BumbleBeesRus

Bishop Patrick V. Ahern High School opened in September 1998 on the grounds of Moore Catholic High School in Staten Island, completing a goal set by the parents who founded the Seton Foundation for Learning in 1985. We serve students with developmental disabilities from age 14 to 21, and we are open to families of all faiths. Our program combines functional academics, social skills training and a vocational work-study program. Every student has work-study opportunities on and off campus, and our partnerships with local businesses give students real job sites where responsibilities are adjusted to build independence. Classes are small and highly structured, and daily living skills are part of the curriculum. Sharing a campus with Moore Catholic gives our students time with typically developing peers every day, through a daily peer socialization program, integrated lunch periods in the main cafeteria, and special events at both schools. We are a private school affiliated with the Archdiocese of New York and accredited by its Department of Education, and our program is funded through tuition, grants, private donations and fundraising.

The Joan P. Hodum Early Learning Center of Community Resources sits at 3651 Richmond Road in historic Richmondtown on Staten Island. We run full-day 3-K, 3-K Integrated and PreK-4 Integrated classes, plus three full-day 12:1:2 special education classes for children ages 2.9 to 5, from September through June, and a summer camp in July and August. Our special education classes are funded by the New York State Education Department and are free for qualifying children, including children with speech and motor delays, Down syndrome and autism spectrum disorder. SEIT services, speech, occupational therapy, physical therapy and counseling are provided as needed, and our director, teachers and therapists meet weekly to review each child's progress. Our staff includes master's level certified teachers, ASHA-certified speech-language pathologists, a licensed psychologist and licensed occupational and physical therapists. Children learn through hands-on, multisensory centers for art, dramatic play, library, blocks and sensory play. They play outdoors every day in our large yard with a jungle gym, playhouse, tricycles and a basketball hoop, and parents can observe their children at any time under our open door policy.

Concord High School is a small public transfer high school on Staten Island for students who have not thrived in a traditional high school. Students enroll at 16 or older with at least 10 credits, seven of them in core subjects, and they leave with the same diploma. Through the PROSE program we rebuilt our schedule: students pick their own start and end times and can earn up to 13 credits a term, or 26 a year, on a four-and-a-half-day week with Friday college and career classes. Our classes are small, and teachers give individualized instruction and academic support. We also run on-site Pathways to Graduation classes that prepare students for the GED exam. For life after graduation, we partner with Kingsborough Community College on the FutureReadyNYC Education Pathway for students interested in teaching and paraprofessional work. Students can take AP and dual enrollment courses, join Co-op Tech programs in carpentry, graphic design, natural hair styling and culinary arts, and qualify for paid internships that lead to industry credentials. Every student gets help with college planning and applications.