The Academy

of Physical and Social Development

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Credit Card authorization sheet [.pdf] [.doc]

Preregistration for next fall [.pdf] [.doc]

Newsletter: Fall 2007 [.pdf] [.doc] [.txt]

Helping Children with

MOTION and EMOTIONS:

The Academy of Physical and Social Development Introduces a new program:

"IN MOTION"

Physical activity, healthy eating and muscular and cardiovascular fitness can have an immeasurable impact on a child's social and emotional development. In addition, movement can help build self-esteem and support the development of coping skills for anxiety, depression and hyperactivity.

The Academy program "IN MOTION" is a combination of personal training and emotional support designed to help children of all ages and physical abilities to build muscle, practice motor movements and foster physical self-confidence.

Goals of the Program:

  1. Help children find and enjoy activities that work to keep their hearts and muscles healthy through personal training and group fitness.
  2. Encourage sportsmanship, fair play, and teamwork.
  3. Increase children's understanding and knowledge of physical activity and healthy living choices related to fitness and health.
  4. Help children gain an awareness of their bodies in space.
  5. Practice a variety of physical skills including, but not limited to:
    • Motor movements such as walking, hopping, skipping and running. (K-5th grade)
    • Ball handing skills such as holding, rolling, catching and kicking. (K-5th grade)
    • Sports specific skills in the areas of soccer, basketball, football, etc. (All grade levels)
    • Resistance and body weight training. (3rd-12th grade)
    • Dumbbell and free weight training. (Middle school and High school grades)
    • Cardiovascular endurance and fitness. (All grade levels)
  6. Promote and encourage physical activity beyond sessions and lifelong.

Sessions and Services are FACILITATED by: Veronica Carney, MA, LMHC, CPT

ENROLLMENT is open to boys and girls ages 6 to 18.

FEES for Individual Personal Training Packages:

3 sessions @ 85.00 per session

6 sessions @ 75.00 per session

FEES for Group Fitness Classes:

8 week blocks @ 35.00 per session

Appointments and Sessions will take place on SATURDAY MORNINGS and by PRIVATE APPOINTMENT ONLY

Please direct all inquiries to Veronica Carney at 617-969-2200 (ext. 19) or VCarney@academynewton.com.

POSITIVE APPROACHES TO MANAGING BEHAVIOR

Discussion will focus on

  • Limit setting
  • Bridging transitions
  • Setting realistic expectations and goals

Friday, April 4th from 10:00 – 11:30 A.M.

Practical and hands-on suggestions will be the teaching tool along with specific questions generated from the audience.

The fee for each seminar is $45/individual $60/couple

Click HERE for an enrollment form (pdf).

Parent Connection:

Termination

The beginning of spring is often associated with flowers and trees blooming, getting outdoors regularly and the start of nicer weather. However, there is an extremely powerful "ending" that comes with spring as well. As the structure in a child's life (such as school, extra curricula activities and their Academy group) draws to a close, many children start to display "termination" or "ending" behavior.

Certainly these endings are "part of life" and have a normalized developmental aspect to them, however, they often bring about an array of feelings and emotions that should not be minimized. When else in your life will you have "everything" end at the same time?

One of the final goals we work on with all the children is helping them learn to say good-bye properly so that they can say hello properly to the next person, opportunity or beginning (this skill is one they will use throughout their life-time). Children can have difficulty understanding, putting into perspective and/ or expressing these feelings in an appropriate way. Common feelings and behaviors we see around "termination time" include but are not limited to:

  • - Intensified attempts to be cared for and reassured.
  • - Dependency and clinging
  • - "Regression" to previous behaviors
  • - Denial that the group or anything else is ending
  • - Anger and sabotaging behavior
  • - Ambivalence
  • - High or low energy levels
  • - Distraction and / or depression
  • - Grief and loss responses

You may also find these behaviors present in school or other activities.

Towards the end of the year children might start to say how they, "Never really liked the group" or conversely may not want to leave the group when it is over. Around endings, behavior may not always be as it appears.

We try and help the children understand what they may be feeling by reflecting back to them scripts such as:

" Are you feeling upset that the group (activity) is ending?"

" It's hard when things end and you wish they were not."

"Are you nervous about starting camp or ending school?"

Successful endings increase the chances that the child will integrate the preceding work. Rushed or abrupt endings to the group can leave a child with unanswered questions, resentment and the benefits of the intervention may be lost.

Some of the ways we try for a successful ending (defined as time to discuss the feelings and emotions to the extent the children are able to) is by setting aside up to 8 - 10 weeks to debrief this process. Further, groups will have goodbye parties throughout Period IV when both individuals and the group as a whole end. (If you will be sending in a treat, please be mindful of allergies and send in ONLY STORE BOUGHT SNACKS SO THAT WE CAN SEE THE INGREDIENTS. Please, no homemade snacks.)

Also, the structure of the group will start to shift. For example, groups may have a longer "check-in" time or may go to the park as a way of highlighting that the group can tolerate a different approach because they have worked so hard.

Because of the importance and emphasis we place on the ending we ask that you let us know in advance if there are changes in your originally contracted Period IV enrollment. This will give the staff and the group an opportunity to end the experience properly.

The Academy of Physical and Social Development
425 Rear Watertown Street, Newton, MA 02458

Phone: (617) 969-2200   ***  Fax: (617) 244-4906  ***  Email: info@academynewton.com