Dear NLG Parent/Guardians,
My name is Marta Wolf, mother of Natasha, a student at NLG. Natasha is our enlightenment in so many ways and she is also our challenge as parents. She is 17 years old and she has autism. Our commitment and biggest challenge is to help her succeed as best she can.
In 2012, our family decided to relocate from Virginia in search of a good vocational program for our daughter. I visited most of the private schools in MA. After touring NLG, I knew I found what I was looking for.
NLG has surpassed all my expectations by providing much more than a good vocational program. I’m so impressed with the level of services, quality, compassion and individuality. Natasha has attended similar (private 1:1 ABA certified) schools her whole life and never were we offered consultations and parent trainings at home. Daily outings in the community, swimming, dentist visits at school, and transportation are all part of a tailored individualized plan to address her specific needs. We never dreamed of having such services be part of Natasha’s school schedule. We work as a team and I was given a voice within. I no longer have to struggle to be heard!
These are all the reasons I have joined the Annual Fund Committee as a Co-Chair. NLG constantly improves the daily life of my daughter and family, I want to give back to the school that is giving its all. I look forward to getting to know each one of you and join together to support NLG.
My name is Carol Rakers, mother of Samantha, a student at NLG for the past 6 ½ years. Since she came to NLG she has grown into a young lady who my husband and I couldn’t be prouder of. She has come so far in her behaviors, communication, expressing herself, as well as entering adolescence with much less anxiety than we anticipated.
Thanks to her wonderful team at NLG who put everything into Samantha’s daily program to make her day to day routine much more bearable. It is such a great feeling to have a team ready and willing to listen whenever needed. All I have to do is mention a particular issue or behavior I would like to work on or change with Samantha. The team is willing and ready to work on it very quickly.
We were so lucky to be able to send Samantha to NLG and with this is why I am glad to become a Co-Chairperson for the Annual Fund for Nashoba Learning Group.
As you may know, funding from our cities and towns, Department of Developmental Services and MassHealth do not fully cover the cost of educating our children and serving them as adults. Some of the very special ingredients that make Nashoba so successful and that constitute key elements of our children’s education are funded through philanthropy. For instance, the professional development and training that teachers receive is funded through grants and donations. Also, the specialized staff who are so critical to our kids’ success in learning to manage their behavior so they can participate in learning, the community, work, and life activities, are also funded through philanthropy. Specialist resources for our students using augmentative communication also are paid for outside of public funding.
Throughout the year NLG calls upon families and friends to support the school in various ways. Thank you for your ongoing commitment to the school. We are writing to ask you to donate to NLG’s Annual Fund, if you have not already done so. We look forward to reaching out to you with our Phone-A-Thon on March 22nd. Last year’s Phone-A-Thon was a great way to kick off the Annual Fund Spring Ask. We hope to involve even more parents and reach our goal of 100% participation.
Thank you for all that you do for NLG. If you have any questions, comments or want more information, please do not hesitate to contact us at LCRakers@verizon.net or martawolf44@icloud.com.
Sincerely,
Carol, Marta & Brendan
Carol Rakers, Marta Wolf, & Brendan Cheever
Annual Fund Co-Chairperson
