater success in getting them back into the mainstream, according to the staff of the Therapeutic and Academic Support Center at the Callahan School.The program identifies pupils from the school system who may have behavior issues and puts them in smaller groups, with the goal being to transition them back to their regular classes.Up until two years ago, elementary schools in the city had their own classes for boys and girls with behavior issues. However, the school department decided that putting those pupils into one school enhanced its ability to work with them. Otherwise, said Cheryl Mennino, director of special education for Lynn Public Schools, it was possible some children could be in three different schools by the time they’re in the third grade.Since the program is highly focused on individual help for the students, the classrooms are smaller than a traditional class ? allowing more one-on-one time, said teacher Eleni Theodorakakos, who believes the smaller classes are a big reason for the program’s success.”We notice that these students have had difficulties working in a larger class setting,” Theodorakakos said, “so we made sure these classes stayed small.”Aside from the students receiving more individual attention, the program’s staff feels the expertise it brings to the situation, combined with the fact that Callahan is set up for such services, providing a more welcoming atmosphere for children who may need the extra attention.”The staff’s inclusiveness of the program and them embracing it is one of the reasons it was able to have success,” Callahan principal Brian Fay said.A child can be a part of the program and still be able to take classes in a mainstream setting such as math, said Ruth Silva, one of the teachers in the program. All students have their extracurricular classes and lunch with their mainstream peers, according to facilitator Lynne Bray.The ultimate goal of the program is to get the students to transition back into mainstream classrooms. The students also have the choice to either go back to their neighborhood schools or stay at Callahan when they have transitioned.According to Mennino some students who have transitioned have stayed at Callahan because they become part of the community.The program has been around for two years and it has seen many successful cases of students transitioning into full time and part time mainstream classes.