CoSer 646: Office of Public Information

Our team of communications, graphic arts and and public relations professionals provide a range of services to our districts as well as to BOCES itself. We go into your schools and classrooms and meet with students, faculty and administrators to tell your schools' story via print and electronic newsletters, press releases, media relations, photography, video and social media. Reach out to us today!

Brian J. Howard, Director of Communications
bhoward@swboces.org | 914-592-4203

Geraldine Mastrogiacomo, Office Assistant
gmastrogiacomo@swboces.org | 914-922-3425

P.R. Specialist

Natalia Baag-Lord

Natalia Baage-Lord
nbaage-lord@swboces.org
914-922-3432 

Natalia Baage-Lord loves telling stories, especially about students. She specializes in narrative writing and social media, for which she has won multiple national and state awards. She was honored as a member of the National School Public Relations Association’s “35 Under 35” awards program and currently sits on the New York School Public Relations Association’s executive board. Before joining SWBOCES, she emigrated from Belgium and spent a decade as a reporter and editor in Westchester County, covering education, arts and sports. She earned her master’s degree from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.

P.R. Specialist

Cara Matthews

Cara Matthews
cmatthews@swboces.org
914-922-3430 

Cara Matthews worked for several daily newspapers in New York and Connecticut, including The Journal News, as well as Gannett Albany, which serves media outlets statewide. While in Albany, she spent seven years covering education issues and the state Board of Regents.

P.R. Specialist

Alicia Smith
alsmith@swboces.org
914-922-3418

Alicia B. Smith is an award winning writer with more than 15 years experience. She began her career as a writer and editor for weekly and monthly publications in Central Connecticut. In 2017 she was the recipient of the New England Better Newspaper Competition First Place Human Interest Feature Story honor. Throughout her career she has covered a broad range of topics from local government and businesses to community members and education. She has a passion for telling and sharing stories and looks forward to helping school districts tell their unique story.

Graphic Designer

Jeffry Braun
jbraun@swboces.org
914-922-3041

Jeffry Braun worked in advertising and marketing prior to joining SWBOCES & LHRIC to focus on his passion for graphic design, illustration and photography. He brings a wide range of knowledge and experience to the role and looks forward to working with school districts and BOCES centers. Jeffry earned his BFA in Illustration from SUNY Buffalo.

News from across our campuses

  • SWBOCES PD Center presents Kylene Beers and Bob Probst: Strategies that Improve Comprehension

    This workshop offers the perfect opportunity to work with colleagues to learn strategies that will help all readers, especially struggling readers, develop skills for attentive, engaged reading. Build upon their books: Notice and Note: Strategies for Close Reading; Reading Nonfiction: Stances, Signposts, and Strategies; Disrupting Thinking: Why How We Read Matters.

    Join us Thursday, Jan. 17, from 8:30-11:30 a.m. Register at MyLearning Plan.

    News Feed - Center for Professional Development & Curriculum Support

  • SEPTA Workshops set for Thursday morning and evening on Transition Guidance

    The Special Education PTA is sponsoring a workshop this Thursday, Jan. 17, about transition for children with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Carin Horowitz, Transition Services Director at The Arc Westchester, will speak to parents and guardians about how to prepare for children’s transition from school to adult services. There are two workshop sessions: 9:30-11 a.m. and 6:30-8 p.m. at the Rye Lake Campus, 1606 Old Orchard St., White Plains. All are welcome! See attached flyer for details.

    News Feed - Center for Special Services

  • Tappan Hill students visit, make new friends at Elmsford's Grady School

    See what fun students from our Tappan Hill School in Tarrytown had visiting and making new friends at the Alice E. Grady Elementary School in Elmsford. 

    News Feed - Southern Westchester BOCES

  • Best friends, Careers Center classmates, take honors and spotlight at auto tech tourney

    SWBOCES Automotive Technology students Jeffrey Hernandez & Gurleen Singh took home trophies and scholarship awards in a regional competition this week testing their skills at diagnostics and repair. On top of that, they and the in-demand field they are entering, were featured on ABC-7's Eyewitness News.

    News Feed - Center for Career Services

  • Leading Instructional Improvement the topic in latest Fordham-SWBOCES Speaker Series event

    Join us Jan. 15 at Fordham University's Westchester Campus for the latest in our collaborative Speaker Series for Educational Leaders. Professor Elizabeth Stosich, EdD, will be presenting on "Leading Instructional Improvement - Striving for Instructional Coherence".

    All sessions in this ongoing series include welcome remarks, the presentation and a Q&A segment. The series is a free service for educational leaders and alumni in the region. For those interested, there will be a follow-up discussion of Fordham’s masters and doctoral programs in educational leadership.

    To RSVP, contact Staci Wang at xwang493@fordham.edu. or Betty Ann Wyks at BWyks@swboces.org. 

    News Feed - Center for Professional Development & Curriculum Support

  • Volunteers and Staff Help Make SEPTA's Annual Holiday Party a Success

    The Southern Westchester BOCES would like to thank all the staff members and volunteers who helped make the annual Holiday Party a great success.

    Students and families had a blast at the Dec. 13 event at the Rye Lake Campus. They spent time decorating (and eating) cookies, coloring and making crafts, and playing games like snowball toss.

    Phyllis Rizzi, principal of Tappan Hill School, and her staff were instrumental in planning the party, said Trish Banfield, a SEPTA Executive Board member. “They come out in full force each year to decorate, support the kids, emcee, supply gifts, DJ and morph into Santa, Mrs. Claus and Frosty the Snowman,” she said. “They also fill in the gaps where needed.”

    Ms. Banfield also thanked mothers Hayley, Anne Marie and Nicole for volunteering their time.

     

    News Feed - Center for Special Services

  • Students Shop for Gifts at Valhalla Center's Holiday Boutique

    Candles, scarves, thermoses, jewelry and picture frames. Those were just a few of the gently used items that Special Services staff members at the Valhalla Campus brought in for the Holiday Boutique Dec. 18. Students selected a gift they liked, then went to the wrapping room.

    News Feed - Center for Special Services

  • Competition Is Stiff for Annual Cookie Bake-Off

    The winner of the third annual Rye Lake Cookie Bake-Off Dec. 20 was Michelle Carpiniello, an administrative staff member, who entered her S’mores Cookies. 

    News Feed - Center for Special Services

  • Giving to our neighbors in need

    Southern Westchester BOCES employees contributed to Christmas gift collections at our Rye Brook and Harrison locations, yielding a sleigh-full of toys bound for local families holiday celebrations.

    News Feed - Southern Westchester BOCES

  • Student gingerbread houses

    Enjoy the hard work and talent of students in the Culinary Arts program who made gingerbread houses from scratch.

    News Feed - Center for Career Services 2018-19

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