Building the New Birchtree

We are so thankful to Birchtree's loyal friends who helped us find a wonderful new home in Newington! This is the story of just a few of the skilled and generous people who helped us get here.

For many years, Birchtree had been looking for room to grow. Our old school building was unable to accommodate the growing number of children and youth with autism who needed Birchtree's specialized autism services.

Our board of directors asked Realtor Gail Hughes for her help. Ms. Hughes did an extensive survey of available properties and found the ideal location for our programs at Newington Park. Dan Hoefle and Jane Ferrini, of Hoefle Phoenix Gormley & Roberts, P.A., Attorneys at Law, assisted with lease negotiations.

Executive Director Dr. Christine Guarino explains the construction plan to staff members, October 22, 2009

Architect Bruce Dicker, of JSA, Incorporated, studied the best practices for designing educational facilities for children and youth with autism. He then worked with our staff to develop an economical plan for renovating the Newington Park property to suit our students' special needs. Mike Parma, his colleague at JSA, assisted with the design.

Sidewalk construction at The Birchtree Center's new facility,
November 4, 2009

The Town of Newington made us feel very welcome in our new home. Building Inspector Charles Smart and Fire Chief Roy Greenleaf provided invaluable assistance. We also received help from Town Planner Tom Morgan, the Selectmen, and countless staff and board members.

Constructing the Main Entrance, December 2, 2009

Dick Johnson of Pine Brook Corporation oversaw renovations to the facility. "He was the hero of this project," says Executive Director Dr. Christine Guarino. "He brought the project in in record time and with great grace and style." Dr. Guarino devoted countless hours to overseeing the project and coordinating Birchtree's relocation to Newington.

The hard-working people at Pine Brook and some wonderful subcontractors worked long hours to complete the project on schedule. Construction concluded just in time, and we were able to move in to Birchtree's new home over the winter holiday.

Installing appliances in the Life Skills kitchen, December 15, 2009

Many staff members and parents worked over the winter break to move classroom furnishings into our new facility. Our students' first day in their new school was January 4th, less than three months after renovations had begun.

Thank you to everyone who helped make this move possible! We are so fortunate to have such good friends in the community.

A New Home for Birchtree

2010 brings exciting changes for Birchtree's students. Starting today, students in our special educational day program for children and youth with autism will no longer go to school in a small, overcrowded school building in Portsmouth. This morning, students arrived ready to learn in a much larger, newly renovated facility at 2064 Woodbury Avenue in neighboring Newington, New Hampshire.

Birchtree's new facility offers three times the space, which will allow our organization to accommodate the growing number of children and youth with autism who need our organization's services.

In their new school, students found larger classrooms with more space for group activities, family visits, "typical peer" interaction, and more.

Today's Adapted Physical Education classes took place in our new gym. Students enjoyed their favorite swings and play equipment in a much larger space, with more room for active play, group games, and physical exercise.

Students also began to explore our new Life Skills facilities. Students will be able to learn and practice the skills of daily living in a fully equipped kitchen and laundry. In this photo, Steven is using his alternative and augmentative communication device to name the appliances in the Life Skills kitchen.

It was a very busy day at Birchtree, but a remarkably successful one. Many students left their school at the end of the day with smiles on their faces, ready to return for another day of learning tomorrow.

Thank you to the Town of Newington and the many generous individuals and businesses who helped our organization make the move to this wonderful new location:

Realtor Gail Hughes

Attorneys Dan Hoefle & Jane Ferrini

Architects Bruce Dicker & Mike Parma of JSA, Incorporated

Dick Johnson of Pine Brook Corporation

Newington Building Inspector Charles Smart

Newington Fire Chief Roy Greenleaf

Newington Town Planner Tom Morgan

Newington Town Selectmen, Board Members & Staff

Bruce Dicker of JSA, Incorporated, was the lead architect on this project. Mr. Dicker designed economical interior renovations to the facility to suit our students’ special needs. Dick Johnson of Pine Brook Corporation ensured that those renovations concluded on budget and on time. Thanks to the hard work of Pine Brook and some wonderful subcontractors, we were able to move in to our beautiful new building over the winter break.

To read a Portsmouth Herald article about our new facility, click here. For more information about The Birchtree Center's new home, click here. For directions and maps to our new location, click here.

Happy New Year!