Schoolhouse News Article

2015 Tourette Association-NYHV Chapter Youth Ambassador Activities

January  16, 2015 Eagle Hill School, Greenwich, Connecticut –  Matthew Eskenazi assisted by Nick Szymanski at Eagle Hill School (125 students, 25 adult staff).  The feedback was very positive.  Matt presented and Nicky assisted with the Pledge of Allegiance activity (as the teacher giving out homework) and he also answered a few questions at the end of the presentation.  After the presentation Matt said there were two students in the audience who indicated to everyone that that they too have TS.  He also received two letters from classes thanking him for the presentation and congratulating him on a job well done and the headmaster of the school shared he did an amazing job and was so poised and that the respect the students have always had for him increased exponentially! It was an amazing day as he entered his classes and his classmates were all so complimentary.

March 20, 2015 – YA Matthew Sheeley gave a presentation to 150 staff members of the Carmel, NY school system.

Spring 2015 – YA Camerin Figueroa received the Tourette Awareness Month Proclamation  from the Orange County Legislature, an event that was televised on local news cable station.  Camerin received an award from the Mental Health Association  of Orange County for his volunteer efforts including Tourette awareness and outreach.  Camerin also participated in and raised funds for the National Tourette Awareness Walk in  Flushing Meadow Park on May 31,2015.  Camerin and his mom Jocelyn joined forces with along with Megan Ouderkirk spread awareness at the Rockland County Youthfest on March 15, 2015.  Through these events Camerin reached hundreds of people.

April 14, 2015 – YA Julia Gottlieb and her mother Wendy Gottlieb did a joint presentation for the Pupil Services Parent Seminar at the George Fischer Middle School in Carmel New York to an audience of parents and educators, with Julia giving the YA presentation and Wendy giving the in-service presentation on co-morbid disorders.  Julia was joined by YAS Matthew Eskenazi, Olivia Roman and Gabriella Roman for the Q&A. (40 adults attended).

April 26, 2015 – YAS Julia Gottlieb, Nick Szymanski and Olivia Roman attended the Buddy Bowling Party at Grand Prix, Mt. Kisco, NY and spoke about their experiences as Youth Ambassadors.

April 23, 2015-  YA Kaylee Chin and her family attended the NYHV Chapter’s Dine for Tourette fundraiser at Sam’s Italian Restaurant, Dobbs Ferry, NY.

May 15 , 2015 –  Mamaroneck Avenue Elementary School, White Plains, NY Health Fair:  YAS Olivia Roman, Gabriella Roman, Matt Connolly, Nick Szymanski, Matt Eskenazi, Matt Sheeley gave presentations: Matt Sheeley and Matt Connolly presented to two classes; Matt Eskenazi and Nick Szymanski presented to one class; Kevin Fink and Olivia and Gabriella Roman presented to one class).  (22 students & 1 teacher per presentation, with a total of 5 presentations = 115 audience total). This has become an annual YA event.

May, 2015 – Yas Matt Eskenazi & Nick Szymanski – Eagle Hill School fundraiser, students who made donation were excused from adhering to dress code uniform for one day (raised $605)

June 2015, Quake Ridge Elementary School Scarsdale, NY –  YAS Olivia Roman and Jack Klion presented to the entire 5th grade (85 students, 5 teachers), YAS invited to present again in June 2016.

September  21, 2015, YA Kaylee Chin,  JLL Golf Classic, attended by 250 golfers and raised nearly $450,000.

October 18, 2015  – YAS Nicholas Szymanski, Julia Gottlieb, Matthew Eskenazi, Matthew Connolly, and Jack Klion  participated in a Chapter get-together of children and Youth Ambassadors for a trampoline and dinner event at Rock N Jump, Mt. Kisco, NY (45 total attendees including kids accompanied by parents).

