Happy Holidays
On December 17, 2025, students had a day full of fun and festive activities as they celebrated the upcoming holidays. With a visit from Santa Claus and rides on the Polar Express, everyone had a magical day to get into the holiday spirit!
Halloween
On October 31, 2025, students, program participants and staff celebrated Halloween. From trick or treating to partying, to a pumpkin contest and parading, everyone enjoyed dressing up in their best thought-of costume and having a blast!
Family Fun Day
Under sunny skies, more than 500 children and their families gathered at ACDS’s Plainview Preschool for the annual Family Fun Day! They enjoyed games, food, prizes and entertainment throughout the afternoon.
Summer Music Instrument Festival
Among the wonderful activities that took place at the Plainview Preschool this past summer included a Music Instrument Festival, otherwise known as the Music Petting Zoo. Children had an opportunity to try out numerous instruments and see what amazing sounds they could make.
Summer Adventure
Summer Adventure 2025 was an incredible success. We had a fantastic week full of fun activities, smiling faces, and lots of laughs that created many new memories for our 100+ campers and staff – our largest group to date. Held on the beautiful Camp Chen A Wanda property, our one-week program gave campers the chance to enjoy a variety of recreational activities with their peers. It also promotes independence as they stay in bunks with friends and our amazing counselors.
Plainview Prom
With their fancy clothes and dancing shoes, students and staff alike had an absolute blast dancing the day away at Plainview’s Prom!
Buddy Bench Installation in Memory of Jill Silverstein
On Friday, September 13, we honored Jill Silverstein, a Teacher’s Assistant at ACDS who passed away on August 4, 2023. Jill was a tremendous part of ACDS and we all greatly miss her. She was all about inclusion, love and lots of fun. Therefore, it was fitting to honor her by dedicating a Buddy Bench in the large playground in her memory, in celebration of her birthday, September 14. The bench, painted yellow, Jill’s favorite color, is accompanied by Stepping Stones which include rocks painted by students and staff in Jill’s honor.
The 5+ Program at Pelham
The 5+ Program at Pelham is a Saturday, 8-week session that includes a variety of activities including art and gardening. The program helps the children gain appropriate socialization skills while developing friendships that are maintained throughout the year.
Kathy’s & Nivea’s Retirement
After 40 years of employment, physical therapist Kathy Dillon and occupational therapist Nivea McGee have retired from ACDS. In their honoree, they were each presented with a memorial leaf for ACDS’s Tree of Life to honor their incredible contributions. Both Kathy and Nivea have had a huge impact on our children. Their presence at ACDS will be greatly missed, but the memorial leaves will serve as lasting tributes to their dedication and passion.
Plainview Field Day
A very special thank you to Maria Pitonza, Danielle Travers and Kyle Colucci for making ACDS’ 2024 Field Day such a huge success. The major team effort included coordinating the schedule, preparing classroom t-shirts, setting up the field, running the activities and providing extra coverage to support and cheer on our students. Thanks to all, everyone had an extraordinary time.