Hey Springfield… Let’s Play OUTSIDE!

“Let’s play OUTSIDE!” are words that we hope to hear very soon at New Horizons Academy’s Springfield Campus. After over two years of grant writing and fundraising, we hope to break ground mid-April on our long awaited playground project. Our hope is to unveil this fully accessible, multi-sensory playground in August to kick off the new school year.

After years of playing in the school hall and sensory room, NHA’s kiddos are ready to break free, soak in the green therapy, and PLAY!

Educators know that play is about more than just recreational activities, recess, or break time for our students. Play helps children, of all ability levels, increase their physical fitness, reduce obesity, gain emotional and mental mastery, lay the groundwork for creative thinking, promote cognitive development and reasoning, develop their fine and gross motor skills, improve their problem solving abilities, and offer them opportunities to try out new social patterns and behaviors.

This fully inclusive, multi-sensory playground will offer children and youth of all ability levels and their families a place to explore, discover, and grow together. The play area will address the needs of typically developing children, as well as, children with neurological, intellectual, and physical disabilities. It will be rich in sensory experiences, music and movement, physical fitness, social interactions, and physical challenges. The playground will also naturally expand and enhance NHA’s physical education, rehabilitation, conductive education, wellness, therapeutic and recreational programs.

The playground will feature many different elements that our special needs kids will love including—swinging, spinning, climbing, sliding, balancing, rocking, dancing, strengthening their bodies, integrating their senses, and listening to music from adaptive outdoor switches. The playground equipment will include inclusive, adaptable swings, slides, rockers, climbers, obstacle courses, parallel bars, balance beams and musical instruments.

We are super excited that the playground will also now feature three sensory rings. Children can engage with visual, tactile, and auditory sensors, including sound panels that feature interaction with adaptive switch inputs.

For green therapy, there will also be a large grassy area for students to explore, discover, and sit on for outdoor classes, activities, and reading. There truly is something for everyone!

Among the organizations and groups, which have helped make this dream a reality, are—the LPGA Dana Open, the Ohio Elks Cerebral Palsy (CP) Fund, Lockrey Manufacturing, Everence, Giving Tuesday 419, the NHA Fun Run/Walk, and many, many caring individuals and families. Donations are still being accepted, so please consider giving today or walking in the NHA Fun Run/Walk in September.

Playground Timelines:

Mid-April—Begin cutting out the blacktop and pavement for the foundation.
May—Installation of fence posts and the temporary construction fence.
June—Prepping the foundation and drainage.
July—Playground equipment arrives, and installation begins.
Mid-July—Installation of the artificial grass playground surface.
Late-July—Installation of the 6’ high vinyl privacy fence around the playground and fob entry for safety and security.
Mid-August—Finalize playground equipment installation.
August 21—First Day of School & Unveiling of the Playground

What’s My Name?

NHA has such an awesome mascot. The kids absolutely love it when the eagle makes an appearance in their classrooms. There is so much joy and wonder as they jump around and give it hugs. However, we just realized that our eagle was missing something very important… a name.

We needed to fix that!

During Right to Read Week, we held a contest with the Wauseon and Springfield campuses to come up with a name for our amazing eagle mascot.

Classrooms submitted some very creative name ideas. Ballots were then collected in a beautiful eagle submission box created by our very own Ms. Nicole. The finalists were (in alphabetical order):

Apollo (Ms. Caryn)
Everest (Ms. Kara)
Joy (Ms. Janelle)
Ozzy (Ms. Anna)
Thunder (Ms. Renate)

All students and staff will receive a special gift this week to commemorate our mascot finally getting a name.

The winner is… (cue AC/DC music)… THUNDER!

Ms. Renate’s vocational studies class will get an additional treat for winning the contest and coming up with Thunder the Eagle’s name.

Upcoming Events Reminders

We have some exciting events just around the corner. Be sure to sign up today to secure your spot!

The 2023 “Drive Fore Hope” Charity Golf Scramble is scheduled for Friday, May 26. Do you have your team signed up yet? We have put together a fun-filled day at Ironwood Golf Course in Wauseon, Ohio and hope to see you there!

