School Safety and Facilities
Brandon A. Cruz, Supervisor
School Safety & Facilities
(914) 345-8500, Ext. 3167
bcruz@swboces.org
Non-Violent Crisis Intervention®
Nonviolent Crisis Intervention® Training provides your educators with the skills to safely recognize and respond to everyday crisis situations. You will learn to:
- Minimize Physical Interventions
- Recognize & Respond to Defensive Behaviors
- Understand What’s Behind the Behavior
- Address the Needs of the Individual
Regional Crisis Response Team
The SWBOCES Regional Crisis Response Team (RCRT) supports school districts after a crisis by providing Consultation, Counseling, Debriefing, and Support. A crisis can be a natural disaster, the passing of an individual within your school community, or a distant event that has a deep effect on students and staff. More information about the becoming an RCRT member or accessing services is available on the RCRT Resources Page
Coronavirus Resources
Southern Westchester BOCES has assembled and shared reliable resources about the COVID-19 outbreak since early in the pandemic. Our Coronavirus Resources Page is a continuously updated repository of information and guidance from medical professionals and public health officials, curated to inform and protect the health and safety of our community.
Events coming up
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SWBOCES - 450 Mamaroneck Avenue, 3rd floor, Harrison, NY
The Science of Reading Essentials: What every educator should know
This session introduces educators to the foundational principles of the Science of Reading (SoR). Participants will explore the core components, dispel common myths, and identify evidence-based instructional practices. Participants will have the opportunity to take a more focused look and deeper dive into the NYSED frameworks including the 7 Literacy briefs and the NYS best practices guide. Participants will engage in strengthening their core knowledge base, while creating a plan of action for their work towards the implementation of strategic literacy instruction.
We welcome teams of teachers, administrators, instructional coaches, reading specialists, department chairs, and all for whom literacy instruction is integral, to join us as leaders of literacy.Center for Professional Learning and Curriculum Support -
SWBOCES - 450 Mamaroneck Avenue, 3rd floor, Harrison, NY
The Leadership Studio: A Strategic & Proactive Professional Learning Experience for School Leaders
Effective school leadership requires more than managing day-to-day operations-it calls for vision, courage, and a proactive approach to navigating the evolving needs of students, staff, and communities. The Leadership Studio is a dynamic professional learning series designed to inspire, empower, and support principals and assistant principals in leading with purpose, clarity, and impact.
Grounded in research and real-world practice, this series blends structured learning with responsive coaching and peer collaboration. Participants will engage in a sequence of high-leverage sessions focused on the most pressing topics in education today: MTSS implementation, culturally responsive leadership, social-emotional learning, instructional excellence, discipline reform, and authentic community engagement.
Each session is designed to not only build knowledge but also strengthen capacity-equipping leaders with practical tools, strategic frameworks, and a supportive network to foster innovation, equity, and sustainable school improvement. Whether you're building foundational systems or driving next-level growth, The Leadership Studio offers a space to think boldly, lead collaboratively, and create meaningful, lasting change.Center for Professional Learning and Curriculum Support -
SWBOCES - 450 Mamaroneck Avenue, 3rd floor, Harrison, NY
Nonviolent Crisis Intervention Initial Certification Training
Nonviolent Crisis Intervention® provides your staff with the skills to safely recognize and respond to everyday crisis situations that may involve more challenging behaviors. NCI™ training is designed to help you achieve compliance with current legislative initiatives and best practices.
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
If you are not a member of the RECOVS Consortium, 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 -
via Zoom
MeetUp: The Literate Citizen & Your Professional Learning Needs - for ELA & Social Studies Educators
ELA and Social Studies educators are invited to a collaborative session designed to both share and shape the professional learning opportunities that support your work. This MeetUp will introduce The Literate Citizen, a guiding concept and series of workshops that links literacy instruction, civic engagement, student agency, and academic success.
Together, we'll explore connections between the science of learning, New York State's Portrait of a Graduate, and upcoming shifts in graduation measures. You'll have the opportunity to reflect on your own practices, share your experiences, and help shape future professional learning offerings based on your needs and goals. Join us to connect, learn, and co-create pathways for impactful curriculum and instruction matched to your educational context.
