FROM THE DESK OF EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR  

School Programs 2

Brochures Available 2

Community Services

Spotlight

3

Souper Bowl 2012 3

Cantalician Kudos 4

Employee of Month

Program 5-6

Wellness Corner 7

Day Hab Winter

Wonderland

7

New Website

Launched

8

S P R I N G 2 0 1 2 S P R I N G

By Terese M. Sofidio, Cantalician Executive Director Upcoming Events 

By Rachel Martin, Cantalician Medicaid Service Coordinator

cantaliciancenter.org

                MARCH

16 Staff Development Day (Main & Eggert)

29 Annual Spring Gathering Fundraiser

30 Bunny Hop (Eggert) APRIL

9-13 Spring Break

MAY

23 Bowling Banquet (Main)

25-28 Memorial Day Weekend

JUNE

13 Alhambra Picnic (Eggert)

14 Flag Day

20 Graduation (Main)

The mild winter has not only spared

us from the usual amount of ice

scraping, snow shoveling, and long

commutes, it has also helped our

construction crews stay right on

schedule at the our new Western

New York Cantalician Academic

Center that will house our Daycare,

Preschool , and School -Age

programs scheduled to open later

this year. If you weren’t able to join

us for one the tours of the new site,

you will be amazed by the progress!

You really can begin to see what an

amazing place it will be for the

thousands of children we will serve

within the walls and outside on the

five acres of green space.

During the past several weeks, we

have had the opportunity to visit with

a number of community leaders,

philanthropic foundations, and

elected governmental officials to

share what a true community asset

the new Academic Campus will

become. In the coming weeks, we

hope to be sharing even more

information by announcing our

Honor a r y and Cam pa ign

Chairpersons along with a few major

gifts already made to the campaign.

Many staff and friends of Cantalician

have asked, “How can I help?” First

and foremost, we need everyone to

share with the community the

exciting things that are happening at

Cantalician. Whether it is talking

about it with friends and family at a

gathering, passing along our web

address in an email, or simply

sharing a story or two about the

impact we have on the lives of

children. You never know who or

how they may help us down the

road. If you ever need a copy our

new brochures, photos of the new

building, or any other marketing

materials, please don’t hesitate to let

myself or Jeffrey Bell, our new

Development Director, know.

This is an amazing time for

Cantalician and I am incredibly

blessed to have a truly Exceptional

Staff. No Exceptions.

CHANGING TIMES IN NEW YORK FOR DD SERVICES 

The state of New York is experienc-ing a call to change. Change, while often scary and foreboding, is also necessary. Governor Cuomo expects there to be a decrease in funding as well as a change in the current model of services for people with developmental disabilities. What is now comfortable and safe is also very expensive, so change must come in order to continue to provide services to those who need them.

Currently, the services received by people with developmental disabili-ties fall under the Home and Com-munity Based Services (HCBS) Waiver. This waiver was developed and implemented in the state of New York to help fund things such

as residential habilitation, day habilitation, pre-vocational services, supported employment, respite, and others. Now, as we move away from this model and work on adopt-ing a new model, all the buzz is about the new 1115 Waiver (commonly called the “Eleven-Fifteen Waiver”). This will change the way services are funded.

In the 1115 Waiver, a person with a developmental disability will be allotted a certain amount of money per year to obtain needed services. The amount of money will be deter-mined based on need. These ser-vices may include all of the things that exist in the HCBS Waiver, how-ever, instead of the money staying with the program, it stays with the

person. So a person with a devel-opmental disability will work with a team of his/her choosing to decide how to spend the money.

For instance, if the person most values being able to independently get around their home, they will be able to hire staff to come into their home to assist meeting that goal. It allows for more flexibility within the system – allowing people to design what they need rather than having to choose from what already exists.

Many other changes are also coming, and it is important for individuals, families, and service providers to try to stay on top of these changes.

(Continued on Page 3)

INS IDE  

THIS   ISSUE :  

(Right to Left) Theodore Lesh, Principal; Sister Paul Marie Baczkowski, Director of Education and Terry Scofidio, Executive Director in the main entrance of the new campus.)

P A G E 2

Even though the weather outside has been exceptionally warm, a flurry of winter activities have been taking place at the Cantalician Center schools. The Eggert Road School held their annual Winter Fest as students skated indoors (tissue box style), had guest readers read winter stories to them, enjoyed a pancake breakfast, participated in a variety of winter crafts and ended the week with chocolate or strawberry milk with homemade cookies.

In February, the Eggert Road School completed over 130 Valentine crafts that were taken to sick children at Women and Children’s Hospital in Buffalo.

