Allison Rezendes, Vocational Program Coordinator at Raymond Hill School.
Raymond Hill School [RHS], the special education facility of Klingberg Family Centers, is a very busy place where students are learning and growing in many ways! Currently 110 children and teens are enrolled in grades K-12, having been referred to RHS after struggling through repeated negative experiences and failure in other settings. [Additionally, there are two students currently enrolled in the RHS ‘5th Year’ program.] RHS seeks to reconnect children with the learning process, while providing a safe and stable environment in which students receive the specialized services they need. One such service is a thorough vocational assessment of each high-school and 5th Year student, to ensure that their training extends beyond the classroom.
According to Allison Rezendes, Vocational Program Coordinator at RHS, the vocational program is designed, among other things, to identify a student’s personal interests to further help him or her prepare for the future. Every graduate moves on from RHS with an individualized vocational assessment, a resume and cover letter, plus references from on-campus and/or off-campus employment experiences.
The vocational placement process at RHS provides students with opportunities to learn about the ‘working world’ and help prepare them for independence. According to Allison, “we’ve had a lot of success” placing students in employment settings throughout central CT, and even beyond. Allison and her staff have placed students with such nationally recognized employers as Marshalls, Sports Authority and Walgreens, as well as local employers such as Animal Hospital of Berlin, Avery’s Beverages, East Side Restaurant, Flight Trampoline Park, Max II Pizza and Story Brothers Automotive. The vocational placement process is one more reason why so many RHS students are excited and hopeful about the future!
For information about becoming a Raymond Hill School vocational placement site, please contact Allison directly at allison.rezendes@Klingberg.org. To arrange for a brief tour of RHS, please contact Peter Burk at peterb@Klingberg.org.