Maiden Choice School

School Programs

Below you will find a basic description of programs & services that are offered and housed at Maiden Choice School. If you would like further information about a program or service, please contact the school or go to our individual Teacher/Staff website section.

Student Groupings
The educational programs are designed for students who require a comprehensive, special education setting for the entire school day. Instructional areas reflect the Baltimore County Public Schools Life Skills Curriculum, and include Personal Management, Community, Career/Vocational, Recreation/Leisure, Communication/Decision Making/Interpersonal, and Functional Academics. Students are grouped by age and special needs as follows:

Pre-School/Pre-Kindergarten (3-4 years) and Kindergarten (5 years) - Students participate in a half-day (Pre-School/Pre-Kindergarten) or full day (Kindergarten), developmentally based, structured program.
Elementary/Middle/High School (6-21 years) - Students participate in a full day program with an emphasis on increasing independence in all Life Skills curricular domains.
Occupational Program (16-21 years) - Students in the occupational program are encouraged to develop functional academic and self-responsibility skills that are incorporated within a variety of vocational/exploration experiences. The program emphasis is on transitioning young adults from school into the adult world of work and community life. Skills necessary to promote independence are emphasized. Based on student abilities and interests, a sequence of vocational training experiences is provided to refine potential employment areas.

Special Area Subjects

Adapted Physical Education - The adapted physical education program encompasses traditional physical education programs, which are adapted to the individualized educational program of each student. Emphasis is placed on hand-eye coordination, flexibility, strength and stamina.
Art - The art program encompasses the basic elements of art using a multi-sensory approach. Line, color, form, texture, value, shape, and space are explored by a variety of mediums. Students are encouraged to create individual, group, and school based projects.
Library - The library media program at Maiden Choice School supports the educational goals of the school, serves all students and staff, and is an integral part of the instructional process. Students participate in a variety of instructional activities designed to teach functional library skills and to encourage an understanding and appreciation of print and non-print resources.
Music - Music is a multi-sensory experience, which incorporates listening, seeing, moving, and feeling in order to help reinforce the development of cognitive, affective, and psychomotor skills. Students are encouraged to actively participate in music activities.

Related Services

Audiology - The educational/pediatric audiology program based at the Maiden Choice School serves the SW area of Baltimore County Public Schools, as well as some schools in the central area. Services include clinical audiology, installation/maintenance of classroom amplification equipment, and IEP teams. Services to Child Find and Infants & Toddlers’ students are also provided at this site.
Health Services - The Health Suite is staffed with two full time RNs, two part time RNs, and two full time health assistants. The goal of the nursing staff is to meet the many complex health needs of our students so that they can access their educational programs.
Occupational Therapy – The occupational therapy (OT) program at Maiden Choice School focuses on enabling students with disabilities to be functional participants in their educational environment. OT, through direct and indirect services, addresses fine motor, visual-perceptual, sensory processing, and self-help skills to aid in implementing students' educational programs.
Physical Therapy - Physical therapy promotes sitting, standing and mobility skills. These abilities require a sequential/individualized plan of motor control. Students often receive hands-on service to render the appropriate manual techniques that only a therapist can provide. Training to staff to assist students is performed when the handling methods become less technical. Routine monitoring for postural alignment in wheelchairs, alternative seating and mobility devices is also provided to insure progress towards independence.
Speech-Language Therapy - In order to provide our students with the communication skills needed in achieving independence, the speech-language pathologists deliver services through consultation, classroom collaboration, small group and individual therapy, and through community based instruction. Augmentative and alternative communication strategies including gestures, basic manual sign language, picture communication displays, and voice output devices are used throughout the school by all staff working with the students to promote their becoming effective communicators.

Support Services

Alt-MSA Facilitation - The Alternate Maryland School Assessment (Alt-MSA) was developed for students with severe disabilities who cannot participate in the MSA even with accommodations, as determined by the individual student's IEP team. The Alt-MSA assesses and reports student mastery of individually selected indicators and objectives from the reading and mathematics content standards. A portfolio is constructed of evidence that documents individual student mastery of the assessed reading and mathematics objectives.
Guidance - The guidance counselor participates in the intake process for new students, coordinates the Best Buddies program with UMBC students, assists parents/guardians with transitioning of Maiden Choice students to post-graduate day programs, and serves as a liaison with community agencies and parents/guardians to provide information and/or problem solve.
School Social Work – The school social worker acts as the liaison between the school and home, providing services such as case management, counseling, crisis intervention, home visits, staff training, and parent education to students, parents and staff.

