SCHOOL SCENE A Special Supplement to the Sullivan County Democrat
A look at BOCES
SECTION S, APRIL, 2015 • CALLICOON, NY
BOCES
SULLIVAN COUNTY DEMOCRAT
APRIL, 2015
Are your child's immunizations up to date?
Shotsor
Spots Call your child’s doctor today!
Fidelis Care is working to keep our members and the community healthy. Measles and Chickenpox are just two of the diseases that you can prevent by having your child immunized. Children under the age of 2 don't have all the defenses they need to fight off infection. Immunizations (shots) protect them from dangerous childhood diseases like: • Whooping Cough • Hepatitis • Rotavirus
• Mumps • Diphtheria • Flu
• Polio • Tetanus • Measles and more... • Chickenpox
Is Your Child Covered? Fidelis Care offers New York State sponsored free or low-cost health insurance coverage for children under 19 through the Child Health Plus program.
1-888-FIDELIS
• fideliscare.org
(1-888-343-3547) | To learn more about applying for health insurance including Child Health Plus and Medicaid through NY State of Health, the Official Health Plan Marketplace, visit www.nystateofhealth.ny.gov or call 1-855-355-5777.
21292
2S
BOCES
SULLIVAN COUNTY DEMOCRAT
APRIL, 2015
3S
Smarter and cheaper: Districts save by ‘buying’ into BOCES S
chool districts this year are required to demonstrate to New York State where they have saved money and how they have established ways to be more efficient. For many districts, their relationship with BOCES is likely to head that list. “We are an extension of our school districts,” said BOCES Deputy Superintendent Susan Schmidt. “We are a collaborator and help them meet their needs and their challenges – and help them develop high quality programs for students.” For example, “We assist our component districts with a variety of reporting requirements,” Schmidt related, “including the new Tax Freeze legislation that requires municipalities to complete a government efficiency plan demonstrating they have achieved cost savings and efficiencies equating to one percent of their 2014-2015 tax levy.” To put it simply, BOCES helps to keep Sullivan County’s eight school districts viable by providing services they cannot pay for on their own. Instead, districts share the services and pay only a portion of the costs. BOCES offers, and various districts
use, the services of a cafeteria manager, transportation director, electrician, plumber and a heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) expert. The Central Business Office at BOCES allows school districts to share the cost of business services such as accounting, accounts payable, attendance, payroll and budgeting, through the centralized office. Help is available with bank reconciliation, financial statements, treasurer’s report preparation, state and federal reports, employee benefits tracking and more. Assisting districts in the rollout of the Affordable Health Care Act and providing speakers on various topics, such as filing for state aid, are also in BOCES’ purview. More directly related to the classrooms is teacher training. BOCES has taken the lead in getting districts up and running with the changes wrought by the Common Core Learning Standards in English Language Arts and math. This year, new BOCES math and ELA content specialists are working with the school districts, said Schmidt. In addition, BOCES’ new Director of School Improvement, Linda OehlerMarx, works with districts to align their
School Scene
A Look at Activities at BOCES Published by Catskill-Delaware Publications, Inc. Publishers of the
(845) 887-5200 Callicoon, NY 12723 April 7, 2015 • Vol. CXXIV, No. 84
BOCES Deputy Superintendent Susan Schmidt describes BOCES’ mission to educate and to provide services that support education throughout Sullivan County.
science and social studies curriculum with the Common Core. Specifically, BOCES will help teachers create a body of questions on the social studies curriculum that lead to students’ learning new ideas and engaging in strategic thinking. BOCES’ own direct services to Sulli-
Publisher: Senior Editor: Editor: Sports Editor: Editorial Assistants: Advertising Director: Advertising Coordinator: Advertising Representatives: Marketing Director: Business Manager: Business Department: Telemarketing Coordinator: Classified Manager: Production Associates: Distribution:
5.062"; 2.5"; 1; -; Display Ad; Black; Server Files:Pre 1 Display PDFs:26715.pdf; 512; No; No; No; Delgado, Jorge Dr.
