From the Desk of the CEO

Dear Families and Friends, 

We are beginning 2025 as a fully engaged community. From heartfelt holiday celebrations to meaningful events for children, parents, and staff, our schools and services remain strong reflecting our commitment to educating and empowering children to thrive.

Quality special education is a combination of professional expertise and active family participation. BCCS is always brimming with activity. Alongside a review of holiday activities, the Barbara C. Wilson Parents Association invited students to a sensory-friendly movie screening while in Brookville, Children’s Education Center students stargazed inside an inflatable planetarium and learned about the cosmos.

Two standout moments include Special Education Teacher Jamie Schantz, who infuses her classroom with creativity, and our dedicated social work team who invited author Amy McCoy to speak about parenting children whose siblings have disabilities.

Active engagement is a bedrock of our mission to promote inclusion and increase opportunities for students. I encourage you to stay engaged as we look ahead to the 2025-26 SFY Executive Budget. You can take action and join a regional advocacy group to connect with fellow advocates and send a letter to legislators to bring their attention to issues that matter.

Thank you for your trust and support as we continue to build supportive and dynamic spaces for our students.

Best regards, 

Stanfort J. Perry

Barbara C. Wilson Preschool Students Enjoy a Sensory-Friendly Movie Theater Experience

On January 11, Barbara C. Wilson Preschool classmates and their families came together for a sensory-friendly screening of the movie “Sing” at the Bellmore Playhouse, hosted by the BCW Parents Association (PA).

“Our Parents Association has been setting up different meetup events for our children to participate in and interact with one another outside of school,” said BCW PA member Ali Parks. “We wanted to create a safe and welcoming environment for our children to enjoy a movie, for many, this is their first time in the movie theater.”

Children’s Education Center Students Decorate Gingerbread Houses with Parents

The joy and spirit of wintertime came to life, this December, with hands-on activities that students and parents could enjoy together.

The BCCS Children Education Center’s two-day gingerbread house decorating event is an annual tradition welcoming parents to join their children in the fun and learning of a typical school day.

Children’s Residential Program Celebrates the Festival of Lights

Surrounded by warmth and light, young men from the Children’s Residential Program (CRP) and staff gathered around the menorah to celebrate Chanukah on December 30.

Speech Pathologist Debby Lapidus has led the CRP’s annual Chanukah celebrations for over a decade, offering meaningful opportunities to celebrate or learn about Jewish customs in a joyful and inclusive way.

Debby started by sharing the history of the eight-day festival of lights: how Chanukah celebrates the reclamation of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem and the miracle of oil, which burned and provided light for eight days when it should have only lasted one.

Author Amy McCoy Sheds Light on the 
Unique Needs of Super Siblings

To benefit parents, Brookville Center for Children’s Services (BCCS) social workers organize parent workshops based on topics selected from parent surveys. This month, Author and Presenter Amy McCoy led a workshop on “Super Siblings,” addressing the unique needs and experiences of children growing up with a sibling with a disability.

There’s no doubt that raising a child with special needs has its ups and downs or that parents can easily become overwhelmed by the unknowns and feel isolated in the process. This doesn’t have to be the case.

Staff Spotlight: Special Education Teacher Jamie Schantz 
Empowers Students Through Creative Curriculum

On any given school day, students who walk into Special Education Teacher Jamie Schantz’s classroom are met with books, blocks, activity boxes, and even a full-blown obstacle course assembled on the week’s topic.

Jamie began her tenure at Marcus Avenue Preschool in the fall of 2023. In her ten years of teaching, Jamie has worked with students from kindergarten to first grade. Now in her second year at the school,  Jamie has settled into a classroom dynamic that works well for both her team and her students.

“I’m trying to get them to establish a great feeling about learning and school,” said Jamie.

Post Avenue Preschool Wraps Up the Year With a Cheerful Holiday Concert

Throughout December, the schools at Brookville Center for Children’s Services organized activities to energize students ahead of the end-of-year break. Sprit weeks were a highlight, with themed days like Ugly Sweater Day and Pajama Day bringing fun and excitement to the classrooms. Students also celebrated their fall accomplishments with special events. At Post Avenue Preschool, this included a virtual holiday concert on the morning of December 19.

Special Education Teacher Connie Neylon, always looking for ways to engage parents, had long envisioned hosting a concert where parents could observe how their children interact and learn during the school day.

BLANCHE FIERSTEIN SCHOLARSHIP

The Blanche Fierstein Memorial Scholarship seeks to award an exceptional candidate pursuing an advanced degree in the field of special education.

Applications for this $5,000 grant are due by April 1, 2025.

Learn More