Placements Elm Street
educational & therapeutic consulting
September/October 2019
ELMSTREETPLACEMENTS.COM
A Split-Second Decision
FRAN SCHLENOFF’S COMPASSION PUSHES HER BEYOND THE CLASSROOM S ome of my favorite memories from my childhood are when I would join my dad in his classroom. While the math he was teaching never appealed to me, the connections he made with his students motivated me to pursue a career in education.
Initially, I considered teaching at an elementary level, but I ultimately landed in my first classroom as an eighth-grade social studies teacher. From there, I moved into varying grade levels — from fourth grade to college — before switching to a school counselor position. Yet, I still wasn’t building the relationships I knew students needed, so I pursued a doctoral degree in educational leadership. This allowed me to become the director of guidance at a school district, and, eventually, I moved into a principal position. Throughout my education career, the kids who stole my heart were the ones who were trying and struggling to find their way. I wanted to do so much for these families and kids, but, with a limited budget, dwindling resources, and untrained staff, it was nearly impossible. I was heartbroken to know we were failing these kids, so I made the difficult decision to retire and find an opportunity to help them elsewhere.
Meanwhile, a friend of mine kept pestering me about meeting with Lucy Pritzker because of our shared interests. So, I met with her, and it turns out, my friend was right. Near the end of our conversation, Lucy said to me, “I like your perspective and your background. Would you be interested in working with us?”
I will always love education and my family’s connection to it. (My son is
Without a second of hesitation, I said, “Oh, my God, I would love to.”
continuing our tradition and started his first teaching position this fall. Just like his mom, he’s teaching eighth-grade social studies!) But the drive to help every child find a classroom and learning style that fits their needs and meets them where they are will always be my passion. I want to find the program, school, or organization that helps families become whole again, and every day at Elm Street Placements, I get to do just that.
My husband teased me about how fast I made this decision. I take an agonizing amount of time to make decisions, but I knew this is what I was meant to do. This time, I was right. For the past year, I have spent my time traveling across the country, meeting with unbelievable people who care deeply for their students and connecting children and families to programs that will help children find their full potential.
-Fran Schlenoff
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How to Effectively Protect Your Intellectual Property
Intellectual Property and Your Business
Intellectual property is defined by Merriam-Webster as “property (such as an idea, invention, or process) that derives from the work of the mind or intellect.” As you can no doubt glean from this definition, intellectual property can be a lot of things, so it’s important to identify and protect you and your business’s intellectual property. Here are the main categories and protections for your company’s creations. TRADE SECRETS A trade secret is any useful piece of information that the public doesn’t know about and the owner has taken steps to protect. If you have taken the steps necessary to protect your own trade practices, you may have a case if you ever discover your trade secret has been leaked. Having your employees sign a nondisclosure agreement (NDA) is a great way to initially establish your unique business practices as trade secrets. TRADEMARKS The name of your business, product, or service — anything a customer uses to identify a product — generally requires a trademark. This may include your company’s name, product name, etc. Think of the distinctive Nike “Swoosh” and the familiar ending sound of Dell’s commercials. To properly protect your trademark, file a trademark application to have it registered. COPYRIGHTS Most people seek protection under copyright law for a variety of things related to their product or business, like images, specific words on packaging, labeling, the actual product, and the
business webpage. The best thing about copyright registration is that it’s inexpensive. Plus, the
law allows you to demand attorney fees from those who infringe on your copyright. PATENTS Patents are a fantastic way to protect your designs, and companies have utilized patents to maintain their
competitive advantage. A great example of this strategy is when Sony Pictures patented their animation
style for “Spider-Man: Into the Spider Verse” which grossed over $375,502,565. There are two types of patents: one for utility (function) and one for design (aesthetic). To apply for a patent, register with the United States Patent Office. Regardless of the type of intellectual property you have, it’s important you identify what type it is and which type of protection is most appropriate. Even a small amount of intellectual property is worth protecting, so start the process now to safeguard it.
WHY BOARDING SCHOOL WORKS FOR DIFFICULT KIDS
Set Up for Success
table mate. In addition, intentionally small class sizes give students individualized attention and teacher support.
SCHOOL CULTURE AND INDEPENDENCE A boarding school’s culture is contagious. When a student’s peers are all positively engaged, it tends to bring the outliers along, too. Because parents aren’t immediately accessible, boarding students rely on other adults and ultimately learn skills they may otherwise rely on their parents for. HIGH-INTEREST, QUALITY OF LIFE, AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITIES At a boarding school, what happens after school is just as important as what happens in the classroom. Difficult children tend to have fewer issues when they are
The consultants at Elm Street Placements work with families seeking boarding schools and programs for students with special-learning, social, and/or emotional needs. Some of these students really struggle at home and can be difficult to parent. Our consultants have seen the benefit of boarding schools for these children and teens — and in some cases, they don’t need a therapeutic school. Elm Street Placements founder and consultant Lucy Pritzker says, “Boarding schools are an underutilized opportunity for families who have children who aren’t thriving in a typical family setting,” Pritzker explains. “Boarding schools inherently provide a lot of what difficult kids need.” PREDICTABILITY, TRANSITIONING, AND SMALL CLASSES The predictability of a boarding school helps difficult children thrive. The schools are organized to ensure a routine, and they don’t have the challenge of a family’s busy and changing schedule. Transitions that occur in boarding schools are easier for students because their dorm parent may also be their teacher and breakfast-
engaged in activities they enjoy, and boarding schools provide high-interest activities including wilderness survival classes, competitive and noncompetitive sports, fine arts, video game creation, and go-karting. Students remain physically active, outdoors, and engaged, which is beneficial for students with ADHD or dysregulated behaviors. In addition, related services are often integrated into the classroom.
