Southern Westchester BOCES Center for Special Services

News from our schools

• Students receive college guidance during annual meet-up

  Westchester Community College rep assists Rye Lake seniors with their applications
  

  Westchester Community College admissions officer Stephanie Annunziata assisted seniors at Rye Lake Campus Middle-High School with applying to the school and offered guidance in navigating the college planning process.

   

  Ms. Annunziata visits with seniors here each fall. A professor and former WCC student, she walks students through WCC’s online application and answers their questions. Application fees were waived for all WCC applicants from Oct. 20-Nov. 3.

   

  “We are so appreciative to have this opportunity each year to assist students with the application process,” School Counselor Cristina Tompkins said. “WCC is a great option for so many of our students."

  News Feed - Rye Lake Middle/High School

• Students from SWBOCES' Irvington program join International Day of the Girl gathering

  Irvington students attended the International Day of the Girl annual event on Oct. 9, at Manhattanville University, joining young leaders and advocates to celebrate the power, potential, and voices of girls around the world. The day was filled with keynote speakers, breakout sessions, and meaningful connections. 

   

  The Westchester County Youth Bureau, in partnership with local non-profit and private organizations, hosted the annual conference. It is inspired by the United Nations’ International Day of the Girl Child, which was established in 2012, to highlight and uplift girls throughout the world.

   

  The event featured a keynote address by entrepreneur Lauren Morris, founder of Loola Doola, Inc., a performance by the Westchester Children’s Chorus, a vendor room, photo booth and eight breakout sessions on girl-empowerment topics.

   

  Assistant Director for Special Services Dr. Alexandria Connally, who also chairs the Westchester County Youth Board, took part in the day's events.

   

  "There is no limit to what women can do," Dr. Connally said. "Westchester County’s International Day of the Girl is an important reminder that running like a girl means winning the race." 

   

  SWBOCES student Jamiyah Oliver said that her favorite part of the day was the sense of community and unity that filled the room.

   

  "Everyone came together to empower and uplift one another," Jamiyah said, "creating an environment of genuine support. It was truly refreshing to be in a non-judgmental space where every voice was valued and every girl was encouraged to shine.”

  News Feed - Irvington High School

• Pumpkin Path Parade rounds out fall season at Rye Lake Lower Campus

  Students at the Rye Lake Lower Campus celebrated the season with a festive day of fall-themed activities on Oct. 31. The campus was filled with hands-on fun as students explored sensory bins, created colorful fall foliage crafts, and expressed their creativity through pumpkin decorating.

  The day concluded with our much-anticipated Pumpkin Path Parade, where students proudly showcased their decorated pumpkins for all to enjoy. It was a joyful event that brought together creativity, sensory exploration, and school spirit, perfectly capturing the magic of autumn at RLLC. Special thanks to the Community Committee for helping with this wonderful event.

  News Feed - Rye Lake Lower Campus

• Fall-O-Ween Spirit Week at Saint Matt’s School

  Saint Matt’s School celebrated Fall-O-Ween Spirit Week with energy, creativity, and community spirit! Students and staff embraced each themed day with enthusiasm, showing what makes our school such a welcoming and vibrant place — supportive, joyful, and full of heart.

  We kicked things off with Sports Team Day, proudly wearing jerseys, hats, and team colors while enjoying fun games like the Eyeball Toss and Bowling Ghost Ghoulies. On Think Pink Day, our school turned every shade of pink to raise awareness for Breast Cancer. Wacky Wednesday brought out bold socks, wacky hats, and lots of laughter, while Pajama Day kept everyone cozy and ready to learn in their favorite PJs.

  Our Literary Pumpkin Contest highlighted teamwork and imagination, with Ms. Nikiya's class earning top honors (Second Place) for their Don't Let the Pigeon Go Trick or Treating –inspired pumpkin.

  One of the week’s most memorable moments was the Apple Pie Contest, when our friends from Valhalla Center visited Saint Matt’s for a friendly morning of baking and taste testing. The collaboration was filled with smiles, teamwork, and the delicious aroma of homemade apple pies. Congratulations to Karen Walker’s class from Saint Matt’s for earning top votes with their winning pie!

  We wrapped up the week with our Fall-O-Ween Costume & Candy Bash, where students and staff showed off fun, inclusive costumes and celebrated together with games, treats, and lots of Saint Matt’s spirit.

  It was a wonderful week of laughter, learning, and community connection — a true reflection of the Saint Matt’s family! 🎃🍎

  St. Matthews

• Fall-O-Ween Spirit Week at Valhalla Center

  Valhalla Center celebrated Fall-O-Ween Spirit Week with energy, creativity, and plenty of smiles! Students and staff brought their best spirit each day, showing what makes our community so special — supportive, fun, and full of heart.

