Celebrations

We celebrate our students and learning throughout the year. Learn more below.

Schermerhorn Program: Grades K-12

Throughout the year, Schermerhorn teachers and staff come together for fun and celebratory events to reinforce our sense of community and provide students with opportunities to practice their social skills in a supportive environment. Activities are designed by staff and focus on problem-solving, fine and gross motor skills, inter-personal communication, and team work.

Additionally, we work to bring awareness to activities that take place on the national level in support of education and disability awareness, helping students understand the larger context of their education in relation to the world off-campus, ex: National Bullying Prevention Month and Braille Literacy Month.

Photos of our most recent events can be viewed in our photo album at www.nyise.org/photoalbum/.

A bulleted monthly listing of annual events held within the Schermerhorn Program is below:

September

Back-to-School Welcome
International Literacy Day (September 8)
National Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15 - October 15)
National Literacy Month
Rosh Hashanah (September 23 – 24, 2025)
National Blind Sports Week (September 28 - October 3)

October

Blindness Awareness Month
Diwali (October 20, 2025)
Halloween (October 31)
Indigenous Peoples' Day (October 13, 2025)
National Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15 to October 15)
National Blind Sports Week (September 28 - October 3)
National Bullying Prevention Month
Spooky-Ooky Day Trick-or-Treating (Pumpkin Template)
White Cane Day (October 15)
Yom Kippur (October 2 , 2025)

November

Institute Pep Rally
Thanksgiving Celebrations
Residential Program Thanksgiving Dinner
National American Indian Heritage Month

December

Winter Concert
Holiday Parties
Residential Holiday Party
Clement C. Moore Church of Intersession Performance
Christmas (December 25 each year)
Hanukkah (December 25, 2024 - January 2, 2025)
Kwanzaa (December 26, 2024 - January 1, 2025)

January

Spirit Week
Martin Luther King Jr. Day (January 19, 2026)
Braille Literacy Month
Louise Braille's Birthday, World Braille Day (January 4 each year)

February

Kindness Week
Black History Month
President's Day (February 16, 2025)
Lunar New Year (February 17, 2025)
Mid-Winter Recess

March

100 Days of School Celebrations
Academic Awards (Middle & High School)
Easter (April 5, 2026)
Eid al-Fitr (March 20, 2026)
International Women's Day
National Reading Month
Science Fair (Middle & High School)
Spring Recess
Women's History Month
National Irish American Heritage Month
NYISE's Birthday (March 15, 1831)

April

Autism Awareness Month
National Arab American Heritage Month
National Poetry Month
Occupational Therapy Month
Easter Egg Hunt
National Volunteer Month
PSAT Exams
Spring Recess
Earth Day

May

Spring Concert
Art Show
Prom (Middle & High School)
St. Jude's Trik-a-thon (Readiness)
Touch-a-Truck Event (Readiness, K-12)
Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month
Teacher Appreciation Week
National Nurses Month
Memorial Day
Mother's Day

June

Fun Day
Senior Rose Ceremony
Schermerhorn Graduation Day
Moving Up Day
Staff Appreciation Day
Regents Testing
SAT Exams
Juneteenth (June 19, 2026)
Father's Day
Americans with Disabilities Act (June 26, 2025)

July/August

Disability Pride Month (July)
Extended School Year Program

Readiness Program (Preschool)

Readiness teachers and staff provide a dynamic roster of events to support our preschoolers and their parents and caregivers.

All events use elements of multi-sensory play, a proven approach that helps develop the children's cognitive, fine, gross motor, speech, and language skills as they interact with their teachers and peers in a fun and nurturing environment.

Supporting parents and caregivers, Readiness staff serve as a valuable resource by hosting educational events, showcasing class projects and activities, and providing insights into the teaching methodologies used in the classroom.

Staff remain in contact with families and caregivers throughout the year, and frequently share activities to continue supporting the children's learning and development at home.

To see a few of these activities, visit our Readiness Resources webpage by following this link https://www.nyise.org/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=409375&type=d&pREC_ID=2565794

Photos of our most recent events can be viewed in our photo album at www.nyise.org/photoalbum/.

A bulleted monthly listing of select events held within the Readiness Program is below:

September/October/November

Back-to-School Welcome

Parent Orientation Day
Fall Festival Event
Trick or Treating
Pumpkin Picking, Hayrides
Spooky-Ooky Day Trick-or-Treating (with Schermerhorn Students)
Turkey Drive (led by Schermerhorn Student Government Association)
Thanksgiving Celebrations
National American Indian Heritage Month
National Hispanic Heritage Month

December/January/February

Caroling with Schermerhorn Carolers
Holiday Gifts and Celebrations
Visit from Santa
Winter Wonderland Event
Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Black History Month
100 Days of School Celebrations
Lunar New Year

March/April/May

Dr. Suess' Birthday
Read-Across-America
Egg Hatching with Quiver Farms
Egg Hunt
St. Jude Trike-a-Thon
Touch-a-Truck Event
Women's History Month
Asian American and Pacific Island Heritage Month
Teacher Appreciation Week

June/July/August

Caterpillar Project
Class Moving Up! Ceremonies
Fun Day
Summer Theme Days: Lemonade Stand Day, Under-the-Sea Day, National Watermelon Day

Residential Program