What's Cooking? Fall 2010 - Cooke Center

What’s Cooking?
The Cooke Center For Learning and Development
Fall 2010 Cooke Center News: Volume 6 Issue 5
In this Issue:
CCA Cooke-ing Club
Focus on Faculty
Alumni Halloween Party
Spotlight on OT
Animal Haven Interns
CCMS Publishing Party
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CCA Cooke-ing Club is at it Again!
Academy Cooking Club Prepares Some Mouthwatering Dishes
A Letter from the
Cooke President
Dear Friends,
The summer has passed into fall and soon
fall will pass into winter. Those sweaters stored
on the top shelf last spring are now within easy reach
for chilly mornings. The life of a school is also guided by
seasons and I must admit that I love the cyclical nature of
back to school scheduling, progress reports, and the many
other activities that happen in an orderly sequence year
after year.
While we may enjoy the comfort of the familiar patterns, a
school community must step back from time to time to
reflect on its mission and values. Over the 24 years that
Cooke has been in existence we have changed elements of
our school to better respond to the needs of our families
and children. Pausing to reflect at critical times in our
development has played a key role in guiding these
changes. When we started, our seven students were all 5
or 6 years old. Now we serve 500 students ranging from
age 3 to age 21.
Once again we are undertaking a period of planning to
ensure that we are responding to today’s needs with the
best of today’s strategies. Last spring kicked off parent and
faculty participation in this process with surveys. This fall a
sample group of parents of newly enrolled students was
interviewed. Soon focus groups consisting of a cross
section of parents and faculty will meet with our planning
consultant to express their views. Their input will be used
to set our course for the next few years. We promise to
keep our community posted on all that comes out of this
exciting process.
In the meantime, I remain grateful for all that makes Cooke
such a nurturing learning environment. From our
dedicated faculty, therapists and staff, to our community
partners who offer our children real‐world experiences, to
our supportive families who work tirelessly to ensure their
children receive the best possible education, to the
treasures that are the children themselves, I am reminded
daily of all the blessings that make my job so rewarding.
For all that you do to support our work, a million thanks.
Sincerely,
Michael Termini, PsyD
ach week during Friday Clubs, the
E CCA Cooke‐ing Club meets in the
Robards Daily Living Lab to whip up
some delicious treats. So far, these
aspiring chefs have made penne pesto
(using fresh basil from a plant the club
donated to Ms. Garcia's science class),
tacos with homemade guacamole and
meat and cheese empanadas.
Ms. Agopian, CCA speech therapist
and the club leader, said “the kids love
working with their hands and using the
food chopper to chop up all the fresh
ingredients.”
On a recent Friday, the club cooked up
a tasty pan of chicken parmesan. Club
members were each assigned
different tasks, from cooking the pasta
and frying the chicken to cutting the
vegetables and properly setting the
table.
The students
worked thro
‐ugh Ms.
Agopian’s
recipe step
by step and
were able to
socialize the
whole way through. Laughter and the
delicious aroma of garlic and fresh
ingredients filled the learning lab.
After the meal was prepared, club
members, as well as a few hungry
guests, sat down and enjoyed the
feast together.
Friday Clubs not only provide CCA
students with an opportunity to
socialize outside of the classroom
environment, but also the opportunity
to explore new interests and continue
to develop real life skills.

Focus on Our Faculty:
A Look at Ascension Teacher Christie DiStefano
Each week, a different
student is assigned as
the Morning Meeting
Leader, whose
responsibility is to lead a
class discussion on
topics including the
weather, the day’s
schedule, and news the
students would
like to share.
Ascension Level 3 teacher Christie DiStefano is working on
continued independence with her students. In preparation for
the move to Middle School, she’s giving students many more
responsibilities, such as organizing their work and following their
own schedules. The theme in Level 3 this year is “Exploring.”
Whether the natural world through science class, or their own
interests through daily journaling, Ms. DiStefano’s students are
exploring their individual paths to independence..
Ms. DiStefano is
especially proud
of one of her students,
Jayson, who recently
completed a week of morning leadership. “I have watched
Jayson mature with such a sense of awe. He has grown
tremendously in his ability to think a problem through and find
the right solution – whether it’s a piece of school work or an
interaction with a peer.” She remembers when Jayson was
reluctant to take risks, but says now he pushes himself. “He
writes whole paragraphs in his journal now. And he has
developed the confidence to not only stand up for himself, but
to stick up for his friends and classmates, too.”
Above: Student made mobiles from the Middle School
Alumni Halloween Party
Below are photos from the fun and festive Cooke Center
Alumni Halloween Party held at CCA on October 30th.
Please remember to
give to this year’s
Annual Appeal Fund.
Your donations help
to make all of these
great activities
possible!

