North High School students in the Community-Based Work Experience Program said “thank you” at a reception to the many community programs and businesses where they have interned during the year, gaining valuable work experience.
Programs and businesses where the students interned include: Coffeed; CVS Pharmacy; Gold Coast Arts Center; Great Neck Park District; and Great Neck Public Schools Community Education Program, Human Resources Department and Registration Office; Kids First; Northwell Health (North Shore University Hospital); Party City; Petco; Rite Aid Pharmacy; St. Aloysius Roman Catholic Church; Station Realty of Douglaston; TGI Friday’s; and Toys ‘R’ Us.
Erica Samedy, school district transition coordinator, explained that the Community-Based Work Experience Program is part of North High’s Academic Career Education and Transition Program. Samedy said, “The Work Experience Program provides supervised school-based and community-based work experiences, along with related instruction in functional life skills and academics. The program has relationships with many local businesses that help prepare students for eventual competitive or supported employment.”
Staff associated with the Work Experience Program include special education teachers Michael Lewis and Jaime Reyna, and teaching assistants Ecem (Denise) Cabas, Mary Campisi, Serena Cuttino, Susan Geringer, Michael Golden, Evan Grabelsky, Kevin Graham, Orly Mayourian, Lindsay Milleisen, Jean Passarette, Steven Steiner, Phillip Ulman and Cindy Zubli.