A New Home, A New Name
This past week marked another exciting new chapter for us here at CAPS Collaborative. As we’ve been preparing to launch Momentum, our new adult day program, we’ve also been renovating the second floor of our Leominster location to create a permanent home for our Senators Program.
When the program first launched at Mahar Regional High School, it was named the Senators Program in recognition of our partnership and the school’s existing mascot. As the program moves into its own dedicated space, this milestone provides an opportunity to honor our roots and embrace a new identity for this next chapter.
We are proud to introduce the McCaul School.
The McCaul School is named in honor of former Executive Director Dr. Ed McCaul, who led CAPS from 2007 to 2015. During his tenure, Dr. McCaul helped grow the Collaborative, expand partnerships, and champion the creation of the Senators Program, along with many other initiatives that strengthened services across Central Massachusetts. He believed that innovation, collaboration, and a strong focus on what’s best for the students should guide every decision.
Renaming the program allows us to both acknowledge its beginnings and recognize the leadership that helped shape it.
A Space Built Just for Our Students
After Monday’s snowstorm delayed our official opening, students were welcomed into their new school on Tuesday, February 24.
The McCaul School serves students from preschool through age 22 who are on the autism spectrum and may experience cognitive delays, communication, social and/or sensory challenges. In the past, the program operated within Mahar’s building in a more self-contained setting. Now, students have an entire floor accessible to and designed specifically for them, including six spacious classrooms, with a seventh opening soon.
Every part of the space was planned with student needs in mind. There are dedicated calm, sensory rooms throughout the building that include various sensory items and activities. Options include lighting, textured seating areas, colorful mirrors, an assortment of building materials, movement options, compression tools, and even a special sensory swing. These spaces help students regulate, refocus, and get ready to re-join their peers in a group setting.
The new school also includes a vocational kitchen, giving students opportunities to build practical skills with supervised, hands-on instruction.
Stronger Supports, More Opportunities
This move has also allowed us to strengthen our support teams, giving students even more individualized guidance.
The McCaul School now has two Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs) dedicated to the program and available throughout the day, expanding on the support previously available.
Occupational therapy, physical therapy, and speech services are also available on the floor throughout the day. Whether it’s practicing skills in a sensory space or making use of common areas like hallways, the sensory gym or outdoor spaces as part of a physical therapy plan, therapists can work with students beyond the classroom using individualized approaches.
In the coming weeks, we will also open a centralized sensory gym on the McCaul School floor. This expansive space, spanning more than 1,000 square feet, is designed to support movement, regulation, and skill-building in a safe and engaging environment. It will include a jungle gym-style castle slide, a zip line that leads into a foam pit, a tire jumper, sensory swings, LEGO and magnet walls, space to ride tricycles, and a mini rock climbing wall.
In short, the new environment simply allows for more flexibility and more opportunity.
Leadership for This Next Chapter
The McCaul School is led by Director Sonya Matthews, who brings over 25 years of experience in special education. Her background includes teaching at the middle and high school levels, school leadership, mentoring, and serving as a Visiting Instructor in the education program at Fitchburg State University.
Reflecting on the school’s opening week, Sonya shared:
“Opening the McCaul School showed what’s possible when everyone works toward the same goal. I’m incredibly proud of the CAPS team and our students. Even with weather delays and the natural adjustments that come with any move, our students transitioned extraordinarily well. This new space gives us room to grow and creates new opportunities to support every learner and meet them where they are.”
The Future of the McCaul School
The McCaul School represents more than a move. It reflects a commitment to creating a learning environment that truly fits the needs of our students and staff.
We’re grateful to everyone who helped bring this vision to life, and we’re excited for what comes next.
For more information about the program, please contact program director Sonya Matthews at smatthews@capsed.net or 978-632-2208 x 451.