A Spotlight on Occupational Therapy
There are a number of Cooke “related
service providers” ‐ speech and language
therapists, occupational and physical
therapists and counselors – who help
ensure that our students get the most out
of their education here at Cooke. In this
newsletter, and in future editions, we will
take closer look at all of these important
services Cooke provides.
Occupational Therapy (OT) focuses on
helping people achieve independence in all
areas of their lives. OT can help kids with
various needs improve their cognitive,
physical, and motor skills and enhance
their self‐esteem and sense of
accomplishment.
Below are a few examples of what you
may find an OT doing with our kids:
Helping students work on fine motor
skills so they can grasp and release
toys and develop good handwriting
skills
Addressing hand‐eye coordination to
improve kids' play skills (hitting a
target, batting a ball, copying from a
blackboard, etc.)
Helping kids with behavioral
disorders learn anger‐management
techniques (i.e., instead of hitting
others or acting out, using positive
ways to deal with anger, such as
writing about feelings or participating
in a physical activity)
Teaching kids with physical
disabilities the coordination skills
needed to use a computer, or
increase the speed and legibility of
their handwriting. Evaluating a child's
need for specialized equipment, such
as wheelchairs, splints, dressing
devices, or communication aids
Helping kids with sensory integration,
self‐regulation and adaptive skills.
Sensory treatments often include
games with "play" materials such as
play dough, shaving cream, weighted
objects/ vests, obstacle course
challenges, and specialized
therapeutic music working to
improve focus and social skills
All Cooke related service providers work
with students both in the classroom and in
one‐on‐one settings. By collaborating
regularly with classroom teachers, they
help deliver an individualized and
comprehensive education for each and
every student.
Above: CCMS Occupational Therapist, Catherine Miranda
Animal Loving SKILLs Students Give Back
Two SKILLs at Waverly Place Students Intern at Local Animal Shelter
Kelvin and Patrick, SKILLs at Waverly Place students, just began
internships at Animal Haven in Soho, a nonprofit organization that
finds homes for abandoned cats and dogs throughout the Tri‐State
area.
They walk the puppies and older dogs that are up for adoption and
help to keep the puppy and cat rooms clean and tidy. Both students
agreed that working with animals involves a great deal of
responsibility, but they enjoy taking on the new challenge!
Cooke Center transition staff go to great lengths to ensure that we
offer a wide variety of internships to match the interests and
strengths of our students. Thanks to Animal Haven for providing
such a wonderful internship opportunity.

Cooke Center for Learning and Development
475 Riverside Drive, Suite 730
New York, NY 100115
CCMS Publishing Party:
Young Authors Host Party for Parents and Peers
illustrious authors and a chance to give
positive critiques of the students’
work.
On October 29th, Mr. Betancourt's
middle school class celebrated the
publishing of their personal story
books by throwing a party. These
newly published books featured an
important event in the students’ lives.
Complete with a cover and an “about
the author” blurb on the back, these
pieces of work were truly something to
celebrate!
Parents and other CCMS students and
staff were invited to join in
refreshments, a reading by the
The event began with a review of the
writing process timeline. Each student
had a chance to share with the
audience one step of the timeline.
Students then passed out
refreshments to their guests and
proceeded to read their work aloud to
parents and peers. Guests then had
the opportunity to write one thing
they enjoyed about the student’s book
on a sticky note which was placed on
the inside cover. Students met with
the guests one by one and by the end
of the party had a cover full of positive
feedback.
The party was a great success and all of
us at the Cooke Center are so proud of
our young writers. We look forward to
many more publishing celebrations in
the future.
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