WhatsCookingSummer2012

Summer 2012 Cooke Center News : Volume 8

Welcome to the Neighborhood Cooke’s New Home: Lower East Side

In this issue:

A Letter from the Cooke

President Cooke President

Dear Friends,

As the midpoint of summer break

approaches, we at Cooke are

beginning to look ahead to the

opening of the Cooke Center Grammar

School. As I write this, walls are being

painted “Coral,” “Squash,” and “Key

Lime Green,” floors are being tiled and

we are busy readying the school to

welcome more than 100 students in

just a few weeks.

Thinking even further ahead, I am

also pleased to note that the Cooke

Parents Association is hosting a

Founders Dinner on November 7th

at 475 Riverside Drive. Our hope is

to bring the entire parent community

together for this special event, so we

encourage you to mark your

calendars. Many of Cooke’s founding

parents will be on hand to share their

stories of how Cooke came to be, and

we hope to hear from all of our

parents as to their vision for Cooke’s

future. Please join us!

In the meantime, I hope you will continue to enjoy with your friends

and families all of the good things

summer brings. I look forward to

seeing you in September.

Sincerely,

Michael Termini, PsyD

Cooke Center Grammar School 219 Stanton St. @ Pitt St.

Closest subway: F or M to

Delancey/Essex St.

What’s Cooking?

The Cooke Center For Learning and Development

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We are thrilled to announce that the Cooke Center Grammar School

is near completion. Painters, carpenters, and many others are work-

ing hard to get the building ready for an early August move-in.

Cooke has been a presence on the Lower East Side for several years

through our Preschool work with Educational Alliance, and we are

looking forward to welcoming our school-age children, families, fac-

ulty and friends to this historic, vibrant and diverse community.

Here are some nearby spots to keep in mind when traveling to and

from the Cooke Center Grammar School:

Welcome to the pp. 1 & 2 Neighborhood End of School Year p. 3

Activities Spotlight on C4I p. 3

More Cooke Stories Online p. 4

AROUND THE LOWER EAST SIDE The Garden Next Door

Stanton St. @ Ridge St.

Distance from CCGS: Next door!

Steps away from the school’s front door is a lovely

community garden with benches, trees and a small

path for meandering among the bushes and flowers

currently in bloom.

Hamilton Fish Recreation and Play Center

128 Pitt St. @ Stanton St.

(212) 387-7687

Distance from CCGS: 1/2 block

This is a fully equipped city recreational center with a

gym, two outdoor pools, ping pong tables, basketball

court, playground and, beginning in September, a free

after school program open to kids ages six to twelve.

Hamilton Fish Park Library

415 East Houston St. @ Avenue D

(212) 673-2290

Distance from CCGS: 2.5 blocks

A New York City public library is around the corner

from the Hamilton Recreation Center, giving you and

your child a couple of options for after school

activities – playing outside or working on homework

in here. Like all city libraries, this one has free kid-

friendly activities like storytelling time and board game

hours. In addition, the library is a CCA Community

Partner that has welcomed our older students as

interns.

Economy Candy

108 Rivington St. @ Essex St.

(212) 254-1531

Distance from CCGS: 7 blocks

Be careful – this is every child’s (and adult’s) dream.

Its variety and reasonable prices make it a city icon.

Find old-fashioned pinwheel lollipops and PEZ

dispensers or check out their enormous bulk selection

of gummies and chocolates. If you take your child

here, expect to field endless requests for return trips.

You’ve been warned!

DID YOU KNOW? Cooke’s 25th Anniversary Gala this past spring raised more than $775,000! Many thanks to all of those who

joined us in supporting our students!

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END OF SCHOOL YEAR ACTIVITIES As we do at the end of every school year, Cooke

celebrated the achievements and milestones of our

students. At the Grammar School Awards Ceremony,

not only did students receive academic awards, they

also received medals for their participation in Mighty

Milers, a key component of Cooke’s physical education

program. At the close of the ceremony, the nineteen

students moving up to CCA were acknowledged for

their hard work. Jillian France, the graduating class

valedictorian, gave a beautiful speech.

