Southern Westchester BOCES Center for Special Services

News from our schools

• Winter Holiday Parent Engagement Event!

  On Friday, December 20th St. Matt's welcomed our families  for a fun-filled winter holiday parent engagement event! Parents enjoyed making gingerbread houses, brownies, chocolate dipped pretzels and other fun activities with their children. Following the craft activity, parents met with related service providers, the school nurse, the school social worker and our principal, Diana Dinzey for a supportive roundtable discussion on helping students to be more independent and engaged in their community. 

  St. Matthews

• Rye Lake Lower Campus festivities feature diverse cultural display

  Inclusive holiday celebration shares traditions from ‘Around the World’

  The Rye Lake Lower Campus went beyond the usual holiday festivities by celebrating the unique cultural traditions represented among students and staff. The ‘Holidays Around the World’ event featured 10 elaborate displays created by classrooms across the campus.

  News Feed - Rye Lake Lower Campus

• Sound Meditation, Circuit Training among popular Wellness Day offerings

  Rye Lake Campus hosted these sessions for staff to flex their mental and physical muscles

  A less strenuous but no less beneficial workshop than many offered at SWBOCES' Wellness Day offered staff the opportunity to seek relaxation and inner piece through sound meditation. Instructor Andrew Noethiger led participants through a 45-minute session, immersing them in the healing vibrations of gongs and various percussion instruments, creating a tapestry of sound and inviting them to let go of stress and reconnect in a soothing environment. Staff looking for more of a workout participated in the Personal Fitness: Circuit Training session in the fitness center on the same campus. 

   

  News Feed - Rye Lake Middle/High School

• Toy Drive, Spirit Week among December’s highlights

  Irvington students find learning opportunities in festive season

  Students in Southern Westchester BOCES’ Special Services programs at Irvington High School have been collecting toys and games for children in need as part of an annual Toys for Tots drive.

  “This is a wonderful cause for our school community to support,” Principal Alberta Grant-Johnson said.

  News Feed - Irvington High School

• Repeat attendees demonstrate popularity of seminar on healthy eating

  Wellness workshop on cooking and nutrition develops a following
  

  A Wellness Day workshop on Cooking and Nutrition has grown a popular following among Southern Westchester BOCES staff, as attendees took the opportunity to return to the Rye Lake Lower Campus kitchen to learn healthy tips and strategies from presenter Susan Chasen of TheOrganicTeachingKitchen.com.“Ms. Chasen’s presentation was an enriching experience for our staff, one that really resonated with them,” said Assistant Principal Nick Villano, a member of the SWBOCES Wellness Committee.

  News Feed - Rye Lake Lower Campus

• 3-on-3 basketball a Wellness Day staple at Rye Lake Campus Middle-High

  Staff had their pick of a dozen offerings on Wellness Day Dec. 9, all of them a hit but few more so than 3-on-3 basketball in the Rye Lake Campus gymnasium.  

  News Feed - Rye Lake Middle/High School

• Tappan Hill students go shopping at Stew's for fixings to make a treat

  Ms. Leah's class at Tappan Hill School took a field trip to Stew Leonard's in Yonkers where they shopped together for ingredients they would need to make and decorate Rice Krispies Treats. Students were paired with staff as they browsed the aisles looking for the items on their shopping lists. Besides being a fun excursion for an even more fun purpose, the trip helped provide support to students in navigating public places and shopping for groceries. The students loved pouring and mixing all the sticky ingredients into the bowl, and of course the finished confections were a treat! 

  News Feed - Tappan Hill

• Rye Lake Lower Campus serves up gratitude with community breakfast and activities

  The Rye Lake Lower Campus held a Gratitude Breakfast and Gratitude Circle for the school community Thanksgiving Week. 

  Breakfast treats were available for staff and students to enjoy as everyone gathered to celebrate their gratitude and enjoy breakfast together.

  Afterward, staff and students engaged in a Gratitude Circle, in which students created small work products, each noting things for which students felt grateful.

  "What a wonderful send off into the Thanksgiving Break!,” Principal Julia Dolan said. “This gathering brought our community together, while indirectly supporting students with their social skills."

  News Feed - Rye Lake Lower Campus

• Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade provides the theme for Rye Lake Lower campus celebration

  Rye Lake Lower Campus students celebrated their monthly PBIS party in November around the theme of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. 

  To get ready for the day, classes read the book “Balloons Over Broadway” by Melissa Sweet, watched a video on the history of the famous parade, and watched another video on how the enormous and colorful parade balloons are made.

  In addition, the PBIS party paired a STEM project-based learning activity with the book in which students used templates to create their very own Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade balloons. They colored the templates, cut them out, and pasted them each one to a 12-inch balloon. 

  When they were finished, they showed off their creations with a parade of their own. Some of the balloon creations were unicorns, robots, dinosaurs, turkeys, minions, teddy bears, and more.

  News Feed - Rye Lake Lower Campus

• Honor Roll ceremony recognizes 30 students for outstanding performance

  Rye Lake Campus Middle-High School celebrates student achievement
  

   Thirty Rye Lake Campus middle and high school students were recognized Nov. 21 for their academic achievement in an Honor Roll ceremony packed with proud parents, teachers and Southern Westchester BOCES officials.

  News Feed - Rye Lake Middle/High School