Collaborate with our consultants to find a boarding school that fits your clients’ specific needs by calling 908-228-2212.
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Summertime Adventures
Where in the World are Lucy, Kathy, and Fran?
Elm Street Placements’ educational and therapeutic consultants Lucy Pritzker, Kathy Nauta, and Fran Schlenoff didn’t break for summer vacation. The trio continued their collaboration and engagement with developmental, mental health, and educational professionals. MONITORING PROGRESS This July, Lucy visited with staff at Franklin Academy to receive updates on Elm Street Placements’ students. In addition, she learned about the latest advancements and programs at the school. Lucy, Kathy, and Fran visited with wilderness therapy program professionals to learn about staffing and program changes this July, too. SHARING OUR EXPERTISE In May, Kathy shared her knowledge with the greater community. She presented a National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) lecture titled “Ending the Silence” on behalf of the Sussex County chapter of NAMI New Jersey for Lenape Valley Regional High School students. Kathy also presented about the schools, programs, and levels of care Elm Street Placements collaborates with to a group of child and adolescent
psychiatric residents at Mt. Sinai Hospital in New York City.
NETWORKINGWITH PROFESSIONALS Kathy and Lucy attended the 5 Under 50 networking event this June, which allowed them to collaborate with five New England boarding schools with less than 50 students.
NEWOPPORTUNITIES This May, Kathy attended the Gill St. Bernard’s open house to learn about local day schools. She also toured two programs in Connecticut, including a full-service organization that helps those with disabilities live independently and a transitional-schooling program that services adults with special needs. Finally, Lucy jetted off to Israel this August to learn about two therapeutic programs designed for American teens and young adults. If you would like to learn more about the programs and schools we visit, or if you would like to suggest a networking opportunity for our team, we would love to hear from you. Visit ElmStreetPlacements.com or call 908-228-2212 to collaborate with us.
SUDOKU
CACIO E PEPE
Italian for “cheese and pepper,” cacio e pepe is like a refined version of mac and cheese. It’s crowd-pleasing enough to satisfy the pickiest eaters and refined enough to sate the foodies.
INGREDIENTS
• 6 oz pasta, ideally spaghetti or bucatini • 3 tbsp unsalted butter, cubed and divided • 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 3/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese, ideally Parmigiano-Reggiano • 1/3 cup finely grated pecorino cheese • Kosher salt, for pasta water and to taste
DIRECTIONS
1. In a large pot, bring 3 quarts of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook, stopping 2 minutes short of desired doneness. Drain pasta, reserving 1/2 cup of pasta water. 2. In a large pan over medium heat, melt 2 tbsp butter. Add pepper and cook until toasted and aromatic, about 1 minute. Add reserved pasta water and bring to a simmer. 3. Transfer pasta and remaining butter to pan and reduce heat to low. Add Parmesan cheese and cook until melted, tossing pasta throughout. Remove pan from heat and add pecorino, continuing to toss until cheese is melted and sauce coats pasta. 4. Transfer to bowls and serve.
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Building Relationships With Students Types of Intellectual Property Why You Should Consider Boarding School Elm Street Placements Logs Summer Miles
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Cacio e Pepe
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A Look at What Evernote Has to Offer
In the Office or On-the-Go, Evernote Has You Covered RESOURCE OF THE MONTH: EVERNOTE
Simply put, many businesses would not be where they are today without Evernote. Evernote is a simple and intuitive form of cloud- based storage that allows its users to organize, create, and store files of various media. Instead of risking the catastrophic loss that can come as the result of a crashed hard drive or a lost laptop, Evernote boasts a software that provides its customers with full access to a cloud that can store a seemingly endless amount of information. Many businesses have taken up the company on their offer of technological salvation in order to organize their programs through its many archiving options and note-taking services, which make sharing and collaborating easier than ever. The benefits to Evernote are expansive. The company provides platforms to manage as many different areas of your life and business as you want, all while being incredibly simple to navigate. It’s not just for businesses either; anything like planning a vacation or figuring out how to pay for college is easy to organize. Your files on the platform are easily accessible later on. The most attractive feature is that its cloud can be accessed from any smartphone, tablet, or desktop, so that wherever you go, Evernote will be there with you. To accompany this on-the-go feature, you can also easily sync your Evernote program with Google Drive and Microsoft Outlook.
Evernote has multiple tiers for accounts based on how comprehensive you want your
program to be. If you’re looking for a basic storage system that allows for easier note taking, geo-tagging services for files, screenshotting, etc., then the free version would be more than enough for
your purposes. The premium versions, however, offer a broader suite of services that can dramatically change how you run your business. Once you go behind the paywall, you are granted options for easier and more expansive sharing, ad-free usage, search options for PDFs, a backlog of notes history, and larger upload capacities. No matter what option works best for you, Evernote can take your business and personal life to the next level.
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