EPIC Academy

Searching for an enriching after school experience for your child? Look no further than EPIC Academy’s Minecraft Camp, led by Head of School Katerina Watson and Licensed Master of Social Work Chelsea Watson!
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With a focus on social skills, academics, and creativity, the program fosters individual growth through embedded social-emotional support and coaching while expanding your child’s friendships and learning community. In addition to playing Minecraft, your child will explore independent and collaborative Minecraft-inspired writing, art, engineering, filmmaking and imaginary play! Located at EPIC’s campus in Gowanus, Brooklyn, we welcome all children ages 5-11, EPIC and non-EPIC alike. The program runs from 3 PM - 6 PM daily, with 5-day, 3-day, and 2-day packages available.
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Visit our website at https://my-epic.school/3zC3fTV to learn more about Minecraft Camp and how your child can attend free of cost using our referral program!



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Searching for an enriching after school experience for your child? Look no further than EPIC Academy’s Minecraft Camp, led by Head of School Katerina Watson and Licensed Master of Social Work Chelsea Watson!

With a focus on social skills, academics, and creativity, the program fosters individual growth through embedded social-emotional support and coaching while expanding your child’s friendships and learning community. In addition to playing Minecraft, your child will explore independent and collaborative Minecraft-inspired writing, art, engineering, filmmaking and imaginary play! Located at EPIC’s campus in Gowanus, Brooklyn, we welcome all children ages 5-11, EPIC and non-EPIC alike. The program runs from 3 PM - 6 PM daily, with 5-day, 3-day, and 2-day packages available.

Visit our website to learn more about Minecraft Camp and how your child can attend free of cost using our referral program!

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Our Head of School Katerina Watson wrote a new article published by Edutopia! We are ecstatic to be able to share some of EPIC’s core strategies for fostering independence in students with the wider educational community! You can find Katerina’s article published on the front page of Edutopia here.

What Have I Been Doing for My Students That They Could Do for Themselves? Letting young students make mistakes teaches them valuable lessons about taking ownership of the process of learning.

Meet Natalie Kocsis -- EPIC’s Art Teacher! Natalie is a skilled artist with more than 20 years of experience in the field and a strong background in various special education settings. She, and her art programming, are going to elevate our program tremendously and benefit our students by igniting their creativity and fostering their reflection skills.

Read on to learn more about Natalie.

Natalie loves to create and has been enamored with art and photography her entire life. She holds a BA dual degree in Fine Art and Creative Advertising, as well as a MA in Illustration — all from Syracuse University. Natalie toiled for 20+ years as an Art Director working on magazines such as Rolling Stone, Us Weekly, Parents, and more. A few years ago she did some volunteering with NY Cares in their afterschool arts program. Working with children was inspirational and the experience convinced her to shift paths and begin working towards her MS in General and Special Education. Natalie has spent time working with students in a 5th grade Math classroom, a 2nd grade ICT classroom, and remotely with students at the New Life School. She also spent the past year unofficially participating in a remote Kindergarten classroom alongside her 5-year-old. Natalie is incredibly excited to combine her two passions of art and education into one complete role as EPIC’s Art Teacher. Some “fun facts” about Natalie: Her first solo art show was at a NYC pizza parlor. She used to play roller derby under the alias, “The Deviant Unicorn” and is also an Advanced Open Water certified SCUBA diver who has quite literally swam with the sharks. Natalie’s ultimate dream is to someday buckle down to write, illustrate, and publish a children’s book.

Students exhibiting physical aggression, oppositional defiance, hyperfixation, meltdowns, and similar challenges thrive with our trauma-informed approach to therapeutic education and our rigorous, progressive academics. EPIC Academy is a K-5 school that opens up a world of possibilities for students with these unique needs and forever changes their life trajectories. If you're still searching for a school for your learner this fall, visit our website or email [email protected] for more information.

This Celebration Sunday, we are shouting out this incredible rising 5th grader! At EPIC’s annual award ceremony, this student received the Spreader of Kindness Award for his strong efforts in sharing kind words, helping and encouraging others, and being a positive community member and role model! We are so lucky to have this learner and his contagious smile in the EPIC community!

