There will be a Virtual Audit Committee meeting Wednesday, December 1, 2021, at 6 p.m. This will be a Zoom meeting and anyone interested in joining can contact Steve Tibbetts at stibbetts@swboces.org for login information.
It is that time of year for Southern Westchester BOCES employees to review benefit elections and to make changes in coverage. It is also the time to enroll or renew participation in healthcare and/or dependent care flexible spending accounts (FSA). The Open Enrollment period begins Nov. 24, 2021 and runs through Dec. 17, 2021. It is the goal to make Open Enrollment as smooth and productive as possible. See the Open Enrollment 2022 page for information. Employees should direct any questions or requests for assistance to the Benefits Office at 17 Berkley Drive in Rye Brook.
Want to make a difference in children's lives? We're hiring Teacher Aides! See the flyer attached here for application information and more details!
There will be a Virtual Audit Committee meeting Wednesday, December 1, 2021, at 6 p.m. This will be a Zoom meeting and anyone interested in joining can contact Steve Tibbetts at stibbetts@swboces.org for login information.
Click here to register through My Learning Plan.
This Network will support Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives and DEI point-personnel across our region. As the DEI point person for your school/district, we invite you to meet with DEI Leader colleagues to collaborative on DEI policy, strategic planning, and implementation; engage in turnkey DEI focused professional development; learn from experts; and explore DEI resources for student and adult learners.
Specifically, as a member of the DEI Leaders' Network you will:
• Consider the questions, is my school/district equitable? and How do I know?, and respond with evidence
• Deepen your understanding of the NYSED DEI policy and the NYSED Culturally Responsive-Sustaining Education Frameworks
• Develop your entry plan as DEI leader for your school/district
• Identify district/school informed goals/outcomes for your role and your DEI work
• Learn about Equity Visits and host one
• Explore ways to effectively engage stakeholder groups in your school/district's DEI work; plan, engage, and share with the network
• Select and adopt curriculum frameworks to examine exciting curriculum and, where needed, make recommendations to teaching colleagues to embed DEI in day-to-day teaching and learning
• Examine, practice, and implement research-based data collection and data study protocols
• Design and share your DEI plan
• Identify and contribute to Network resources and co-construct priorities
Canva for education provides teachers with ready made templates for presentations, lesson plans, worksheets and many more! You don't have to be a graphic designer to create engaging materials to use in your classroom.
Registered participants will receive Zoom connection information via email prior to session start.
Click here to register through My Learning Plan.
Trauma-informed practices help educators support learners who have experiences severe challenges. During this PD Short, you will explore strategies and philosophies for supporting all learners through trauma-informed best practices. During the workshop, you will dig into what is meant by trauma and how it manifests in the classroom. You will also explore ways to leverage a strengths-based approach to supporting learners socially and emotionally.
You have probably heard the buzz about Breakout EDU. But have you experienced a Digital Breakout? In some ways, this form of breakout is more conducive to the "average” school room. No classroom set-up is required, students work in collaborative teams on a shared device, and there are no issues with those pesky locks! In this webinar, participants will experience a digital breakout and be informed of the steps that it takes to create one. If you are "game,” you can then sign up for a 6-hour online course where you will learn how to build your own and can get individual attention from the instructor to make it happen. Yes, there are some "canned” breakouts online, but if you want one that is customized to your class and discipline, you will gain much in creating your own. They may take some time and thought to create, but once you have done the legwork, they can be used over and over with students. They provide the same engaged learning experiences for students that traditional Breakouts involve - critical thinking, teamwork and complex problem solving.
Registered participants will receive Zoom connection information via email prior to session start.
Click here to register through My Learning Plan.
"Vocabulary is the proxy to comprehension". The more words students know, the better they will understand the texts they read. However, ELLs face the challenge of learning content and language simultaneously. In this PD Short, you will learn effective strategies to teach vocabulary to ELLs.
Click here to register through My Learning Plan
This is the initial course for district leaders who supervise and evaluate principals. In this four-part session, we will:
-build a foundation for principal evaluation through the nine required training elements and related leadership rubrics,
-explore the use of school visits and related evidence gathering practices,
-discuss aligning supervision and evaluation to district and NYSED initiatives,
-shift evaluation from a compliance activity to a professional growth opportunity, and
-emphasize developmental feedback for continuous growth.
