As Classrooms Go Dark, Birch Education Staff Keep the Spotlight on Students and Families

Nothing brings home the way the Covid-19 pandemic has upended the way New Yorkers live their lives more strongly than the image of classrooms going dark across the city. While it can be challenging for anyone to adjust to sudden changes in their routines, it can be especially hard on young students, particularly those with autism and other developmental disabilities. No one knows this more than someone who has worked in a school. 

So it’s no wonder that within hours of the Mayor’s order to close the schools, Birch Family Services Education staff were already pulling together resources to support families at home and drawing up virtual learning plans for our preschool and school-age students to get back to “normal” as quickly as possible. Today, thanks to the super human efforts of Birch teachers, teaching assistants, and related services staff, students can still look forward to seeing and hearing their teachers each morning from the safety of their computer screens,  and families can feel supported as they adapt to the “new normal” at home. 

“You have worked tirelessly to make this difficult time as seamless as possible, minimizing the disruption to our students by going the extra mile. Our students and their families are grateful for you, and I am proud of how you have handled this as a Birch Family Services team. I know that our students are receiving the best support possible, thanks to you,” Espa Sergiou, Director of Education. 

 “In the best of times, teaching children to learn, manage their emotions, problem solve, and persist in the face of challenges is vitally important and extraordinarily difficult. Thank you for your commitment to ensuring our students are successful and our families feel connected even in these most unprecedented circumstances,” Matt Sturiale, President & CEO, Birch Family Services.