The Main Street School enjoyed the music, singing and dancing of the St. Joseph Swing Choir. They also had a surprise visit from Mickey and Minnie from Disney on Ice Treasure Trove productions.

Ten to twelve students from the transition program on Main Street attend the Cantalician Center Community Services Program on Fridays throughout the school year. These students have the opportunity to take part in activities on the work floor as well as participate in the events planned in the Day Habilitation program. The purpose of this transition program allows the students an opportunity to develop job related skills and helps to identify programs that may be suitable for them after they graduate from the Cantalician Center school program. The best part of this experience is that each student receives a small check based upon the work completed on the work floor, which helps our students understand the ethics of good work and payment for services rendered.

Finally, the Main Street School celebrated their last Christmas at the Main Street Campus. The students, therapists, teachers, and staff are beginning to “downsize” their classrooms and work areas. Pictures of the work being accomplished at the new campus location are now hanging in the entrance of the school. Excitement is beginning to rise and an atmosphere of anticipation is in the air as the reality of the new campus is now getting closer everyday!

PROGRAM BROCHURES NOW AVAILABLE Thanks to the hard work of staff members Annette Bitterman and Brett Pirdy along with support from several Board members including Carolyn Human from Travers Collins, we now have new brochures available for all of Cantalician’s programs. If you would like to order copies, please contact Jeffrey Bell, Director of Develop-ment, at jbell@cantalician.org.

By Sister Paul Marie Baczkowski

VOLUME 56, ISSUE 1  CANTALICIAN CENTER  SPRING 2012 

SCHOOL PROGRAMS CONTINUE TO PROVIDE GREAT OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDENTS  

VOLUME 56, ISSUE 2  CANTALICIAN CENTER  SPRING 2012 

The staff at Hertel held their first ever “Souper” Bowl competition on February 2. Several staff submitted homemade soups to be voted on by their co-workers. All were delicious but the favorite was clear: Betsy Fisher’s Seafood Gumbo! She won a trophy and bragging rights for a year. The event was such a success that everyone is already looking forward to next year’s competition! For everyone that was interested, Betsy was kind enough to share her recipe:

Betsy’s Award Winning Seafood Gumbo

½ cup all purpose flour ½ cup olive oil ½ cup finely chopped celery 1 cup finely chopped yellow onion ¾ cup finely chopped bell pepper 1 Tbsp. pureed garlic 2 tsps. Louisiana hot sauce ¼ tsp thyme ¼ tsp. oregano ¼ tsp. cayenne pepper

½ tsp salt ¼ tsp white pepper ¼ tsp black pepper ¾ cup chopped tomato 6 cups seafood stock ½ pound okra, cut into ½ inch slices ½ pound coarsely chopped Andouille sausage ½ pound shrimp, shelled and de-veined 1 Tbsp file (Sassafrass root, thickener – found at Wegman’s)

Place the flour and half the oil in a cast iron Dutch oven and make a dark brown roux. Then, add celery, onion and bell pepper and cook until tender. Add the garlic and all seasonings and stir for 5 minutes, then add tomato and stock and bring to a boil. Lower heat and let simmer for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, heat the remaining oil in a skillet and sauté the okra for 10-12 minutes, then add to the pot and cook for a further 5 minutes. Add the sausage and shrimp. Mix the file with a tablespoon of warm water and stir the resulting paste into the gumbo. Continue to simmer for a further 30-40 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve in bowls with white rice. Yields 6-8 servings.

COMMUNITY SERVICES SPOTLIGHT 

This issue’s spotlight is dedicated to Mar-cus Gist. Marcus has been working at the Cantalician Center since 2006 and has been an asset to both the production floor and maintenance crew. Marcus is being featured this issue for his exceptional artistic ability. Anyone that knows Marcus can tell you two things; he is a fun person to be around, and he loves the musical talents of Michael Jackson. Marcus dedi-cated his time in the Day Habilitation pro-gram to drawing and painting a poster of his idol. Marcus has proven to be a true talent himself. The poster was drawn free hand and the painting was strategically

applied to achieve the ideal colors and shading. Marcus has also expressed his interest in the pop star over the years through dance and singing. Marcus is a member of the choir at Community Services and has done a few concerts including our holiday party where he had a solo part. Rachael sat down with Marcus to talk about his newest work:

Q: Why do you like Michael Jackson? A: “He is a great person and entertainer”.

Q: What is your favorite song by Michael Jackson? A: “I have a couple, Beat it, Thriller…I like them all”.

Q: Who is your second favorite singer? A: “I do not really have a favorite; I just like that kind of music”.

Q: How long did it take you to make your new poster? A:“3 days”.

Q: What do you think your next poster will be? A:“Myself”.

