Community E-News Archive (Screen Reader Friendly without Graphics)
March 14, 2025
March, 2025, Community E-News
Section Header: The New York Institute for Special Education Community E-Newsletter.
Here at the Institute, we're committed to providing quality educational programs & support for students & families in a safe, caring environment to awaken & inspire student curiosity, lifelong learning, & fulfillment.
Section Header: Welcome Letter
As snowdrops and crocuses bloom, our youngest students bring sunshine and smiles to campus, especially during our recent 100 days of school celebration! This milestone represents 100 days of commitment to learning, dedication to showing up, and determination to address challenges with creative and inspiring solutions. From the three-year-olds in our Readiness Program to the teens graduating from the Schermerhorn Program, we are tremendously proud of students' commitment to learning through play, critical thinking, and collaboration. Every day brings new lessons, and our students navigate them with the support of each other and the encouragement of our community of dedicated teachers, teacher assistants, and staff. As a member of our larger community, we hope you share in the sense of accomplishment we feel when students succeed in ways big and small every day.Thank you for believing in our efforts to help students reach their full potential. It means the world to us! Until next time, thank you for reading. Keep warm and well, The NYISE Team
Section Header: Stay Engaged
Connect with us on LinkedIn by following this external link https://www.linkedin.com/company/new-york-institute-for-special-education/. Connect with us on Instagram @NYISE999 by using the QR code below or by following this external link https://www.instagram.com/nyise999/.
Section Header: Winter Wonderland
Our Occupational and Physical Therapy Department designed and led engaging, sensory-based activities for Readiness preschoolers to explore, move, and experience the season's magic during our Winter Wonderland event. From the most joyful Gingerbread Cookie to "To-Go Snowflakes" made by our Juniors and Seniors, the day was filled with giggles, movement, and sensory fun while providing opportunities for the children to practice balancing, bending, and climbing their way through winter-themed games and activities. Our sincere thanks to everyone who made this event possible through collective hard work, dedication, and team spirit, all skills and attributes we aim to help students develop here on campus. For event photos and to learn more, follow this link to our website www.nyise.org/Readiness/WinterWonderland/2025/.
Section Header: Black History Month
Celebrating Black History Month, a string quartet from the Harlem Chamber Players joined us to perform a selection of classical music, expanding student's knowledge of string instruments and genres within the classical music canon. For some students, this was their first time hearing a live performance of Chamber music, showing in real-time the importance of opportunities to ensure live performances are accessible to all. For performance photos, follow this link to our website www.nyise.org/Schermerhorn/HarlemChamberPlayers/2025/. We encourage you to find a local classical music ensemble in your community, many of which provide free outdoor concerts during summer months in local parks and community centers. Stay tuned for a listing of summer concerts in NYC as we encourage our students and their families to attend performing arts events this summer. Performing Arts Highlights
- Harlem Chamber Players. Learn more by following this link https://harlemchamberplayers.org/
- Theater Breaking Through Barriers. Learn more by following this link https://www.tbtb.org/
Section Header: Read Across America
March is Read Across America, and our students have been busy meeting and listening to local authors in our library. Exploring what it is like to create characters for a story and then write about them in a book, each author's presentation included an activity component and discussion of the inspiration for their stories. A special thank you to all of the authors below for visiting, sharing their work, and inspiring students to read books and follow their dreams:
- Gabriella Gizzo, author of Sophie's Special Story
- Krystle Boateng, author of What's So Special About Books?
- Donna McDine and Rita Gigante, authors of Angel's Forever Home
- Alona Kimble, author of James Goes to School, Mommy and What Do You See?
For more titles, check out our Librarian's Choice: Reading List by following this link to our website https://www.nyise.org/schermerhornlibrary/. Stay tuned to learn about how our preschoolers in the Readiness are celebrating Read Across America.
Section Header: Advocacy
Each year, students and staff represent the Institute in Albany with our fellow 4201 Schools Association members to advocate for the Association's State Budget priorities. This year, priorities focus on supporting students' success, retaining specially trained and talented staff, and allowing schools to retain a fund balance that will help maintain stewardship of their operations. Participation in Advocacy Day is an incredible opportunity for students to meet with elected officials and share their stories. It is also an opportunity for them to practice advocating for their needs and learn about New York State's budget process. To learn more about our advocacy efforts, follow this link to our website www.nyise.org/advocacy/.
