March Madness
Basketball season is upon us! Students have been showing off their skills on the basketball court and cheering on the sidelines with the support of some incredible coaches. The Alumni team earned the win at the first of two games against current SKILLs students. The next game will be held on Friday, March 29th at John Jay College. Check out some photos from the first game!
Spring Shopping Trip!
Students in Functional Math put their budgeting and money knowledge to practical use this month by going shopping for items they need for their busy lives! Students that needed a new community bag were able to explore different stores and buy one with a $30 budget, while students who already had a community bag were encouraged to buy something they can use this spring with a $20 budget. Students traveled to stores like Target, H&M, K-Mart and Macy's. Depending on student preference, students were able to use either cash or their personal debit cards to purchase items.
ALUMNI ASSOCIATION
Spring Workshops Below you will find information on the workshops we will be offering this Spring. Please pre-register, as space is limited. MONDAYS Relax & Recharge (4pm-5pm): A mindfulness, meditation and healthy snack making workshop. We will focus on learning to listen to what your body needs in order to relax and refuel. We will also focus on being comfortable with being still and unstimulated. Click HERE to register. Fitness Pals (4pm-5:30pm): Learn new moves to help you get in shape and have more energy. Workout with friends in a fun and supportive environment! Click HERE to register. Creative Writing (4pm-5pm): Fancy yourself an author or a poet? Do you want to learn how to easily create short stories and poems that are exciting to read? Do you have a favorite story or poem you would like to discuss? Come to Creative Writing where you can do all this and learn how figures of speech can enhance your writing. Click HERE to register. Planes, Trains & Automobiles (4pm-5:30pm): This workshop will explore different modes of transportation through arts and crafts. These activities will include testing different styles of paper airplanes, building our own vehicles, and going even further by making our very own rockets! We're bringing science and arts and crafts together to have fun learning about how people get around. Click HERE to register. In Tuned (4pm-5pm): This music based workshop will provide an introduction to different genres of music. Students will explore their musical preferences and how it makes them feel. Get to know and connect with others through music! Click HERE to register. TUESDAYS Mini Meals (4pm-5:30pm): Learn to navigate your way through the kitchen. Develop your kitchen safety skills and work to cook simple meals. Click HERE to register. Improv Theater (4pm-5pm): A fun workshop designed to teach students the basics of improv. This workshop will also provide students with an opportunity to work together as a team and enhance their communication skills. The workshop includes role playing, theater games, dance and acting. Click HERE to register. Just Dance (4pm-5pm): Celebrate yourself and express yourself at Just Dance!: a "rhythm dance" workshop. You will have opportunities to explore self-expression through dance tutorials and the Wii game, advocate for song preferences, build confidence, and focus on teamwork and compromise. Click HERE to register. Makeup Club (4pm-5pm): If you like to express yourself with makeup or learn how to, The Makeup Club is for you! You’ll learn different techniques on how to apply makeup and how to keep your brushes clean. Click HERE to register. WEDNESDAYS The Fast & The Curious (4pm-5:30pm): Let’s get outside and move! This workshop will provide students with an opportunity to run, jog or walk in a fun and supportive environment. The Fast & The Curious will take place at Chelsea Park (W 27th St & 9th Ave). Click HERE to register. THURSDAYS Origami (4pm-5pm): Origami is the art of paper folding. The theme for this workshop is nature. We will learn to make origami flowers, trees, animals and more! Click HERE to register. Hair Styling (4pm-5:30pm): Have you ever wanted to learn a skill that will enable you to earn money on your own? Or do you simply want to be better at creating hairstyles for yourself, friends and family? Come learn the art of crochet-braiding, full hair weaving and sewing tracks. Styling has never been this much fun! Click HERE to register. Anime Club (4pm-5pm): Calling all anime lovers! In this club we will make new friends by watching and discussing our favorite anime episodes, and have the opportunity to share our talents through drawing, creative writing, acting, and more if you are so inclined! Click HERE to register. Let's Get Social!
