Rocking the Vote!
Over the last month, students in Community Literature and Humanities 101 have been learning about voting and the importance of it, as well as registering to vote in the upcoming election! Students were and are continuously being educated on the different political parties to greater understand what ideas are important to them, as well as what they agree and disagree with! In class students have participated in brainstorming activities surrounding what the word "vote" means to them, understanding who the candidates are, and how self advocacy allows them to feel. As the election inches closer students will continue to be exposed to current events surrounding the election and the candidates as well! Our hope is that going into election day on November 6th, students feel more empowered than ever to make a choice that they are comfortable with! Take a look at some of the students mailing in their registration forms for the election! Have a great weekend! -Ari Simner [email protected] Taste Buds Kitchen
The Sheepshead Bay Cohort 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 treats. This semester the theme has been vegetables and fruits and each week specific color has been featured. So far, they have made Carrot Cake mini muffins, Red Velvet Whoopie pies with beets in the batter and even Eggplant Fries! 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, cracking eggs and using simple appliances such 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 doggie bag! You might have a treat for the whole family.
ALUMNI ASSOCIATION
For the Dinner Out event, attendees enjoyed a meal with friends at Dallas BBQs or Sammy’s Noodle Shop.
Join us for the next Alumni event!
BOWLING Bowlmor Chelsea Piers Friday, November 9th 4:00pm - 5:30pm $30 (reduced rates available) Click HERE to register Let's get social!
Celebrate Halloween in Central Park!
When: Sunday, October 28, 2018 Where: Central Park, Harlem Meer (activities start at 4pm) The event is free! Bring the whole family and celebrate Halloween in Central Park. Enjoy pumpkin carving, Halloween crafts, spooky stories, a costume parade, and most of all the Conservancy’s signature Pumpkin Flotilla, which sets sail across the Harlem Meer at twilight! http://www.centralparknyc.org/events/individual-events/halloween.html Best Buddies When: Click here to sign up Where: NYC Build one-to-one friendships between people with and without intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), offering social mentoring while improving the quality of life and level of inclusion. Through participation, individuals form meaningful connections with their peers, gain self-confidence and self-esteem, and share interests, experiences and activities! https://www.bestbuddies.org/what-we-do/mission-vision-goals/
Transition Calendar!
Dear families, Please take a moment to check out the new addition to our parent newsletter, 'Community Resources for Families'. It's a calendar of community events for families throughout the five boroughs. These events include presentations, workshops, support groups with a focus on OPWDD, SSI, Self Direction, Guardianship and more. Although we are not affiliated with the agencies hosting events listed in the 'Community Resources for Families' calendar, we want to help you find opportunities to learn more about these topics. Our Cooke Transition Team is always here to help you understand and secure family supports and services. Please don't hesitate to email with questions. The Cooke Transition Team will be updating the calendar, so please check back in the future. Feel free to recommend family resource events. We are happy to add your recommendation to the calendar. Thanks, The Cooke Transition Team Vanessa Nash, Lead Transition Coordinator, CA [email protected] Francesca Ramsawak, Transition Coordinator, SKILLs [email protected] John Malaya, Transition Coordinator, SKILLs [email protected] Cheryl Tuttle, School Psychologist, CGS [email protected] Sally Ord, Consulting Teacher, CA [email protected] Supporting Independence Through Functional Math skills The aim of our Math program at SKILLs is to introduce our students to functional math skills which will enable them to care for themselves as independently as possible and make decisions about their daily lives. Decisions for which they are being prepared include: the means by which they will earn a living or acquire money, what they will do with this money, where they will live and leisure activities they can partake in during their spare time. To prepare for these tasks, students will need to be able to count money, manage their time, make travel plans, shop on a budget and be able to keep track of their balances in their bank accounts. The latter skill, is one which students will constantly have to work on as they navigate their way through the financial channels of life. Bank trips to various boroughs are planned and students are required to check their balances, make deposits and perform withdrawals using an ATM or the service of a teller. There are those students who will either be intimidated by using the machine while others may want to shy away from interacting with bank personnel; whatever the case may be, instructors encourage them to branch out of their comfort zones and try. Handling money wisely is another pertinent skill students are being taught. As parents, you can also assist them with becoming more comfortable with spending money. For the next trip to the store or supermarket, have them compare prices and choose the items that are more reasonable or save money. Next, have them estimate what the cost may be when they get to the cashier (rounding up to next dollar) and hand them the bills to count out to make payment. Although it is more convenient to use a card, using cash can help to provide a visual of the value of money as they can compare the quantity and quality of items with the amount of money spent each time. When all is said and done, the ultimate goal of our Math program is to equip students with skills that will encourage independence and engender a sense of pride when they realize that they have accomplished something they may have once thought impossible. SKILLS Students at St. John’s University SKILLs students have begun another successful year at St. John’s University (SJU)! Their classes this semester are “Living On Your Own” and “Reading 101”. They’re working hard and getting to know their SJU teachers and fellow students in class and during lunch. They’re doing a great job getting to know the campus and getting to their classes in two different buildings on time! We’re all looking forward to a wonderful semester ahead with more opportunities to meet new students through sports and learning about what it takes to live on your own. VR WORLDIn the beginning of October cohorts Pelham, Rockaway, and Caesar’s Bay traveled to VR World for an educational workshop. During our visit the VR Educator discussed the history of Virtual Reality and how all the components of STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics) are combined to create VR experiences. Students enjoyed creating Art via augmented reality, viewed 360 degree videos/documentaries, and participated in VR experiences(Tilt Brush, Beat Saber, Job Simulator...). ALUMNI ASSOCIATION The Kickoff Party was a huge success! Over 75 attendees enjoyed dancing, karaoke, DIY snacks, games and art! Upcoming Alumni Events Halloween Dance October 26th, 7pm - 9pm at Cooke Academy Click HERE to register Want to make sure the DJ plays your favorite song? Click HERE to make a request Bowling @ BOWLMOR November 9th, 4pm - 5:30pm at Chelsea Piers Click HERE to register Let's Get Social! |
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