Section Header: Women's History Month
In celebration of Women's History Month, we are highlighting books by women authors and illustrators as part of our Read Across America celebrations. Check out the titles below that are available at the New York Public Library and Brooklyn Public Library.A Rover's Story by Jasmine Warga- Anna Strong and the Revolutionary War Culper Spy Ring by Enigma Alberti
- Fighting for Yes! The Story of Disability Rights Activist by Judith Heumann
- I Am Malala: How One Girl Stood Up for Education and Changed the World by Malala Yousafzai and Patricia McCormick
- Notorious RBG: The Life and Times of Ruth Bader Ginsburg by Irin Carmon and Shana Knizhnik
- Rad American Women A-Z by Kate Schatz
- She Persisted: 13 American Women Who Changed the World by Chelsea Clinton and Illustrator Alexandra Boiger
- Teen Trailblazers: 30 Leafless Girls Who Changed the World Before They Were 20 by Jennifer Calvert and illustrated by Vesna Asanovic
Section Header: One Institute: Four Programs
Readiness Pre-School Program Serving Children with Developmental Delays Ages 3-5. Learn more at nyise.org/readinessprogram/
Residential Program Serving Blind and Visually Impaired Children and Youth Ages 10-21. Learn more at nyise.org/residentialprogram/
Summer School Program Serving Blind and Visually Impaired Children and Youth enrolled in our Schermerhorn Program. Learn more at nyise.org/summerschool/
- Join our mailing list by following this external link http://www.nyise.org/mailinglist/
- Connect with us on LinkedIn by following this external link https://www.linkedin.com/company/new-york-institute-for-special-education/
- Connect with us on Instagram @NYISE999 by using the QR code below or by following this external link https://www.instagram.com/nyise999/
February 6, 2025
February 6, 2025, Community E-News
Section Header: New York Institute for Special EducationWelcome to the New York Institute for Special Education Community E-Newsletter. Here at the Institute, we're committed to providing quality educational programs & support for students & families in a safe, caring environment to awaken & inspire student curiosity, lifelong learning, & fulfillment.
Section Header: Welcome Letter
What is it like to feel a Brailler for the first time? For pre-schoolers who participated in our Schermerhorn Braille Literacy event, this experience was a mix of intrigue and excitement as they felt the Brailler keyboard, heard the click of Braille type, and touched their names raised in Braille (pictured above). These young learners are just beginning to memorize their ABCs and are still developing the finger isolation needed to use a Brailler independently as part of their learning. This ability will evolve as they grow, and we are delighted to help them on their way, laying the framework for stories to be written and books to be read in the not-too-distant future. To learn more about Braille and our Braille Literacy Month activities, follow this link www.nyise.org/brailleliteracymonth/. Stay tuned for more news, and thank you for reading. Keep warm and well, The NYISE Team
Section Header: Braille Literacy Events
Throughout January, students had opportunities to learn about and celebrate National Braille Literacy Month in their classrooms and as part of cross-site collaborations between our Readiness and Schermerhorn programs. The first collaboration of the New Year, Readiness held a Braille Literacy Celebration on January 24, featuring interactive emergent literary activities—ranging from Braille Legos and Braille Letter Cupcakes to Sensory Bin and Sensory Bag Explorations—all designed to build pre-literacy and braille pre-literacy skills for the 3- and 4-year-olds in the program. Pre-schoolers were guided through each station by their teachers, with Schermerhorn Juniors and Seniors, who shared their enthusiasm and encouragement about Braille (pictured above). This opportunity to connect is especially meaningful, as older students saw themselves as guides in sharing their knowledge, and younger students had a chance to practice their evolving social skills with supportive teens alongside their teachers. On January 31, a few of our blind and visually impaired Readiness students then joined our Schermerhorn Braille Literacy Activity Day to participate in more activities and visit with teachers. Later in the day, our K-12 Schermerhorn students took part in the day's fun activities with their classes and teachers, including:
- Audio Bingo
- Bookmark Making
- Coloring a Braille Birthday Cake
- Contraction Actions
- Cupcake Decorating honoring Louis Braille's Birthday
- Poetry Illustration, and a
- Word Building Relay
Our dedicated teachers, teaching assistants, and staff made this event possible, and we remain thankful to all who contributed to its success. Readiness Program Braille Literacy Celebration photos can be accessed by following this link www.nyise.org/BrailleLiteracyCelebration/2025/. Schermerhorn Braille Literacy Day photos can be accessed by following this link www.nyise.org/BrailleLiteracyDay/2025/
