Looking forward to a splendid summer!
June 2018
Dear Friends,
Here at Arugot we are in the midst of our summer activities.
Following the long winter months, summer has brought with it new growth. Children have progressed and are flourishing in their newfound development; exiting collaborative agreements have been initiated and we plan ahead for the next school year.
In this newsletter we are proud to present you with some of our latest developments and activities.
Wishing you a pleasant summer,
            Jeremiah Lubasch, MD                           Jacob Vizel 
              President & Founder                                 Director   
Launching of a New Project
A meeting between Arugot Administration and Prof. Rivka Yahav, Head of the Interdisciplinary Clinical Center at the Haifa University and her staff, took place at Arugot. 

 On the agenda was a collaborative project between the Haifa University and Arugot to identify and treat children with developmental delays. The project offers a range of intervention strategies (speech and occupational therapies) within the regular preschool framework. Prof. Rivka Yahav, in her position as Director of the Interdisciplinary Clinical Center and Head of the Psychotherapy Department has developed this innovative outreach model. The two teams reached an agreement and Prof. Yahav and her staff will work hand in hand with Arugot staff in local preschools.

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Expanding Afula Branch
January marked the opening of a second branch of Arugot in Afula. The beginnings were modest, starting with emotional therapy, one day a week. Slowly, or not so slowly, we've been employing new therapists, as the word gets out about our Center. To date we have Art Therapy, Music Therapy, Movement Therapy and Sports Therapy with a growing waiting list of children who need our services. We hope to launch the paramedical department with speech and occupational therapies when school starts in September. This will enable children with developmental delays in the area of language and sensory development to receive important therapies. We are now fundraising to purchase equipment to expand our Afula branch. We need your help!
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Visitors at Arugot
Ilana Truk and Naftali Fried, Haifa Municipality representatives from the Department of Education visited Arugot and showed a keen interest and appreciation of our work.

Yafit Segev, Head of Welfare Department, Northern Branch of Israel Electric Corporation visited Arugot and proudly presented a donation from the Employees Committee to purchase equipment in our newly opened branch in Afula.

Students from all over the world studying at the Haifa University  International School visited Arugot together with lecturer Dr. Esther Carmel Hakim as part of a course on "Women in Israel". 
At Arugot they met two mothers from the local community who described their families and life in Israel – a culture unknown to the students. The meeting was a real eye opener for the students who thanked the mothers for their openness and for an unforgettable experience.

Behind the Scenes

"When success means saying: Goodbye"
We recently participated in a farewell party for Tamar in our preschool for 4 year olds. Tamar has graduated to a regular preschool where she will continue her schooling until first grade in a year's time. 
Picture: Therapy in action in Art Room with a Psychodrama Therapist
The staff shared their excitement with us:
"Tamar spent close to two years in our preschool. Suffering from a classic case of Selective Mutism, she didn’t communicate verbally with staff and friends, although at home she did express herself. Slowly Tamar learnt how to trust the staff, and together with the intensive team work in the preschool and the emotional therapy she received at Arugot Therapy & Learning Center, she started to show significant improvement. From the beginning of her second year in Arugot's preschool she was integrated part of the week in a regular preschool, and now towards the end of the school year she is ready to spend the entire week there. She has social skills and participates happily in all activities. For us it is enough to see the smile on her face. We wish her a successful future."
 Activities in Developmental Preschools

Amazing results in Developmental Preschools run by Arugot. Measuring success by following our graduates to the frameworks they learn in after they leave Arugot, we are proud to report this year's results: 77% of graduates of Arugot Developmental Preschools will continue next year in regular frameworks.

Planting, watering and nurturing are an integral part of preschool activities with occupational therapists. Not only is the process itself a lot of fun, but the end results give the children much satisfaction when they see their own flowers blossoming and vegetables sprouting.

Balloons, balloons, balloons
Mr Ariel Azougi, from Bank Discount – Beit Hakranot Branch continues to take an interest in Arugot Preschool children, this time with a fun activity donated using balloons. Children played with balloons while learning about colors, texture and shapes.

Events at Arugot, Therapy and Learning Center

A well-attended evening for mothers of children at Arugot Therapy and Learning Center took place. Two lectures on the topic of “The Good Enough Mother” (based on Winnicott’s theories) and experiential workshops contributed to the overall success of the event. Mothers received empowering coping tools after a well spent evening in the company of the professional staff at Arugot.

School Readiness

During the summer, groups of children scheduled to start first grade in September, are participating in innovative groups that simulate a classroom.   
The room is set up as a real classroom with tables and chairs, children come with a school bag and school supplies and the ringing of the bell indicates the end of a lesson. An occupational therapist teaches a range of important skills that are new to preschool children. She will target issues that address: motor skills, organization, cognitive ability, social interaction, dealing with frustration and delaying gratification, prewriting skills and basic math. Based on previous experience, this important service has been praised by both parents and first grade teachers.
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