By Rachael Avino Changes in DD Services

(Continue from page 1) The state run Developmental Disabilities Services Offices (DDSOs) will be fading away to make room for non-profit agency run Developmental Disabilities Individual Support and Care Coordination Organiza-tions (DISCOs). Several agencies in the area have applied to be DISCOs, and pilot programs will begin in the coming months.

The best way to stay aware of the changes is to be proactive in reading and participating in informational sessions. The OPWDD (Office for People with De-velopmental Disabilities) website (www.opwdd.ny.gov) includes all meeting minutes from committees working on the 1115 Waiver and has information from the Commissioner about what has been done so far and what is upcoming. Parent Net-work of WNY and the DDAWNY (Developmental Disabilities Alliance of WNY) Family Committee always welcome participation in their sessions and groups.

The more involved you are, the more pre-pared you will be when the changes occur.

Parent Network of WNY: 332-4170 www.parentnetworkwny.org

DDAWNY Family Committee: 877-7007 www.ddawny.org

P A G E 3

SOUPER BOWL 2012 

Marcus showing off his work. It can currently been seen in the main display case the Hertel site.

VOLUME 56, ISSUE 2  CANTALICIAN CENTER  SPRING 2012 

CANTALICIAN KUDOS We would like to extend a big Cantalician Kudos to following Employees of the Month and Team of the Quarter

WELCOME TO CANTALICIAN Please extend a warm welcome to the following individuals that have joined the Cantalician family since November 1st, 2011

February Miguel Jimenz Neli Corbett

In February, Cantalician recognized Tim Hull and Betsy Fisher with the 2012 Distinguished Career Service Award.

Tim Hull has been with the Cantalician Center since February, 1984, as a Teacher Assistant. Tim excels at pro-viding our students a welcoming and rewarding experience. Tim’s greatest strength is his positive approach, atti-tude and consistency with the students. He truly has a positive impact on our students. His steady and depend-able approach promotes an environment of dignity, value, and growth. He treats our students with respect and dignity and expects them to exhibit the same positive social characteristics. Tim’s daily commitment to his stu-dents exemplifies Cantalician Center’s mission.

Betsy Fisher has been with the Cantalician Center since 1991. Betsy’s caring demeanor, integrity and teamwork in her interactions with the individuals we serve and with her colleagues is evident daily. Betsy is a great mentor to our new staff, helping them acclimate to their role and the Day Habilitation Program. She has developed an excellent nutritional program for her group, providing them with weekly nutritional information addressing their individual nutritional needs. Her initiatives with nutrition have encouraged other groups to incorporate nutritional information. Betsy promotes and demonstrates best practices in the delivery of services. Her daily commitment to providing the highest quality of services exemplifies Cantalician Center’s mission, namely to provide person-centered compassionate services that promote independence and offer meaningful opportunities.

November Rosa Quiros Brian Herget

December Kathleen Tierney Wally Neidrauer

Team of the Quarter The Occupational Therapy Department Staff at Eggert and Main Street of Lori Mergler, Beth Toth, Kathy Burke, Stepha-nie Ruch, Jean Wolski, Kim Jaccobi, Andrea Scrivo, and Aimee Zimpfer were recognized.

Shatia Baldon Supplemental Classroom Aide Kathleen Ball Substitute RN Andrew Behm Teacher Assistant Alexandra Besecker Limited Permit Holder in Occupational

Therapy Jeffrey Bell Director of Development Ester Blakely Supplemental Classroom Aide Takaski Curne Supplemental Classroom Aide Renee Dietz Production Supervisor Tammy Hilbert Supplemental Classroom Aide Cherelle Hollinsworth Supplemental Classroom Aide Jessica Hopkins Occupational Therapist

Suzanne Kirkpatrick PT Speech Language Pathologist

P A G E 4

Leslie Maraesi Teacher Assistant Lisa Nussbaum Production Supervisor Tsitsi Paradzai Teacher Assistant Gloria Perez Temporary Shredder Tia Phelps Teacher Assistant Maureen Pritchard Day Habilitation Specialist Michelle Rogers Day Habilitation Specialist Cynthia Ryberg Production Supervisor Darcie Sedlmeier Administration Assistant Janine Smith Payroll Specialist Amy Stewart Teacher Assistant Thomas Sutton Facilities Manager

P A G E 5

P A G E 6

P A G E 7

CANTALICIAN WELLNESS CORNER By Darcie Sedlmeier

Feeling good: There is a bundle of information out there that can help us to eat better & feel better which in turn will help us live better. For most people today unhealthy eating habits and lack of exercise is resulting in overweight and or unhealthy bodies.