October 28, 2015 – YA Jack Klion  participated in the post-production panel discussion  with a  full audience after a performance of “The Elephant in Every Room I Enter” at the La Mama Theater, NYC (sold out theater)

November 3, 2015 – YAS Olivia Roman and Gabriella Roman talked about their experiences as YAS and answered questions at the NYHV Chapter Education Program Evening to an intimate audience of parents and educators. (5 attendees)

November 6, 2015  Springhurst Elementary School, Dobbs Ferry, NY – YAS Matthew Sheeley and  Matthew Connolly presented to the entire 5th grade (students and staff  approximately 110).  This has become an annual scheduled YA event.

November 15, 2015-  NYHV Chapter Family Party,  Westchester Marriott, Tarrytown, NY Jack Klion, Kevin Fink, Matt Connelly, Julia Gottlieb, Olivia & Gabriella Roman, Matt Sheeley.   YA Jack Klion gave a speech about being a YA, and all of the YAS assisted with  the leading of “ice breaking” activities to involve all the kids who attended the event.  (79 attendees).

November 16, 2015 –  Tourette Association Gala, The Pierre, NYC  YAS Nicholas Szymanski, Julia Gottlieb, Matt Eskenazi, Matt Connolly, Jack Klion, Benjamin Tamarin participated via videotape at the Tourette Association Gala Fundraiser honoring the Zwilling Family.

December 2015 – YA Olivia Roman & Gabriella Roman, presented to the Camp Herrlich, Patterson, NY, afterschool program .  The presentation at Camp Herrlich was a success, with both girls doing a great job presenting and making sure they interacted with their audience. (18 middle-schoolers, 3 adults).

Hi everyone, I’m Jack Klion, I’m 16 years old and live in Edgemont. I became a Youth Ambassador in 2013, but it seems as if it was only yesterday. The trip to the training conference is only one of the many amazing experiences the Youth Ambassador program has given to me. Walking in to the conference I didn’t know what to expect, everything ws intimidating especially because I was one of the youngest ones there. Within the first 10 minutes I met Dylan who I can best describe to you as me. We both play hockey, like the same music, watch the same TV shows, like the same movies, but most of all both had Tourette. We, and everyone else at the conference had either never met another person with Tourette or haven’t met more than one person with Tourette. To be surrounded by over 100 was astonishing. By the end of the trip nobody wanted to leave. It was the greatest 4 days of my life. I saw a one man play last week called “The elephant in every room I enter”. Pretty fitting name for a show about TS, and actually spoke on a panel for a Q and A type thing afterword. Gardiner, the famous actor with Tourette, also went to the conference and I think he described the feeling of parting the best. He said, “I just wish I could put everyone here on a spaceship and live in outerspace with just them and nobody else and never have to worry about anything ever again.” So of course when I heard NASA was sending people to mars I immediately thought to put my name down, along with the other 100 people. But apparently you can only sign yourself up for that, and I also forgot about the minor issue of leaving everyone and everything around me, never to be seen again. So that idea was a no go, but it really does sum up how much everyone bonded at that conference and how amazing it was. I wouldn’t have ever guessed that presenting to students and faculty members would give me that exact feeling. If there’s one thing you should know about me, it’s that I love speaking in front of people. Big crowds, small crowds, in class, to my friends it doesn’t matter I love it. This gives me an outlet. I can be my super cool self and teach everyone about the wonders of Tourette Syndrome in my own way. To educate people about something so close to me, as I’m sure it’s the same for everyone in this room, is just amazing. A year ago I presented to kids at Springhurst Elementary and yesterday as I was getting ready to study for my ACT’s (which was not actually the case I was furthering my newfound hobby of magic but my parents don’t need to know that) I came across a giant yellow envelope. I mean one of those envelopes people get in the movies when some shady guy in sunglasses sits down at a park bench next to the protagonist and doesn’t say a word but just drops it in his lap, and walks away. Of course next thing you know the Opera House in the background blew up and the envelope has something in it concerning national security or something crazy the character shouldn’t have found out but I digress. And unfortunately no once I opened this envelope there wasn’t really intense theme music in the background or an explosion that triggered my CIA training I had undergone in event of a national crisis… but there were 10 heartwarming letters from Springhurst elementary’s 5^th graders thanking me for presenting and that they learned so much about Tourette and how I am, and this is in fact a direct quote “A great inspiration to the world” which I am honored someone believes, and how much they enjoyed it. To me that made my day, in fact my week and I had just aced my Math test. To me, the most important thing is being able to tell people about this annoying, interesting, amazing part of me that makes me and many of the people in this room so special. I knew at the conference in DC that we weren’t the unlucky 150 people in Washington. We were the luckiest. The Youth Ambassador program has allowed me to express that to kids across the country…if you take out an r in that word. But with the help of my fellow trainees at the conference we very well may advocate across the country. That’s my goal. To teach as many people as I possibly can about these wonderful sounds and movements that make me cooler than you. Through the Youth Ambassador program I’m able to do that, and that’s why it means so much to me. Thank you to Keith and Marc Tucci for helping kids like me be able to achieve our dreams.