A certificate of completion will be awarded at the end of this course which can be used as evidence for certification of principal evaluators.
These sessions will be available in person at 450 Mamaroneck Avenue, 3rd Floor, Harrison, NY 10528 OR VIA ZOOM
App Smashing is a term coined by former history teacher and current edtech guru, Greg Kulowiec. It is the process of using multiple apps to create projects or complete tasks. Think Edpuzzle + Explain Everything + Kahoot. Your Facilitators will come with examples. Please note, this course is interactive and potluck style. You bring your favorite app you use with your students. Together we will smash it with other apps brought to the session.
Registered participants will receive Zoom connection information via email.
Click here to register through My Learning Plan.
Speech-language pathologists play an important role in supporting students executive functioning challenges. This PD Short will provide an opportunity to delve deep into conversation, research, and activities associated with students with executive functioning challenges. You will engage with specific evidence-based practice strategies that can be brought directly to students who struggle with functioning.
Click here to register through My Learning Plan.
Without knowing where we are, knowing where to go seems impossible. In this PD Series, you will engage with the Data Wise process and learn ways to use assessment data to move towards equitable access and outcomes. Administrators and teacher leaders will have the opportunity to consider the process and bring ideas to teacher teams to improve teaching and learning for all students.
By the end of this series, you will:
Understand the three phases of the Data Wise process.
Engage in protocols to support continuous learning.
Develop a plan for developing a culture for data study at your school.
According to Dr. Catlin Tucker, "student agency, or a students' ability to make key decisions about their learning experience, is an essential aspect of blended learning.” Choice boards and "playlists” are simply digital documents that outline specific resources and tasks, but they are also strategies for blended learning when we combine active, engaged learning online with active, engaged learning offline. This session will unpack some essentials of creating choice boards and playlists richly enhanced by digital technology tools. PD Your Way NOTE: This course is 100% online and will take approximately 3 hours to complete. This course begins on December 6, and participants have until December 17 to complete all required assignments and activities to receive CTLE credit. LHRIC Model Schools utilizes the Schoology Learning Management System.
Upon registration, you will receive a welcome message from your instructor with information on how your course works, what you can expect, how to get help along the way, and steps you need to take in order to enroll.
Newsela offers non fiction articles on current events to myths and legends. Adjustable Lexile levels are available for every text (and quiz). Assessment features offer a flexible way for students to demonstrate what they've learned, to practice their close reading skills, and to use their writing to analyze and discuss what they've read.
Registered participants will receive Zoom connection information via email prior to session start.
Click here to register through My Learning Plan.
In order for students to feel valued in our classrooms, they must be represented in the books we share with them. Whether it is the characters on the pages of our read alouds, the families, cultures, and settings represented in our novels, or the author's experiences that inspire the picture books we share, our students need to feel represented and heard. Mentor texts can be more than simply books we use to teach writing strategies and skills. These texts can also be springboards into discussing the issues of our time with the students who sit before us, looking for ways to make a change for peace and justice.
Have you been curious about what it takes to start and maintain a district esports program or club? You may need help in navigating all the possible considerations: from soliciting interest and recruiting students, to selecting appropriate games, to ensuring a supportive technical and facility infrastructure. There are many moving parts, whether you are interested in a middle school club or a competitive high school program. Join us for an information session on how to get started.
Registered participants will receive Zoom connection information via email prior to session start.
Click here to register through My Learning Plan.
During this PD Short, participants will deepen their understanding of implicit bias and learn how one's personal and cultural experiences can affect one's ability to teach and lead. Tools will be shared to allow participants to deeply reflect upon issues of bias and how to begin to teach and lead with a focus on equity.
Click here to Register through My Learning Plan.
This series of four online workshops is designed to engage school librarians in an inquiry-driven process of rethinking their programs to respond to their own and their students' experiences during the pandemic year of 2020-2021. Through this series, librarians will be able to change the narrative from deficit-based (what students lost during the pandemic) to strengths-based (what capacities and attitudes students developed during the pandemic). Librarian/Teacher teams will develop leadership skills and learn to redesign their library learning experiences to capitalize on students' new strengths and foster a culture and instructional program that lead to independent learning and student agency.