Today’s EPIC literary pick is “Fractions in Disguise: A Math Adventure” by Edward Einhorn! The story follows George Cornelius Factor (aka. GCK) as he seeks to track down a valuable missing fraction. Knowing that Dr. Brok is notorious for disguising fractions, GCF invents a Reducer, a tool that uncovers disguised fractions, by reducing the fraction and revealing its true form. This action-packed book filled with humor and vibrant illustrations is an awesome introduction to simplifying fractions.

Meet Maxine McAleavey - our new Assistant Teacher for this year's Thinker Class! Maxine joins us with a wealth of experience working with students and adults with special needs along with a likeminded philosophy regarding educating students and treating them with dignity. We are thrilled that she has joined our team!

Read on to learn more about Maxine.

After gaining a BA Hons degree in Philosophy at Middlesex University in London, I have pursued a career working with children and adults with a variety of special needs for twenty plus years. This has included completing a Diploma in Learning Disability Nursing (intellectual disability) at De Montfort University as well as working in settings such as an Assessment and Treatment Unit, community nursing, after school clubs and most recently as a Teaching Assistant for transition students in Special Ed. I am a great believer in the philosophy that people do well when they can, so I am delighted to be joining such an inclusive community as EPIC, which values each child’s individual needs and I look forward to continuing to grow and learn. Outside of work I love to travel and immerse myself in other cultures, foster cats, cook and practice yoga.

Welcome to the team Maxine!

Throwback to Western Day! Planning for Teacher Week and Staff Week is filling our team with excitement for the fall and the feeling is even more sweet knowing that we have many new team members joining the EPIC community!

We are elated to introduce our new Speech Language Pathologist - Michelle Lubetzki! Michelle joins us from Brooklyn Letters, just as Theo had, and brings with her a wealth of knowledge concerning speech therapy and special education. Like our other related service providers, Michelle also aligns heavily with EPIC's philosophy on the push-in services model. We are thrilled to have the opportunity to work with Michelle this upcoming year!

Read on to learn more about Michelle.

As a licensed and certified speech-language pathologist, Michelle has a variety of clinical experiences helping children, adolescents, and young adults. Michelle is passionate about helping children, and she takes advantage of each child's unique strengths and interests to make learning fun and successful. She believes that a positive, supportive rapport with the child and a strong working relationship with classroom teachers and the child’s family are the building blocks to successful therapy. Michelle received her undergraduate degree at the University of Delaware in cognitive science with a concentration in speech-language pathology, and her graduate degree is in speech and language pathology from Hunter College. She is level one PROMPT-trained. Additionally, Michelle recently earned her Juris Doctor degree from New York Law School, with the intention of participating in the field of special education law alongside her work as a speech-language pathologist.

Welcome to the team, Michelle!

Yesterday, one of our families reached out to EPIC with a common challenge: finding a dentist for their child. Often, our students’ anxiety surrounding dentist visits can lead to big pain-based behaviors that not all dentists can accommodate. However, our community of supportive parents and family members jumped in with a wealth of knowledge and understanding, rooted in their shared experiences. Not only did almost every family recommend a dentist, but many shared invaluable strategies for searching for the right healthcare provider and for supporting children in overcoming their fears.

One major tip for finding the right dentist was to look for dental offices that ask for special supports on their intake forms and take a special interest in considering a child's different needs. As for helping your child prepare for the visit, one family after another emphasized the importance of previewing. Families of younger students suggested streaming the Sesame Street episode about the dentist and then having children practice opening their mouth and “playing dentist” at home. Families of older students recommended watching YouTube videos targeted at kids, and again, roleplaying the visit at home and in the waiting room so the child knows what to expect during the appointment.

EPIC is truly a supportive community and we can’t wait for our families to continue sharing their knowledge and supporting one another this school year.

