SWBOCES School Library System

Center for Professional Learning & Curriculum Support - Upcoming Programs

• Oct 6 04:00 PM 07:00 PM

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

  NYSED Lead Evaluator Training (APPR) - Science of Reading: Leading for Literacy

  Register here.

  Supporting literacy across the curriculum is essential to building the skills students need for success. NYSED's Literacy Initiative, Literacy Briefs, and Advanced Literacy Briefs provide valuable anchors to inform instruction and instructional leadership. This module will support educational leaders in leveraging the Science of Reading and the needs of our linguistically diverse students to support instructional improvement and student achievement

  Center for Professional Learning and Curriculum Support
• Oct 7 12:30 PM 03:30 PM

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

  Trauma Informed Practices: How We Show Up - Relationships that Heal, Support, & Empower

  Register here.
  This interactive training introduces school support staff or educators to the foundational principles of trauma-informed care and social-emotional learning (SEL). Grounded in reflection and real-life scenarios, the session equips participants with simple, effective tools to build trust, consistency, and emotional safety with students.

  Drawing on the Sanctuary Model, ACEs research, and restorative practices, participants will explore the impact of childhood adversity on student behavior and learn how their daily interactions can promote healing, regulation, and resilience. Whether you're a teacher, paraprofessional, hallway monitor, lunchroom staff member, or school aide, this course affirms your power to make a lasting difference - one relationship at a time. Participants will be able to:

  • Define trauma-informed care and explain its relevance in school environments.

  • Describe the impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and unmet needs using the lens of Maslow's Hierarchy.

  • Identify the five core SEL competencies and how they show up in daily student behavior.

  • Apply key trauma-informed strategies such as curiosity-based questions, emotional validation, and consistent routines.

  • Using Community Building circles and the Sanctuary Model check-in questions to support student regulation and build connections.

  • Reflect on their own school experiences to build empathy and clarity in how they support students.

  • Recognize signs of secondary trauma and commit to one self-care practice that sustains their emotional wellness.

  Center for Professional Learning and Curriculum Support
• Oct 7 01:00 PM 04:00 PM

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

  NYSED Lead Evaluator Training (APPR) - MTSS/MTSS-I Framework

  Register here.

  
  This professional learning experience focuses on integrating key educational standards and frameworks, including the 9 NYSED Required Elements of Evaluator Professional Learning Programs (APPR), PSEL standards, MPPR, and the Danielson Framework, within the context of Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS).

  Participants will review the core components of MTSS, examine the NYSED MTSSi Pilot, and identify and organize existing academic and social-emotional learning (SEL) practices within the MTSS framework. Additionally, they will develop actionable steps to enhance MTSS/MTSSi practices from the perspectives of both School Leaders and District Leaders within their schools.

   

  Center for Professional Learning and Curriculum Support
• Oct 7 06:00 PM 07:00 PM

  via Zoom

  SLS-5 Ways to Get Social with TeachingBooks! (Secondary) Virtual

  Register here.

  Increase your social media presence with ready-to-go resources. Engage your students with book trailers and other videos on the platforms they use most. Create opportunities to involve students in the selection and promotion of books they most love. Keep your community informed about titles they'll want to discuss in their own homes.

  Center for Professional Learning and Curriculum Support
• Oct 7 07:00 PM 08:00 PM

  via Zoom

  SLS-Ready for Reading: Before, During, & After with TeachingBooks (Elementary) Virtual

  Register here.

  Join us to discover time saving ideas to use before, during, and after reading a book. TeachingBooks offers a collection of resources to incorporate into any read aloud, literature lesson , or book group. 

  Center for Professional Learning and Curriculum Support
• Oct 8 12:30 PM 03:30 PM

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

  PK-12 Literacy Study Group:Bridging the Science of Reading into Practice

  Register here.

  In response to NYSED'S Literacy Initiative, the Science of Reading and meeting students' academic needs, this study group will provide a recurring opportunity to convene with colleagues to collaborate around leading for literacy and the systemic and classroom-based practices that will support all students' literacy development.