Section Header: International Holocaust Remembrance Day (January 27) On January 8, Rosalie Lebovic Simon, a holocaust survivor and author visited to speak to our older Schermerhorn during an assembly in advance ofInternational Holocaust Remembrance Day on January 27. Below is a summary of her experiences that she generously shared with us. Rosalie Lebovic Simon was born in Czechoslovakia. She was only a child when World War II began. In April of 1944 she and her family were deported to a ghetto located in Mátészalka, Hungary, and then to Auschwitz Birkenau. While there, she and her four sisters were separated from their parents and their brother. Rosalie spoke about "a journey to the unknown," and that the lives of Jews were treated as having no value. She spoke about the number of escapes from death that she had and how she was saved by the kindness of others. She described her life and the lives of her family as having been torn to pieces. However, she states, "at least we had our lives." At eighteen, Rosalie immigrated to the United States. She married and has three children, seven grandchildren, and seven great-grandchildren. Today, Rosalie, one of a few remaining survivors of the Holocaust, speaks to young people and shares what she and her family went through and witnessed in the hope that today's generation does not forget, and carries on her message of keeping the memory of the Holocaust alive. Rosalie states that "antisemitism still exists all over the world; don't be a silent bystander." We remain grateful to Rosalie for sharing her story with us in-person and writing her book Girl in a Striped Dress A Survivor of Auschwitz-Birkenau, Geislingen Steige, and Allach. To learn more about Rosalie's story and her book, follow this external link to ComteQ Publishing's website: https://www.comteqpublishing.com/book_detail.php?129
Section Header: Reading List Librarian's Choice
February is Black History Month, and as part of our celebrations, students are reading and learning about the many contributions of generations of African Americans in American society, including Martin Luther King, Jr. This month's Librarian's Choice book is A Picture Book of Martin Luther King, Jr., by David A. Adler, illustrated by Robert Casilla. A "beautifully illustrated easy-to-read biography, this book takes a look at the life, leadership, and ideals of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.," and is one just one of Adler's multi-volume Picture Book Biography Series detailed at his website: https://www.davidaadler.com/. For a list of this year's Librarian's Choice books, follow this link to our website https://www.nyise.org/schermerhornlibrary/
Section Header: Athletics
Made possible in part through the generous support of our donors, advocates, and friends, we were delighted to host the 2025 EAAB Wrestling and Cheerleading tournament during the weekend of January 24-26. Participating athletes included students from the Maryland School for the Blind and Overbrook School for the Blind, who arrived on Friday and stayed with us on campus through Sunday. In addition to competing, these tournaments provide an opportunity for students to socialize with their fellow blind and visually impaired peers, practice teamwork, and share their stories. Thank you to all who worked together to make this year's tournament possible and for encouraging these young athletes as they practice and compete together.
Section Header: Giving to the Institute
Our Student Wellness Works Program provides in-school and after-school programming and activities to support students learning in and outside the classroom. Thank you to all who supported this program during 2024; your contributions helped ensure students had a year filled with opportunity and growth. To learn more about our Student Wellness Works Program, follow this link www.nyise.org/studentwellnessworks/
Section Header: One Institute: Four ProgramsTo learn about our admissions procedures for all programs, visit our website by following this link www.nyise.org/admissions/
- Learn more about our Schermerhorn K-12 Educational Program Serving Blind and Visually Impaired Children and Youth by following this link nyise.org/schermerhorn/
- Learn more about our Readiness Pre-School Program Serving Children with Developmental Delays Ages 3-5 by following this link nyise.org/readinessprogram/
- Learn more about our Residential Program Serving Blind and Visually Impaired Children and Youth Ages 10-21 by following this link nyise.org/residentialprogram/
- Learn more about our Summer School Program Serving Blind and Visually Impaired Children and Youth enrolled in our Schermerhorn Program by following this link nyise.org/summerschool/
Section Header: Alumni ConnectionsThe New York Institute for Special Education is now on LinkedIn to help connect our Alumni with potential employers and each other. You can access our LinkedIn profile by following this link https://www.linkedin.com/company/new-york-institute-for-special-education/. If you are an Institute Alum, list the Institute in your LinkedIn profile to connect with us!
Section Header: Ways to Support our Students and ProgramsThe New York Institute for Special Education is a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit organization with a nearly 200-year history of supporting children with visual impairments through high-quality educational programs and services. To support our programs and impact the lives of our students, make a gift today through our secure online donations portal by following this link www.nyise.org/donate/. We extend our sincere thanks if you have already made a gift ~ it means the world to us, our students, and their families!
Section Header: Learn More and Stay Connected
- To learn more about the Institute, visit our website by following this link http://www.nyise.org
- To sign up for our mailing list, visit our website by following this link https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/QsNgWx9/signup.
- To visit our Instagram page, visit our Instagram website by following this link https://www.instagram.com/nyise999/
January 4, 2025
January 4, 2025 Community E-News
Section Header: New York Institute for Special EducationWelcome to the New York Institute for Special Education Community E-Newsletter. Here at the Institute, we're committed to providing quality educational programs & support for students & families in a safe, caring environment to awaken & inspire student curiosity, lifelong learning, & fulfillment.
