8/2/2014 'Fabulous Five' Queens educators save the day after autistic boy goes missing - NY Daily News

http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/education/hometown-heroes/queens-educators-save-day-autistic-boy-missing-article-1.1871747 1/6
A

A
'FabulousFive'Queenseducatorssavethe
dayafterautisticboygoesmissing
Whenthe12yearoldvanishedonhismom,SkillmanSchoolpsychologistKaraKozlowski
andcolleaguesNicoleThur,CherylMandelbaum,MichaelWongandMauricioGonzalez
quicklydivideduptosearchtheareainLongIslandCityandtrackedhimdown.The
educators'quickthinkinghasearnedthemanominationforaHometownHeroesin
Educationaward.
BYCHELSEAHIRSCH / NEWYORKDAILYNEWS / Published:Friday,July18,2014,9:04AM
/ Updated:Friday,July18,2014,9:04AM
Manfatallyshotin
headwastryingto
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oldmanshotand
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familysaid.
NoBra?Noproblem!
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The27yearoldmanshot
andkilledoutsidehis
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wastryingtosavehiscousinfromamurderous
gangbangerlookingforblood,thevictim'sfamilysaid.
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AthreeyearoldIndianboy
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WhatcouldhavebeenaheartbreakingreplayoftheAvonteOquendotragedy
insteadhadahappyendingthankstofivequickthinkingQueenseducators.
OnJan.30,a12yearoldautisticboywhoattendsP4atSkillmanSchoolin
LongIslandCityvanished.Theboyspanickedmothercalledpolice,saying
sheturnedherbacktoputhissiblingontheschoolbus.Whenthemomturned
around,copstoldschoolstaff,theboywasgone.
Yourejustnervousandwonderingwherehewouldgoandwhathewould
do,saidKaraKozlowski,36,theschoolspsychologist.
IfeltasenseofurgencythatIhadtogohelp.
KozlowskiandfourcolleaguesspeechtherapistsNicoleThurandCheryl
MandelbaumandphysicaltherapistsMichaelWongandMauricioGonzalez
sprangintoaction.TheyaskedthattheDailyNewsnotnamethestudent.
Avonte,a14yearoldautisticstudentfromQueenswhodwalkedoutofa
differentLongIslandCityschool,couldnthavebeenfarfromtheirminds.The
tragicboysremainshadbeenfoundonlyninedaysprior,afteranagonizing
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ANTHONYDELMUNDO/NEWYORKDAILYNEWS
Fourofthe'FabulousFive',fromleft:MauricioGonzalez,KaraKozlowski,MichaelWongandNicole
Thurtrackeddownthe12yearoldautisticboybeforehegottoofaraway.
NEWYORK NEWS POLITICS SPORTS ENTERTAINMENT OPINION LIVING AUTOS
EVENTS NYCCRIME BRONX BROOKLYN QUEENS UPTOWN EDUCATION WEATHER OBITUARIES NEWYORKPICS DNPHOTOGRAPHERS
8/2/2014 'Fabulous Five' Queens educators save the day after autistic boy goes missing - NY Daily News
http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/education/hometown-heroes/queens-educators-save-day-autistic-boy-missing-article-1.1871747 2/6
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fourmonthsearch.Likethenewlymissingboy,Avontewasobsessedwith
trains.
TheeducatorsdividedupandrodetheRandEsubwaylines.
Itwasscarytothinkachildwithspecialneedswasbythemselves,Thur,27,
said.
Afterfivehours,KozlowskifoundthemissingboyrunningtowardaJtrainin
theBroadwayJunctionstationaplaceshehadrecalledhimonce
mentioning.Howdidyoufindme?theastonishedstudentasked.
Kozlowskirecalledbeingfloodedbyrelief.
Iwasprobablymoreoverwhelmedwithemotionthanhewas,Kozlowskisaid.
Hewasjustshockedtoseemestandingthere.
Fortheirattentiveness,resourcefulnessanddedicationintimesofcrisis,the
educatorsdubbedtheFabulousFivebycolleaguesarenominatedfora
HometownHeroesinEducationaward.
Ididntthinkaboutmuchmorethantojustgooutandhelp,Kozlowskisaid.
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COMMENTS
(3)
[DiscussionGuidelines]
Writeacomment
Like REPLY
Theyrock.JustgoodfolkgettinganeducationandgivingonetothekidsofNYC.Thesearethereal
peepsofourCity,servingthemultitudes.ThanksDailyNews,forputtingthemonthefrontpagewhere
theyshouldbe.
VIANPATAPHYSICIAN
15daysago
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2
Like REPLY
ThankGodtheyfoundhimbeforesomeoneelsedid.Whyparentscan'tuseportableGPSdeviceson
suchchildrenisbeyondme!
BLACKLISTED
15daysago
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8/2/2014 'Fabulous Five' Queens educators save the day after autistic boy goes missing - NY Daily News
http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/education/hometown-heroes/queens-educators-save-day-autistic-boy-missing-article-1.1871747 3/6
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8/2/2014 'Fabulous Five' Queens educators save the day after autistic boy goes missing - NY Daily News
http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/education/hometown-heroes/queens-educators-save-day-autistic-boy-missing-article-1.1871747 4/6
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8/2/2014 'Fabulous Five' Queens educators save the day after autistic boy goes missing - NY Daily News
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8/2/2014 'Fabulous Five' Queens educators save the day after autistic boy goes missing - NY Daily News
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