Special Programs & Services

Bookmobile - Convenient access to the Baltimore County Public Library is provided by Library on the Go, Jr., and a bookmobile, which stops regularly at Maiden Choice School for one half hour every two weeks. The 24-foot bookmobile van houses about 2000 items, including fiction and nonfiction books for adults and children, as well as books on tape.
Bay Buddies - The Bay Buddies program is a one- week summer camp that features experiential activities such as sailing, therapeutic horseback riding, crafts, a planting project, and field trips in the Baltimore Harbor area. It combines teachers and assistants from Maiden Choice, who provide knowledge of the child; with instructors from the Living Classrooms Foundation, who develop and provide a variety of exciting activities. The Arc of Baltimore and Baltimore County Recreation and Parks help to provide funding for the program.
Best Buddies - Maiden Choice students, ages 14 to 21 who have functional communication skills and appropriate behavior, are given one-to-one friendship matches with UMBC students for various individual and group socialization opportunities. Each pair of students is responsible for making contact with one another on a weekly basis, and seeing each other at least twice a month.
Bowling - The bowling program enables students to travel to and participate in bowling in a community setting. Some students may use adaptive equipment to enable them to participate successfully.
CBI Trips - The Community Based Instruction Program at Maiden Choice School provides students with the opportunity to access community resources while learning functional living skills. Many parents have praised this program, noting the progress their children have made with behaving appropriately and accessing services in the community. Students are given the opportunity to master many valuable skills such as making purchases at stores, ordering food from a menu, and making money exchanges.
Cultural Enrichment - The Cultural Enrichment Team consists of 3 teachers: Mr. Levin (Art), Mrs. Ricker (Music), and Mr. Johnson (Adapted Physical Education). The team implements a variety of off- site excursions & school-based assemblies/programs for students & staff. Each team member blends his or her content area into the activity, enriching the student’s exposure to the event.
Extended School Year (ESY) – ESY occurs during the summer break, and follows the BCPS Summer School calendar. A students’ eligibility for participation in the ESY program is determined during IEP Team meetings.
Functional Literacy - Students participate in literacy activities that encourage meaningful interaction and communication in the school and community. Students work with functional words, personal information, and functional number skills. School-made literacy booklets with photos, picture symbols, and print extend the instructional activities and enhance student learning.
MOVE - Maiden Choice School is an international Model Site for the Mobility Opportunities Via Education (MOVE) Program. This curriculum-based program promotes development of sitting, standing, and walking skills, and is integrated into daily instructional tasks. Students practice sitting, standing, and walking with increased independence as they move throughout the building and in the community, participate in special area subjects, eat lunch in the cafeteria, and complete classroom tasks and routines.
Southwest Resource Center -The Southwest Resource Center for Families and Schools is located in the Annex Building of Maiden Choice School. The phone number is (410) 887-3646 and the hours are M, W, TH, & F from 9am-4pm, and Tuesdays from 10am-5pm when Baltimore County Public Schools are in session. The center serves parents and teachers in the educational community in making instructional materials. Some of the services are laminating, copying, poster making, letter and die cutting, binding, and button making. There is also a collection of idea books, and general information for parents. Fees may apply to consumable supplies.
Summer Camp - The Maiden Choice Camp is offered through the Arbutus Recreation and Parks Office, and offers five weeks of fun for campers with special needs. Activities include indoor and outdoor games, great arts and crafts, music, movies, weekly theme parties, and a huge barbecue/picnic to which everyone is invited. In addition, the camp typically hosts several professional entertainment groups each year.
Swimming - The swimming program involves selected students from several classes who participate in swimming classes at the Southwest YMCA on a weekly schedule. Instruction includes basic swimming skills to therapeutic aquatic activities.

Updated: Friday, March 12, 2004