WEBVTT

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what we do here when our
district is about is being able to

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create And to see a vision for a
student,

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our staff who work here with us
myself included,

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really choose to work here
because we know that this is where

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the greatest need really is.

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But it's also where you see the
greatest successes I've been at

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the Edenwald School. And on this
campus for over 31 years,

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it's the kids that motivate me
to come here on a daily basis.

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It's a very special environment,

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the staff are here for the
students.

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We really care about the youth
who come before us.

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There's not many places where
you could actually make a

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difference. But this is one of
them.

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The students in our district
haven't had the same opportunities

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as other students every day.

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I want to do everything I can to
find new and better ways to

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give our students opportunities
and to ensure their success.

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What's wonderful about our
district in general is just that we

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have um a smaller setting, a
more intimate setting.

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And I think that that is what
benefits our students the most um

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whether it's in the elementary
classes where we have an 8 to 1

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to one ratio or in our high
school and middle school classes.

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So we have the 12 to 1 to one
ratio.

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I think that the reduced amount
of people more support,

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help our students.

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We focus on kind of like the
three pillars of academic, social,

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emotional, behavioral.

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We're really focusing on
restorative justice community building

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as a means to fostering an
improved positive culture.

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We also offer school
psychologists and all of the related

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services. We provide counseling
services for our students.

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We provide to really try to give
the students the skills they

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need and then within the
classrooms they're provided with the

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academic supports that are going
to really help them increase

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their E A and math abilities.

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What does it for me is the small
moments when a kid will say

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thank you, Mr Bride. You know, I
really appreciate it.

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You know, I'm doing well hearing
from a student,

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maybe when they get discharged,
getting an email from them,

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You know, I'm doing well in my
community.

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You know, I'm in a program.

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Um you know, that's what really
keeps me going and,

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and to see those small victories
and,

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and then when those small
victories add to something bigger

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that's moving, that we've done
our job. I love the kids.

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Their stories are so unique.

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It really humbles me at the end
of the day.

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Um I get extreme gratitude,

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teaching them I think is
extremely important for them to

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understand that no matter your
background and your beginning,

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you write your ending and a lot
of times what hinders them is an

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emotional component.

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So as long as they can learn at
least one skill that allows them

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to Draw back that negative
emotion and show the positive emotion

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that feel successful.

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So we offer a region trap to all
of our students um in the high

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school.

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And we also offer a G E D
program so that there's an alternate

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path towards um graduation for
some of our students who are very

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much academically inclined.

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We've actually started to allow
for them to take some college

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courses on college campuses.

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One of our main goals is to make
the school feel like a

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traditional community high
school.

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So on top of the specialized
instruction and the smaller classes,

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we want them also to have every
opportunity that a student would

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have in a local district,

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almost all of our teachers are
dual certified in special

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education and in the content
area,

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we make sure our curriculum is
in line with the curriculum in

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the local home district.

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So if it's a standardized class
we are teaching the same

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curriculum as students would be
getting in your community

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district while differentiating
for them.

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And Vocationally, we have a
culinary C T E program.

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We just purchased a food truck
which is a part of that program

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and then they could successfully
transition into Westchester

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Community College with six
college credits.

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We are also currently in the
application process for a second C

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T E program, which is early
childhood education.

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Um We also have other vocational
programs which include

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woodworking and cosmetology.

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We also provide supports within
the classroom.

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So recently, they've also
brought on board. Um We have a,

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a B A specialist that can help
with specific behavior behaviors

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that the student may be
displaying.

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We also have an autism coach, um
aids in a classroom.

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So in addition to the teacher,

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you have an additional adult
support right there in the class,

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having the support in the
hallway,

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those safety monitors who are
often there to help.

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Um If the students do have an
episode of emotion,

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it helps them socially to be
able to have somebody there that

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they can speak to I've been at
the school,

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but um going on 10 years, uh I
like the atmosphere.

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I like working with the kids. I
believe that they trust me,

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which helps them through their
day,

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especially when they are having
the most challenging days.

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They come and look for me that
safety plays a very important

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part on protecting our kids in
my role as a family and community

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engagement director.

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Not only do I work on getting
kids back into their home school

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districts,

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but I also work to get them into
college early acceptance

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programs and I work to get them
into some job corps programs.

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I'm proud to announce that our
school is part of my brother's

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keeper program.

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We are the only Special Act
district in New York State that is

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part of this program.

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A lot of our students here have
been given a rough go of things

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and they need to believe and
understand.

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their self value, they're worth,

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they need to understand that
they can be positive members of

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society and work towards a goal.

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Mr Soare has been a big help to
me since the day that I first

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got here.

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He's been really helpful with
just getting me into programs that

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help me with extra things that
just I need to know in my life.

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I feel like the political
Science class is definitely something

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that I need to know as of now.

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Just so I'm prepared for the
future.

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This is a place where you have
to be very patient.

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and very proud and you have to
have the motivation to do

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something to do something with
your life,

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to want to get educated,

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give them an expectation that
you're gonna be great and they

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will follow behind you and make
you great.

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My time has been and it was so
good because the teachers here,

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they taught me good lessons. I
start spectrum in 2021.

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And Miguel Suarez, he helped me
out to get that job.

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I'm in 12th grade.

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I'm about to graduate in June
2023, which is this year.

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and um going to be out in the
real world.

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I've been waiting for for this
moment for a while.

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Um I think that as an educator,
I think most educators, there's,

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there's an innate capacity often
that you can see a potential in

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somebody there, you just see it.
I see their strength.

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I know that they have come
through so much.

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And the fact that they are still
pursuing and still persevering

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is a motivator for me. I think
with, with Children in general,

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they don't always see themselves
completely as having that

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potential. The idea is to, to
help a student to that next level,

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to see that vision for
themselves,