Center for Professional Learning and Curriculum Support -
SWBOCES - 450 Mamaroneck Avenue, 3rd floor, Harrison, NY
NYSED Lead Evaluator Training - Foundations in Leading Educators (required for APPR Initial Certification)
This professional learning experience is designed for school and/or district leaders who are new to their role. Together we will explore NYSED APPR evaluation requirements for school and district leaders. Specific emphasis will be on aligning your APPR process to your school/district strategic goal, mission/vision, and 2025-26 initiatives, cross-team calibration, and feedback.
Please check your district's APPR plan to determine the number of days/hours approved by NYSED for your district's Lead Evaluator Training.
Center for Professional Learning and Curriculum Support -
via Zoom
MeetUp: The Literate Citizen & Your Professional Learning Needs - for ELA & Social Studies Educators
ELA and Social Studies educators are invited to a collaborative session designed to both share and shape the professional learning opportunities that support your work. This MeetUp will introduce The Literate Citizen, a guiding concept and series of workshops that links literacy instruction, civic engagement, student agency, and academic success.
Together, we'll explore connections between the science of learning, New York State's Portrait of a Graduate, and upcoming shifts in graduation measures. You'll have the opportunity to reflect on your own practices, share your experiences, and help shape future professional learning offerings based on your needs and goals. Join us to connect, learn, and co-create pathways for impactful curriculum and instruction matched to your educational context.
Center for Professional Learning and Curriculum Support -
SWBOCES - 450 Mamaroneck Avenue, 3rd floor, Harrison, NY
Science Investigation (Biology). Inheritance and Variation of Traits: Unraveling the Mystery of Lactose Tolerance
This one-day session focuses on Science Investigation (Biology) Inheritance and Variation of Traits: Unraveling the Mystery of Lactose Tolerance. This Investigation is a hands-on laboratory experience that prepares teachers to ready students for the new Biology Regents Examination to be administered in June 2025. (This is 1 of 3 Science Investigations: Biology).
Participants in this one-day session will:
experience this Investigation both as a teacher and student.
explore phenomena, use models and simulations, analyze data, and draw conclusions to identify a mutation that results in lactose tolerance and describe the transmission of this trait over several generations.
determine the function of lactase in metabolism and the effect of changes in the coding and noncoding regions of the lactase gene on phenotype.
investigate the inheritance of lactose tolerance under different environmental conditions. deepen their understanding of NYSED's expectations for the new Regents' exam in Life Science: Biology.
Center for Professional Learning and Curriculum Support -
SWBOCES - 450 Mamaroneck Avenue, 3rd floor, Harrison, NY
NYSED Lead Evaluator Training (APPR) - Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) and Restorative Practices
Social and emotional well-being and skills are foundational to academic success, cultivating a culture of belonging, and nurturing our students' capacity for civic engagement and career readiness, in alignment with New York State's Portrait of a Graduate. In this module we will explore NYSED's Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) Benchmarks and the tenets of Restorative Practices to anchor our thinking about and leadership of efforts to improve school culture, optimize conditions for learning, and develop student competencies that reflect attributes of the Portrait of a Graduate.
Center for Professional Learning and Curriculum Support -
SWBOCES - 450 Mamaroneck Avenue, 3rd floor, Harrison, NY
LETRS for Elementary Educators- Volume 1
LETRS is professional learning for elementary educators that invests in teachers' literacy knowledge and professional practice. Teachers gain essential knowledge to master the fundamentals of literacy instruction required to transform student learning. This program is recommended for educators with kindergarten through third- grade students and educators with students working toward proficiency in fourth and fifth grade. LETRS fills gaps in teacher preparation education by covering all layers of language organization (phonology, orthography, morphology, syntax, semantics) and their relevance for teaching reading, spelling, writing, and oral language. All participant materials are included. This course is accredited by the International Dyslexia Association ®
Center for Professional Learning and Curriculum Support
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.
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
