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
Mitigating Negligence and Liability in Physical Education - PE/HE CONSORTIUM
Students will learn fundamental legal vocabulary such as Negligence and Liability and understand the Legal Duties they have as PE teachers. I will use examples of law suits that I have been involved as an expert witness to emphasize their responsibilities.
Center for Professional Learning and Curriculum Support -
SWBOCES - 450 Mamaroneck Avenue, 3rd floor, Harrison, NY
Advancing Inclusive School Communities
The Advancing Inclusive School Communities learning series is designed to equip educators with the knowledge and tools necessary to create environments where all students feel valued, respected, and supported. Throughout the series, participants will explore strategies for integrating diverse perspectives to create welcome and affirming environments, implement culturally responsive teaching methods, and develop an Equity Lens approach to teaching and leadership.
Session 1: Framing DEI in Prek-12 Setting- Getting to the WHY?
Session 2: Unpacking Identity and Its Impact on Interpersonal Relationships
Session 3: Introduction to Restorative Practices: A Tool to Build Community
Session 4: Utilizing NYSED Tools to Create Welcoming and Affirming EnvironmentsCenter for Professional Learning and Curriculum Support -
via Zoom
NYSED Lead Evaluator Training (APPR) - Science of Reading: Leading for Literacy
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.*
*PLCS, in conversation with NYSED and in response to changes to APPR, has redesigned our Lead Evaluator Training Program. We have designed half-day three hour sessions that you can choose from to design your own Lead Evaluator program. These sessions meet NYSED expectations for APPR Lead Evaluator recertification.
All leaders new to their district or role will need to attend our Foundations in Leading Leaders 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.
Participants: School leaders who evaluate teachers. District leaders who evaluate principals.Center for Professional Learning and Curriculum Support -
via Zoom
Youth Mental Health First Aid for RECOVS Mental Health Grant Consortium
Please note that this training is free for personnel from districts who are part of SWBOCES's RECOVS Mental Health Grant Consortium. If you have questions about whether you are eligible to attend for free, please contact Adam Weinstock (aweinstock@swboces.org).
Youth Mental Health First Aid teaches you how to identify, understand and respond to signs of mental illnesses and substance use disorders. This training gives adults who work with youth the skills they need to reach out and provide initial support to adolescents (ages 12-18) who may be developing a mental health or substance use problem and help connect them to the appropriate care. Participants are taught an action plan that they can apply to non-crisis and crisis situations.Center for Professional Learning and Curriculum Support -
SWBOCES - 450 Mamaroneck Avenue, 3rd floor, Harrison, NY
Orton Gillingham Educator Course
Center for Professional Learning and Curriculum Support -
via Zoom
NYSED Lead Evaluator Training - Foundations in Leading Educators - Virtual (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 2024-25 initiatives, cross-team calibration, and feedback.*
*PLCS, in conversation with NYSED and in response to changes to APPR, has redesigned our Lead Evaluator Training Program. We have designed half-day three hour sessions that you can choose from to design your own Lead Evaluator program. These sessions meet NYSED expectations for APPR Lead Evaluator recertification.
All leaders new to their district or role will need to attend our Foundations in Leading Leaders 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.
Participants: School leaders who evaluate teachers and are new to their role, school, and/or district. District leaders who evaluate principals and are new to their role, school, and/or district.
Center for Professional Learning and Curriculum Support -
SWBOCES - 450 Mamaroneck Avenue, 3rd floor, Harrison, NY
Culturally Responsive Instructional Leadership: Using the Lens of Our Local History to Bring the NYS CRSEF to Life
Join us for an engaging & dynamic professional learning session focused on bringing the NYS Culturally Responsive-Sustaining Education (CRSE) Framework to life through the lens of Our Local History. Our Local History's mission is to support & empower students, teachers, & communities with the tools to engage with & own their local history of civil rights through inquiry, equity, & civic action.
During this session, participants will explore how to effectively implement the CRSE Framework by utilizing local stories of civil rights activism & resistance. We will provide tools & resources that highlight the rich history of civil rights movements in the Westchester County area & beyond. Participants will work with a range of primary & secondary sources, analyzing local history to understand the instructional design & culturally responsive practices embedded in our resources.Center for Professional Learning and Curriculum Support -
SWBOCES - 450 Mamaroneck Avenue, 3rd floor, Harrison, NY
Bringing CRSE to Life: Teaching About 20th Century Racial Discrimination & Resistance in the Context of Local History & Policy
Join Kesha James of Our Local History (formerly the Antiracist Curriculum Project), to engage in an asset-based approach to understanding historical and ongoing inequities in Westchester County. Through inquiry and critical examination of federal and local policies like redlining, racially restrictive covenants, and urban renewal, educators will investigate how these practices segregated communities, built wealth for some and limited opportunities for others. Guided by the inquiry question, "How has racial discrimination impacted Westchester County, and how have people responded?” participants will experience the lessons firsthand, examining how local residents historically resisted and responded to these inequities. The content supports the study of local communities, 20th century United States history, and current Social Studies issues.
Center for Professional Learning and Curriculum Support -
SWBOCES - 450 Mamaroneck Avenue, 3rd floor, Harrison, NY
RECOVS MTSSI Lab: Understanding, Designing, and Implementing MTSS-I systems and structures
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
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 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, student competencies, and optimize conditions for learning.* *PLCS, in conversation with NYSED and in response to changes to APPR, has redesigned our Lead Evaluator Training Program. We have designed half-day three hour sessions that you can choose from to design your own Lead Evaluator program. These sessions meet NYSED expectations for APPR Lead Evaluator recertification. All leaders new to their district or role will need to attend our Foundations in Leading Leaders 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. Participants: School leaders who evaluate teachers. District leaders who evaluate principals.
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
