Special Education Teacher-Mrs. Patricia A. Greico

Bishop Dunn Memorial School is a small private school located on the campus of Mount Saint Mary's College in Newburgh, New York.  The school has students in grades pre-kindergarten through eighth grade.  There is a special education program for students in grades 6-8 that provides a structured positive learning environment to meet the students' individual needs.

The special education program at Bishop Dunn is a program for children with learning needs. The students in the program have been identified by their districts as needing special education services and each student has an IEP.  Related services are provided at Bishop Dunn with district approval.

The program at Bishop Dunn provides small group instruction in the core academic subjects of English, language arts and mathematics. The students are provided individual attention in the areas of need as well as instruction in grade level material that corresponds with the state mandates.  Focus is on reading and writing across the curriculum.  The students are provided support and encouragement to improve their skills and gain the independence and confidence that will be needed in the future.

The students are included with their grade group peers for the content area classes of social studies, science and religion.  The teacher or teacher assistant attends classses for note taking and general assistance to the content area teacher.  The students in the special education program attend all special classes and activities with their grade group peers per the daily schedule.

Mrs. Patricia Greico is the special education teacher for grades 6-8.  She is certified by New York State in special and elementary education.  In addition, she is certified to teach the blind and visually impaired.  Mrs. Greico attended a sixty hour training course in Orton Gillingham, which is a multi-sensory approach to reading.  

 Grade 6:  Reading: Owl in the Shower by Jean Craighead George.  Students will understand the cause and effect of a parent's loss of a job as well as the impact of various policies on the environment.  Math:  Continued stress on the basic math facts and ability to solve various equations and expressions across the 4 operations without a calculator.

Grade 7:  Reading:  The Watson's Go to Birmingham-1963 by Chrstiopher Paul Curtis.  The students will have a better understanding of the events related to the Civil Rights Movement and its impact on the Curtis family and on the country.  Math:Review of integers, solving equations involving positive and negative numbers; solving and graphing equalities and inequalities

Grade 8: Reading: We have finally finished Devil's Arithmetic by Jane Yolan and will begin reading StarGirl by Jerry Spinelli.  StarGirl  addresses the issue of individuality and peer pressure that students face in high school as well as understanding the consequences of choices made.  Math:  Work continues on preparing for the 8th grade math test with emphasis on problem solving.  The current focus will be on solving and graphing linear equations and identifying the slope and the intercepts for x and y.

Grade 8 Singer-Song Writer:Please check with Ms. Killelea to arrange for your date to complete your singer-song writer project.  This is required of all 8th grade students and is part of your 4th quarter grade for English.

Science Fair:  The BDM science fair is required of all students in grades 6-8.  It is a major part of your 4th quarter grade for science.  The date is not set as yet but will be in April.  Begin to work on your project now.

     *****Boxes of tissues are always appreciated.*****