Taking your first steps: Walking & eating healthy: Start out slow with walking short distances each day and then increase the intensity & distance gradually. Try switching unhealthy food choices for healthy ones & drink more wa-ter to keep your muscles flexible and flush out toxins from your body. Here at the Cantalician Center for Learning the New Year brings with

it plenty of healthy choices. We have our “Striders Club” which meets once per -week in Delaware Park at 3:30. Once at the park you sign in and walk, run or jog, exer-cising at your own pace and agility level. These sessions can help you prepare for the Corporate Challenge representing our Can-talician Center on June 7th, 2012. The day of the week is still to be determined but a Saturday will also be offered for those who can’t make it during the week. If you attend ten times you receive a free T-shirt! For more details please don’t hesitate to contact Susan Drust at sdrust@cantalician.org. The “Eat well, Live well Challenge” kicked off March 4th! For our new

employees this is an 8 week plan of eating healthier and exercising all while measuring your progress. Once you are registered you can log on to eatwelllivewell.org and record your progress. If you don’t have access to a computer you can record your progress on a chart and then turn that chart in to your Team Captain weekly who will record your progress. We are working on new ideas for wellness and always welcome your suggestions. Please feel free to contact Human Resources anytime with any questions or suggestions you may have.

VOLUME 56, ISSUE 1  CANTALICIAN CENTER  SPRING 2012 

Winter hasn’t really come here yet as far as the weather is concerned. Even though there wasn’t a white Christmas at Cantalician’s Hertel Site, it was as festive as the North Pole!

Our Holiday arts and crafts projects were displayed throughout the Hertel Site to set the tone for the Winter Holiday Season. There was a sparkling “Winter Wonder-land” creation in the main display case that was surrounded by winter-themed paintings and sugar-filled Gingerbread

Houses. There were also beautiful Winter Centerpieces that were raffled off and other various crafts hung throughout the building. The individuals here in Day Hab had a lot of fun using their creativity to build these displays for all of the Hertel Site to see and everyone could tell how hard they worked on them.

Our Christmas Party was a raging suc-cess kicking it off with the “Christmas around the World” presentation. Our Can-talician Choir blessed us with familiar car-ols followed by a delicious meal served to our individuals by all of the Hertel site staff. Soon after, the floor was taken over by dancers, boogying to the sounds of D.J. Eddie. We also helped to lift the spir-its of many as our Cantalician Choir trav-eled to the V.A. and various nursing homes, performing many popular tunes,

Holiday Carols, and our brand new Can-talician Theme Song!!! Our Choir mem-bers were very proud of themselves for bringing cheer to so many people with their beautiful voices.

Our Hertel Site was definitely well into the spirit of Christmas even though there was no snow, (not that any of us here are really complaining), the individuals had a great time during their winter festivities, making the season bright!

DAY HABILITATION SERVICES WINTER WONDERLAND     By Cantalician Day Habilitation Specialists, Dwayne Jackson and Melissa Zaporowski

3233 Main Street, Buffalo, NY 14214 P: 716.833.5353 F: 716.833.0108

Administration

Terese Scofidio, Executive Director Sister Paul Marie Baczkowski, Director of Education Colleen O’Connell-Jancevski, Director of Human Resources and In House Counsel Jeanette Tackett, Chief Financial Officer

Anne Spisiak, Director of Community Services Susan Twardowski, QA/Corporate Compliance Director

Theodore Lesh, School Age Principal Jeffrey Bell, Director of Development Brett Pirdy, MIS Director

School Age Program - 3233 Main Street - Buffalo, NY 14214 Early Childhood Center -1360 Eggert Road—Amherst, NY 14226

Community Services—665 Hertel Avenue—Buffalo, NY 14207

cantaliciancenter.org

Following months of development by several members of the Can-talician staff and after receiving feedback from countless others, we are proud to announce the official launch of the Cantalician Website. Located at www.cantaliciancenter.org, the site features several new features including an animated banner highlighting all of our programs, an interactive event calendar, printer-ready downloadable brochures, and even an electronic version of this newsletter. Keep an eye for updates as we constantly enhance our new web presence. To set the Cantalician Website as your homepage:

1. Type www.cantaliciancenter.org in the address bar

2. On the Tools menu, click Internet Options. 3. Click the General tab. 4. In the Address box, click Use Current. 5. Click OK. If you have any suggestions or comments please email them to Jeffrey Bell, Development Director, at jbell@cantalician.org.

Thanks to everyone that made the new site possible!

By Jeffrey Bell

CANTALICIAN LAUNCHES NEW WEBSITE 

To read the newsletter online, visit our website or scan the QR with your smartphone.