SWBOCES School Library System

Center for Professional Learning & Curriculum Support - Upcoming Programs

• Nov 20 01:30 PM 04:30 PM

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

  NYSED Lead Evaluator Training - Foundations in Leading Educators (required for APPR Initial Certification)

  Register here.

  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
• Nov 20 02:00 PM 04:00 PM

  via Zoom

  SLS- Follett User Group (VIRTUAL)

  Register here.

  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
• Dec 1 01:30 PM 08:00 PM

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

  Science Investigations (Physics). Energy: Thermal Tales - The Story of Energy and Calorimetry

  Register here.

  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
• Dec 1 01:30 PM 08:00 PM

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

  Restorative Practices for School & District Leaders for RECOVS Mental Health Grant Consortium

  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.

  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
• Dec 3 Dec 5 01:30 PM 08:00 PM

  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.

  Center for Professional Learning and Curriculum Support
• Dec 4 01:30 PM 04:30 PM

  via Zoom

  SLS- Librarians as Catalysts: Bringing NYS's Portrait of a Graduate to Life (VIRTUAL)

  Register here.

  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
• Dec 4 02:00 PM 05:00 PM

  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
• Dec 8 08:00 PM 09:00 PM

  via Zoom

  SLS- Virtual Session - Keep the Pages Turning: Sora Reading Adventures This Winter

  Register here

  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
• Dec 10 01:30 PM 04:30 PM

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

  Early Learning (PK-3) Educators Network

  Register here.

  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
• Dec 10 02:00 PM 03:00 PM

  via Zoom

  RECOVS MHELP (Mental Health Education Leaders Partnership) Meetings

  Register Here

  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 considerations

  Center for Professional Learning and Curriculum Support
• Dec 10 02:00 PM 08:00 PM

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

  SLS- SLSA Symposium- Rooted in Values, Growing for the Future: School Libraries and the ALA Core Values

  Register here.

  Join us for a dynamic, statewide day of professional learning centered on the ALA Core Values-Access, Equity, Intellectual Freedom, Privacy, Public Good, and Sustainability- and their vital role in school library practice. Keynote speaker KC Boyd will inspire participants to lead with purpose as we explore how these values intersect with emerging and essential topics such as AI, culturally responsive and sustaining practices, ELL support, media literacy, and differentiated practices. Through presentations, collaborative table work, and reflective activities, attendees will leave empowered to align their library programs with the values that drive equitable future-ready learning communities. We hope you can join us in person for dynamic virtual statewide workshop that is sponsored by the School Library Systems Association. 

  Center for Professional Learning and Curriculum Support
• Dec 10 08:15 PM 09:15 PM

  via Zoom

  Supporting Reading Proficiency & the Science of Reading Across Content Areas (Virtual Series)

  Register here.

  While students are often expected to comprehend complex texts in their middle and high school classes, even students who can name every word may not be reading actively or making sense of the texts they're given. How can we improve students' reading proficiency across content areas in secondary classrooms? How can we build skills connected to the components of "The Big 6” of the Science of Reading emphasized in New York State's Literacy Initiative? This virtual series will build educators' toolkits for integrating attention to vocabulary (coupled with phonemic awareness and phonics), fluency, comprehension, and oral language within content area instruction.

   

  Center for Professional Learning and Curriculum Support
• Dec 11 02:00 PM 08:00 PM

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

  Fostering Student Talk & Navigating "Touchy" Topics

  Register here.

  Classroom talk is essential to developing students' thinking, deepening comprehension, and solidifying learning-especially in ELA and Social Studies, where engaging with complex texts and issues is central. This workshop supports secondary educators in creating classroom environments that foster purposeful, inclusive student dialogue-even when discussions touch on sensitive or controversial topics.

  Participants will explore practical strategies and protocols to support student-led discussions grounded in evidence, while also developing norms for respectful discourse. The session also offers tools for navigating "touchy” topics with care and clarity, helping students build the civic skills and literacy habits outlined in New York State's Civic Readiness Initiative and Portrait of a Graduate.

  Educators will leave with ready-to-use discussion strategies and approaches that position student talk as a powerful driver of both academic learning and civic engagement.

