Board of Trustees

The Board of Trustees, as the policy-making body, promotes the welfare of the school, especially in the areas of finance, fund raising, and public relations. The Board is composed of parents, former parents, and selected members of the community. The Board meets monthly, except for July and August, during the third week of the month, at the school. For the 2011-2012 school year, the members of the Board of Trustees are as follows: Chairperson Ellen Forrest, Vice-Chair David Dickman, John Loester and Richard Russo.

Ellen Forrest, Board Chairperson

Ellen Forrest began her Vincent Smith School experience as a mother who was happy to have found a caring and appropriate school for her child. Eleven years later she is the driving force behind the Board of Trustees and its mission to improve all aspects of the outstanding education provided to VSS students.

As a member of the Board, Mrs. Forrest was given the opportunity to show her gratitude to VSS and to affect change for all students, not just her own child.

Mrs. Forrest is an attorney by trade and a philanthropist by heart. She volunteers her time to many charitable organizations that relate to people with learning disabilities and autism spectrum disorders – AHA, UJA, FFIL.  She spends a great deal of time promoting the school because she knows the difference it made in her son’s life. “Vincent Smith School enabled my child to get a great education in a small supportive atmosphere,” she said. “It provided him with the academic preparation he needed for college.”

During the course of her tenure on the Board, the school has increased program offerings; used its resources more effectively; and also attracted quality administrators and teaching staff who have been nationally recognized in their respective fields.  VSS students are being exposed to best practices in all subject areas with an emphasis on reading, socialization skills and self-advocacy.

“As a parent of a former student, I know the work that this school does with students and for families,” said Mrs. Forrest. “As a member of the Board, I want to ensure that increasing numbers of children attend VSS and experience the same levels of compassion and commitment that my child did while here. He discovered that it was okay to learn differently. VSS had a profound impact on his life.”

David Dickman, Vice-Chairman

David Dickman has been a member of the Vincent Smith School Board of Trustees for more than a decade. He is currently serving as the Vice Chairman. “I was recruited by Board Chairperson Ellen Forrest, with whom I had a shared vision for the school,” said Mr. Dickman. “That vision has enabled us to increase programming and improve the curriculum.”

Mr. Dickman brings a wealth of financial experience to his role on the Board. Prior to retiring in 2007 to devote more time to his son, he worked for Goldman Sachs & Company on Wall Street for 40 years as a Senior Vice-President on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. Some of the deals Mr. Dickman worked on were the British Petroleum IPO, the AT&T American Wireless IPO, DreamWorks IPO, Las Vegas Sands IPO, just to name a few of the several hundred.

Mr. Dickman was drawn to the Board by Chairperson Forrest, but has stayed for a chance to make a difference, and out of appreciation for what the school has meant to the development of his son. Mr. Dickman’s son is a 2007 VSS graduate who went on to the Thames Program at Mitchell College.

“I believe it was the help of faculty and staff at the Vincent Smith School that helped prepare my son for his college education,” said Mr. Dickman. “The teachers at Vincent Smith went above and beyond what was required of them to teach my son, as well as his fellow students. It’s their dedication to teaching and the school that will make a successful experience for every child that attends here.”

Mr. Dickman envisions a VSS future that includes the expansion of our current programs and new facilities that will enable each and every child that attends the Vincent Smith School to have a successful education.

John Loester

John Loester has been actively involved at Vincent Smith School since his daughter began attending as a fifth grader several years ago. Mr. Loester’s commitment to the school led its trustees to ask him to join the Board last year.

Despite the professional demands that come along with being a busy ABC Television executive, Mr. Loester always finds the time to volunteer at the school’s events. He and his wife Pat, who served as PTA President, are never far away when the school is in need of a helping hand.  Whether it’s an Open House, the Thanksgiving Feast, or the annual Scholarship Brunch, they lend their time, talent and monetary support to each event.
Mr. Loester shares the Board’s vision to increase enrollment in an effort to allow more Long Island and Queens’ students with special needs to experience a supportive atmosphere that applauds a child’s ability to learn differently.

“Learning is the key component,” said Mr. Loester. “It is an educator’s job to ensure that learning happens for every child.  Teachers at Vincent Smith are focused on supplying each child with what they need individually to be successful. That is what contributes to VSS being such a special place.”

Richard Russo

Rich Russo and his wife Laura made several visits to the Vincent Smith School before realizing that the traditional education system was no longer viable for their daughter, and enrolled her into the school. Since then, their daughter Victoria has been showing, realizing, and feeling her true potential.

A major goal of Mr. Russo is to help others see the benefits of making alternative and specialized teaching and learning methods work for their child, as it has helped his. His plan is to increase financial security and enrollment, by increasing the awareness and prominence of the school, and its benefits to others.

Rich has been working at Northrop Grumman Corporation for over 25 years, currently as a manager in Product Support Systems Engineering. His community service includes participating in the Board of Directors of his local Little League, as well as being a member of the VSS PTA. He extends his hand to the school by organizing an annual VSS family outing, helping with events, and participating and discussing the benefits of school on Admissions Open House days.

“The Vincent Smith School is a place where the administration, staff, and faculty extract the student’s capacity by patiently providing the careful individualized attention they need. VSS goes far beyond academics; the children become enhanced with confidence, self-advocacy, and awareness as a result of being and discovering in this environment.”

Administration

The administrators for the 2011-2012 school year are as follows: Arlene Wishnew, Head of School; Christine Cralidis, Principal; Lisa Oosterom, Controller; Grace Avigliano, Director of Special Education; Dr. Marion Rosenbaum, Staff Psychologist and Debra Galinsky, Director of Development.

