School Safety and Facilities

Brandon A. Cruz, Supervisor

Brandon CruzCoSer 644 provides training, consultation and technical assistance to create and maintain an educational environment that is a model for workplace safety and best practices. We  work directly with districts to handle matters of compliance with regulatory requirements and SAVE legislation.  

School Safety & Facilities
(914) 345-8500, Ext. 3167
bcruz@swboces.org

Events coming up

  • SWBOCES - 450 Mamaroneck Avenue, 3rd floor, Harrison, NY

    Restorative Practices Educator Training for RECOVS Mental Health Grant Consortium

    Register here.

    Please note that this training is limited to personnel from districts who are part of SWBOCES's RECOVS Mental Health Grant Consortium.

    Lori DeCarlo of Restorative Edge Consulting will lead this interactive series to provide training to educators in the use of restorative practices designed to support social-emotional learning and mental health.
    The training will focus on restorative practices as a trauma-informed approach for creating a culture of belonging, safety, and inclusion

    • Responsive restorative practices, including Affective Communication/Non-Violent Communication, Tier 2 Whole Group Responsive Circles, and Tier 2 Restorative Circles to respond to specific incidents of harm.
    Restorative Discipline: how to embed restorative practices into discipline, including:
    ---Creating a restorative classroom as an alternative to out of school suspension,
    ---Exploring how to use a restorative intervention known as the 5 Step Plan,
    ---Learning how to facilitate a Tier 3 Restorative Conferences for serious disciplinary incidents,
    ---Learning how to facilitate a Welcome Back & Re-Entry Circle for students returning from an out of school suspension.

    A highly engaging Restorative Pedagogy will be utilized for the delivery of in-person instruction.

    Center for Professional Learning and Curriculum Support
  • via Zoom

    SLS- OverDrive/ Sora User Group (VIRTUAL)

    Register here.

    Join fellow librarians and instructional leaders for a dynamic OverDrive/Sora User Group session focused on maximizing the impact of your district's digital collection. Whether you're a seasoned Sora user or just getting started, this session will provide a space to share best practices, explores new features, and troubleshoot challenges together. Participants will engage in collaborative discussions around collection development, equitable access, student engagement strategies, and integrating Sora into instruction. Bring your questions, your wins, and your ideas as we learn from each other and strengthen our collective digital literacy efforts. ideal for school librarians, tech integrators, and curriculum leaders looking to elevate their Sora usage and make digital reading more accessible and impactful for all students. 

    Center for Professional Learning and Curriculum Support
  • SWBOCES - 450 Mamaroneck Avenue, 3rd floor, Harrison, NY

    RECOVS Restorative Practices Implementation/Action Planning Workshop

    Register here.

    Please note that this training is limited to leaders from districts who are part of SWBOCES's RECOVS Mental Health Grant Consortium.

    Lori DeCarlo of Restorative Edge Consulting will lead this interactive training, which is essential for leaders who are bringing restorative practices to their schools/districts - to understand key principles of restorative practices and conditions for systemic implementation designed to support social-emotional learning and mental health.

    This facilitated workshop utilizes the Implementation Science Framework to create a doable Action Plan for Implementing Restorative Practices for Systemic, Whole School Change

    Objectives:

    • Understand the four stages of implementation science as it applies to systemic implementation of restorative practices.
    • Learn what the research has identified as common "mis-implementation" errors and how to avoiding these pitfalls.
    • Explore evidence based practices that support sustainable implementation of restorative practices.
    • Conduct a self-assessment of current practices to establish a baseline and identify up to 5 priorities for action.
    • Learn about high impact activities for early implementation.
    • Plan for Professional Learning sessions at the building level. Write explicit action plans utilizing a template.
    • Develop key messaging to support the roll-out & enhance buy-in.

    Center for Professional Learning and Curriculum Support
  • SWBOCES - 450 Mamaroneck Avenue, 3rd floor, Harrison, NY

    The IDEA Exchange (Inspired by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act)

    Register here.

    Special education leadership comes with unique challenges, requiring collaboration, innovation, and a deep commitment to equity and inclusion. The I.D.E.A. Exchange is responsively designed for special education leaders to engage in open, guided discussions on the most pressing topics in the field. Each session will center around a key theme-ranging from MTSS integration to family partnerships-while allowing participants to share experiences, problem-solve, and build a network of support. Whether you're a director, coordinator, or instructional leader, this space will empower you with fresh insights, practical strategies, and a collaborative professional community.

    Center for Professional Learning and Curriculum Support
  • SWBOCES - 450 Mamaroneck Avenue, 3rd floor, Harrison, NY

    Teaching About Enslavement & Resistance in the Context of Local Westchester History

    Register here.

    This session will introduce participants to Our Local History's Enslavement & Resistance unit, as we explore how we can effectively teach about the complexities of enslavement and resistance, while embracing inquiry-based learning, emphasizing our local Westchester context, and adopting an asset-based educational approach.

    The content supports the study of local communities, the transatlantic slave trade, and 18th/early 19th century United States history. The session integrates culturally responsive teaching practices and social-emotional learning (SEL), allowing educators to analyze best practices for fostering a safe and empowering classroom environment, while analyzing primary sources and engaging in the New York State Social Studies Practices. The full day session will be followed by optional Zoom sessions in the following months focused on classroom application.