SPROUT
Through contracts with the NYS OPWDD, Sprout offers programs for people with developmental disabilities living in NYC. These programs include: -Brooklyn, Manhattan Queens Weekend Programs: This program provides vacations for adults 22 and older. They offer Friday- Sunday weekend vacations. The program is FREE and transportation is provided. -Brooklyn & Manhattan School Holiday Vacation Programs: A 5 day vacation during the NYC public school winter and spring breaks. This program is FREE and transportation is provided. For more information: http://gosprout.org/vacation-programs/nyc-programs/ PRISMATICA Kaleidoscopic Prisms Exhibit When: March 15 - April 21 Where: Lower Manhattan (75 Wall St., 77 Water St., 32 Old Slip) The Downtown Alliance is bringing Prismatica, an interactive art trail of 25 kaleidoscopes, public plazas at 75 Wall Street, 77 Water St and 32 Old Slip. For five weeks, Prismatica will brighten the highly trafficked path along Gouverneur Lane that leads to the ferries at Pier 11 and showcase how creativity can enliven these spaces and activate the Water Street corridor. This event is free! Call a friend and share a stroll while exploring art in NY. SKILLs at St. John's University The students of Caesar’s Bay have been spending their Mondays at St. John’s University. This week they participated in a special workshop on nutrition, run by a dietitian. Students looked at nutrition labels on drinks such as soda, juice, tea, and vitamin water, and looked at how much sugar is in each drink. They participated in discussions about healthy choices they can make when going out to lunch, and some tried naturally flavored iced tea sweetened with stevia, as an alternative to sugary drinks. It was a great start to learning more about how we should be fueling our bodies and beginning to put into practice what we learn. Please find some handouts in the link below. Cultures and Traditions In Community Literature this month students are focusing on learning about cultures and traditions as well as preparing for family conferences, which is a school wide activity. Students have been discussing what the terms "culture" and "tradition" mean, and how they can relate these ideas to their own lives! Community Trips supporting this unit thus far have included a Cultural Community Scavenger Hunt around SKILLS, which allowed students to explore the different cultures that surround us each day in the form of libraries, restaurants, street signs, and advertisements. Students have continued trips to the New York Public Library, where they are choosing books connected to this unit based on their own preference of a culture or place they would like to learn about more. Family Conferences! Students have been prepping for family conferences, which includes filling out conference sheets for each class to help support them while at conferences. Students are practicing the role they play in conferences, which truly allows them to take the lead and advocate for themselves when the day arrives. We are working to provide students with the confidence to explain what they are learning about in each class, and what their preferences include. During conferences, students will have the opportunity to navigate the discussion, with support from the staff in each class. It is a wonderful time to watch the students shine. Let's Get Social!Reelabilities Film Festival NYC When: April 2-9, 2019 Where: Various locations around NYC, Check out the Schedule! ReelAbilities is dedicated to promoting awareness and appreciation of the lives, stories, and artistic expressions of people with different abilities. Award-winning films are presented in various locations throughout the NY metropolitan area. Discussions and other engaging programs bring together the community to explore, discuss and celebrate the diversity of our shared human experience. For more information about the upcoming 2019 festival and events visit: reelabilities.org/newyork/films Alumni Association Intrepid Museum Last Friday, SKILLs students and alums went to the Intrepid for an educator-led multi sensory exploration. The tour focused on different ways humans can travel on water, in the air and into space. Talent Show Highlights: Please enjoy a slideshow and the recording of our SKILLs Stars! (special thanks to Zander Dilag and Ally Herold)
Thank you for supporting our students at the Talent Show last night. We hope you had as much fun as we did cheering on our STARS! It was an all SKILLs event, with every student either performing on stage or helping behind the scenes.
MATH: MAKING A DIFFERENCE
Students support charities This semester, students from Team 2 commenced their business unit. Students were excited to once again apply what they learned inside the classroom to real world events. While earning money has always been a great motivator, students were driven by a far greater cause: charity. Students discussed issues that were important to them, for one reason or another, then voted on charities that addressed such issues. The next leg of the journey was generating business ideas that were suitable for their current environment. Pelham Bay was the first group to begin with their weekly Bake Sales based on themes they suggested, for their charity Doctors Without Borders. It was also great to see our male students push for more active roles in the kitchen. Caesars Bay will soon kick off their Beverage service to support The ASPCA, while Rockaway Bay will launch their Pop-up Variety Store to support St. Jude’s. Students will apply knowledge about income, expense, profit/loss, target market, fair pricing, advertisements, loans and interest. It is setting up to be a great experience for them as they are not only practicing their math skills but they are also learning how their actions can make a positive difference in the lives of others.
Taste Buds Kitchen
A Unique Culinary Experience for the Flushing Bay Cohort
The students in the Flushing Bay Cohort have been attending cooking classes at The Taste Buds Cooking School which is just a few blocks away. This semester the theme has been Around the World and the students will be making food from all over the globe. Asia was the first stop and the students prepared vegetarian dumplings from scratch by preparing a filling and then wrapping the dumplings. Inspired by Mexico, they recently made churros that were served with chocolate sauce. The students love the experience of working in a professional kitchen just like the ones they have seen on popular cooking shows. Specific skills that they get to practice include: pouring, mixing, measuring and using simple appliances such as a hand mixer. 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 bag of extra treats from Taste Buds.
Please RSVP for our upcoming workshop at SKILLs! Click hereLet's Get Social!
“Morning at the Museum”- Cooper Hewitt
When: Select Saturdays every other month beginning at 9am Where: Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum (2 E. 91st Street) Morning at the Museum, Cooper Hewitt’s program for individuals with autism and other cognitive and sensory processing disabilities. This program provides early entrance, pre-visit materials for participating families, a gallery scavenger hunt, design activities, and a “take a break” space. This program is FREE and ope to all ages! Pre-registration is required. To register, email [email protected] or call 917-809-6732
ALUMNI ASSOCIATION
March Alumni Events
Intrepid Museum Transportation Exploration March 8th Welcome Center Entrance (2nd Floor) | Pier 86, W 46th St 3:15pm - 5:00pm $15 Click HERE to register Saturday Paint Party (for the CA Musical) March 9th & 16th 10:30am - 12:30pm at Cooke Academy (light snacks will be provided) Click HERE to register SKILLs vs Alumni Basketball (Game 1) @John Jay College March 19th John Jay College | Auxiliary Gym | 524 West 59th Street, 4th Floor 12:00pm - 2:00pm SKILLs vs Alumni Basketball (Game 2)@John Jay College March 29th John Jay College | Auxiliary Gym | 524 West 59th Street, 4th Floor 12:00pm - 2:00pm |
Cooke
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