In an effort to spread holiday cheer both inside and outside of the school, students in the National Junior Honor Society at Seaford Middle School participated in a door-decorating contest.

Eighth-graders split into teams and decorated classroom and office doors throughout the school. The contest has evolved from just putting wrapping paper and bows on doors, to holiday themes, which this year ranged from gingerbread houses to the “Polar Express.” Teachers and staff members made donations for having their doors decorated.

Sixth-grade teacher Mary Lou Christenson, who organized the event, said that money was used to purchase materials to make blankets. The idea came from student Mia Kouletsis. National Junior Honor Society members made the blankets, which were donated to the A. Holly Patterson Extended Rehab Facility in Uniondale.

Art teachers Stephanie Lucia and James Pollin judged all the doors and selected first- through third-place winners. The winning group was comprised of Madison Elias, Molly Urban and Tori Wiesneski, who decorated the nurse’s door to look like the back of an ambulance.

 

Photo captions:

1: Seaford Middle School eighth-graders, from left, Tori Wiesneski, Madison Elias and Molly Urban were the winners in the holiday door-decorating contest.

2: Tyler Evert, left, Thomas Kofod, center, and Will Santella came up with a gingerbread house theme.

 

Photos courtesy of Seaford School District

Photo Caption: Student representatives of James Wilson Young Middle School’s National Junior Honor Society recently gathered toiletry-related items for those less fortunate this holiday season. Under the guidance of National Junior Honor Society co-advisers Andrew Peshkur and Kimberly Benedict, the students spearheaded the collection, which brought in more than 600 items be donated to the Patchogue Neighbor’s Inn.

 

Photo courtesy of the Bayport-Blue Point School District

For the past three years South Stokes basketball teams and the wrestling program have given back to the Walnut Cove community by purchasing bicycles and donating two to Pine Hall, Germanton, London and Walnut Cove Elementary to a boy and girl at each school.

“Each year we contact all of the schools in our elementary district and have the principals and administrators pick two deserving students,” said basketball coach Jason Clark.

Each Saura athlete in their respected program donates $10 to help raise the money needed to buy eight bicycles.

“We have purchased 25 bikes over the past three years,” Clark said. “We had sisters at London Elementary that were chosen this year and we wanted to make sure Emmerie and Ava (Shaw) each had one of their own.”

Clark and assistant coach Derek Ward are the only two coaches left of the original staff that started the recognition back in 2015. Wrestling coach Chad Amos along with Clark and Ward teamed up with several basketball players and two wrestlers to deliver the bicycles on the Monday before Christmas.

“We want our kids to understand how important it is to give back to the communities they live in,” stated Clark. “Most of our kids came from one of those elementary schools and it is good for them to go back and visit old teachers and just give back where they came from.”

During the visit Clark spoke to the elementary students about character and what it meant to be a good citizen and student athlete. Children in the classrooms were given a small treat as the winners were announced.

“I just hope our athletes understand and realize how important it is to be involved and give back to others,” Clark said. “We have been blessed in so many ways and it’s important for our kids to think selflessly instead of about themselves.”

Robert Money can be reached at 336-749-1193.

 

Source: http://www.thestokesnews.com/sports/local-sports/12909/south-stokes-athletes-give-back

With warm hearts and giving spirits, the student council at Munsey Park Elementary School in the Manhasset School District collected close to 100 toys for Sen. Elaine Phillips’ Holiday Toy Drive to give pediatric patients at NYU Winthrop Hospital a joyous holiday.

From Dec. 1-15, the council accepted donations from members of the school community, including fellow students. Council members broadcast reminders during the morning announcements and visited classrooms to stress the importance of giving back and helping hospitalized children.

Sixth-grader Luke Power, president of the council, was one of the council’s four board members who spearheaded the schoolwide collection.

“It felt really good to see the toy drive come together,” he said. “[We] worked a lot on the toy drive, and I can only imagine how happy these kids are going to be when they receive these presents.”  

 

Photo Caption: Munsey Park Elementary School student council members collected toys to assist Sen. Elaine Phillips’ Holiday Toy Drive.

 

Photo courtesy of the Manhasset Union Free School District

 

The smell of warm, baked bread wafted through the halls of Wantagh High School as the HERO and Wellness clubs collaborated on a community service project during the holiday season. Members of both clubs met in the family and consumer sciences classroom to make bread from scratch to donate to local community soup kitchens.

The HERO Club was established to make the school environment welcoming for all students, with members modeling behavior conducive to acceptance and inclusion. The Wellness Club engages in healthy activities such as yoga, wholesome nutrition, and other body-focused activities. For several years, the two clubs have joined together for this community service project.

 

Caption. Members of Wantagh High School’s HERO and Wellness clubs collaborated on the baking of fresh bread for local soup kitchens.

 

Photo courtesy of the Wantagh School District