The Cooke Center Academy celebrated its seniors,

many of whom are moving on to the SKILLS

program, while others are off to continue studies

elsewhere or enter the job market. A highlight of

the ceremony was Ada Torres’ beautiful vocal

performance of “The World’s Greatest.”

Finally, SKILLS students celebrated the end of the

year with the second annual SKILLS Banquet.

Students, families and faculty gathered at 475

Riverside Drive to share a meal and wish these

graduating students all the best as they move on to

the next chapter in their lives. Students remaining

in the program can look forward to reconnecting

with graduates in the fall for upcoming planned

Alumni Association Activities.

CONGRATULATIONS CLASS OF 2012!

Aaron and Jase posing for the camera at the 2012

Grammar School Awards Ceremony

Jay is all smiles at CCA Graduation

Years of experience have taught us that in order to help preschoolers learn, we must also work with their par-

ents and teachers. Cooke’s Collaboration for Inclusion program (C4I) aims to help all children get the best

preparation for kindergarten by doing just this. We work in Head Starts and other early childhood centers in

Brooklyn, Harlem, and the Lower East Side.

In addition to providing direct intervention services for children at risk for language and learning delays, C4I

also provides strategic one-on-one consultations with faculty in the partner sites. Our experienced special

education teachers and therapists help implement best practices within classrooms that address children’s

academic, social and emotional needs.

Partner school faculty learn effective strategies for working with all children — those with and without disabili-

ties — to adapt and develop classroom lessons that differentiate instruction for a wide range of ability levels in

the classroom.

C4I’s parent education and support services foster parent involvement by exploring techniques that can be

used at home to reinforce the home-school partnership. Workshops throughout the year educate parents on

methods such as play-based learning, sibling relationships and sensory integration, among others.

Our C4I consultations offer a holistic approach to improving the learning environment for all students, and

we’re proud of the work our Preschool faculty does to make this program effective. Special thanks goes to the

Bernard F. and Alva B. Gimbel Foundation, the Rose M. Badgeley Charitable Trust, the Warner Fund, and the

Stavros Niarchos Foundation, whose generous funding makes this program possible.

SPOTLIGHT ON COLLABORATION FOR INCLUSION

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Don’t forget to check out

The Cooke Blog – an online

forum where Cooke

faculty share their

knowledge and

experience with

parents and

practitioners in the

greater education

community. Some

recent highlights

include:

Slipping into

Summer with

Tools that Make

Learning Fun!

All parents want

their children to

enjoy this carefree

time of the year,

but it’s important to

provide fun and

meaningful learning

experiences to

ensure a strong

start to the next

school year. The

Cooke Center

Institute staff has

put together a list of enjoyable

summer learning activities to help

keep kids engaged all summer.

Animal-Assisted

Therapy

At Cooke Center

Academy, animal-

assisted therapy

is an integral part of the

therapeutic services provided to

students, providing emotional,

psychosocial and physical

benefits.

Sensory Processing Disorder

While we may be familiar with

our own routines that help us

function in a variety of environ-

ments, it can be difficult to

understand methods that children

can employ. Learn more from our

Preschool faculty about ways to

recognize and help children cope

with sensory processing disorder.

Supporting Participation in

Physical Activities

Children of all ages reap the

benefits of physical movement in

any variety or form. From

walking to running to climbing to

stretching, the most important

thing is to get those bodies in

motion! Learn about some

strategies for the child who is

reluctant in the playground.

SAVE THE DATE!

For more Cooke stories or to make an online contribution,

please visit us at www.cookecenter.org.

Cooke Center for Learning & Development 475 Riverside Drive, Suite 730 New York, New York 10115

Sept. 10: First Day of

School for CCGS,

CCA and SKILLS

Oct. 18: CCGS Open House

Nov. 5: CCA Open House

Nov. 7: Founders Dinner

MORE COOKE STORIES ONLINE...