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.
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!
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.
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.
Plainview Preschool Graduation
At the end of June 2024, amidst music and decorations, 100 students from ACDS’s Plainview Preschool proudly graduated in front of their families.
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.
NB Alternatives Volunteer Day
On May 10, employees from NB Alternatives spent their morning doing art projects with the children at ACDS’s Plainview Preschool. Enthusiasm, patience and creativity effused from them, and the feel-good vibes rubbed off on everyone. Barry Giarraputo, Treasurer of ACDS’s Board of Directors, is CFO at NB Alternatives and developed this continued partnership with which ACDS is fortunate to have.
Michael Smith’s 20th Anniversary Celebration
On April 5, 2004, ACDS was privileged to have Michael join the agency as Executive Director, and now CEO. During the past twenty years, Michael has helped ACDS grow from a struggling agency to one of the foremost experts on Down syndrome, also having expanded to meet the needs of children and adults with a diversity of developmental and learning challenges. He grew ACDS from employing 155 staff to 900 employees, and from a budget of just a few million to more than $47 million. Michael follows his own philosophy that if there are people who need a service and it’s consistent with ACDS’s mission and we know how to do it, we do it. Over the past 20 years, Michael changed from ‘hands on’ to visionary and everything flourished – the scale, geographic reach, and scope of ACDS’s programs. From new housing opportunities through ISH grants to a new summer adventure respite camp, from expanding into Westchester to seeing the future of OPW being fiscal intermediary services, and everything in between. On April 4, 2024, Michael Smith celebrated 20 years of service and received a leaf on ACDS’s Tree of Life. Congratulations, Michael, and thank you, from ACDS!
World Down Syndrome Awareness Day
We enjoyed a series of World Down Syndrome Day celebrations. At our early childhood center in Plainview families were treated to an extremely adorable parade. We were delighted to have two honorees receive our distinguished graduate award: Craig Ludin, who runs the mail room at BankUnited, and Connie Katsoulis, an incredible TA in Miss Pam’s room. Connie graduated from ACDS in 1979 and Craig in 1981. We were so excited to recognize these wonderful individuals for the contributions they have made to their communities. We are deeply grateful to BankUnited for sponsoring the day, including socks for all of our kiddos, a fun craft and a delicious lunch for our hard-working staff.