     

    Center for Professional Learning and Curriculum Support
  • via Zoom

    SLS- What is Sooth.fyi and How Can It Benefit Your Library? Virtual

    Register here.

    Sooth.fyi is the only internet search engine specifically designed for students. On Sooth, students search exclusively the web's most credible and diverse sources of news, research, data, and insights without distractions. Our human-curated search index comprises billions of pages of the internet's best sources of knowledge that cannot be found in academic databases. Our suite of tools accelerates knowledge discovery and digital literacy. Sooth is the only search platform that displays NewsGuard Trust Scores and AllSides Media Bias Ratings, providing students insight on source credibility and perspective. Sooth is also the only platform that offers a misinformation toolkit, empowering students and educators to vet, fight, and explore the origins of misinformation in an environment designed to cultivate critical thinking and information literacy skills. Reinvigorate and accelerate your students' quest for knowledge on Sooth.fyi

    Center for Professional Learning and Curriculum Support
  • Port Chester Public Schools

    Port Chester Nonviolent Crisis Intervention® Key Points Refresher Recertification

    Center for Professional Learning and Curriculum Support
  • SWBOCES - 450 Mamaroneck Avenue, 3rd floor, Harrison, NY

    2025-26 RECOVS MTSSI Lab: Understanding, Designing, and Implementing MTSS-I systems and structures

    Register here.

    District MTSSi teams from SWBOCES's RECOVS Mental Health Grant Consortium will meet to discuss and collaborate around grant implementation through the lens of MTSS. Together, we will collaboratively explore the components of MTSS (Multi-Tiered System of Supports). Guided by the NYSED MTSS-I Pilot, we will investigate and design systems and structures. Our focus will be on exploring effective implementation strategies and utilizing data to enhance school and district practices. This group aims to share experiences, best practices, and develop tools to empower faculty and staff in meeting the unique needs of every student through the structures and guidelines provided by the RECOVS Mental Health Grant.

    Center for Professional Learning and Curriculum Support
  • SWBOCES - 450 Mamaroneck Avenue, 3rd floor, Harrison, NY

    Orton Gillingham Educator Course- FALL Cohort

    Register here.

    Laurie Cousseau, from Green River Literacy will provide training for teachers utilizing the Orton Gillingham methodology. This course meets the requirements for the OG Classroom Educator designation with the OGA (Orton-Gillingham Academy) Teachers will be provided with an overview of dyslexia and students with reading disabilities, the neurological brain base of reading, explicit multi-sensory based diagnostic and prescriptive teaching, the nuts and bolts of phonics and the linguistic structure of the English language, phonological awareness, syllable structure, spelling generalizations, oral reading fluency, using informal progress monitoring and benchmark data to inform instruction, multi-sensory strategies, and how to identify/support struggling readers and extend existing Tier 1 and Tier 2 programming.

    Center for Professional Learning and Curriculum Support
  • SWBOCES - 450 Mamaroneck Avenue, 3rd floor, Harrison, NY

    SLS- Curating with Purpose: Strategic Collection Development and Policy for Today's School Libraries

    Register here.

    A well-crafted library collection and policy are the backbone of an inclusive, responsive, and future-ready school library. In this interactive workshop, participants will explore best practices for building and maintaining a dynamic collection that reflects diverse perspectives, supports curricular goals, and fosters a love of reading. We'll examine essential elements of a strong collection development policy-including selection, weeding, challenges, and reconsideration procedures-and how these policies can serve as tools for advocacy and transparency. Attendees will leave with practical strategies and templates to assess and update their current practices, ensuring their collections remain relevant, equitable, and aligned with their school communities' evolving needs.

    Center for Professional Learning and Curriculum Support
View Monthly Calendar

Mandated Training

The Mandated Training Link above lists School Safety training mandates and Facilities requirements for all NYS schools and districts.  Please refer to  the link and to our Training and Services listed below.

 

NYSED logo

Regional Facilities News

Southern Westchester BOCES is proud to partner with the Southeastern Chapter of the New York State School Facilities Association (NYSSFA).  Please use the links below to find the NYSSFA meeting calendar and training information.

NYSSFA Calendar

NYSSFA Training Opportunities

School Safety Training

  • Active Shooter Training
  • Building Level Emergency Response Planning
  • CPR/AED
  • Crisis Response Training
  • DASA/Violence Prevention refreshers
  • Develop Crisis Plans
  • Incident Command Management
  • Lockdown Emergency Training
  • New Building Emergency Plan Template
  • Risk Assessments
  • Safety Audits
  • Table Top Exercises

Facilities/Compliance

  • Asbestos testing and training
  • Bloodborne Pathogens
  • Chemical Hygiene Plan Development
  • Chemical and Petroleum Storage
  • Cooling Towers Inspections
  • CPR/AED
  • Fire Inspections
  • Indoor Air Quality Testing
  • Lockout/Tagout
  • Playground and Gymnasium Inspections
  • Right to Know
  • Underground Storage Tank Programs
  • Water Testing