The Mepham High School varsity kickline team hosted its second dance clinic for children in the community ages 5 to 13 on Nov. 21 at Brookside.

More than 80 girls from Bellmore-Merrick participated in the clinic. The girls were divided into groups, each instructed by members of the kickline team. While working with their groups, the girls were taught dance technique as well as choreography that included jazz, hip-hop, kick and pom. Bellmore Bagel Cafe donated a bagel breakfast for all of the participants.

“The clinic is a way for the high school girls to form a relationship with the younger dancers in the community and teach them a little bit of what it is like to be on a high school competitive dance team,” said Kerry Dennis, kickline coach and social studies teacher.

Photo Caption: Mepham High School’s varsity kickline team hosted its second dance clinic for children in the community.

Photos courtesy of the Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District

Photo caption: Smithtown High School West’s Athletes Helping Athletes Club presented 250 pounds of food donations to WALK-FM as part of the organization’s annual food drive. Athletes Helping Athletes collected the non-perishables as an entry fee to their fourth annual dodge ball tournament. All donations will help support the Long Island Cares food bank throughout the holiday season. Shown is Smithtown High School West’s Athletes Helping Athletes co-presidents Emily Hicky (left) and Amanda Cohen with WALK-FM DJ Nick Parker.

Photo courtesy of the Smithtown Central School District

The North Babylon High School community was honored at the North Babylon School District Board of Education’s November meeting for continuing to raise remarkable amounts of funds for the ALS Ride for Life program.

With Ride for Life President and Founder Chris Pendergast in attendance to commend NBHS’s ongoing efforts, top-fundraising students and staff members were presented with a “2015 Gold Participant” banner. To date, the district has raised more than $167,000 in the past ten years through various activities, including selling paper hearts to display around the high school, a Chinese auction, wrestling tournaments and walking with the Ride for Life and collecting donations. Top fund-raising students last year include David Beamus, Tayla Fitzroy, Noelle Roth, Gabriella Shank and Terrence Sullivan.

Photos Courtesy North Babylon School District

Smithtown High School East’s girls basketball team spent Nov. 22 at the Stop and Shop in Smithtown collecting non-perishable food items and turkeys to be donated to Island Harvest Foundation for the Thanksgiving holiday.

In just four hours, the team collected 778 pounds of non-perishable food items, 25 frozen turkeys and more than $450 in donations. Island Harvest will distribute the donations to local families in need throughout the holiday season.

Photo Captions: Member of Smithtown High School East’s basketball team spent the week before Thanksgiving at the local Stop and Shop collecting donations for Island Harvest to help families in need this holiday season.

Photo courtesy of the Smithtown Central School District

In May, Rushmore Avenue School in the Carle Place School District hosted the ALS Ride for Life for the fifth consecutive year.

During the event, members of Rushmore’s student council presented a check for more than $5,000 to the cause. At the Nov. 12 Board of Education meeting, Ride for Life participants Clinton Strait and Paul Weisman presented a banner to the school for its significant contribution. Among the more than 70 schools that took part in the 2015 Ride for Life, Rushmore Avenue was deemed a Gold Participant.

Photo courtesy of the Carle Place School District