Event Date:	Friday, May 26, 2023
Event Location:	Ironwood Golf Course, Wauseon, Ohio
Event Cost:	$75 per Player \| $300 per Team

Event Registration & Sponsorship: CLICK HERE

The 2023 Wheel of Purses is scheduled for Thursday, July 13. Ladies, you’re not going to want to miss this fun-filled night out! Enjoy and evening with your friends while playing for fabulous purses from the designers you love. Win designer handbags by Coach, Michael Kors, Kate Spade, Ralph Lauren and Dooney & Bourke. Over 30 handbags are available to win!

Event Date:	Thursday, July 13, 2023
Event Location:	Founder’s Hall at Sauder Village, Archbold, Ohio
Event Cost:	$50 Single Ticket \| $400 Reserved Table of 8

Event Registration & Sponsorship: CLICK HERE

Our 2023 NHA Family Fun Run/Walk is scheduled for Sunday, September 17. We had such a fun time at last year’s inaugural event and are very excited for year two. Participants will be able to run, walk, push and pull strollers, wagons and wheelchairs in both a 1K walk and 5K run.

Event Date:	Sunday, September 17, 2023
Event Location:	New Horizons Academy, Wauseon, Ohio
Event Cost:	$30

Event Registration & Sponsorship: COMING SOON

For more information or questions on event participation or sponsorship, please contact Tara Dumas at 419-335-7272 or via email at tarad@sarasgarden.org.

NHA Field Days Announced

Mark Your Calendar!

With the end of the school year fast approaching, New Horizons Academy (NHA) has announced its 2023 Field Days. We wanted to make sure that all parents were aware of the dates, put them in their calendars, and made sure that their students were appropriately dressed for the weather (including sunscreen).

May 12 (Rain Date—May 15)
Wauseon Campus & Career Center
May 17 (Rain Date—May 18)
Springfield Campus

If you have any questions or concerns about your students’ participation in the Field Days or would like additional information about them, please call the NHA School Offices at 419-335-7272 or 567-703-1322.

NHA Year-End Awards Assemblies

New Horizons Academy (NHA) parents, caregivers & family members are warmly invited to celebrate our students’ accomplishments at the 2023 Year-End Awards Day assemblies on:

May 15 at 1:00 p.m.
Springfield Campus’ Sensory Room
May 16 at 1:00 p.m.
NHA Career Center’s Gym
May 17 at 1:00 p.m.
Wauseon Campus’ Hope Center Hall

These are always very special (and emotional) events. We look forward to seeing you there! For questions or more information, please call the NHA School Offices at 419-335-7272 or 567-703-1322.

Support Sara’s Garden through GoodShop

Amazon recently ended their AmazonSmile charity program. While this is very disappointing, we are so thankful and appreciative to everyone who has supported us through this program over the years.

If you would like to continue to support Sara’s Garden through your ongoing online purchases you can still do so through GoodShop.

Head over to GoodShop and choose Sara’s Garden as your charity of choice:

SIGN UP TODAY

2023 NHA Graduation Planned

New Horizons Academy (NHA) is so pleased and proud to announce its LARGEST graduating class yet with 11 students, graduating on Sunday, May 21, 2023 at 1:00 p.m. at the NHA Career Center, located at 854 S. Shoop Ave., Wauseon, OH 43567. The community is welcome to attend! All graduates are asked to arrive by noon.

NHA’s 11 graduates from the Class of 2023 include—Luke Chambers, Tony Conti, Tyler Davidoff, Hannah Engler, Gabe Hobby, Arek Jadwisiak, Noah Nagel, Logan Parker, Josh Parran, Cadince Ramirez, and Jackson Snider.

