Physical Therapist Assistant named Special Educator of the Year

Jean Patrick receives honor from the East Greenbush Special Needs Parent Support Group

EAST GREENBUSH, N.Y. » East Greenbush Central School District Physical Therapist Assistant Jean Patrick was recently named the Mary P. Van Derzee Special Educator of the Year by the East Greenbush Special Needs Parent Support Group.

“I just want to make it fun for them so they look at it as a good thing,” Patrick said in a news release.

During her class, Patrick and the other staff assist students at different obstacle course stations. All the while, students are working towards specific goals to improve their strength and balance.

Patrick works in five schools – Bell Top, Donald P. Sutherland, Genet, Red Mill and Columbia.

“I just love playing with the kids. It’s my favorite thing,” she said in the release.

Officials said the annual award goes to a East Greenbush Central School District employee who goes above and beyond for students with special needs.

District officials said a former student and her parent nominated Patrick for the award, not- ing her “warm and cheerful attitude, exemplary patience, sensitivity and creativity.”

Each school that she works in has a space where Patrick and students do push- ups, sit- ups and other activities alongside each other.

“If I’m asking them to do it then I should be able to do it,” Patrick said. “Because when they say they’re tired, I say ‘ So am I! Come on, keep going.’”

There are 23 students in the district who receive physical therapy services, and Patrick works with all of them.

Each student is evaluated by a physical therapist, given a treatment plan with associated goals and then works with Patrick to achieve those goals.

“Jean always has a smile on her face and her enthusiasm for her work is evident every day!” said Director of Special Education Helen Squillace in the release. “She easily connects with students, building trust and rapport through her genuine kindness and encouragement. Students thrive and gain great benefit from her skills. Jean is also equally admired by her colleagues.”

Patrick said she chose physical therapy as a career because she wanted to help people. More than 30 years later (14 of those years in East Greenbush), she said she still loves it.

“This is what I wanted to do,” she said, “work with kids like this.”