Important Health Update: Monitoring the Coronavirus Dear Cooke families: To keep everyone in the Cooke community healthy and safe, we are following news reports on the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19). As of today, there are no confirmed cases of coronavirus among New Yorkers, and the risk to New York residents remains low. However, transmission of the virus in other countries has heightened the level of concern. We want to share some important facts at this time, so that everyone in our community can feel secure in our shared knowledge about how to stay safe and healthy. We hope to quell any fear among students and families by staying abreast of the latest information on the spread of the virus, and assuring all families that our school leadership teams are prepared to respond to any changes in the situation. The Cooke administration also continues to watch the latest health reports closely to ensure that we respond quickly should an emergency arise related to the spread of this virus. At this time, there are no plans to close schools in NYC. Here are some tips and suggestions for staying informed, practicing general flu prevention measures and deciding when it’s appropriate to keep a sick child home from school. As always, Cooke division heads and staff are available to handle any specific questions that may come up. Our faculty will be working with students as needed to address any fears, answer questions and promote healthy habits. We have included our contact information below. Feel free to reach out to us with any questions. Get the Facts: We are closely monitoring information from the Centers for Disease Control, the New York State Department of Health and the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. We encourage all families to access these reliable sources of information. Reinforce Healthy Habits to Prevent the Spread of Respiratory Viruses:
Deciding When to Keep a Sick Child Home from School:
Katie Riordan, Division Head [email protected] Jackie Bediako, Assistant Division Head [email protected] Business Never Looked So Good! The second semester is off to a great start, with student businesses up and running! Students have been experiencing what it is like to operate their own businesses, from applying for SKILLs loans, shopping for resources online or in stores, but most importantly, making/creating products for sale while tracking income and expenses. Some very creative business ideas and names were generated, once again. The Mets' cohort have Tarantino Flavors which sells ice-cream and yogurts named for the movies of the director; Cupcake Surprise which sells cupcakes with a secret filling and Access-a-Hair which caters to the ladies who like to style their hair based on fancy trends. The Jets are set to operate "Gucci" Cleaners which will have your sneakers and boots looking good, Custom Nation that will create personalized t-shirt designs and pins, Red Velvet & Lemon Cakes which will put a fancy twist on these desserts and finally Tattoo Stylistics that will help customers express themselves artistically through temporary tattoo designs. The Giants cohort are eager to launch their Fancy Salad Bar which will cater to the healthy minded and SJ Bar (smoothie/juice) as well. To keep those hands looking gorgeous, there is Nails By Design and Frost Cafe which will cater to all your gaming and coffee needs. So if you get a chance to...ask students about how their businesses are going or place an order from your child or ward to see what they have been up to this semester in Math. SKILLs Got Talent If you weren't there, then you missed a great show! Students showed up and 'showed out'. They had the audience rocking, tapping and singing while the costumes and props augmented the visual experience. We've got some highlights for your viewing pleasure... enjoy! The Yankees Class Gets Creative in the KitchenThe Yankees Class has been attending a weekly cooking class at Taste Buds Kitchen right here in the heart of Chelsea. Each week they don their aprons and follow the instructions of a professional chef to create delicious delicious and healthy snacks. This semester the theme has been The Secret Swap! The students have been learning how different ingredients can be substituted for others in a recipe and you never even notice the difference! So far, they have made biscuits with soy milk and vinegar to swap out the buttermilk. They were delicious and flaky! Another recipe for pesto was made with nutritional yeast instead of cheese and sunflower seeds instead of nuts. That yummy pesto sauce was served on zucchini “noodles”. All the recipes are vegetarian and gluten-free. Taste Buds is also a nut-free kitchen to accommodate any allergies. Recreational therapy has been organizing the class and collaborating with the Taste Buds Team. The students love the experience of working in a professional kitchen just like those on popular cooking shows. Specific skills that they get to practice include: pouring, mixing, measuring and using simple appliances. The class takes place on Wednesday afternoons so be sure to check in with your child about what they made and ask them if they have a doggie bag! The students will receive printed copies of the recipes and be able to keep their personalized aprons. Let's Get Social!YAI Transition to Independence Courses (Click here) Available for participants age 17-21 on the autism spectrum. For more information call 212.273.6182 or you can complete the interest form in the link above. Kitchen Skills (Tuesdays) This course introduces cooking fundamentals like measuring, safety, and knife skills