Radez Den Opens as New Sensory Support Space for Students
Radez Elementary School has officially opened the Radez Den, a new sensory room located on the second floor and available for student use. The project was made possible through a generous grant from the Cobleskill-Richmondville Educational Foundation (C-REF).
The Radez Den was designed by Physical Therapist Karalee Johnson and Occupational Therapist Amanda Haig, who also provide education and ongoing monitoring of the space. The room is set up daily, and students are given five-minute supported visits with an adult to help them regulate before returning to class.
The primary goal of the sensory room is to support students in managing their emotions and physical energy so they can return to learning feeling calm and organized. In some instances, the space can also serve as positive motivation for completing classroom work.
Staff members work with students to help them recognize when the sensory room may be beneficial. Some examples include when a student feels restless, overwhelmed, frustrated, or has difficulty focusing due to distractions.
The room has already been introduced to self-contained classrooms and will soon be incorporated into general education students’ Social Emotional Learning (SEL) groups.
The district extends its sincere gratitude to C-REF for supporting this initiative and helping provide an additional resource that promotes student well-being and readiness to learn.