  As schools and districts pursue similar aims and navigate similar obstacles, space for reflecting on and sharing practices and navigating challenges can serve as a forum for mutual support. During the sessions, time for grade level focus work groups (Elementary and Secondary) will be built in.

  Center for Professional Learning and Curriculum Support
• Oct 8 12:30 PM 07:00 PM

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

  Science Investigation (Biology). Structure and Function: Balancing Act -Exploring Feedback and Homeostasis

  Register here.

  This one-day session focuses on Science Investigation (Biology) Structure and Function: Balancing Act -Exploring Feedback and Homeostasis. This professional learning experience is a hands-on laboratory experience that prepares teachers to ready students for the new Biology Regents Examination. (This is 2 of 3
  Science Investigations: Biology).

  Participants in this one-day session will:

  - experience this Investigation both as a teacher and student.

  - plan and conduct an investigation to determine the body's response to an external factor that may affect feedback mechanisms related to thermoregulation.

  - analyze data related to the regulation of blood glucose levels.

  - analyze collected data to draw conclusions about thermoregulation explore a phenomenon and draw conclusions relating to feedback mechanisms that maintain homeostasis.

  - deepen their understanding of NYSED's expectations for the new Regents' exam in Life Science: Biology.

  Center for Professional Learning and Curriculum Support
• Oct 8 12:30 PM 03:30 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.

  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
• Oct 9 12:30 PM 07:00 PM

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

  PE/HE CONSORTIUM - Developing the Whole Child for 21st Century Learning

  Register here.

  Instuctor: Brent Heidorn

  This comprehensive session for K-12 health and physical education teachers provides emphasis on student learning in health and physical education programs, while considering the physical, cognitive, social, and emotional development of children and adolescents. Topics included in the one-day professional learning session:

  • Student Learning: Emphasis on Schools, Teachers, and Physical Education Programs

  • Students' Cognitive, Physical, Social, and Emotional Development and the Relationship to Physical Education and Physical Activity

  • Comprehensive School Physical Activity Programs

  Center for Professional Learning and Curriculum Support
• Oct 9 12:30 PM 03:30 PM

  450 Mamaroneck Avenue, Harrison

  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
• Oct 9 12:30 PM 03:30 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.

  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
• Oct 15 12:30 PM 03:30 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
• Oct 15 01:00 PM 07:00 PM

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

  504 Chairperson Training

  Register here.

  Participants will learn to effectively facilitate 504 meetings by defining team roles, engaging parents in meaningful collaboration, and managing challenging conversations. Through practical strategies, participants will gain the skills to develop legally sound 504 Plans that align accommodations with student needs and ensure successful classroom implementation. They will explore methods for monitoring and reviewing 504 Plans, collaborating with educators to track progress, and making data-informed adjustments. Finally, participants will examine the intersection of 504 Plans with other school support systems, applying principles of cultural competence and equity to ensure fair and effective student access to accommodations.

  This professional learning is focused on the facilitation of 504 meetings and the implementation of 504 plans for those who serve as Chairpersons for 504 Committee Meetings.
  
  Professional learning will include the following areas:
  
  1. Legal Foundations and Compliance Overview of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973
  2. Roles and Responsibilities
  3. 504 Plan Development
  4. Meeting Facilitation and Parent Engagement
  5. Monitoring and Review
  6. Intersection with Other School Supports
  7. Cultural Competence and Equity
  8. Resource Review

  Center for Professional Learning and Curriculum Support
• Oct 15 01:00 PM 06:30 PM

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

  SLS- Discovery Education BTS Bootcamp

  Register here.

  Discovery Education continues to empower educators with resources, strategies and tools for creating quality lessons using multi-modal digital resources. For Back-to-School 2025-26, we are combining all that teachers and students love about the DE ecosystem with new content, including Career Connect and the AI Assessment Generator!

  Join us this Fall at Southern Westchester BOCES to learn about the best ways to utilize all that Discovery Education has to offer as well as exciting updated features, synchronous and asynchronous activities, assignment templates, background builder lessons and much more:

  *Ready-to-Use Activities & Video Quizzes
  *Supports for NYS Science Investigations
  *AI Assessment Generator *Career Connect
  *Core 4 Focus & Supplemental Supports
  *Spotlight on Strategies for All Subjects and Grade Levels RECOMMENDED 

  Lunch will be provided by Discovery Education.