Tourette Syndrome Awareness Month

                                   In Orange County

Whereas, Tourette syndrome is a neurological disorder that is characterized by involuntary, rapid sudden movement and/or vocalizations that occur repeatedly; and

Whereas, Tourette syndrome affects more than 200,000 Americans and millions more worldwide who exhibit some symptoms, but remain undiagnosed; and

Whereas, Tourette syndrome can affect individuals of all racial, ethnic or social backgrounds and occurs more often among males than females; and

Whereas, many individuals diagnosed with Tourette syndrome often feel isolated and unaccepted by society because of lack of understanding relating to hidden effects of the disorder such as Attention Deficit (Hyperactivity) Disorder, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, depression, mood disorder, learning disabilities, executive dysfunction disorder and sensory integration dysfunction; and

Whereas, through early diagnosis, early intervention and treatment, children and adults who have Tourette syndrome can and do live productive, meaningful lives in communities throughout Orange County, New York State, and worldwide: and

Whereas, it is vitally important that educational and community outreach relating to Tourette syndrome be supported and enhanced; and

Whereas, Mental Health Association in Orange County and New York Hudson Valley Chapter of the Tourette Syndrome Association seek to inform the community about Tourette syndrome and provision of services to individuals with the disorder; and

Whereas, Tourette syndrome Awareness Month provides an opportunity for advocates, families of children with Tourette syndrome and other caring individuals in the community to focus on the needs of people who have Tourette syndrome. It is fitting to increase public awareness among all residents of Orange County about this important matter.

Now, therefore, I, County Executive Steven M. Neuhaus, do hereby proclaim May 15 through June 15 2015 as

“Tourette Syndrome Awareness Month”

throughout Orange County, and I command this observance to all citizens.

HONORED DURING MAY FIFTEEN THROUGH JUNE FIFTEEN, TWO THOUSAND FORTEEN

 _________________________________

STEVEN M. NEUHAUS

Since boys with TS outnumber girls by 3 to 1, the TS Girls Group gives our chapter’s girls an opportunity to meet in an intimate setting with other girls in a comfortable environment where no explanation of TS is required. Girls who attend the activities have ranged in age from eight to sixteen. If your daughter wants to meet other girls or if you have an activity to suggest, please contact Wendy Gottlieb at wlgottlieb@optonline.net

November’s Annual Family party hosted about 75 chapter members and their children for a fun-filled afternoon at the Westchester Marriot Hotel. Festivities included dancing to music provided by DJ Billy Chin, (ChinFamily@optonline.net), including dance contests and prizes; a Chinese lantern art project led by Lora Congello-Geoghan (designsbyldcg@msn.com), manicures in teal-colored nail polish (the official color of TSA) by the talented Butler sisters,  and ice-breaker activities led by Joriel Sharpe and the chapter Youth Ambassadors. The kids brimmed with excitement as raffle prizes were claimed, and parents enjoyed networking and the delicious food.