What’s Cooking? The Cooke Center For Learning and Development Summer 2011 Cooke Cent er News :
Volume 6 Issue 5
School-Wide Spotlight On Science
In this Issue: Spotlight on Science
Page 1
Poetry Day at CCMS
Page 2
Carnival with HSBC
Page 2
End of School Year Review
Page 3
New Friends of Cooke Event
Page 4
Lower, Middle and Upper Schools Focus on Sc ience this Spr ing
A Letter from the Cooke President Dear Friends, The awards have been given and the diplomas distributed. Though the applause has faded, my heart still resonates with happiness for all our students have accomplished. I recall the sense of joy and pride on the faces of our students as they raced up to be recognized. Could any job offer more satisfaction? These annual rites marking the end of school should lead to the “lazy, hazy days of summer,’” but not here at Cooke. Over 150 of our students will take part in one of our summer programs. Staff will be working on curriculum or participating in professional development. Implementation of plans for our newly reformulated SKILLs program continues as the paint dries on the walls at the program’s new home on 29th Street. A desire to do always more for our students keeps staff hopping throughout the summer months. In the coming year, we look forward not only to all of the excitement of a new semester, but also to the celebration of our 25th Anniversary. As I look back over the years, it is hard to believe how much we have accomplished in what feels like so short a time! I wish all of you a wonderful summer and look forward to celebrating our anniversary with you in the year to come. Sincerely, Michael Teremini, PsyD
The past three months have been a fascinating time of discovery for all the Cooke schools, each of which has been exploring the scientific process through fairs, handson activities and guest speakers. Level 3 students at Ascension participated in an inclusive school-wide science fair in April. Our students received many compliments from the judges and parents on their great submissions, as well as for the excellent job they did explaining their projects and how they apply to real life. We even had a winner when one group won 3rd place out of the whole school! The Cooke Center Academy has also been hard at work
with an entire Science Fair day where they show-cased their projects to Cooke Center Middle School Students. CCA students also explored the functions of the eye through a dissection of cow eyes led by Dr. Norman Kleiman, Cooke parent and Scientist at Columbia University.
Poem in My Pocket Day at CCMS Cooke Center Middle School Students Showcase their Original Pieces of Poetry On May 4th, Cooke Center Middle School students showed off their artistic side with Poem in My Pocket Day. Four cohorts of Cooke poets presented their poetry by reading aloud some of their favorites – either their own work or that of their peers – to fellow students, staff and parents. This event was the product of a 12-session poetry workshop at CCMS at Blessed Sacrament School in Manhattan.
creative, honest and candid young writers” he’s ever worked with. Mr. Hoehler composed, edited and designed a chapbook of over 100 original poems that CCMS students wrote both collaboratively as well as individually. The “Cooke Book of Poetry“ was distributed to attending parents.
The workshops and Poem in My Pocket Day presentation were led by poet, teaching artist and Cooke parent, Richard Hoehler, who praised Cooke students as being “some of the most
Lower-School
Day with HSBC camera and spoke with students about the activities. Cooke faculty, along with enthusiastic volunteers from HSBC Bank, led students through stations that included dance lessons, quilting, an obstacle course, ring toss, music jam sessions, cupcake decorating, tile painting, face painting, and an XBox Kinect Game System station, among other fun activities. The activities gave students the chance to exercise, use their creativity, and hone motor, language and social skills fun and education combined.
On March 21st Cooke Center Lower and Middle School students took part in the first annual Fun Day Carnival at partner site Our Lady of Pompeii school. In between activities, CCMS student reporters Issac B., Michael F., Pamela P. and Franshees P. captured the fun on
We’d like to say a special thank you to our HSBC volunteers for their time and enthusiasm. The students look forward to next year's event!
End of the School Year Activities An review of the end of year school events at Lower/Middle Schools, CCA and SKILLs The end of the school brings with it many celebrations and traditions. As Cooke continues to grow, these traditions grow with us, and new ones are created. This year, as in years past, we celebrated Awards Day with our Lower and Middle School, recognizing each student for his or her progress and special achievements. At the close of the program, the CCMS graduating class of 2011 was also recognized and the class valedictorian, Ariel Rivera, gave a moving speech. The Cooke Center Academy celebrated its seniors, many of whom are moving on to the SKILLs program at our new building on 29th Street, while others are off to continue studies elsewhere or enter the job market. The seniors spoke eloquently about their memories of CCA
and hopes for the future before accepting their diploma for the successful completion of four years of study at the Academy. This year, a new tradition for Cooke was created: The SKILLs Banquet. SKILLs students and their families gathered at the Cooke Center Academy to share a meal and send off their classmates who are moving. But moving on doesn’t mean our graduates won’t stay in touch. Through the Cooke Alumni Program, SKILLs students and graduates will stay connected with monthly social events and workshops to be held at the new SKILLs space.
Congratulations Class of 2011!
Cooke Center for Learning & Development 475 Riverside Drive, Suite 730 New York, New York 10115
New Friends of Cooke Cooke’s Young Professional Group Throw Another Great Event! which will go towards the final renovations at the Cooke Center Academy in Soho. The Moody's Foundation, a long-time, generous supporter of the Cooke Center Academy and its transition programming, recently sent two groups of volunteers to work with some our younger learners. This year, volunteers visited partner schools Our Lady of Pompeii and Ascension to assist with an indoor Fun Day for Levels 1-3. Moody’s volunteers painted faces, helped to create homemade spin art (cleverly created with a salad spinner) and decorated cookies with our students. Thanks to all the volunteers who helped to make Fun Day super fun!
More th an 350 young professionals and Cooke Center staff turned out for the second annual New Friends of Cooke Summer Soirée. Held this year at Libation in the Lower East Side, revelers sipped cold drinks and danced the night away despite the record breaking heat (it was a 100° day!). Thanks to underwriting and record ticket sales, the evening brought in $40,000,
The New Friends of Cooke was started by Charles and Ian Miller, brothers of Nicky Miller, one of Cooke’s very first students who sadly passed away a few years ago. The Miller family (father, Roger Miller, is a Cooke board member) has worked tirelessly to raise funds and awareness about children with special needs in New York City. Special thanks also go out to Sapna Champaneria, a Cooke volunteer, and Sarah Stapleton, a former Cooke teacher, for chairing the event committee along with the Millers.
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