Pet Therapy Benefits Bonnie Brae Students

Pet Therapy Benefits Bonnie Brae Students

St. Hubert’s Animal Welfare Center, of Madison, has been offering therapy dog visits at Bonnie Brae since 2009. The volunteers from “St. Hubert’s Paws for People Program” visit Bonnie Brae three times each month. Staff clinician Victor Swenson introduced the program to the residents of Metcalf Cottage in 2009, and the program was expanded this year to include students from all three Bonnie Brae schools--New Rec, Pace, and the Main School.

Clinician Erin Reyhan said, “Each time a therapy animal interacts with a student, a positive effect can be seen. The therapy provides a short escape from the difficult reality our students live with, and also allows the students to interact closely with the dog handlers, offering valuable opportunities to work on their own communication and social skills. Additionally, we have been able to reach some of our more difficult students through the affection, support, and love that only a dog or venomous tree frog can offer.” Thanks to Victor Swenson, Erin Reyhan and Debra Gennaria for all their hard work on this outstanding and valuable project.

Field of Flags

9/11 Field of Flags
Event focuses on Remembrance, Respect and Recognition

Bonnie Brae will mark the ten year anniversary of 9/11 with a tribute to our local veterans, first responders, and those families who lost loved ones in the attacks on the World Trade Center. Bonnie Brae students have been busy covering the large front field of the campus with flags, staking one flag for each of the lives lost on September 11, 2001.

Many of the students residing at Bonnie Brae have only vague memories of the attacks, and some were too young to remember the day at all. School Principal Donna Crane and Coach Tom Melvin felt this was a positive way to educate the students about the day, while paying respect to our local veterans, first responders, as well as families that lost loved ones that day ten years ago.


Additionally, a luncheon will be held on campus September 9th. Invited guests will include the Basking Ridge Fire Department, Liberty Corner Fire Department and Rescue Squad, as well as local veterans residing at the Lyons Veterans facility across the street from Bonnie Brae. Principal Crane reflected: “The field of flags is a wonderful way to mark the occasion and pay our respects to those who continue to put their lives on the line to protect our community.” The flags will be displayed on the field for the next three weeks, and will be visible from Valley Road, the main street that passes in front of the 100 acre campus in Bernards Township.

A Garden Grows at the Brae

For many years, Bonnie Brae was officially known as "Bonnie Brae Farm for Boys." Many years have passed since the property functioned as a farm, but recently, a new garden has sprung up at Bonnie Brae. Our students have planted a wonderful garden full with tomatoes, cucumbers, onions and collard greens. They set up a stand and sold the organic veggies to the staff on campus. Plans are in the works to expand the sales to the public, we will keep you posted.

BARCLAYS TICKETS FORE CHARITY, PLAINFIELD CC, EDISON, NJ

WEEKLY PGA GROUNDS TICKETS: $ 50 (August 23 thru 28th, 2011)

Use promotional code: WBK6BD

OFFER EXPIRES AUGUST 14th, 2011 !!!

Our club has been contacted by Bonnie Brae, ( www.bonnie-brae.org), a nonprofit residential treatment facility which provides a comprehensive treatment program which enables boys and young men to learn the personal and life skills needed to return to their homes, communities, and society as independent. self sufficient and productive citizens, and to realize their full life potential. Bonnie Brae has coordinated with the PGA TOUR to sell Tickets for Charity. For the steep discounted price of $50, you will be able to purchase a Weekly Grounds Ticket to the 2011 Barclays tournament to be held at Plainfield Country Club, Edison, NJ from August 23rd thru August 28th, 2011. This ticket will allow an individual entry into the two practice rounds on Tuesday and Wednesday, plus the four competitive rounds from Thursday thru Sunday! This $50 Weekly Grounds Ticket is ONLY available through TICKETS FORE CHARITY and not to the general public. The best feature of this wonderful opportunity is that 75% of net proceeds benefit Bonnie Brae, and 25% will benefit The First Tee of Metropolitan New York. This is truly a win win situation for all participants! The PGA allows one child under age18 into the event with one ticketed adult. (One child under 18 per one ticketed adult).

