GC SEPTA General Membership Meeting
Our guest speaker will be Keri Reilly. Ms. Reilly is a pediatric occupational therapist currently practicing at local preschools. Please come and bring questions!
There is a large parking lot off of Merrillon Ave. One of the side entrances will be open and you can follow the hall around to the Libary.
World Down Syndrome Day
Help us to raise awareness and create conversation about Down Syndrome, diversity and inclusion.
Crazy socks, lots of socks, whatever you choose!
Just be sure to “Rock Your Socks” and celebrate inclusion!
“Rock Your Socks” is a reminder that all types,
shapes and sizes of the same thing can be unique in their own way!
Parents' Night Out!
Join GC SEPTA for a well deserved Parents’ Night Out. Appetizers are on us. Cash bar available on site. The basement lounge of Novita is all ours, so get a sitter and pop over for a drink or two! Remember - the kids are off on Wednesday!
Hoops for Hope
Hoops for Hope is an event run by Michael and Katherine O'Hanlon, (originally started four years ago by their older brother, Tim) and features the Garden City High School/Middle School Challenger Basketball team. The goal of Hoops for Hope is to help bring attention and fans to the Challenger athletes, and the Challenger program in general.
The event incorporates the entire community: the basketball team, cheerleaders, kick line, high school musicians and various student clubs. Sponsors from all over Garden City (and beyond) support the event, and on game day, there are many volunteers from both the high school and the middle school. Students grades K-12 attend the event, as do many community members.
All proceeds from Hoops for Hope go to support I'm Not Done Yet's programs for adolescent and young adult (AYA) cancer patients and survivors at NYU Langone-LI and all around Long Island!
Come out and support our Garden City High School and Middle School Challenger Athletes in this terrific fundraiser for such a worthy cause!
Transition to Kindergarten (Meeting for Special Education Parents)
For questions please call The Pupil Personnel Department at 516-478-1050
Save the date! GC SEPTA's Ugly Sweater Holiday Party
Join us for dinner, raffles and lots of laughs! Get tacky and ring in the holiday season with GC SEPTA! Cash bar and extra raffle tickets will be available for purchase that evening.
This is an adult only event. Thank you!
GC SEPTA Membership Meeting; Topic: Positive Behavior, Interventions and Supports
Positive Behavior, Interventions and Supports (PBIS) is a multi-tiered framework for nurturing school, community, and home environments that enhances social behavior and academic outcomes for all students. This workshop will explain the framework and explore ways in which PBIS is used in the home to support social and emotional growth and healthy behaviors.
It is a way to create positive, predictable, equitable and safe learning environments where everyone thrives. Families can use this resource to make a family schedule, choose family expectations, and make a plan to teach, remind, reward, and respond to behavior at home.
We are delighted to host guest speaker; Randy Young
Ms. Young is the Professional Development Specialist (PDS) for the New York State Department of Education funded School-Age Family and Community Engagement Center (SA-FACE) hosted by the Center for Community Inclusion at Long Island University.
Please see the below handouts.
Supporting Families with PBIS at Home
Creativity Tuesday - School's out for Election Day
This event is SOLD OUT!
Join GC SEPTA for a creative morning. Back Yard Players will be hosting two classes. So, drop the kids off and head to your Parent Teacher Conference!
$40 for two classes ($20 for Current GC SEPTA Members)
Grades K-2nd: Storytelling 10:00am - 10:50am
Grades K-2nd; Art 11:00am - 11:50am
Grades 3rd-5th: Art 10:00am - 10:50am
Grades 3rd-5th: Storytelling 11:00am - 11:50am
There will be a quick ten minute break between classes, children are invited to bring water and a small snack if they wish.
Parents Helping Parents: Integrated Co-Taught (ICT) Classes
Parents of students with an ICT class placement- Please join us for conversation and connection.
Parent's Guide to Assistive Tech in the Classroom
Join Assistive Technology Professional for the Garden City School District, Jen Martin for this one hour presentation.
Google Meet joining info
Video call link: https://meet.google.com/auc-hsqk-qbd
Is My Child Making Enough Progress?
Join us for GC SEPTA's First General Membership Meeting of the 2023-2024 school year.