Fred W. Stabbert III Dan Hust Frank Rizzo Ken Cohen Jeanne Sager, Kaitlin Carney, Kathy Daley, Guy Harriton, Allison Ruef, Alex Rau, Matt Shortall Liz Tucker Sandy Schrader Cecilia Lamy, Barbara Matos Tera Luty Susan Owens Patricia Biedinger, Joanna Blanchard Michelle Reynolds Janet Will Ruth Huggler, Tracy Swendsen, Rosalie Mycka, Elizabeth Finnegan,Petra Duffy, Nyssa Calkin Bill Holmes, Thomas Duffy
van County children include teaching 243 students with disabilities in special education classes at the Rubin Pollack Education Center and the White Sulphur Springs School. Another 373 students ride school buses from their home districts to Career and Technical Education programs at Rubin Pollack, while an additional 37 attend the Alternative High School there. State-of-the-art-technology to enrich teaching and learning are all part of the direct learning program, including the student use of iPads where possible. With BOCES serving as the internet hub for all Sullivan County schools, the need to keep the complex system dependable and up to date is fueling a new capital project, said Schmidt. “We are rewiring Rubin Pollack Education Center to support technology education, and we’re installing a small generator as a back-up,” she said. New staff at the helm for BOCES include Nicholas Millas as secondary special education principal, and new assistant principals Patrick Sullivan and Laurie Yakawiak. Longtime administrator Dr. Debra Fuchs Nadeau is now Executive Director of Instruction. The mission stays the same, said Schmidt: how can BOCES assist the Sullivan County school districts in better meeting the needs of its schoolchildren? “These are challenging times for school districts,” she said. “There’s the fiscal climate, unfunded mandates and Common Core implementation. It’s important for us all to work together and collaborate and be successful in meeting these challenges.”
LAVA TOWING & RECOVERY 7873 State Rte 52, Narrowsburg, NY 12764 cell (845) 665-9827 Bruce M Gettel
23757
26715
Owner 24-Hr. Service Local & Long Distance
4S
BOCES
SULLIVAN COUNTY DEMOCRAT
APRIL, 2015
Auto body students use new skills to partner with community I
n Auto Body class, Dysheik Dowden is living out his dream. “I used to watch TV shows with my dad about fixing and restoring cars, about repairing muscle cars,” said the Monticello student. “When I told him this is what I was studying, he was jealous and said ‘You lucky dog, you.’ ” One of 20 students in teacher Fred Muller’s two-year program that focuses on collision repair and refinishing, Dowden is among a cohort of students that includes girls as well as boys. “There’s a huge push for women in the industry,” explains Muller. And, he adds, there’s a real need for skilled young workers in general as the current auto body workforce ages,
retires and often falls behind in new technology skills. “The industry is at a crossroads,” Muller said, noting that one of the big shifts is already here: finding workers who understand the specialized parts and repairs demanded by lighter, more energy-efficient cars. At the Auto Body Program at the Career & Tech Center on Ferndale Loomis Road, students learn the newest techniques in one of the few industries where the work simply cannot be outsourced to other countries. Today’s kids learn how to “read” the numerous internal computers that run a vehicle. They learn new welding
Auto Body teacher Fred Muller and student Jacob Dolittle prepare equipment in the program’s painting booth.
21624
techniques. They use “green” waterbased paints, mixing it themselves as they study the science and chemistry behind paint. Instead of reading out-of-date textbooks, kids in Auto Body turn to the always-new internet for research, either on a classroom computer or on their own Smartphones Then there are the new ways they learn to spiff up an old vehicle. With decals and vinyl “wrap” that covers the car, “we can transform entire vehicles,” said Muller. Enter the program’s robust community outreach. A few months ago, Auto Body students presented the Sullivan County Veterans Coalition with a refurbished van to help disabled veterans get to doctor visits and other appointments. Students worked inside and out of the donated out-of-service ambulette, finishing the vehicle with custommade vinyl lettering and the vets’ logo “All Gave Some, Some Gave All.” In the past, the program refurbished a Corvette as a tribute car for a Veterans Parade and the War Memorial Museum in Parksville. “Students went on line to find the names of veterans from Sullivan County who were killed in action,” said the teacher. They then transcribed those names onto the car. The Sullivan County Sheriff’s Department has also benefited from BOCES’ student work. Most notably,
BOCES
SULLIVAN COUNTY DEMOCRAT
APRIL, 2015
the official DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) car – confiscated from a notorious drug dealer – received new life through the skill and artistry of BOCES students. Still, students learn more than how to use hand and power tools, how to do minor and major auto body repairs and how to refinish cars. They learn basic welding and metal work, and gain an understanding of plumbing and electricity. Communication skills are learned along with math and science. “Thirty years ago, they’d go to work in a shop and not do much more than that,” said Muller. ”Now it’s very important for them to have good communication skills, good customer service skills. They have to be able to communicate and to do well on job interviews.” BOCES’ Auto Body Program uses curriculum from I-CAR, the not-forprofit training organization InterIndustry Conference on Auto Collision
Repair. Students leave BOCES with basic certification in I-CAR. They go on to jobs in the industry, or on to technical schools or college. For his part, Muller graduated from Orange-Ulster BOCES’ auto body program. He went on to intern at a body shop, accepted a job there and stayed for 14 years, working his way up from helper to assistant manager. He was then hired by an insurance company to negotiate claims on cars. During his career, Muller says, he was frequently asked by body shop owners, “where can I get a good body man?” Now the teacher is helping create workers for the growing industry. Students like Dysheik Dowden are likely to find themselves among them, although for the moment, Dowden likes just where he is. “I enjoy this so much,” the student said as he unrolled a sheet of vinyl wrap for a car. “You paint, you weld, you sand. I never get tired of it.”
