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
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.
All leaders new to their district or role will need to attend our Foundations in Leading Educators session to meet the requirements for NYSED's Lead Evaluator Training. 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
SLS- Follett User Group (VIRTUAL)
Join fellow school librarians and library staff for collaborative and informative Follett User Group sessions designed to keep you up to date empowered in your use of Destiny Library Manager. We'll dive into the latest updates in Destiny 23.0, explore the current roadmap and what Follett is working on for upcoming releases, and share tips for getting the most out of Destiny Discover. We'll provide a short overview of Resource Manager and discuss updates on the Professional Learning Pathways platform, including opportunities to enhance your skills and support staff development. Whether you're new to Destiny or a long-time user, this session offers practical takeaways, space for questions, and opportunities to connect with colleagues using the same tools.
Center for Professional Learning and Curriculum Support -
SWBOCES - 450 Mamaroneck Avenue, 3rd floor, Harrison, NY
Restorative Practices for School & District Leaders for RECOVS Mental Health Grant Consortium
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.
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.
• Systemic considerations, including implementation science and discipline policies and practices (e.g. Codes of Conduct)Center for Professional Learning and Curriculum Support -
SWBOCES - 450 Mamaroneck Avenue, 3rd floor, Harrison, NY
Science Investigations (Physics). Energy: Thermal Tales - The Story of Energy and Calorimetry
This one-day session focuses on Science Investigations (Physics). Energy: Thermal Tales - The Story of Energy and Calorimetry. This Investigation is a hands-on lab experience that prepares teachers to ready students for the new Physics Regents Examination. (This is 3 of 3 Science Investigations: Physics). Participants in this one-day session will:
-experience this Investigation both as a teacher and student.
-investigate the transfer of thermal energy when liquids of different temperatures are in contact using a heat transfer setup.
-plan and conduct an investigation to collect and analyze data -evidence that supports the second law of thermodynamics.
-analyze given data from a heat transfer setup to describe the transfer of thermal energy & determine if this data supports the second law of thermodynamics.
-develop a written investigation plan, based on given criteria and constraints, to produce data which can be used to:
~provide evidence that the transfer of thermal energy, when components of different temperatures in a system are combined, results in a more uniform energy distribution;
~calculate the specific heat capacity of an unknown liquid; and describe the limitations of the experimental design preventing the system from being a closed system.
-conduct their investigation and calculate the specific heat capacity of their assigned liquid.
-share group data with the class and record average class values for the specific heat capacities of the unknown liquids.
-deepen their understanding of NYSED's expectations for the new Regents' exam in Physics.
Center for Professional Learning and Curriculum Support -
SWBOCES - 450 Mamaroneck Avenue, 3rd floor, Harrison, NY
Restorative Practices Educator Training for RECOVS Mental Health Grant Consortium
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.Center for Professional Learning and Curriculum Support -
via Zoom
SLS- Librarians as Catalysts: Bringing NYS's Portrait of a Graduate to Life (VIRTUAL)
New York State's Portrait of a Graduate outlines the essential skills and dispositions students need to thrive in college, career, and civic life-including critical thinking, communication, collaboration, cultural competence, and lifelong learning. This session explores how school librarians are uniquely positioned to foster these competencies through inquiry-based instruction, media literacy, equitable access to resources, and instructional partnerships.
Participants will examine each element of the Portrait through the lens of library programming and reflect on how their current practices already support the vision. We'll share practical strategies for aligning library instruction, collection development , and collaboration with teachers to the Portrait of a Graduate- and highlight how libraries serve as essential spaces for cultivating future-ready learners.
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)
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 -
via Zoom
SLS- Virtual Session - Keep the Pages Turning: Sora Reading Adventures This Winter
Join us to keep the joy of reading alive this winter while supporting student growth and learning with Sora Reading Challenges! You'll explore strategies to motivate your students-and yourself-to keep reading over break, strengthening fluency, comprehension, and confidence. We'll share ideas for building a connected school community around shared reading goals and celebrating progress together.
Center for Professional Learning and Curriculum Support -
SWBOCES - 450 Mamaroneck Avenue, 3rd floor, Harrison, NY
Early Learning (PK-3) Educators Network
Our early learning network has a new look! We will meet in person at the Center for Professional Learning and visit host schools to engage in learning walks focused on Early Learning.
Join us for collaborative learning experiences with colleagues who are dedicated to enhancing the educational experiences of Early Learners (PK-3) across all content areas. Together we will explore best practices, theories, and innovative approaches to early childhood education. Members of the group will engage in activities including sharing resources, analyzing current research, developing curriculum strategies, and reflecting on their teaching methods. We welcome teams of teachers, administrators, instructional coaches, early learning specialists, department chairs, and all who support Early Learning.
Center for Professional Learning and Curriculum Support -
via Zoom
RECOVS MHELP (Mental Health Education Leaders Partnership) Meetings
Mental health leadership teams from SWBOCES's RECOVS Mental Health Grant Consortium will meet to discuss and collaborate around grant implementation, including:
- Social-Emotional Learning
- MTSS-i (including systems & structures and data & assessment)
- professional learning
- budget & logistics
- other grant-related considerationsCenter 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
