Dear Cooke Students, Families, and Friends,
Because our goals are so ambitious for each of our students, we begin with the end in mind. At the start of the 2026–2027 school year, I’d like to explore some of our “endings” with you in the following articles, as well as an exciting expansion.
You’ve heard me say many times that we want our students to have friends. Throughout their academic career at Cooke, we take intentional steps to help make that possible, creating spaces for students to connect, discover shared interests, build relationships, and become part of a community that extends beyond the classroom.
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The Cooke network of connections, both among classmates and with area partners, continues after graduation. Through these relationships, Cooke graduates encounter opportunities in the greater community. And because of their ventures into real-world settings with both off-site learning experiences and internships, they have developed the confidence to recognize, pursue, and make the most of those opportunities.
I am excited to announce that this school year, we are extending that network even further with an expanded Alumni Team, ready to serve our graduates and create fresh opportunities for connection, community, and growth. Led by our newly appointed Director of Alumni Services, Annie Mulhern, the team has big plans for more classes, more community partnerships, a broader array of events, and more services for our alumni. The team is envisioning pilot programming, innovative stakeholder alliances, and more.
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So, for those of you who have been sad to leave the “Cooke bubble,” let me tell you: graduation may be an ending, but it doesn’t have to mean leaving Cooke behind. We are creating programming and events to help you stay further connected with us and with each other.
And, of course, while we always keep the future in mind, the work begins right here, right now. For our returning students and those just beginning their Cooke journey, I look forward to sharing all that this new school year will bring for you: new discoveries, new friendships, new challenges, and plenty of opportunities to grow.
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Dr. Francis Tabone
Head of School
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Now Is the Time to Enroll!
EARLY BIRD PRICING
ENDS TOMORROW!
Cooke Institute presents
Executive Function Professional Learning Series
Mondays: October 19, November 2,
November 16 & November 30
4:00–5:15 p.m. over Zoom
Instructors: Andi Sachs, M.S., OTR/L, EFC, and Mary Clancy, EdD
$249 for All Four Sessions
Early Bird: $220 by September 18
Eligible for 5 CTLE hours
Build your Executive Function toolkit with experts who bring both classroom experience and academic credentials to the conversation. Explore practical, evidence-based strategies you can use right now, while connecting with colleagues and peers who are navigating many of the same challenges in today’s classrooms.
We make it easy for professional educators to begin the school year with new strategies, a fresh perspective, and the expertise to inspire students’ progress.
Click here for more information and to register online.
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New Alumni Team (L to R): Lead Instructor Melissa Chan, OTR/L, Director of Alumni Services Annie Mulhern, LMSW, and Lead Instructor Sonia Schmitt | |
Alumni Services Are Expanding
During Cooke Summer Academy’s third or fourth visit to Brooklyn Zoo Parkour Gym, a longtime coach shared that the accommodations the gym staff had developed for Cooke students that summer would now be incorporated into every birthday party hosted at the facility. The gym’s stated goal “is for everyone to have a good time and improve.” Providing options for Cooke students to navigate up and down the gym’s tallest and most challenging tower had prompted the staff to rethink what accessibility could look like for everyone.
In their vision for an expanded Cooke Alumni program, the new Cooke Alumni Team is taking that concept a step further: ambitiously creating opportunities not only for alumni to venture into the wider community, but for the community to become a more welcoming and accessible place for them. Cooke families approaching graduation often express apprehension about leaving the protective Cooke bubble.
“Rather than an extension of the bubble, we view the Alumni program as a springboard to the world,” says Instructor Melissa Chan, OTR/L. "We’re fostering our participants’ deeper engagement with the community, and at the same time, we’re preparing our community for our participants.”
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For example, one Alumni class will meet at Union Square to play board games and enjoy social interactions with other attendees at Hex & Co., one of a “network of board game cafes... dedicated to providing a fun, safe, and inclusive environment for our respective communities to enjoy.”
“We are working with management and staff of Hex & Co. so that they can get to know our alumni during our visits,” says new Director of Alumni Services Annie Mulhern, LMSW. “We hope our alums will feel comfortable and motivated to return to this venue on their own. We also envision cafe personnel feeling comfortable and happy to see alumni walk in the door and perhaps, be open to making accommodations if necessary.”
The alumni program currently serves over 300 members, a number that grows with each graduating class.
