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Dear Colleagues:
Welcome to the 2007-2008 Services Guide of Putnam/Northern Westchester BOCES, our compendium of the programs and services we provide to school districts, families, and individuals. We invite you to join us in our celebration of “35 Years of Caring, Commitment, and Collaboration.”
Back in 1971, an assortment of loosely connected services – that had previously been parts of two separate BOCES – was brought together in one central location: the Yorktown Heights campus of Putnam/Northern Westchester BOCES. While we have continued to maintain highly effective satellites – the Fox Meadow facility in Yorktown, Madden Outdoor Education Center in Kent, and classrooms in local school buildings – it was on this campus 35 years ago that Putnam/Northern Westchester BOCES began shaping itself into the well-integrated, powerful, and effective organization it is today.
All of us at P/NW BOCES are taking time this year to reflect on what has been accomplished in the past 35 years…what has made BOCES a leader in Special Education, Career and Technical Education, Alternative Education, Adult Education, Curriculum and Instruction, and support services.
In Special Education, we are a recognized leader in opening new possibilities for movement and self-sufficiency for multiply handicapped students; in behavior management and the creation of positive behavioral environments; and in a new movement to integrate general education and special education interventions in order to turn failure into success at the earliest possible moment. Walkabout and our Regional Alternative High School are unique regional resources for students who might otherwise be unable to graduate from high school.
In Career and Technical Education, Putnam/Northern Westchester BOCES is the first in New York State to create Career Academies, which integrate academics with technical training. What’s more, we are also the first to undergo a national certification process for these Career Academies; we’re extremely proud of the fact that all eight of our Career Academies received a “Distinguished” rating in all categories from the national certification team!
We’re equally proud of our innovative Center for Educational Leadership, which provides professional development – master’s, doctoral, and in-service programs – for current and aspiring public school leaders in partnership with such prestigious institutions of higher learning as Teachers College, Cornell University, Fordham University, Bank Street College, and Pace University.
Our Curriculum Council and professional development programs are considered cutting edge by educators throughout the state; we train thousands of teachers and administrators in the integration of state standards, Science 21, mentorship, crisis management, data analysis, and much more.
Putnam/Northern Westchester BOCES has accomplished much over the past 35 years – more than these few examples listed here. We look forward to continuing to provide the many and varied services that coalesced on our campus more than three decades ago. Please take a look at the descriptions of what we offer in this booklet – programs designed to fit your needs. They are why we’re celebrating 35 years of collaboration with our districts, our commitment to excellence, and our caring community.
Sincerely,
James T. Langlois
District Superintendent
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