Members of the Earl L. Vandermeulen High School Leo Club in Port Jefferson School District completed their annual Blizzard Bags event for the Three Village Meals on Wheels program.

Club members purchased the food items and assembled the bags before the December holidays. The items were sent to the Three Village Meals on Wheels program, which then delivers them to senior citizens who receive their services.

Each package contains four meals for seniors to have in their home to use when their daily Meals on Wheels delivery is canceled due to poor weather conditions. The meals consist of boxed or canned nonperishable items that can be stored for a later date. The Leo Club raises funds through bake sales at the school and uses the proceeds to purchase the needed food items.

“The Leo Club members recognize the real need for this program,” said technology teacher and Leo Club adviser Brian Chalmers. “Delivering food to the Three Village Meals on Wheels clients is a true community outreach event.”

Photo caption: Earl L. Vandermeulen High School Leo Club members assembled Blizzard Bags for the Three Village Meals on Wheels program.

Photo courtesy of the Port Jefferson School District

Connetquot Central School District’s Cherokee Street Elementary School had students, teachers and parents play games for a good cause during the school’s fourth annual Rock, Paper, Scissors Night. The event benefitted Matthew’s Wish, an organization whose mission is to give back to others. Matthew was a 13-year old whose last wish was to fill an 18-wheeler with toys for hospitalized children before he passed away in 2011. With the love and support of family and friends, his mother made his dream a reality.

Cherokee Street Elementary School Student Council adviser Ryan Cavanagh and Principal Jill Lahey, along with student council members, supported the organization this year by collecting toys and providing the community with a fun game night.  

“Over the last four years, the Cherokee Street School community has donated more than 1,400 brand new toys and games to be passed along to hospitalized children,” said Mr. Cavanagh.

This year’s event in particular collected 300 new gifts which were donated to Matthew’s Wish at the nonprofit’s Parade of Toys event on Dec. 9.

The winner of the Rock, Paper, Scissors tournament was fourth-grade student Jordyn DeMatteo.

Photo caption: Cherokee Street Elementary School students participated in the fourth annual Rock, Paper, Scissors Night, which benefited the Matthew’s Wish Foundation.

 

Photo courtesy of the Connetquot Central School District/Joe Maniaci

Donating a dozen pairs of pajamas, students in Jessie Ferraro’s fourth-grade class at East Islip’s John F. Kennedy Elementary School participated in Scholastic’s Pajama Program as a way of spreading some cheer to at-risk children during the holiday season. The Pajama Program offers at-risk children the gifts of pajamas and books through matching donations from Scholastic Book Clubs.

“Our class believes that every child has the right to a loving good night, complete with new, clean pajamas and a comforting bedtime story,” said Ferraro.

 

Pajama Drive: Fourth-graders at East Islip’s John F. Kennedy Elementary School donated a dozen pairs of pajamas while participating in Scholastic’s Pajama Program.

 

Photo courtesy of the East Islip School District

 

 

 

Seventh-grade students at Jonas E. Salk Middle School in Michele Witte’s class recently decided to pay it forward by selling colorful teddy bears as part of the school’s movement, Tyler’s Teddies, after a 10-month-old named Tyler died due to a defective juvenile product. Students sold bears during lunch periods to benefit Kids In Danger, an organization dedicated to improving child safety products.

The students read the book “Pay it Forward” by Catherine Ryan Hyde during the summer and encouraged their fellow peers to buy a teddy bear, which they sold for $3 each, to give to someone else this holiday season as part of the Pay it Forward movement. Many students participated by purchasing multiple bears to give to friends and family.

“We’re trying to get as much awareness as we can,” said seventh-grader Cassidy Steiner. “We have social media accounts, including an Instagram and an email if anyone needs to contact us. We’re doing really well so far.”  

“It feels great to be giving back because it is near the holidays so there’s a lot of joy going around,” added seventh-grader Vanessa Monnielo. “It’s about giving teddies and making people feel happy.”

To showcase how many students paid it forward, the class plans on having students who contributed to the cause to fill out a paper bear after the holidays and have each student write how they passed it on. The bears will be displayed in the school. Students who contributed also were encouraged to wear pajamas on Dec. 19.

“We have really been focusing this year on the concept of paying it forward,” said Witte. “I’m hoping that the students are able to realize that in giving, especially around the holiday season, they can really pay it forward to their community and families and understand the meaning of what the holidays are all about.”  

 

Photo Captions:

1. Seventh-graders at Jonas E. Salk Middle School sold teddy bears as part of their Tyler’s Teddies fundraiser to support Kids In Danger.
2. Seventh-grader Cassidy Steiner purchased a teddy bear from Mark Hanna.  
3. English teacher Michele Witte with her students during their Tyler Teddie’s fundraiser.

 

Photos courtesy of the Levittown Public Schools

Seventh-grade students enrolled in Robert Donarummo’s Introduction to Technology class at Bayport-Blue Point School District’s James Wilson Young Middle School recently created miniature Nok-Hockey tables to be donated to those less fortunate this holiday season.

Prior to donating the completed tables to Lighthouse Mission of Bellport, the students collaborated for four weeks in the technology room, utilizing scroll saws, combo sanders and drill presses in an assembly line formation to ensure the craftsmanship of their finished products.

Photo caption: Students from Robert Donarummo’s Introduction to Technology class completed Nok-Hockey tables, which are to be donated to those less fortunate this holiday season.

 

Photo courtesy of the Bayport-Blue Point School District