We are so proud of this rising first grader who is excelling at the The Double Daring Camp for Girls this summer! This student worked diligently during her kindergarten year to build her skills in frustration tolerance, self management, growth mindset, and flexibility. Now, because she’s building these skills and internalizing these habits at a time when her neuroplasticity is so high, she’s already generalizing them into other settings and gaining opportunities to expand her circles, community, and friendships. Attending this camp would not have been possible without all the work this student put in this past year to grow her self-regulation skillset. But that is the beauty of addressing these behaviors and their root causes at an early age. We are thrilled to work with students starting at any age when they come to us at EPIC, but there are significant and undeniable benefits to working explicitly on self management and social skills from the earliest age possible. This student has grown by leaps and bounds socially, emotionally, behaviorally, and academically in just one year. Don’t wait to see if your child will “grow out of it”. Find the right setting early on and give them the opportunity to truly thrive.

For this Saturday’s EPIC literary pick, we are highlighting “When Aidan Became a Brother” by Kyle Lukoff. When Aidan was born, everyone thought he was a girl. His family gave him a name, room decorations, and clothes similar to that of other girls he knew. After realizing he was a trans boy, Aidan and his parents fixed the parts of his life that didn’t fit anymore. Then, when his parents announce they are having another baby, Aidan wants to do everything he can to make things right for his younger sibling. This story follows Aidan as he explores what “making things right” actually means and how to fix mistakes with honesty and communication. “When Aidan Became a Brother” is a vibrant book that beautifully explores gender identity and worries about becoming an older sibling, while celebrating the many transitions that a family can experience.

We are excited to introduce another one of our new teachers: Yalaisa Douglas-Wright! Yalaisa has a strong background in education and social work, both of which will serve as great assets in cultivating a supportive, therapeutic classroom culture. This upcoming year, she will be the Lead Teacher of the Explorer class, and we are thankful and thrilled to have her join the team!

Read on to learn more about Yalaisa.

My name is Yalaisa Bernice Douglas Wright (yaLeesa). I have my Bachelor of Social Work from La Salle University and my Master of Social Work, with a concentration in policy and government, from Fordham University. I am an educator through and through. I’ve taught kindergarten and first grade in several New York City charter schools, as a special education teacher and a science teacher. I’ve also taught in a multitude of other settings, including but not limited to summer camps, break camps, alternative schools, and even adult learning. As a teacher, I use my background in social work to meet my students where they are and help them identify and develop their strengths.

When I’m not in the classroom, you can catch me reading books, biking, recording my podcast, writing articles, and advocating for policy change. I did a field placement at the United Nations, where I’ve also served as an education lead for their Envision Experience summer program. I’m here to make the world a better place, and I’m looking forward to an epic year at EPIC!

to the Explorer’s Living Things Unit where students learned firsthand all about plant parts, their functions, plant life cycles, and even the importance of worms! These scientists created a full composting setup in their classroom to watch decomposition happen in real time and make rich soil for their squash and bean plants. We can’t wait for the students to return in the fall and see all the progress these worms have made!

It is our pleasure to introduce one of our newest teachers - Jenna Doty! Jenna has a strong background in education and behavior modification and fit into our team miraculously during her trial days in the spring. This upcoming year, she will be the Lead Teacher of the Creator class, and we are grateful and excited to have her on board! Welcome to the team, Jenna!

Students exhibiting physical aggression, oppositional defiance, hyperfixation, meltdowns, and similar challenges thrive from our trauma-informed approach to therapeutic education and our rigorous, progressive academics. EPIC Academy is a K-5 school that opens up a world of possibilities for students with these unique needs and forever changes their life trajectories. If you’re still searching for a school for your learner this fall, RSVP at epiced.org/rsvp for our upcoming virtual or in-person Open Houses on the following dates:

Virtual Open Houses held every Wednesday beginning on July 21, 2021 at 11 AM and 6 PM

In Person Open House #1: July 20, 2021 at 6 PM
In Person Open House #2: August 3, 2021 at 12 PM

Visit our website: www.abetterschool.org

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from Head of School

In true EPIC Academy fashion, I never go into an award ceremony without setting students up for maximum success. I preview the sequence of events, provide visuals, and review expected behaviors. I also know that, while I could just tell our students how I expect them to behave, building their buy-in is much more successful when they volunteer to share the expectations themselves. This year, I tried to make this portion of the event especially fun for them after such a tough ten months. Instead of simply having them raise hands and call out the expected behaviors, I walked through the audience gameshow-host style with a microphone. They were so into it! Just look at this 1st grade eagerly jumping up to share that we always try to look at the speakers when they are presenting. So many of our students shared beautiful, thoughtful ways to be positive audience members. And, because the ideas came from them, they all stuck to them and we had a beautiful ceremony. 👨‍🎓 😊