If you are interested in purchasing tickets, (NO LIMIT ON NUMBER OF TICKETS), simply go to the Ticket Fore Charity website: www.buytfc.com, click on the Barclays, and input Bonnie Brae’s promotional code: WBK6BD (please note: code is case sensitive). You will be able to print –at- home tickets. The total cost of each ticket will be $ 56.50, which covers New Jersey state tax and ticketing fee. Feel free to pass this opportunity on to all your friends and family!

Bonnie Brae Renovates Transitional Housing in New Brunswick


Bonnie Brae, a residential school for boys in Liberty Corner, has completed renovations and expansion of a community-based transitional home in New Brunswick. The house, serving eight residents, was renovated with funds provided by a generous grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

Additionally, a grant to purchase new furniture was provided by The Hyde and Watson
Foundation. The renovations include the addition of two bedrooms, a computer/study area, a more spacious kitchen and updated bathrooms. The house provides Bonnie Brae’s older residents with access to community opportunities such as jobs, education, recreation and vocational training.

~~~~~~~~


Bonnie Brae (www.bonnie-brae.org) is a fully accredited, nationally-recognized residential treatment and special education center serving New Jersey’s boys and young men, ages 8 through 18. Since 1916, Bonnie Brae has successfully helped more than 9,500 young men overcome personal and family challenges, building new futures as productive citizens within their families and home communities. Bonnie Brae’s success rate is significantly higher than the national average.

The center is located on a 100 acre campus in Bernards Township, New Jersey. An additional community-based transitional residential treatment program in New Brunswick provides independent living skills to five youth transitioning from residential treatment back to their communities.

Bonnie Brae- Campus Activites 2011

Happenings at Bonnie Brae:


•Complete renovation of our New Brunswick transitional home so as to better serve eight of our older youth. These residents attend public school, work in the community, and volunteer for local non-profits.

• Bonnie Brae has become more environmentally conscious. Residents and staff serve together on the ESP, Environmental Sustainability Project, work group. Already the group has instituted campus wide recycling and has been busy educating us as to better ways to conserve our scarce natural resources.

•Bonnie Brae Builders continue to partner with Raritan Valley Habitat for Humanity in the construction of nine homes for low income families. Our young men have been involved in working on the foundations, creating walls, digging drainage ditches, roofing, and plumbing work.

• More than doubled the number of Bonnie Brae alumni being served in our aftercare program. Thanks to a generous grant from The Kirby Foundation our staff have been providing needed services in former residents’ home communities.

•The Bonnie Brae Knights, our renowned drum corps, have performed at the Hackettstown St. Patrick’s Day Parade, the Tartan Day Parade in New York City, and the Strawberry Festival in West Virginia.

•Our Bonnie Brae Ambassadors continue to provide valuable assistance to our non-profit community partners: Tunnel to Towers Run; The Matheny School, and Bridges Outreach.

Spring has Sprung at Bonnie Brae!

The snow has finally melted from campus,and the boys have been very busy with their Spring activities. Our Bonnie Brae Knights marched in the Tartan Day Parade in New York City on April 9th, and they really rocked the streets of Manhattan. The following week, the band played for the annual fundraiser Miles for Matheny. Bonnie Brae also sent a group of student volunteers to help cook the hamburgers and hotdogs for the runners at the picnic following the 5K Run. Back on campus, our students have been busy planting a vegetable garden as well as new oak trees on campus. They have been busy getting their bicycles repaired and ready to go for the warm weather, and of course the outside basketball court has been a popular spot too. Coming up in June, twenty of our students will travel to Pittsburgh to compete in the H'Olympics, a sporting event for teens living in residential facilities. They will be staying on the campus of Carnegie Mellon, and competing in track and field, softball and swimming. Other Bonnie Brae events for the spring include the Scottish Games on June 4th, right here on the Bonnie Brae Campus, and the following week the Polo Classic will take place on June 11th, in Pittstown, New Jersey. For more information about Bonnie Brae or any of the upcoming events, visit www.bonnie-brae.org.

