Friday, November 6, 2026
Students at Jennie E. Hewitt Elementary School have a new way to express themselves, connect with classmates and become part of the conversation, thanks to a communication board funded by the Rockville Centre Education Foundation.
The school celebrated the board’s installation with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Oct. 29, recognizing Augmentative and Alternative Communication Awareness Month and the importance of creating an environment where every student has a voice.
The project, titled “Every Voice Counts: The Communication Corner!” was developed by principal Anna McGovern, who envisioned bringing a communication tool to Hewitt after seeing a similar structure at Camp Anchor.
With encouragement from special education teacher Anna Holloway, McGovern applied for an Education Foundation grant last spring. She wanted to create something that would benefit not only students in the school’s special education program, but also the community that uses the school’s playground and athletic facilities.
“I thought that the long-term impact of this project would be for years to come, people would be able to communicate using this AAC device,” McGovern said.
The low-tech communication board is constructed of heavy-duty vinyl and features rows of colorful symbols, pictures and words representing activities, emotions, requests and everyday interactions. Rather than producing sound electronically, users point to the symbols to communicate their thoughts, wants and needs.
The board was customized for Hewitt, incorporating activities and locations found on its grounds, including the four-square court, tennis court and playground equipment. McGovern also requested a bilingual design with multicultural symbols that reflect the school’s student population.
Installed near the entrance to the school’s athletic field and adjacent to the small playground, the board is positioned where students can use it during recess, kickball, soccer games and community events.
Before the board’s unveiling, Hewitt students participated in classroom activities to introduce them to alternative communication methods. Through read-alouds, buddy-class activities and presentations, students learned about communication devices, often called “talkers.”
They also created their own versions using pictures and symbols representing messages they might express, such as being hungry or saying thank you.
McGovern recalled one student who uses a high-tech communication device initially trying to press the board’s symbols, expecting them to produce sound. Once the student began using it, the excitement came from seeing classmates recognize and repeat the words.
“Everyone has been stopping to look at it and just so impressed and happy with it,” McGovern said. “The kids absolutely love it, and I see them using it every day, which makes me so happy.”
McGovern credited Holloway, school psychologist Dawn Middleton Gallagher and speech pathologists Maureen Murphy and Marci Riley for helping develop the project. She also praised the Education Foundation for making the installation possible.
“There’s no way we could have budgeted for this project without them,” she said.