Yesterday, our Head of School presented at Sibme’s Better Together Conference on the topic of Process over Product! This session equipped teachers, administrators, and instructional coaches with best practices for promoting process over product in the classroom, both academically and behaviorally. Often, educators feel forced to prioritize testing, grades, and traditional behavioral success above all else, undermining the profound, organic learning that occurs along the way. Drawing on research, data, and her personal experience as Head of School, Katerina provided participants with a thorough understanding of why the process is integral to student growth, as well as concrete strategies for implementing such practices in their classrooms.

Happy Father's Day!

Coffee with Katerina! Yesterday, our 2021-2022 EPIC families attended a morning of updates, mingling, and coffee with our Head of School Katerina Watson. A big thank you to Sweetwaters Coffee &Tea for hosting us!

For this week’s EPIC literary pick, we are highlighting “What Are Your Words?” by Katherine Locke! Some days Ari uses she/her and on other days Ari uses he/him. But on the day of the neighborhood’s big summer bash, Ari doesn’t know what words to use. However, at the party, Ari meets lots of neighbors and learns the words each of them use, including pronouns like she/her, he/him, they/them, ey/em, and ze/zir. This vibrantly illustrated and accessible introduction to gender-inclusive pronouns shares the powerful message that it’s okay to not know your words right away -- sometimes you have to wait for your words to find you.

Green Day! Today, students dove into a hands-on interdisciplinary activity about 1000 different types of flowers. First, these scientists researched various flowers and then used this knowledge to hypothesize the names of other flowers they investigated. Next, students choose their favorite flower to create mixed-medium works of art.

During Explorer Hour -- a daily period for sensory-focused, play-based activities that tie into our academic curriculum -- these artists created watercolor versions of the Pride flag! This hands-on project continues the explorers’ examination of the themes of pride and identity.

This Celebration Sunday, we’re shouting out this Explorer for her incredible week of enthusiasm and independence! She continues to make great strides in her independence in a number of areas such as fine motor, reading, writing and activities of daily living! Additionally, throughout the Living Things Unit, she has been eager to care for the class’s worms and learn about soil and composting. We are so proud of this 2nd grader and happy that she is part of our classroom community!

J for Jump Rope! Today, our whole EPIC community participated in our annual jump rope competition consisting of a challenge to see who could jump the longest and who had the most style! Not only was our jump rope competition an engaging and fun activity for staff and students, but also a great opportunity to practice positive praise, turn-taking and sportsmanship!

Today, we celebrated the letter “K” for Kindness Day! With acts of kindness occurring all throughout EPIC, it was a wonderful display of positivity, thoughtfulness, and appreciation for one another!

Open Enrollment! As we are nearing the end of our enrollment period, EPIC Academy still has a limited number of K-5 spots open for the 2021-2022 school year. If you’re still searching for a school for your student this fall, schedule a private consultation with our Co-Founders at [email protected] to learn more about our trauma-informed approach to therapeutic education and our rigorous, progressive academics.

Math Monday! In this weekly math enrichment, led by our Head of School, students collaborated to review all the concepts they’ve learned over the year and worked to clarify any gaps that may have existed. This advanced math group, performing up to 6th grade standards, has tackled high-level content using an inquiry-based approach to target critical thinking skills and collaborative problem solving! !

To culminate our Living Things Science Unit, students synthesized their knowledge of animal and plant needs, habitats, biomes, and food webs to embark on an interdisciplinary National Park Landscape Project. First, these artists used oil pastels, watercolor, and paper cutouts to depict a biome set in a national park of their choosing. Then, they studied the flora, fauna and the wildlife of their park in order to accurately populate it. To accompany their beautiful art pieces, students researched and wrote informational pieces to share all they learned about their national park!