Social pragmatics program set to begin third year
Ever since it was created fifty years ago, Walker has been a community of continuous learning, with programs that have evolved in response to a wide range of community needs and emerging therapeutic priorities. In the past decade, more and more Walker students have arrived with a complex set of challenges that places them on the autism spectrum.
In 2010, to better serve this growing group of students, Walker created Stepping Stones, a program designed to improve the social cognitive functioning of children who have been diagnosed...
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Walker parent to lead Troop 63052
Walker Girl Scout Troop 63052 will kick off its third year under the new leadership of Linette Murphy, a Walker volunteer and the parent of a Walker student.
Started by Walker residential staff members in 2010, the troop of nine Walker students will continue to meet at Walker’s Needham campus, participate in local activities and special field trips, earn patches and badges, and, of course, sell Girl Scout cookies.
“I have lots of ideas and I am really excited to get started,” said Murphy, whose daughter Sapphira is a troop ...
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Community service hours bring activities to younger students
On Friday, October 21, six Beacon High School students visited the Walker Needham campus to participate in activities with young students from the Walker School.
Organized by the Beacon guidance team, the visit gave Beacon students the opportunity to fulfill community services hours required for graduation, while providing fun activities for children in the Walker residential and day-school programs.
“The students had a great time, and they learned about the Beacon’s connection to Walker,” said guidance counselor Theresa Melito...
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Event honors the late Dan Woods, former Walker child care worker
Thirty six students at the Walker School participated in the 2nd annual Dan Woods Memorial Chess Tournament on November 9th. “The students did an amazing job,” said Mia Klinger-Powell, a learning specialist at Walker.
She and day program coordinator Kevin Vacaro organized the tournament, which is named for Dan Woods, a former Walker child care worker who passed away unexpectedly in 2010. Woods was also the former recipient of the Albert E. Trieschmann award, a national award for excellence in residential child care, given by the American...
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Joins ‘Seeds of Peace’ Panel Discussion Hosted at Northeastern
Rob Vecchi, Education Coordinator for Walker Partnerships recently participated in a panel discussion at the Northeastern University Humanities Center’s Artists and Practitioners in Residence Program. He was among several panelists at ‘Identity Development Through Play’, an examination of efforts to “promote positive identity and encourage social exchanges between cultures and communities.”
Vecchi joined other professionals who shared their research and practice experiences on the role of play, and offered a perspective from his long...
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Second-year event raises more than $48,000
Sunday, September 18th was a perfect day for a walk in Needham!
Hundreds of participants laced up their sneakers for the second annual “Change Shoes, Change Lives” Walk for Walker at DeFazio Park in Needham. The event raised more than $48,000 in support of the children, teens, and families who benefit from the many programs at Walker. The amount is an increase of $15,000 over last year’s total.
“It has been amazing to see how Needham and other local communities have embraced this event”, said Walker annual fund manager Amy Perna...
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Graduation Day Schedule and Information
On Friday, June 24th approximately 25 students will graduate from Walker School. Many of them will go on to attend school in less restrictive school settings. Thanks to the hard work, caring, and dedication of the Walker staff, all will leave Walker better prepared to meet the challenges that lie ahead.
Graduation is a day to celebrate these successes. It is a day to congratulate Walker students for all of their hard work, and a day for Walker staff to congratulate each other for having the courage and perseverance to make a difference in...
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Troops earn Bronze Award with volunteer activities
Dover Girl Scout Troops 72291 and 72426 recently volunteered at Walker and completed the requirements for the prestigious Bronze Award.
The Dover Girl Scout Troops began working with Walker last November, learning about the programs, taking a tour of campus, and meeting with executive director Richard W. Small. “It’s wonderful to see young people with such enthusiasm for helping others,” he said, after meeting with the volunteers.
During the holidays, the Girl Scouts put up decorations for the Walker School students’ annual...
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Party hosted for children in residential care
The holidays were made a little brighter for twenty Walker students thanks to the generosity of the Variety Club of New England.
Twenty children from the Walker Intensive Residential Program were among those hosted at Showcase Cinemas in Revere, where they were treated by Variety Club volunteers to lunch, ice cream, popcorn, and a showing of the 3D movie Tangled. After the film, there was a surprise visit from Santa, who gave the kids new backpacks filled with presents.
The children in residential treatment at Walker typically...
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Children in residential programs receive donated bikes
Employees from Waltham-based Thermo Fisher Scientific spent a recent fall afternoon donating new bicycles to children at the Walker School in Needham. Landry’s Bicycles of Natick contributed to the donation and was also on hand to make sure the bikes fit properly and adjust them if needed.
“So many of our children miss out on the normal rights of passage, learning how to ride a bike and receiving your own new bicycle is an experience no child should miss.” said Matt Cooney, Residential Director at Walker “What Thermo Fisher...
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