_______ Lynbrook/east rockaway ______
HERALD Also serving Bay Park
Baby celebrates first holiday
Coach retires after 50 years
Kids send letters to veterans
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Vol. 31 No. 14
MARCH 28 - APRIl 3, 2024
$1.00
O’Hagan created a culture of empathy By BEN FIEBERT bfiebert@liherald.com
Courtesy East Rockaway School District
The varsity and junior varsity girls’ basketball teams from East Rockaway Jr./Sr. High School and Rockville Centre’s South Side High with toys that were donated to the Cancer Center for Kids at NYU Winthrop Hospital, and refilled the center’s toy room.
The NYU Langone Cancer Center for Kids toy room is stocked for the rest of the year with the help of Brianna O’Hagan and athletes at the East Rockaway School District. The toy room is located in the heart of the cancer treatment facility. Throughout the year, the room is used as an incentive and encouragement for the kids to power through their treatment. Whether it’s their birthday, a holiday, or any other occasion, the young patients h ave t h e o p p o r t u n i t y t o s i f t t h ro u g h a b ox o f t oy s, a f t e r exhausting and intensive treatCoNTiNUEd oN pagE 4
‘Communication boards’ ease young, needy students’ interaction By BEN FIEBERT bfiebert@liherald.com
Expressing emotions may come naturally for some children, but others may struggle to convey their feelings. This is why a group of Lynbrook parents made it their mission to enhance communication skills among kids. With one simple board, students, especially those in special education, can now interact with their peers, family, and friends in ways that they couldn’t before. Dubbed Communication Boards, they were officially implemented in the Lynbrook community last Friday at a ribbon-cutting ceremo-
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e’s able to say ‘I have to go to the bathroom’ or he’s able to tell other children what he wants to do, which is really important. lAuRA MAClEIsH SEPTA board member ny. The Special Education PTA was behind the creation of the boards, which contain words and drawings like bathroom, walk, hot, cold, hungry, and
more to make communication more seamless among students. SEPTA board member Laura Macleish explained how her son is very limited verbally, so the Lynbrook School District provided him with an iPad to help him communicate better. On the iPad, there were 10 pages of various pictures, words, and other symbols that made it easier for him to demonstrate how he is feeling and what his needs are. Although this method helped Macleish’s son, she noted that it is hard for him to carry the iPad around with him on the playground. “So that’s where these communication boards for him specifically come into such an
impor tant role,” Macleish explained. “Because he’s able to say ‘I have to go to the bathroom’ or he’s able to tell other children what he wants to do, which is really important.” Macleish noted that there are several groups of students that might find the board useful. She said that emotionally delayed students can use the boards for backup communica-
tion or younger students that are still learning their words can benefit from these boards. “I have a friend who is a nanny and she was so excited to use the board because she can point out ‘this is a slide’ to a baby,” Macleish said. Macleish said that she and SEPTA President Abby Manasakis had a five-year plan, CoNTiNUEd oN pagE xx