Dates & Time
8:30am-11:30am
December 9, January 20, February 4, March 7
Networking Session
A series of four virtual after-school networking sessions that support the development of skills and strategies to gather, analyze, and share information, and offer an opportunity to share and get feedback from your colleagues. These sessions are optional based on your needs.
Dates & Time
3:15pm-5:15pm
January 5, January 27, February 8, March 15
If you have found yourself living with a with a new Ben Q interactive display in your classroom or building, you're not alone! This line of "smart" boards have become very popular in our region, and if you're self taught but need more direct instruction, please join us as we step through the fundamentals from our Ben Q display.
Registered participants will receive Zoom connection information via email.
In this 6-hour online class, participants will learn how to create a digital breakout "from scratch," using Google tools. Each individual skill will be modeled and taught and then participants will have the opportunity to create their own digital breakout based on their discipline, instructional goals, and grade level. Guidance will be provided all the way. At the end, participants will share and provide peer review of their classmates' projects. This course is 100% online and will take approximately 6 hours to complete. This course begins on December 13, and participants have until January 28, 2022 to complete all required assignments and activities to receive CTLE credit. LHRIC Model Schools utilizes the Schoology Learning Management System.
Upon registration, you will receive a welcome message from your instructor with information on how your course works, what you can expect, how to get help along the way, and steps you need to take in order to enroll.
There will be a Virtual Audit Committee meeting Wednesday, December 1, 2021, at 6 p.m. This will be a Zoom meeting and anyone interested in joining can contact Steve Tibbetts at stibbetts@swboces.org for login information.
It is that time of year for Southern Westchester BOCES employees to review benefit elections and to make changes in coverage. It is also the time to enroll or renew participation in healthcare and/or dependent care flexible spending accounts (FSA). The Open Enrollment period begins Nov. 24, 2021 and runs through Dec. 17, 2021. It is the goal to make Open Enrollment as smooth and productive as possible. See the Open Enrollment 2022 page for information. Employees should direct any questions or requests for assistance to the Benefits Office at 17 Berkley Drive in Rye Brook.
Lisa DeMaria, owner of Salon Topaz in Dobbs Ferry, visited with our Cosmetology students to talk to them about the business and demonstrate a new styling technique.
The SWBOCES Irvington Middle/High School collaborated with the Irvington District VIP middle and high school students to promote inclusivity and build community. All members of the community were asked to write one or more things that they were thankful for on a feather. Students included family, friends, loving parents, "each and every day," learning and other things in their messages.
The project is the brainchild of math teacher Holli Smith, who got the idea from a teacher who works at another high school.
“The outcome is this beautiful and inspirational display of collective gratitude,” Principal Alberta Grant-Johnson said.
The first Work-Based Learning Advisory Board meeting held on Nov. 18 served to introduce community partners to the Center for Career Services and its programs. Over breakfast, guests heard from students and alumni, highlighting the special relationships the Center has with the community at large.
Three students at the Center for Career Services have been able to pursue their passions for fields not stereotypically associated with their gender, and they’ve been met with nothing but support. Read more about why they love what they are studying and their plans for the future.
In the spirit of Thanksgiving, the students and staff of the Tappan Hill school are participating in a food drive for Feeding Westchester.
Teacher Erroll Rivera and his class worked to set up the food drive with Feeding Westchester. They created a flier and distributed it. Each day, students and staff from across the school building contribute donations for those in need in the county. Thank you to all that have contributed thus far. At the end of each school day, students from Mr. Rivera’s class compile donations. There are five full boxes of donations already! Our food drive will continue to accept donations through Monday, November 22.
We wish all our families a happy, healthy and safe Thanksgiving.
Want to make a difference in children's lives? We're hiring Teacher Aides! See the flyer attached here for application information and more details!
The halls of Tappan Hill School are filled with beautiful artwork and creative educational bulletin boards. Kudos to all the students and staff members who have contributed their time and talent to enhancing our hallways!
Creativity and great holiday spirit were on display at Tappan Hill School for the Halloween decorating contest. Students and staff in all classes and departments decorated their door for Halloween, and the school was filled with pumpkins, spiders, witches, skeletons, bats, ghosts and more. Center for Special Services Director Andrea Byrne judged the contest and gave out awards that recognized the unique qualities of each entry.