We are delighted to host guest speaker, Jennifer Schwartz, Assistant Director for the Long Island Advocacy Center.
Topic: Is My Child Making Enough Progress?
Wish to read more about this topic? Click here.
Kindergarten Park Playdates
Join GC SEPTA for a playdate for our Kindergarteners at your primary school before the school year starts. Have your primary student visit their school yard and maybe even make a friend or two before the first day!
Autism Ball 2023 (7th Graders - GCMS kids only event!)
Please join us for our Seventh Annual Autism Ball
Wednesday, June 21, 2023; 7:00pm – 9:00pm at the Garden City Casino
Admission is $35 (Only payable in advance – No tickets will be sold at the door)
Lots of raffles for fabulous prizes!
25 tickets for $20 (or $1 per ticket)
Semi Formal Attire Required
(Dressy or casual dresses, skirts, nice shorts or pants, golf shirts; No jackets required for boys)
Only 200 tickets will be sold. Don’t miss out!
*No one will be allowed to leave unless a parent or guardian is present!
This event is exclusively for the class of 2028 and is sure to be a great night with fellow classmates. There will be a DJ for entertainment, some very exciting raffle prizes and light snacks will be served. The Autism Ball tradition was started many years ago by Kathleen Griffith, who started the charity "CUZ KATHLEEN CARES" to help students with autism. The Griffith family has seven 1st cousins with autism. All the money raised from this event will be used to support inclusive programs for all students in our school district. In prior years, CUZ KATHLEEN CARES was able to use proceeds from the Autism Ball to make large donations to SEPTA which uses the funds for their grant program.
This fundraiser would not be possible without support from students and other community members. Thank you!
Autism Ball 2023 (6th Graders - GCMS kids only event)
Please join us for our Seventh Annual Autism Ball
Tuesday, June 20th, 7:00pm – 9:00pm at the Garden City Casino
Admission is $35 (Only payable in advance – No tickets will be sold at the door)
Lots of raffles for fabulous prizes!
25 tickets for $20 (or $1 per ticket)
Semi Formal Attire Required
(Dressy or casual dresses, skirts, nice shorts or pants, golf shirts; No jackets required for boys)
Only 200 tickets will be sold. Don’t miss out!
*No one will be allowed to leave unless a parent or guardian is present!
This event is exclusively for the class of 2029 and is sure to be a great night with fellow classmates. There will be a DJ for entertainment, some very exciting raffle prizes and light snacks will be served. The Autism Ball tradition was started many years ago by Kathleen Griffith, who started the charity "CUZ KATHLEEN CARES" to help students with autism. The Griffith family has seven 1st cousins with autism. All the money raised from this event will be used to support inclusive programs for all students in our school district. In prior years, CUZ KATHLEEN CARES was able to use proceeds from the Autism Ball to make large donations to SEPTA which uses the funds for their grant program.
This fundraiser would not be possible without support from students and other community members. Thank you!
Challenger Baseball Tournament
This year Garden City will host the annual Nassau County Challenger Baseball tournament!
Teams from all over Nassau County will participate. There will be a DJ, food, refreshments and fun for all! Please join us to cheer on the Garden City Challenger team in this wonderful event.
Any challenger player is welcomed to play baseball even if you were unable to attend any of our practices. Buddies are always welcome!
This is a FREE event thanks to the generous support of our sponsors!
SEPTA Park Playdate! (POSTPONED DUE TO INCLEMENT WEATHER)
Unfortunately, once again due to weather concerns, we are postponing our playdate! We will post as soon as a new date is established. Thank you for your understanding!
Join other Primary and Elementary Special Education families for a fun afternoon. Meet some of your soon to be classmates! We will have information available regarding OPWDD / MEDICARE / SELF DIRECTION as well as a representative from the Nassau County Police Department who will be able to register children on the spot for their FREE R.E.A.C.H program.
