8-year-old has ‘long road ahead’

Lawrence School Dstrict raises funds to help Inwood boy hit by car

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However long the recovery time is for Inwood resident and Number Five School student Jeffrey Contreras, the Lawrence School District community, which began a “gofundme” online site to raise money to help Jeffrey’s family, will continue to monitor his progress, especially with his schoolwork.
The 8-year-old was hit by a car as he crossed the Nassau Expressway with his sister, Gizel, 13, on June 27. Both of his legs were broken, and his clavicle was displaced. He underwent surgeries on his legs and to reduce swelling on his brain. Gizel was not injured.
Jeffrey was transferred last week from Cohen Children’s Medical Center, in New Hyde Park, to Mt. Pleasant-Blythedale Children’s Hospital, in Valhalla, in Westchester County.
“Jeffrey is no longer sedated, and while considered awake, he has a long road ahead,” said Robin Cutler, a former Lawrence district social worker who, along with several Lawrence faculty members, has spearheaded the assistance being provided to the Contreras family. “He needs quiet and time for his brain to heal.”
When he is able, the third-grader-to-be will attend the Mt. Pleasant-Blythedale School that is housed in the pediatric specialty hospital, a facility in which 86 children are enrolled. The school has been certified since the mid-1970s, according to spokeswoman Lena Cavanna, and onsite tutoring was conducted prior to that.

Divided by age and grade, the school follows the mandated New York state educational curriculum, which now includes the Common Core Learning Standards, Cavanna said. All of the teachers are certified in special education, she added, and the school, overseen by Principal Emily Hersh, who has a doctorate in education, consults with each student’s home district on his or her individual educational needs. The school also administers all required state exams.
“Parents are excited that their children will not miss out on their education,” Cavanna said. “The school normalizes their routines and gives them normalcy during rehab.”
The children receive a mix of therapy, medical care, education and recreation at the hospital. School-aged children who are physically able attend the school from 9:15 to 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 to 3:15 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Number Five School Principal Rina Beach said that Jeffrey’s math, ELA, social studies and science schoolwork will be turned over to the hospital school by Number Five School third-grade teacher Kathleen McDonough and Lawrence social worker Margaret Brickman. The district will provide workbooks, online resources and independent reading materials based on Jeffrey’s reading level.
Beach said that a conference call is scheduled for Aug. 11, when her staff and the hospital school will discuss the his educational plan. “I’m not aware of how the school monitors progress at this time, but I’m sure I’ll know much more after our phone conference,” she said. “We’ll take our direction from the support personnel and the teacher assigned at the school.”
Depending on how his recovery progresses, Jeffrey may be exempt from state tests this school year, said Beach, who is dealing with this kind of situation for the first time in her 16-year educational career. “Jeffrey has many obstacles to overcome,” she said. “As a team, Lawrence will do everything possible to help him climb those mountains.”
As of Tuesday, when the Herald went to press, 163 people had donated $8,076 through the website www.gofundme.com/HelpJeffrey.