  We kicked off with Sports Team Day, proudly wearing team colors while enjoying games like the Eyeball Toss and Bowling Ghost Ghoulies. On Think Pink Day, everyone wore shades of pink to raise awareness for Breast Cancer. Wacky Wednesday brought out bold socks, silly hats, and lots of laughter, while Pajama Day wrapped us in cozy comfort and calm.

  Our Literary Pumpkin Contest showcased teamwork and imagination, with Adriana’s class winning first place for their Charlotte’s Web design. Max’s class joined St. Matthew’s School for a friendly Apple Pie Baking Contest, and we cheered on Karen Walker’s class from St. Matthew’s for taking top votes!

  Creative Door Decorations brightened our hallways with fall and Halloween themes, and we wrapped up the week with our Costume & Candy Bash — a fun-filled celebration of trick-or-treating, games, and a haunted hallway adventure.

  It was a week full of laughter, learning, and Valhalla spirit — a true reflection of our vibrant and caring school community! 🎃

  The Valhalla Center

• Senior class students from SWBOCES at Irvington tour Westchester Community College

  On October 23, 2025, Irvington seniors visited Westchester Community College for an exciting and informative campus tour. Students had the opportunity to explore the campus, learn about academic programs, and get a firsthand look at college life. 

  News Feed - Irvington High School

• September Highlights & Valhalla Center’s Back-to-School Open House

  As we step into October, we’re excited to share our September Newsletter along with highlights and photos from our Back-to-School- Open House.

  Valhalla Center welcomed over 20 family members to our Back-to-School Open House! It was such a wonderful evening of partnership, learning, and community. Families connected with teachers, related service providers, administrators, and one another while enjoying cookies, a cheese-and-cracker platter, and Mr. Ben’s delicious baked cake. Staff were also on hand to assist families with eSchool Parent Portal registration and SEPTA sign-ups.

  In Ms. Allison’s class, families celebrated student success and received thoughtful apple gifts with handwritten notes from their children saying “to Mom and Dad.” Mr. Max shared a slideshow highlighting students’ daily learning and life-skills activities that build independence, followed by a tour of the Life Center Room. Ms. Lisa shared classroom goals, plans, and her point system for encouraging positive engagement. Ms. Adriana proudly showcased her classroom’s task boxes, instructional breakfast program, and the heartfelt thank-you notes her students wrote for their parents.

  We are so grateful to our families for partnering with us to support student growth, independence, and success. Here’s to a school year filled with learning, collaboration, and achievement!      

  The Valhalla Center

• Students enjoy Pumpkin Patch fun at Rye Lake Lower Campus

  Students from the AIIM and MD programs had a fantastic time visiting the Rye Lake Pumpkin Patch! Each student selected a pumpkin to decorate and use for classroom activities before bringing it home. This hands on seasonal activity fostered sensory exploration, communication, and teamwork, all while celebrating the joys of fall together.

  A heartfelt thank you to the Community Committee and Rye Lake staff for creating such a joyful and inclusive experience for our students, and an extra special thank you to Tricia Lynch for volunteering to pick up the pumpkins for our wonderful patch of students!

  “Wonderful events like this would not be possible if not for the efforts of the dedicated staff members of the Rye Lake Lower Campus," Principal Jonathan Remeny said. "Their creativity, enthusiasm, and commitment to providing meaningful experiences for our students truly bring our school community to life. It’s through their teamwork and dedication that we’re able to create such engaging, memorable moments that support both learning and joy for our students.”

  News Feed - Rye Lake Lower Campus

• Colorful dress, creative signs round out the event in support of others

  Rye Lake Lower Campus walks together for Breast Cancer Awareness

  Students and staff at Rye Lake Lower Campus marked Breast Cancer Awareness with a spirited walk around the quad, wearing pink and bearing creative signs with messages of support.

  There was a slight chill in the air and the changing leaves burst with color as educators led students past the classroom huts and up by the Decagon building, making two laps before returning to their respective classes. This was just one of a several such awareness events held across Southern Westchester BOCES Special Services campuses in October. The joy on the faces of students and teachers, aides and TAs alike was palpable as the campus came together for this important cause.

  “It's inspiring to see our students engaged so enthusiastically in an activity like this, learning about what it means to show support for others in unity as a campus," Principal Jonathan Remeny said. "Thank you to our entire staff for organizing this very public display of compassion and empathy for others.” 

  News Feed - Rye Lake Lower Campus

• Inclusive, interactive design offers opportunities for all students to enjoy

  SWBOCES at Transfiguration School cuts ribbon on new playgrounds
  

  Laughter and excitement resonated as students at Southern Westchester BOCES’ Transfiguration School in Tarrytown celebrated the opening of their brand-new playground Oct. 17.

  “This playground has been designed for our students — really serving the needs of students from ages 5 to 12 with communication needs,” Ms. Fernandez said. “We have a wonderful communication board, lots of spinning items, cool slides, and great adaptive swings. I know our students are already getting to it.”

  News Feed - Transfiguration School