  Center for Professional Learning and Curriculum Support
• Oct 15 07:15 PM 08:15 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
• Oct 17 01:00 PM 07:00 PM

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

  Growing Student Learning & Literacy in Secondary Classrooms Day 2: Engaging & Responsive Curriculum

  Register here.

  Participants can register for one or both sessions of this two-day series focused on attending to key elements of instruction (Day 1) and curriculum (Day 2) to support students' learning and improve their literacy skills in secondary classrooms. Educators are encouraged to attend in teams to plan collaboratively for launching 2025-26 with the greatest impact and will receive a 10% credit for attending with at least two other district colleagues.
  
  Day 2: Engaging & Responsive Curriculum: How can we adjust our curriculum to embody the Science of Learning and the Science of Reading to support students' success? How can our lessons, units, and materials support students' engagement and literacy skill development across content areas in secondary classrooms? This session will share frameworks for curriculum development to help students improve their skills as learners, thinkers, readers, and communicators. Participants will apply key concepts and use the curriculum frameworks to write or revise existing units for the upcoming school year.
  
  The full day session/s will be followed by optional Zoom sessions in the following months focused on classroom application.

  Center for Professional Learning and Curriculum Support
• Oct 20 01:00 PM 07:00 PM

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

  Nonviolent Crisis Intervention® Key Points Refresher Recertification

  Register here.

  The Nonviolent Crisis Intervention® Key Points Refresher is designed to help improve your understanding of key program concepts, enhance your skills and provide strategies to apply the information to workplace realities. Only participants who have completed the Nonviolent Crisis Intervention Training in the last 12-18 months are eligible to participate in the Refresher Training. In addition, we are asking that individuals attend in pairs or trios so that they can perform the physical interventions with a partner. All participants must complete the physical interventions in order to receive certification.

  Center for Professional Learning and Curriculum Support
• Oct 21 12:30 PM 07:00 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
• Oct 21 12:30 PM 03:30 PM

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

  Integrating Social-Emotional Learning to Improve Student Achievement

  Register here.

  Even when educators believe in the value of social-emotional learning (SEL), SEL can feel like something "extra.” This session will ground educators in how SEL is integral to academic achievement (and success in the world at large). Then, we will explore strategies for embedding attention to social-emotional learning in academic instruction, and participants will apply their learning to plan for the 2025-26 school year.
  Participants will be able to:
  
  • Understand and articulate how social-emotional learning (SEL) is essential-not additional-to academic success and lifelong achievement, drawing connections to the New York State SEL Benchmarks, CASEL Core Competencies, and the New York State Portrait of a Graduate.
  
  • Identify and analyze how the integration of SEL within academic instruction supports student engagement, motivation, and achievement across content areas.
  
  • Explore and apply evidence-based strategies to embed SEL into instructional practices using tools such as the CASEL 3 Signature Practices and the CASEL Frame Coach Reflect framework.
  
  • Design actionable plans to integrate SEL intentionally into classroom instruction and school-wide practices for the 2025-26 school year, with a focus on sustainable impact and alignment with district and state priorities.
  
  • Reflect on current practices and identify opportunities to strengthen SEL integration at the classroom, school, and systems levels.
  
  

  Center for Professional Learning and Curriculum Support
• Oct 21 04:00 PM 07:00 PM

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

  Launching the Seal of Civic Readiness

  Register here.

  New York State's Civic Readiness Initiative embodies what we value most about our students' learning and development - that they're prepared with the skills, knowledge, mindsets, and experiences to participate meaningfully in the communities they're a part of in their lives. Further, the Seal of Civic Readiness is both a graduation pathway and a reflection of attributes of the Portrait of a Graduate that aims to define our priorities for when our students complete high school.

  In this session, come learn about the components of the Civic Readiness Initiative and the Seal of Civic Readiness. Then, consider what's needed to offer the Seal of Civic Readiness in your high school. Participants will then be guided to apply these ideas to their own context and come away with clear next steps for launching the Seal of Civic Readiness.

  Center for Professional Learning and Curriculum Support