Luke Daniel Chambers—Is the son of Kirk and Carol Chambers. He has attended NHA for the last 10 years. Luke lives in the Liberty Center School District, plays on the Henry County Special Olympics Basketball Team, and works hard in the Special Grounds Kitchen. He has earned his Science and Community Service Graduation Seals, and he plans on exploring community work opportunities after graduation.
Anthony (Tony) Charles Conti, II—Is the son of Anthony and Priscilla Conti. He has attended NHA for the last nine years. Tony lives in the Wauseon School District, works in the Special Grounds Kitchen and Home Restaurant, is a gifted artist and space enthusiast (Check out his mural at the Fulton County Humane Society.), and enjoys playing with his dogs—Mordecai and Lacey in his spare time. He has earned his Science and Community Service Graduation Seals, and he plans on exploring work opportunities after graduation.
Tyler Robert Davidoff—Is the son of Patricia Hogan and is currently living with his Aunt Theresa Wehrle in the North Central School District. He has attended NHA for the last three years. Tyler works in the Special Grounds Kitchen, appreciates his work study placement at Pizza Hut, and enjoys reading and gaming in his spare time. He has earned his Citizenship, Science, and Community Service Graduation Seals; and he plans on exploring community work opportunities after graduation.
Hannah Lakota Engler—Is the daughter of Brian and Kristin Engler. She has attended NHA for the last six years. Hannah lives in the Archbold School District, has worked in her family’s Home Restaurant and The Barn’s kitchen, and enjoys playing with her dog-Hallie in her spare time. She has earned her Citizenship and Community Service Graduation Seals, and she hopes to work at McDonald’s after graduation.
Gabe (Gabriel) Alexander Hobby—Is the son of Shannon Hobby. He has attended NHA for his four years of high school. Gabe lives in the Pike-Delta-York School District, works in the Special Grounds Coffee Shop behind the counter and at the drive-thru window, and enjoys gaming in his spare time. He has earned his Science and Community Service Graduation Seals; and since he is good at finding flaws in computer programming, he hopes to enroll in a tech school in computer science in the future.
Arek Jason Jadwisiak—Is the son of Jeffrey and Christina Jadwisiak. He lives in the Springfield Local School District, has attended NHA’s Springfield Campus for the last four years, and is the third Springfield Campus graduate. In his free time, Arek enjoys reading, role playing games (RPG), and video gaming. He has earned his Citizenship and Science Graduation Seals, and he hopes to enroll in a tech school for coding in the future.
Noah Alan Nagel—Is the son of Lory and Greg Nagel. He lives in the Pike-Delta-York School District, has attended NHA for the last five years, is active in scouting, constructed benches for his community service project, and is currently finishing his Eagle Scout Award. Noah worked part-time at Chief Supermarkets, over the summer as a camp counselor at Camp Lakota, and at Special Grounds Coffee both behind the counter and in the Flavoring and Bagging Room. Noah has earned his Citizenship, Science, Community Service, and Student Engagement Graduation Seals; and he is considering attending a trade school in either electrical or welding in the short-term while still considering a career as a youth pastor.
Logan Kayle Parker—Is the son of Kristine and Paul Dick. He attended NHA for six non-consecutive years. Logan lives in the Patrick Henry School District, participates on the Henry County Special Olympics Bowling and Basketball Teams, and practiced his work skills at the NHA Career Center and Chief Supermarkets. He earned his Fine Arts and Community Service Graduation Seals, enjoys visiting Kaitlyn’s Cottage, and plans on exploring community work opportunities after graduation.
Joshua (Josh) William Parran—Is the son of Rick and Brenda Parran. He has attended NHA for the last 10 years. Josh lives in the Wauseon School District, has participated on the Fulton County Special Olympics Basketball and Track Teams, and practiced his work skills at the NHA Career Center and Ace Hardware. He earned his Fine Arts and Community Service Graduation Seals and plans on returning to NHA’s Career Center in the fall to continue honing his daily living and vocational skills (Students may stay at NHA through their 21st birthday.).
Cadince Amara Ramirez—Is the daughter of Tamina and Anthony Wright. She has attended NHA for the last eight years. Cadince lives in the Napoleon School District, has participated in the Soaring Arts Program, practiced her work skills at the NHA Career Center and Season’s Eating, and enjoys dancing and listening to music in her spare time. She earned her Fine Arts and Community Service Graduation Seals and hopes to work at Soaring Arts after graduation.
Jackson Timothy Snider—Is the son of Timothy and Jackie Snider. He has attended NHA for the last three years. Jackson lives in the Millcreek-West Unity School district, is active in his Wednesday Night Church Youth Group, and practiced his work skills at the NHA Career Center, Special Grounds Kitchen, Home Restaurant, and Chief Supermarkets. He earned his Fine Arts and Community Service Graduation Seals, plans on returning to NHA’s Career Center and Special Grounds Coffee in the fall to continue honing his vocational skills, and hopes to work at Marcos in the future making pizzas.