The REACH (Return Every Adult & Child Home) registry is a law enforcement-maintained database of children and adults with cognitive disorders that make them more likely to become a missing person and that potentially limit their ability to communicate. Individuals who are affected by Alzheimera's, dementia, autism, Down Syndrome, mental disabilities, traumatic brain injuries, etc. are examples of people who are prime candidates for the registry. This database is maintained by the Asset Forfeiture and Intelligence unit at the Police Academy and includes photographs, biographical information, and other information pertinent for locating and dealing with registrants such as likely destinations and idiosyncrasies. The REACH registry is an expansion of the Silver Alert System that also assists the Department with a swift response to missing person calls.
Save some time and Click here to download a REACH FORM.
Noah's Intense Day Read Aloud
Get your pajamas and softest blanket ready! Find a comfy spot and settle down to listen to this lovely story.
Please join us for this virtual read aloud by author, Neha Bajaj as she reads her book, “Noah’s Intense Day”.
About Noah's Intense Day
Noah has always wanted to be like his older brother, Shaun, who seems to get everyone’s extra special attention. One day, Noah gets his wish and it’s not at all what he expected.
Glaring sunlight. Unbearable itchiness. Piercing alarms.
Follow Noah through his day of intense sights and sounds, as he wonders, what if every day felt like this?
Noah’s experiences lead him to make a heartfelt discovery about Shaun in this story of empathy
For more information about this book, click here.
Continuum of Services in Garden City
Please join Garden City’s Pupil Personnel Services Department for a webinar about the District’s Continuum of Services HIGHLIGHTING K-12 SPECIAL EDUCATION and some of the changes that will be happening in the upcoming school year.
The anticipated agenda will include the following:
-Overview of the Continuum of Special Education Services and Building Supports
-Breakdown of Special Education Programming by age band
-Out of District Programming
-New Programs and Supports added during the 2022-23 school year
-New Programs and Supports being added for the 2023-24 school year
-Q & A
This presentation will be posted following the webinar for those who cannot attend.
Click to see the power point presentation
The recording of the webinar will be made available shortly. Thank you for your patience.
Garden City SEPTA General Membership Meeting
Find out what foods, and when to eat them, that will help your child function at their best.
Nutrition is critical to developing brains and bodies. Join GC mom and registered dietitian Maria Sorbara Mora as she breaks down important considerations and nutrition tips for growing bodies and brains.
Topics Covered:
What kind of nutrition do developing bodies and brains need?
The role of blood sugar, circadian rhythm, dopamine and cortisol.
The gut-brain axis
Special considerations for ADD/ADHD/ASD
Nutrition tips for growing bodies and brains.
Guest speaker: Maria Sorbara Mora, MS, R.D., RDN, CEDS-S, C-IAYT, is the Founder and Executive Director of Integrated Eating Dietetics-Nutrition PLLC. Maria’s practice includes nutrition counseling, meal support, yoga therapy, clinical supervision, and professional trainings. As a trauma informed clinician, she specializes in eating disorders, body image, and compulsive exercise. Maria holds a Master in Science in both Nutrition Education and Applied Physiology from Columbia University. She has published both research articles and books and is currently working on her next writing project. Maria strongly believes in the holistic model for recovery, allowing for change and transformation.
Incase you missed this presentation, please see the slide deck below.
Here are some other recommendations from Ms. Mora
Supplements for ASD
• vitamin C: take 1 gram for every 20 pounds (9 kg) of body weight per day
• B6: take 30 mg of vitamin B6 per 2.2 pounds (1 kg) of body weight every
• Magnesium glycinate 120-240 mg
• The established Dietary Reference Intake (DRI) for omega-3s is:
• 700 mg for children ages 1-3
• 900 mg for children ages 4-8
• 1200 mg for males ages 9-13
• 1000 mg for females ages 9-13
• 1600 mg for males ages 14-18
• 1100 mg for females ages 14-18
Spellers Movie - FREE Screening!
SPELLERS !!!
When: Sunday, April 30, 2023, Doors open at 2:30 PM; Show starts at 3:00pm
Where: Garden City Senior Center (Please note the new location!) 6 Golf Club Lane, Garden City, NY, 11530
Price: Free admission
RSVP Email by 4/29/23, enrichingspecialadults@gmail.com
This is an EPIC documentary!! A game changer!! Come and see the growing wave of communicating individuals.