The lastest from Bonnie Brae

Spring is in the air (well, almost) here on the Bonnie Brae campus. The students have been enjoying some outdoor activities like biking and basketball. A group of students recently enjoyed a trip to NYC, where they were treated to lunch and a matinee showing of Billy Elliot. They enjoyed the play very much, as well as the train ride into the city. Coming up this week, the first ever Chess Tournament here on campus. About 12 students will participate and word has it..some of these kids can play! Mark your calendar: The Scottish Games will take place on June 4th here on the Bonnie Brae campus, and the following week, June 11th, get ready for the Polo Classic, taking place at Fieldview Farm in Pittstown, New Jersey. For more informatiom, call Cathy Phillips at (908) 647-4700.

Bonnie Brae in the snow

The campus looks wonderful in the snow.

Winter at Bonnie Brae

FROM THE C.E.O.

Santa panic? No way. Upon his quiet arrival at Bonnie Brae, Santa confronts the first of many challenges. Having lost considerable weight in the off-season Santa is badly in need of costume augmentation. What no jolly red belly? So, having been to Bonnie Brae before, Santa resourcefully trundles off alone, where are those elves when you most need them, to the oak shed. The oak shed is a small building on the grounds that houses new pillows, sheets and blankets for new residents. However on this night, of all nights, there are many sheets and blankets. No pillows. What’s Santa to do. Panic? No, not yet.
Sporting a new more buff and trim appearance, perhaps the beginning of a new trend – the healthy Santa, the Jolly One sets off, alone still, where are those elves, to spend some quiet time in the canteen. The canteen is conveniently located in the lower level of the gym. From his hiding place Santa can hear staff and residents thoroughly enjoying this year’s magic show. The magic show is staged each year directly after the holiday dinner so that the elves have time to load cheerfully wrapped presents into each of the on-campus cottages. Waiting in the dark for the show to end Santa decides to up the anticipation level a notch or two. With everyone facing the other end of the gym, watching some incredible feats of magic, Santa slips unnoticed into the gym. Hiding behind a post at the top of the gym Santa can enjoy the show and, sure enough, before very long Santa is noticed by one of our more observant children, pointing, nudge nudge, some giggles, Santa quickly returns to his hiding place.
The show ends. The elves return. Residents and staff head back to their cottages. The long wait is almost over. From his hiding place Santa hears: I saw him, I saw him. Mission accomplished. Now the real fun begins. Santa is bundled into a warm van. The sleigh is given a rest. First stop is Metcalf Cottage, our youngest boys. Santa can feel the excitement as he gets closer to the front door. In keeping with Bonnie Brae tradition the boys are very loudly singing carols. Santa makes his grand entrance. Much cheering and shouting. Warm cookies and milk are delivered. Santa is helped to a comfy chair. Before Santa can sit down one very excited young man rushes over to give Santa a big hug. Before Santa’s elves/security guards can react Santa is almost knocked completely over his chair. Order is quickly restored. No harm done. Minor costume adjustments required. The elves begin to hand Santa presents. Santa is now completely blind due to his glasses being steamed up from the cold/hot transition. The first present goes to the youngest boy. A red remote-controlled car! Squeals of joy. Apparently Santa has brought the right gift.
Within fifteen minutes it is all over. The holiday wrapping paper lies scattered across the room. Toys and boys are everywhere. Santa has cookie crumbles throughout his white beard. The elves escort Santa to his next cottage. More of the same. Loud singing, cries of joy, scattered paper, new hats and clothes, toys on the floor.
The holiday season is a magical time at Bonnie Brae. From Thanksgiving to New Year’s the campus seems to be in a state of constant motion. When not planning an event we are busy staging an event, or cleaning up after an event. The energy level on campus is higher than usual, and almost always positive. Staff, families, and children quickly develop a sense of shared identity, a willingness to work together to achieve a common goal. Cheerfully we work to plan bountiful holiday meals, decorate the cottages, and take full advantage of our now snow covered bucolic campus. None of this is possible without your support. Thank you again for making our recent holiday season so joyous!