Congratulations to all of our graduates! We truly wish you the best, and we hope that everyone, who is able, will come out on Sunday, May 21 at 1:00 p.m. to celebrate their accomplishments at the NHA Career Center on S. Shoop Ave. in Wauseon.

2023 Summer Programs Reminder

Don’t forget! Our 2023 Summer Enrichment programs are quickly approaching and we are currently taking registrations for both our Wauseon and Springfield locations.

2023 Summer Program Dates:

Wauseon: June 5-30 (Registration deadline is May 1)
Springfield: July 10 – August 4 (Registration deadline is June 1)

If you are considering either of these programs, now is the time to register and arrange funding.

Sara’s Garden offers amazing summer intervention programs for children with disabilities. These month-long programs deliver inclusive therapies that provide interventions for individuals with a variety of conditions and disabilities.

Our caring and experienced staff of licensed therapists, conductors and paraprofessionals create unique, intensive therapy-based programs that are tailored to the needs of each participant and are designed to enhance your child’s developmental skills. This approach not only helps your child to work towards greater independence, it also keeps the regression of skills and development that typically occurs over the summer months at bay.

Goals of these programs include:

Improving Interpersonal Skills:

Relationship building
Responding to his/her name
Learning the names of peers
Basic conversation skills
Behavioral skill development

Improving Fine and Gross Motor Skills:

Range of motion
Sitting and standing
Walking and transfers
Self feeding
Independent living skills

Improving Language Skills:

Vocabulary knowledge and understanding
Basic concepts
Following verbally presented directions
Improving story comprehension
Improve Reading/Writing Skills

Improving Social Skills:

Greetings
Turn Taking
Initiating communication
Informing and directing others
Requesting

Our summer intervention programs also provide support for children who use augmentative communication systems (low tech or high tech) who have language and literacy skills and need more experience with peer to peer social skills.

We serve clients with (but not limited to): ADHD, Autism Spectrum Disorder, CDKL5, Cerebral Palsy, Down Syndrome, Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, Near Drowning, Seizure Disorders, Sensory Processing Disorders, Spina Bifida, Stroke and Traumatic Brain Injury.

Additional information is being compiled on potential funding and grant options for families in need of financial support.

For more information, please contact Ronda Rupp at 833.668.7272 or via email at rondar@sarasgarden.org.

Support Butch Kline

As many of you are aware, Butch went from being in good health to barely functioning in a matter of weeks. Just this past November, Butch received a clean bill of health from his doctor. His well check was normal. He was normal. There were no signs of any problems or concerns. Butch has always been a very active, busy person that never wanted to just sit still.

Everything changed a month later. From mid-December to mid-February, he lost 40 pounds. On February 24, 2023 he started losing his balance, having tremors, experiencing confusion and delusions and sleeping almost constantly. The doctors are all puzzled as to what is causing the rapid changes, and have no explanation as to what or why this is happening so fast. It is so hard to watch someone fail so quickly with no reason. We’ve been married going on 50 years in June and he is a totally different person and now, for his safety, needs constant supervision.

While inconclusive, all of the tests Butch has had are pointing to Lewy body dementia. Lewy body dementia is the second most common type of progressive dementia after Alzheimer’s disease. Protein deposits, called Lewy bodies, develop in nerve cells in the brain regions involved in thinking, memory and movement (motor control). Lewy body dementia causes a progressive decline in mental abilities. People with Lewy body dementia might have visual hallucinations and changes in alertness and attention. Other effects include Parkinson’s disease signs and symptoms such as rigid muscles, slow movement, walking difficulty and tremors.

We were recently reminded about Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) and learned that it has been successful in treating people who suffer from dementia. Inside a pressurized hyperbaric chamber the body begins to receive a healing dose of oxygen through the body’s fluids and plasma even if the blood vessel system to the needed tissue is compromised. When oxygen dissolves in the blood stream, it travels wherever the blood travels, effectively saturating all tissues. The delivery of oxygen using pressure does not require the use of red blood cells. As pressure increases, more oxygen is pushed into the cells and has been shown to reduce cognitive impairment.