  Center for Professional Learning and Curriculum Support
• Dec 11 02:00 PM 08:00 PM

  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
• Dec 12 01:30 PM 08:00 PM

  Lit Up: Igniting Reading Engagement & Comprehension in Middle & High School Classrooms (Aligned to Science of Reading/NYS Literacy Briefs)

  Register Here

  Are your students resistant to reading or struggling to comprehend complex text in ELA or Social Studies - or other content areas? While students are often expected to comprehend texts in their middle and high school classes, even students who can name every word may not be reading actively or making sense of the texts they're given.
  
  How do we support students' engagement with text and reading comprehension across content areas in secondary classrooms, in alignment with the Science of Reading?
  
  This session will share and engage participants in strategies that help students think more deeply both about how and what they read, from think-alouds and metacognitive reflection to visible thinking routines and protocols for activating reading strategies. Participants will identify implications for curriculum and instruction to bring back to their schools for application. Educators are encouraged to attend in teams to collaborate for the greatest impact and will receive a 10% credit for attending with at least two other district colleagues.

  Center for Professional Learning and Curriculum Support
• Dec 12 02:00 PM 08:00 PM

  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
• Dec 16 01:30 PM 08:00 PM

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

  2025-26 DEI Leaders' Action Network: Advancing Equity Through the NYSED Portrait of a Graduate

  Register here.

  Join a powerful network of school district teams committed to advancing equity, and access in ways that transform classrooms and communities. This year, we will ground our work in Liz Kleinrock's Start Here, Start Now and connect its practical strategies directly to the New York State Portrait of a Graduate.

  Over five full-day sessions, district teams will:

  1.Engage in deep professional learning on equity-centered leadership and culturally responsive-sustaining practices.

  2. Participate in guided book study discussions and collaborative activities that link Start Here, Start Now to Portrait of a Graduate attributes.

  3. Design and refine a district-specific DEI initiative anchored to one of the six Portrait attributes.

  4. Receive targeted support and coaching to move from concept to actionable implementation.

  5. Showcase their work and leave with a clear action plan for 2026-2027.

  By the end of the year, each team will have:

  -Selected a Portrait of a Graduate attribute to anchor their DEI work.
  -Designed and tested a district-specific initiative that advances equity and belonging in their school community.
  -Developed stakeholder engagement and sustainability strategies to ensure lasting impact.
  -Built strong cross-district connections to share resources, successes, and lessons learned.

  Each participating district is strongly encouraged to register as a team of at least two members and up to 5.

  Center for Professional Learning and Curriculum Support
• Dec 17 01:30 PM 04:00 PM

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

  SLS Council Meeting

  Register here.

  The School Library Council is responsible for developing and approving the Plan of Service; is responsible for monitoring the implementation of the Plan of Service; recommends for approval the annual budget prior to submission to the District Superintendent for his signature; and supports the activities of the School Library System, through service on a committee. 

  Center for Professional Learning and Curriculum Support
• Dec 17 02:00 PM 05:00 PM

  via Zoom

  The Leadership Studio: A Strategic & Proactive Professional Learning Experience for School Leaders

  Register here.

  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
• Dec 17 02:00 PM 08:00 PM

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

  Embedding New York State's Portrait of Graduate in ELA & Social Studies

  Register here.

  What does it mean to prepare students not only for academic success, but for life as thoughtful, engaged, and future-ready citizens? This session supports secondary ELA and Social Studies educators in designing instruction aligned to New York State's Portrait of a Graduate, with a focus on authentic literacy, Project-Based Learning (PBL), and civic readiness.

  Participants will explore how ELA and Social Studies instruction can cultivate key attributes of the Portrait of a Graduate, including for students to be: Academically Prepared through engagement with NYS Learning Standards; Critical Thinkers who analyze and evaluate sources to make evidence-based arguments; Effective Communicators who express their ideas compellingly while listening actively and considering diverse perspectives; Global Citizens who apply civic knowledge and ethical reasoning to real-world issues; and Reflective and Future-Focused Learners who set goals, engage in self-reflection, and make decisions that support their success.

  Through collaborative planning, discussion, and models of PBL and civic learning, educators will develop strategies to integrate these competencies into unit and lesson design-positioning students as readers, writers, thinkers, and citizens who are motivated and prepared to thrive in college, career, and civic life.

  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