“The community at Tappan Hill was eager to collaborate on their festive classroom doors. The staff and students created engaging, colorful and spooky displays!” said Assistant Principal Francesca Fernandez. “Within our school community, collaboration within classrooms and across the school is a key part of our connected learning environment."
Congratulations to everyone!
Beatriz Garcia arrived in the U.S. from Mexico when she was only 18. A mother of two, her dream was to obtain her High School Equivalency Diploma and participate in vocational training to get a better job. She wanted to offer a better life to her family.
However, Beatriz faced many obstacles due to her poor economic situation. She did not have the resources to hire a babysitter for her children, so she was unable to attend to School.
“It is very hard to be a mother, have a job and attend school at the same time. I thought that I was never going to obtain my High School Equivalency Diploma in the United States," she said.
Beatriz registered in the High School Equivalency Program at South Westchester BOCES, which partners with the Community Resource Center in Mamaroneck. CRC offers free childcare, which benefit parents like Beatriz. Then, in 2020, Beatriz faced a new challenge in her life. Due to the pandemic, in-person classes were suspended. Beatriz did not give up her dreams and instead continued with classes online.
“I believe if I trust myself, I can accomplish anything," she said.
Finally, after years and many obstacles, Beatriz obtained her High School Equivalency Diploma through SWBOCES.
What's more, during the pandemic, Beatriz realized how important would be to sharpen the technology skills, so she enrolled in computer classes at SWBOCES too. Her dream is to obtain her IC3 (computer Literacy) certificate.
Beatriz is very thankful to SWBOCES and her teachers and administrators there for all their support and for making her dreams come true.
Construction students recently enjoyed a presentation from California Closets, located in Hawthorne, whose representatives shared details about the company and the job opportunities that exist there.
The Technology Leadership Institute kicked off its 2021-22 Virtual Keynote series with a speaker who specializes in an area that is exceedingly relevant in education today: change.
Highlander Institute Executive Director Shawn Rubin is his organization’s lead architect, ensuring their work serves students most of all.
A former teacher, he says the language of personalized learning has been around for a long time. Personalizing schools and classrooms requires a new approach to the change process, said Mr. Rubin, who broke down his organization’s “Pathways to Personalization” Framework and the components necessary for school redesign through stories of successes and challenges.
He is a national thought leader on coaching and consulting approaches to classroom personalization and school change management. His days are split between providing on-the-ground support in districts supporting educators and leaders, and the creation and design of new processes for systemic educational change.
In his keynote, Mr. Rubin said that his own approach as a young teacher was centered on a personalized model, but he found that it didn’t scale beyond that level. There were not enough people who understood the vision or were informed enough to sustain it, he said. There was no systems-level lens, and families didn't understand enough to advocate for the approach.
Since 2012, his organization’s theory of change has evolved in response to research and lessons learned in the field. Starting with Blended Learning, his work moved to Personalized Learning that let students see themselves in their learning. Along the way, in studying the impact of what was working, “we weren’t pleased with what we saw,” he said.
The approach didn’t put enough emphasis on safe spaces for students, their lived experiences and on building academic mindset.
“If we had been focused in on that the last 20 years, I don’t think we would have had as many challenges during the pandemic,” Mr. Rubin said.
His focus today is on the processes of getting to our aspirations as educators. He said he is shocked by how little opportunity there has been to restart coming out of the remote learning period and returning to in-person instruction. We realized, he said of his organization, students and families actually didn’t have the skill sets to succeed in a virtual setting.
“When we think about perspectives, we’re talking about how capable and supported a student is to be successful in the individual learning environment that they find themselves,” he said.
Coming up
The year ahead brings a full slate of enriching and substantive presentations relevant to educators today. The TLI committee strives to assemble a lineup of speakers and events that will positively impact instruction and help shape the way we educate our students.
Following this month’s NYSCATE Convention in Rochester, the TLI Virtual Keynote Series returns in January with Alex J. Bowers, a Professor of Education Leadership at Teachers College, Columbia University. That is followed by Active=Con and the TELL Awards presentation, which are separate March events that are both planned to return in person this school year. The year wraps up with Tech Expo in May at the Edith Macy Conference Center in Briarcliff.
See http://it.lhric.org/tli for more information. Register in My Learning Plan.