Section Header: Welcome Letter
Greetings. January is National Braille Literacy Month, and we are gearing up to celebrate Braille with literacy activities and more for our K-12 students and preschoolers. We invite you to join us in learning about Braille, its history, and its importance in making literature and learning accessible to millions worldwide by visiting our website at www.nyise.org/brailleliteracymonth/. If you are in Manhattan, a great resource is the Andrew Heiskell Library, where you can explore their Braille and audiobook collections in-person or online and visit their Dimensions Lab for tactile creation. You can access a direct link to the library's website here https://www.nypl.org/locations/heiskell. Stay tuned for more news, and thank you for reading. Keep warm and well, The NYISE Team.
Quick Braille Facts
- Braille is a tactile system of raised dots representing letters, numbers, punctuation, and symbols.
- Today, millions of English speakers around the globe use the Unified English Braille Code (UEBC).
- Family and friends can learn Braille basics by visiting the Paths to Literacy website at https://www.pathstoliteracy.org/braille-sighted-classmates-and-family-members/
Section Header: Louis Braille Museum
Louis Braille was born on January 4, 1809, in Coupvray, France, and invented Braille while a student at Paris' National Institute for Blind Youth in 1824. His childhood home and birthplace is now The Louis Braille Museum, honoring his life's work and contributions to society. Explore the museum's English website by following this link https://museelouisbraille.com/en. Visit the museum's Garden of the Five Senses virtual tour website by following this link https://museelouisbraille.com/en/jardin-des-5-sens.
Section Header: Reading List Librarian's Choice
Kicking off this cold month of January, our Librarian's Book Choice is Bear Snores On. Written by Karma Wilson and illustrated by Jane Chapman, this delightful picture book tells a tale of friendship, sharing what happens when a "whole host of different animals and birds find their way out of the cold and into Bear's cave to warm up. They brew black tea and pop white corn, but Bear snores on!" Source: Simon and Schuster. To learn what happens when Bear wakes up, check your local library or independent bookstore to find this title and add it to your at-home reading list for emerging readers. Happy Reading! For a complete list of this year's Librarian's Choice books, visit our website by following this link https://www.nyise.org/schermerhornlibrary/
Section Header: Giving Gratitude. Thank you to The Gift of Sight Program of the New York Grand Lodge OSIA
We sincerely thank The Gift of Sight Program of the New York Grand Lodge OSIA for their continued generosity to our students and for visiting campus to present us with a check during our 2024 Winter Concert rehearsal. It was a wonderful experience for all, especially our students, who enthusiastically cheered when listening intently to encouraging and heartfelt comments from Gift of Sight Program Committee Chairman Mary Narcatto. Awarded funds will be used in the coming year to support our Student Wellness Works program and help students thrive! To learn more about The Gift of Sight Program below, visit their website, by following this link www.nysosia.org/philanthropy/gift-of-sight/
Section Header: One Institute: Four ProgramsTo learn about our admissions procedures for all programs, visit our website by following this link www.nyise.org/admissions/
- Learn more about our Schermerhorn K-12 Educational Program Serving Blind and Visually Impaired Children and Youth by following this link nyise.org/schermerhorn/
- Learn more about our Readiness Pre-School Program Serving Children with Developmental Delays Ages 3-5 by following this link nyise.org/readinessprogram/
- Learn more about our Residential Program Serving Blind and Visually Impaired Children and Youth Ages 10-21 by following this link nyise.org/residentialprogram/
- Learn more about our Summer School Program Serving Blind and Visually Impaired Children and Youth enrolled in our Schermerhorn Program by following this link nyise.org/summerschool/
Section Header: Alumni ConnectionsThe New York Institute for Special Education is now on LinkedIn to help connect our Alumni with potential employers and each other. You can access our LinkedIn profile by following this link https://www.linkedin.com/company/new-york-institute-for-special-education/. If you are an Institute Alum, list the Institute in your LinkedIn profile to connect with us!
Section Header: Ways to Support our Students and ProgramsThe New York Institute for Special Education is a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit organization with a nearly 200-year history of supporting children with visual impairments through high-quality educational programs and services. To support our programs and impact the lives of our students, make a gift today through our secure online donations portal by following this link www.nyise.org/donate/. We extend our sincere thanks if you have already made a gift ~ it means the world to us, our students, and their families!
Section Header: Learn More and Stay Connected
- To learn more about the Institute, visit our website by following this link http://www.nyise.org
- To sign up for our mailing list, visit our website by following this link https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/QsNgWx9/signup.
- To visit our Instagram page, visit our Instagram website by following this link https://www.instagram.com/nyise999/
Thank you for reading. You have reached the end of our latest community newsletter. We look forward to keeping you posted and hope you have a nice day.