All photographs and stories for this special School Scene are by Sullivan County Democrat Photographer/Reporter Kathy Daley. The Democrat would also like to thank BOCES for all its cooperation in this project.
845-292-0756
SPRIN G INTO FITNESS
Adults
Six Months
INSANITY TRX
189 $60
$
HS Students
*
Two Months
Every Monday at 5pm
Most Classes included like Yoga, Line Dancing, Zumba, Silver Sneakers, Group Fitness & More
Every Wed. at 5:45pm
NEW PRECOR TREADMILLS & ELIPTICALS
*
Classes Suspension
Training
SUPPLEMENTS SUPPLEMENTS SOLD HERE! SOLD HERE!
Myofusion, Jay Robb Myofusion Gold Amino’s, GoldStandard, Standard, Amino’s, Jacked, Gainers, Jacked, Mass Mass Gainers, Test Boosters & More!!! Test Boosters & More!!!
$7.00 Registration fee applies. Students must show I.D. Expires 4/13/15
Our WEBSITE: ww w.LibertyFitnessCenter.net BRING A FRIEND!
JOIN THE GYM
ONE YEAR Adults
High School Students
ANY 10 CLASSES
$
50
*
ID Required
299
$
Expires 9/30
*$7 per person registration fee applies. Minimum 2 person requirement for special offer w/coupon only. Can’t be combined with other offers. New customers only please!
*$7 per person registration fee applies. Minimum 2 person requirement for special offer w/coupon only. Can't be combined with other offers. New customers only please!
PER PERSON
ZUMBA • Pilates • INSANITY Kettle Bells • Spinning • Group Training w/Andre Yoga • Line Dancing • SilverSneakers® • Step Aerobics
DANCE PARTY
April 11th 7:30 - 10:30PM
OPEN 7 DAYS
DON’T MISS this DON’T MISS this
GREATExpires DEAL!4/30/15
ANY “B WITHOUT APE MEMBERSHIPS YOUR LIFE FOR PEOPLE ODY”... SHGYM TYPES OF CLASSES:
OR
JOIN US!
Great Deal!
ONLY
DROP-IN CLASSES For
ANY 10 CLASSES
26358
Credits:
85 N. Main St., Liberty •
5S
Ladies Only Classes
BALLROOM / SWING DANCE LESSONS
Every Mon. at 7:30pm
Monday-Friday 6am-9pm • Saturday 8:30am-4pm Sunday 8:30am-3pm
GIFT CERTIFICATES AVAILABLE
GET YOUR
Golden Tan HERE... NEW
HOT BULBS!
NEW HOT BULBS!
UNLIMITED TANNING 1 Mo for Only $60 10 Tans for $50 1 Tan for $8 Check Out Our COUPONS on Facebook!
Looking for a MA, LPN or RN opportunity?
(845) 342- 4774 26500
M iddletownM edic al.com
M I D D LE T O W N ( 5 L oc a t i on s) • BL OOM INGBURG • C CHE HE STE R • E LLENVILLE • LIB ER T Y M O N T I C EL L O ( 2 L o c a t ion s) • POR T JE R V IS • W AR WIC K • WU R T S B ORO
25813
Yinggang Zheng g, MD
6S
BOCES
SULLIVAN COUNTY DEMOCRAT
APRIL, 2015
It’s the SPARC they need to succeed in school F or hundreds of children in the past 15 years, BOCES’ SPARC program at its White Sulphur Springs School has served as a strong, resilient safety net. Students in SPARC (Supplemental Program for At-Risk Students) struggle in their home school district with academic, social or behavioral challenges. They might be resistant about going to school or to working in their classroom. They might be angry, frustrated and easily distracted. They might distract others in the classroom by acting up or making noise while a lesson is going on. “Others are being bullied and need skills to help them,” added SPARC teacher Bonnie Peters. Students in SPARC have not been diagnosed as handicapped and, therefore, in need of special education – and the object is to provide short-term educational and clinical intervention before that happens. Referred by their school districts and with the approval of parents, they receive focused, comprehensive assis-
tance for a maximum of 90 school days. “They arrive a little nervous,” said school psychologist Erin Hadjstylianos, Ph.D. “But they get to love us.” Grade 3 to 6 students work with teacher Bonnie Peters; teacher Jennifer Tyles handles kindergarten, first and second grade. The home district provides Peters and Tyles with its lessons, in order to ensure a seamless transition back to the district. The teachers’ multi-grade classrooms are like the one-room schoolhouses of old, where a student works on his or her assignment with the teacher supervising and helping. For example, in Peters’ class, one student studies the metric system, another multiplies fractions, and another works with algebraic formulations. Peters delights in her students’ hardwon successes. “One kid says ‘right, right!’ when he gets it,” she says with a smile. The SPARC team also works to give students the tools they need to succeed in the important arenas of good
SPARC teacher Bonnie Peters works on a reading assignment with student Katelyn Sanders in classroom at BOCES’ White Sulphur Springs School.