Unfortunately, in the U.S. insurance companies do not recognize HBOT as being therapeutic for treatment of many conditions for which it is beneficial, including dementia, and will therefore not cover the cost of the treatments. That is why we could really use your help. We would like to take Butch to Sara’s Garden for Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy. HBOT for his condition is only $100 per treatment at Sara’s Garden (as opposed to $1,500-2,500 per treatment at a hospital). However, since our plan is for him to receive at least 40 HBOT treatments that cost adds up quickly.

If you could assist us with the cost (or even just part of the cost) of a single $100 treatment it would help reduce our overall expenses greatly. 100% of the funds received will go into an account in Butch’s name and will be used for his treatments. Any contribution made would be considered a tax-deductible donation as Sara’s Garden is a 501(c)(3) non-profit facility. Checks can be made out to Sara’s Garden with Butch’s name on a sheet of paper accompanying the check. Please do NOT write his name directly on the check. You can also donate online via credit card by clicking on the DONATE NOW button below.

Thank you so much for considering to support Butch’s treatments at Sara’s Garden!

Butch & Vicki Lynn Kline

DONATE NOW

Sara’s Garden is a 501(c)(3) organization. Your charitable contribution is tax deductible under 501(c)(3) of the IRS code, to the extent allowed by law. A receipt will be sent to you after your pledge has been received to use for tax purposes.

Support Jolie Heberling

I think you all know by now that I have this fun little condition called MS, or Multiple Sclerosis. While it is different for everyone, for me it has been causing exhaustion, difficulty finding words, and most recently, stability problems, walking issues and a spreading numbness on my right side. Fun, right?

I was diagnosed in January of 2007, and it has admittedly been a huge struggle. I try to have a good attitude about everything that has happened, so I don’t know if you all realize how much this has affected my life. The worst parts for me are the invisible symptoms; the frequent headaches, dizziness, fatigue, and occasional blurry vision have made things much more challenging and have kept me from being able to work or drive long distances.

I had settled into this “alternate reality,” as Erik and I have called it, and accepted my fate as a young, disabled woman who looks better than she feels. I didn’t think there were any other treatment options for me besides the injections that I have been giving myself to slow the progress and the occasional steroid treatments when things get really bad.

There is some good news though. I discovered Sara’s Garden and Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy while doing research on possible holistic treatment options. HBOT has been shown to reduce symptoms and slow the progression of conditions such as Multiple Sclerosis. HBOT accelerates the formation of blood vessels and nerve endings, reduces inflammation and swelling, and increases the production of stem cells by eight fold. I have tried a number of different treatment solutions over the years, but the most effective has always been Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy. Whenever I go in for these treatments, it always relieves my symptoms.

HBOT is used commonly for treatment of Multiple Sclerosis in other countries around the world. Unfortunately, in the United States insurance companies do not recognize HBOT as being therapeutic for the treatment of MS and therefore will not cover the cost for treatments. That is why we could really use your help. HBOT for MS is only $150 per treatment at Sara’s Garden. We try to take care of this financial responsibility ourselves. Recently, I went in earlier because the numbness and stability issues were getting worse than ever, so I went in sooner than we could afford.

If you could assist us with the cost (or even just a small part of the cost) of a single $150 treatment it would help reduce our overall expenses greatly. 100% of the funds received go into an account in my name and will be used for my treatments. Any contribution made would be considered a tax-deductible donation as Sara’s Garden is a 501(c)(3) non-profit facility. Checks can be made out to Sara’s Garden with my name on a sheet of paper accompanying the check. Please do NOT write my name directly on the check. You can also donate online by clicking on the DONATE NOW button below.

Thank you so much for considering the support of my treatments!

God’s blessings,

Jolie Heberling

DONATE NOW

Sara’s Garden is a 501(c)(3) organization. Your charitable contribution is tax deductible under 501(c)(3) of the IRS code, to the extent allowed by law. A receipt will be sent to you after your pledge has been received to use for tax purposes.