"Ossining Basics” Community Education Campaign Continues to Grow

The Ossining School District, local government officials and partner organizations have renewed their commitment to promoting the “Ossining Basics,” caregiving principles that help prepare the youngest children for school.

The district launched the Ossining Basics campaign nearly two years ago to teach parents and guardians basic strategies to stimulate language and cognitive development in children from birth to 3. The five principles are: maximize love and manage stress; talk, sing and point; count, group and compare; explore through movement and play; and read and discuss stories.

The campaign has grown as more partners have joined. They include the town and village governments, Open Door Family Medical Centers, the Ossining Public Library, Neighbor’s Link, Ossining Interfaith Council, Padres Hispanos, the Westchester Childcare Council, Theater O, Northwell Health/Phelps Hospital and County Legislator Catherine Borgia.

“Thanks to our collaboration with our partners, we have been successful in spreading these important principles throughout the community,” Superintendent Raymond Sanchez said. “The more partners we have, the more families we can reach, and our children will get the start in life that they deserve.”

Since 80 percent of brain development takes place in the first three years of life, it’s important to reach children at a very young age, according to the “Boston Basics” initiative. The Ossining Basics, which is modeled on the Boston campaign, is part of the district’s A.C.T.I.O.N. committee (Acting Conscientiously to Ignite Opportunity Now).

Community partners are promoting the Basics in many ways. The Police Department, for example, participates in school reading programs, helps distribute free books through the district’s “You’ve Been Booked” initiative, and stocks a book shelf in its lobby.

Children will pick up a book while they are at the department with their parents, and sometimes families will stop by just for a book, Chief Kevin Sylvester said.

“The rule is you can have as many books as you want as long as you promise to read them, and then when we see you next time, you have to tell us about the book,” he said, which follows the Basics principle of “read and discuss stories.”

This year, the department has two officers assigned to the school district. “We’re looking forward to collaborating with each of the schools in a unique way to find ways to promote the Basics and literacy programs,” the chief said.

Ossining Mayor Victoria Gearity said the village is committed to using and teaching the Basics principles. The Recreation Department plans to promote the principles in the programs it offers, and train staff and partners about the Basics.

“We have so much programming that’s already happening in recreation, but we’re not looking at it yet through the lens of the Ossining Basics and its principles,” the mayor said, adding that there is probably at least one principle that would fit with every program. “If the goal is saturating the message of the ‘Ossining Basics’ throughout the community, that’s one of the most direct ways that the village can help.”

Ossining Supervisor Dana Levenberg said the town is committed to promoting the Basics whenever possible. Public events like a recent free yoga class and dance party that were sponsored by the town are great opportunities to celebrate families and to emphasize the Basics, she said.

“That’s one of the greatest ways for parents to maximize love and minimize stress,” she said, referring to one of the Basics principles.

With local government, the school district, organizations and community members all pitching in, the collective impact will be powerful, the supervisor said. “We want to have the Basics be rolling off the tongue,” she said.

Ossining Basics pamphlets and information sheets about the basics are available in English and Spanish are available at schools, Open Door, the Police Department, town and village offices and elsewhere.

(Photo: Park School teachers Yajaira Ortiz and Dianna Langdon, the Ossining Basics facilitators, handed out information and answered questions about the Basics during an event for new families in late August.)