“Our alums have the rest of their lives ahead of them after graduation,” says Ms. Mulhern. “We want every day with us to be a big day.”
This fall, the Alumni program has doubled its class offerings, which are also open to members of the greater community. In addition to continuing to build on their skills and knowledge in cooking, health, and relationships, as well as in vocational, art, and photography, alumni have opportunities to extend their network beyond their former classmates.
“They get to meet people who might share the same interests that they don’t see all the time,” says Ms. Mulhern.
Along with expanding their class offerings, the staff is building new partnerships and rethinking some of the alumni experiences and events, with an eye toward helping alumni connect more deeply with the world around them and with each other.
Stay tuned! A lot will be happening!
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Reading with Cooke!
Hosted by the Cooke Tiger
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At Cooke, we have a monthly themed library, Reading With Cooke, based on the United States' Heritage Months. Students engage with books in and out of school, and participate in differentiated, school-wide activities to foster community. This year, we are so excited to share that one very special community member, the Cooke Tiger, will be hosting the Reading with Cooke read-alouds. We hope this increases engagement with our virtual library, asking the question "What is Cooke Tiger Reading?!"
Reading with Cooke provides opportunities to learn about each other's culture, heritage, and identities. We honor the impact identities have on our school, city, and country communities, and we celebrate our individual and collective identities. In addition to Reading With Cooke, there will be other opportunities for staff, students, and families to engage with Cooke's Heritage Months. We can't wait to see what Cooke Tiger is reading!
| | The Reading with Cooke virtual library for Cooke families is updated monthly. Click here to visit! | | |
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The annual Coin Campaign, our first Cooke-wide event of the year, is coming! From October 5-9, all students/families across our K-12 and Transitions campuses will be collecting change in support of Cooke.*
The pennies, nickels, dimes and quarters that students bring in will kick off our Annual Giving Campaign while giving students a hands-on lesson in kindness, giving and philanthropy. Let’s show up for our community in a big way!
*Our goal is 100% family participation, signaling to Cooke supporters (e.g., foundations, corporations) that we are all on board in support of our amazing programs, including free afterschool and school lunch.
P.S. Coins are accepted from October 5-9!
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A Tuesday with Zak:
Kindness, Baseball, and the Power of Support
In July, Cooke Transitions alumnus Zakary Bassel, a member of the Class of 2026, was honored as Spring ACT’s Person of the Month. Zak served as an intern with Spring ACT during his final year at Transitions. Spring ACT is a registered Swiss charity dedicated to “connect[ing] human rights and technologies to empower individuals to take action and help eliminate global social injustices.”
Here is an excerpt of the accompanying article written by Mustapha Lawal of Lagos, Nigeria. The full article may be viewed on Spring ACT's website, linked here.
In the fast-paced world of tech and advocacy, it is easy to get lost in data and deadlines. But every Tuesday in New York City, Zakary Bassel, known to us as Zak, reminds the Spring ACT team of the most important metric of all: human kindness.
Zak is a volunteer intern through the Cooke School in NYC, a programme dedicated to helping young people with special needs find their place in the professional world. While his tasks support our global operations, his true impact is found in his outlook on life.
When asked how he sees himself, Zak shares a description we could all strive for. Zak doesn’t list job titles or skills first; he simply says: “I would describe myself as kind, responsible, and always willing to help others.”
For Zak, work isn’t just a schedule; it’s a calling. He doesn’t see the work as just “tasks,” but as a tangible way to improve the community. “My favorite part is helping others and feeling like I’m making a difference,” Zak explains.
He approaches every project with a deep sense of pride, not for the individual glory, but for the success of the group. “I feel proud of the work I do to support others and be part of the team,” he says.
One of the most beautiful aspects of Zak’s story is his recognition of the support system that allows him to shine. He is quick to share the credit for his hard work. “I get a lot of help from my community inclusion assistant,” Zak notes, “and I’m really thankful because she really helps me do my best.”
Behind Zak’s seamless integration into the Spring ACT workforce is a brilliant model pioneered by the Cooke School & Institute, which provides comprehensive special education alongside [training] to prepare young neurodivergent adults (ages 18–22) for independent career paths.
| | Zak poses for a photo with his mentor/teacher Devin Power at Transitions' graduation ceremony held at NYU. | | | | |