behavior and emotional control. Hadjstylianos, who sees students individually each day and also in groups, works toward fostering effective communication, increasing coping skills and giving children the chance to discuss concerns, feelings and behavior issues.
Recently, she shared a book with them designed to reduce the worries and anxieties that afflict so many. The book led the students through recognizing a particular worry, learning to “turn it off,” and adopting healing techniques like relaxation and deep breathing.
Back-to-School School Supplies Art Supplies Computers Multifunction Printers Sales & Service Furniture
Your local source for All Your School & Art Supplies!
KRISTT COMPANY Our main place of business: Kristt Company Monticello Location
Our branch office: Kristt Company Honesdale Location 863 Main Street Honesdale, PA 18431
369 Broadway, P.O. Box 548 Monticello, NY 12701 845-794-6639
570-253-9011
Hours of operation: Monday thru Friday 8:30AM - 5:00PM
WWW.KRISTT.COM
CALL NOW! 845-292-8810 w w w. p t a n d c h i r o p a i n r e l i e f . c o m
12021
19733
Shop Like a Genius
BOCES
SULLIVAN COUNTY DEMOCRAT
APRIL, 2015
Many of the children arrive at SPARC suffering from low esteem, said the experts. “When something happened in their class, often they got blamed for it,” explained Peters. Child psychiatrist Dr. John Neander observes each student and consults with the SPARC team weekly. He also gives families the opportunity to discuss the range of interventions available for their kids. SPARC professionals hold meetings on student progress after 30 days, 60 days and 90 days, engaging with the home district and family.
It is this strong line of communication that makes the program so effective. “If parents participate, the children are successful,” adds Peters. Sometimes, Dr. Neander diagnoses a child with an actual learning disability, and that student is then referred to the Special Education program. But at SPARC, the small environment and the one-on-one care lead to many successes. “We hear it all the time,” said Bonnie Peters. “One parent said ‘I am so thankful – before this, we were at our wit’s end.’”
7S
5.062"; 5.25"; 1; -; Display Ad; Black; Server Files:Pre 1 Display PDFs:11232.pdf; 512; No; No; No; Coombe Bender & Company
Investment Advisors Creating and Preserving Wealth Philip Coombe III, CFP® Catherine Bender, CFP® Lynn McDonald
Office locations: Main Office: P.O. Box 333 / 6872 Route 209 Wawarsing, NY 12489
Pre-School Day Care • Developmental Evaluations Special Need Services
(845) 794-6037 BFSI-110467
27782
21357
COME SEE US FOR ALL YOUR AUTO SERVICE NEEDS!
THALMANN’S SERVICE CENTER
FOREIGN and DOMESTIC • Full Auto Body Repairs
Locally Owned & Operated – Our Services –
Collision Repair Available 24851
Collision •Brakes • Shocks • Exhaust • AC Service Bake Booth • Computer Diagnostics Complete Fluid Flushes by BG Alignments with Car Aligner Measuring System -- NYS Inspections -11521
188 Lake Street • Liberty, NY 12754
CALL US TODAY! 845-292-4808
11232
Phone (845) 647-4800 • (800) 4 COOMBE www.coombebender.com Email: pcoombe@coombefinancial.com
Nancy McDonald, M.S. in Ed. CCC, Director 504 South Woods Drive Monticello, New York
548 Broadway Monticello, NY 12701 Call for appointment
8S
BOCES
SULLIVAN COUNTY DEMOCRAT
APRIL, 2015
Career Building ~ College Prep ~ ESOL Instruction ~ Online Courses High School Equivalency Diplomas ~ Options for All Ages
16484