that are necessary in being able to prepare meals independently. Life Skills (Wednesdays) Develop and enhance life skills that focus on judgement, decision making, risk-taking, problem-solving and self-advocacy. Group topics include money management, community safety, self-care, relationships, and more! Yoga & Mindfulness (Wednesdays) Engage in calming physical and mental activities that promote movement, relaxation, self-awareness, stress reduction and socialization. Alumni Association Upcoming Alumni Events! Bowling Friday, March 20th 3:00pm - 5:00pm Click HERE to register $30Intrepid Museum Friday, April 3rd 3:30pm - 5:00pm Click HERE to register $20 Alumni ClassesSKILLs continues to provide a place for our graduates to keep growing and learning. If you need a place to send your precious one during the days for a few hours to engage in some classroom learning, then contact SKILLs today and ask to speak with Michelle Lang. Check out these happy faces in one of our alumni day classes. JUST FOR LAUGHS- Minion Math
SKILLs Students Deliver Powerful Performance at NYU!On Wednesday, February 5th, SKILLs students performed at NYU’s Black Box Theater to the delight of family, friends, teachers and members of the public! Led by the Cooke School and Institute’s Drama Therapist, Adam Stevens, students performed as part of the Inaugural “Drama Therapy as Performance” series at The Theatre & Health Lab of the NYU Program in Drama Therapy. The presentation was a demonstrative performance in Drama Therapy. The play incorporated Role Theory and Method as a way to explore racialized roles using the Black American Role Taxonomy (BART). In exploring these roles on stage, students engrossed the audience in an examination of identity, race, gender, relationships, discrimination and the complexities of life. The panel discussion following the performance allowed for deeper insight into the dramatic process. Cooke is thankful for NYU, including the interns who worked closely with SKILLs students, and Adam Stevens who inspired the students to step out of their comfort zones! For many, the performance was a rousing and moving homage to BART and the uniqueness of every actor/student on stage. All involved were truly thankful for the experience! Students will enjoy a cast party after school at SKILLs on Wednesday February 12th to both celebrate and review their performance. Well done all! Jacqueline Bediako, Assistant Division Head Algebra 1 Regents testing at SKILLs! “Great works are performed not by strength but by perseverance.” -Samuel Johnson Students who elected to take Advanced Math have all shown perseverance with facing the monumental challenge of the NYS Algebra 1 regents exam given on January 22nd. Students worked hard during the first semester to prepare for this test and their dedication to learning material for this class should be commended. No matter how they fared on it, throughout the semester they learned a variety of topics including, regents level vocabulary, basic algebra, functions, expressions, coordinates and slope, polynomials, quadratics and systems of equations. In addition, they learned strategies for test taking they can apply to any type of exam in their future. Most importantly, they learned not to give up. Seeing students work so diligently to finish every part of the 23 page exam was absolutely incredible. These students have all received their scores from January’s test and have the opportunity to continue preparing for the same test given in June. We applaud them on their determination and will power to continually improve their skills! If you have any questions regarding Advanced Math please email Nichole Kaller at [email protected]
Let's Get Social!MORNINGS AT COOPER HEWITT Join the next Morning at the Museum Saturday, February 29th, beginning at 9:00am. In this workshop, textile designer Suzanne Tick will lead participants in weaving plastic bags, mylar balloons, and other materials into a unique reusable bag with fun patterns. Participants are encouraged to bring their own plastic bags to weave into their design. This program is free! Registration required; e-mail [email protected] or call 212-849-8353. Please include the below information to complete your registration. First and Last Name Phone Number Email Address Number of Family Members Attending Participants Name(s) and Age Alumni Association On January 25th, students and alums went to an interactive improve show at the Kraine Theater located in the East Village. College Experience and Career Next Presentation at SKILLs SKILLs will be hosting Colleen Dergosits, Director of Admissions at the College Experience at the College of Saint Rose, and CareerNext at SUNY Schenectady and CareerNext SUNY Cobleskill, to present to those interested in learning about two residential college experience programs located in upstate NY. The College Experience Program is a residential non-credit certificate program hosted by The College of Saint Rose in partnership with Living Resources. The program is designed for students with developmental disabilities seeking to build community and transition to independence. CareerNext is an academic and residential support program hosted by SUNY Schenectady in partnership with Living Resources. The program is designed for students with Autism and learning differences who need some guidance to succeed in a degree-seeking college environment. Date: Wednesday, Feb 12, 2020 Time: 6-7:30pm RSVP here by Tuesday, Feb 11, 2020. Questions? Please feel free to contact Francesca Ramsawak, John Malaya, or Vanessa Nash. |
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