Arlene Wishnew

Head of School

After 30 years, Arlene Wishnew approaches each day at Vincent Smith School with the same enthusiasm she did when she drove on campus for the first time. Mrs. Wishnew joined the VSS staff as a lower school classroom teacher before accepting multiple responsibilities as a remedial reading teacher and high school English/math teacher. She later moved up the ranks to principal before assuming the responsibility of Head of School.

I am extremely proud of our ability to provide a place for children that allows them to feel safe, nurtured and motivated to succeed. Many of our children were not exposed to such an environment prior to coming to Vincent Smith School. While more than 83% of our students go on to college and others on to post high school vocational programs, I believe that number would be much lower for our children had they remained in a traditional setting. The level of support we provide to our students is incomparable. It is borne out of the fact that each of us is genuinely concerned about the welfare of our students. I have always believed that only if my students succeed, can I myself be successful.

Mrs. Wishnew is an active member of the educational community and several professional organizations, which include, but are not limited to, the Council for Exceptional Children, the Nassau Counselors Association, the Long Island Association of Special Education Administrators, the National Center for Learning Disabilities, CHADD, the International Dyslexic Association, and the Clamdiggers (Heads of School on Long Island). Mrs. Wishnew received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from CW Post College.

One might wonder what there is left for Mrs. Wishnew to accomplish. But after 30 years, she has no plans of riding off into the sunset. “This school has done great things, but there is still work to be completed. In the coming year, I want to refine the curriculum and further incorporate technology into the learning environment.”

Christine Cralidis

Principal

Mrs. Christine Cralidis comes to Vincent Smith School with 26 years of diversified administrative and teaching experience and enthusiasm in parochial, nonprofit, and public schools. As the former Principal, Reading Specialist, and English Chairperson of the Education and Assistance Corporations, Nassau Learning Center, located in Port Washington, New York, her  career objectives were to provide individualized academic instruction for at-risk alternative students with social, emotional, and learning disabilities while ensuring a safe and structured learning environment for students, staff, and family. Mrs. Cralidis comes to the School equipped with a thorough background in curriculum development, Child Study Teams, staff training, and peer mediation programs congruent with New York State Standards for alternative education and special education settings.  Her love of education and student involvement has inspired the development of Student Council and Environmental Awareness Groups, a Literary Magazine and numerous Fund Raisers.  Mrs. Cralidis has experience working with families and staff in conducting CSE and annual reviews. Mrs. Cralidis holds a BA in English from Pace University, an MS in Education from Fordham University and an advanced certification in School Administration from Brooklyn College.

Grace Avigliano

Director of Special Education

Grace Avigliano began her career at Vincent Smith School as a dedicated lower school teacher.  Six years later, she now has become our Director of Special Education.  Throughout her tenure at Vincent Smith School, Mrs. Avigliano has authored numerous differentiated multisensory curriculums, has co-created Vincent Smith School’s Self-Advocacy and Mentoring Program, was a founding member of our School Wide Positive Behavior Intervention Support Committee, and developed the Social Opportunities and Academic Remediation Summer Program.  Mrs. Avigliano is a member of the Council for Exceptional Children and the Long Island Social Emotional Literacy Forum. She has provided her colleagues with various staff development lectures and written articles regarding social emotional development in children.  Mrs. Avigliano holds a MS.Ed in special education from Long Island University and is a permanently certified special education teacher.  She currently serves on the board of directors for the Southeast Nassau Guidance Center and is a Friend of the Seaford Public Library. 

Lisa Oosterom

Controller

Prior to coming to Vincent Smith School in 2011 Mrs. Oosterom has held positions of Controller with the Nassau County Museum of Art and the West Hills Montessori School. At her last position as Director of Finance & Operations with the non-profit organization, Parents for Megan's Law & The Crime Victims Center, she was responsible for overseeing the finance and accounting systems, purchasing, payroll, budgeting, annual audits and receivables and payables. Mrs. Oosterom holds a BS in Business Arts Management from SUNY Old Westbury and a certification from NYU in Arts/Non Profit Administration. Some of her responsibilities at VSS include financial reporting, budgeting, purchasing, payroll and receivables and payables.

Dr. Marion Rosenbaum

Staff Psychologist

Marion Rosenbaum has worked at the Vincent Smith School since 2010.  She has a B.A. in English from the University of Pennsylvania and a Ph.D. in Psychology from the University of Tennessee. She came to Vincent Smith after several years of private practice work in Port Washington.  Prior to establishing her private practice, Dr. Rosenbaum had extensive experience in both clinic and hospital settings.  She has worked with children, adolescents, adults and families in a variety of locations including Ann Arbor, MI and Knoxville, TN.  Since 1998 she has worked in the metropolitan New York area in Queens and Nassau counties.  In addition to her work at the Vincent Smith School, Dr. Rosenbaum maintains her private practice in Port Washington.    

Debra Galinsky

Director of Development

Debra Galinsky has been in the Development and Fundraising arena since 1998. She has held the position of Development Director with other non-for-profit organizations on Long Island and has specialized in coordinating and implementing multi-million dollar Capital Campaigns. Mrs. Galinsky holds a degree in Accounting and has an Advanced Certification from the Association of Fundraising Professionals, an international organization of professionals specializing in development and fundraising. At Vincent Smith School her responsibilities include database management, fundraising, special events, publications, website maintenance and alumni relations.

Faculty

Vincent Smith School is staffed by close to 20 New York State certified teachers who are highly trained, qualified, and dedicated to the philosophy of the school.