Photo caption: On Oct. 22, Sewanhaka High School’s STAC Club organized a Think Pink Day in support of breast cancer awareness. Students and faculty dressed in pink and came together for a socially distanced photo on the football field after school, courtesy of the Athletic Booster Club. 

Photo courtesy of the Sewanhaka Central High School District

Members of the Shoreham-Wading River High School Global Awareness Club showcased volunteer efforts and leadership skills about the important work of the service-learning program.

Five of this year’s club members – Nawal Choudry, Kayla Finnegan, Austin Manghan, Yusra Rashidzada and Jalal Sawas – recently volunteered at the Friendship Kitchen’s annual yard sale fundraiser in Middle Island. The students helped to set up and to break down the event to avoid exposure to the general public.  

Along with adviser Brenna Gilroy, these young changemakers continue to spearhead awareness of important matters. Last year, they tackled local environmental concerns by recycling bottles, addressed climate change by selling reusable water bottles and raised money for humanitarian efforts, including a Syrian orphanage and the fires in Australia. 

 

Photo captions:

1: Shoreham-Wading River High School students Nawal Choudry (left) and Yusra Rashidzada

2: Shoreham-Wading River High School student Jalal Sawas 

 

Photos courtesy of the Shoreham-Wading River School District 

 

The West Babylon Varsity Cheerleaders recently ran a very successful fundraiser in support of breast cancer.  Twenty-four cheerleaders participated in flocking the West Babylon community.  Each night, flamingos were moved to houses within the town where community members donated money in support of our team and breast cancer.  Due to overwhelming community support, a $5000 donation was made to the Babylon Breast Cancer Coalition.

St. James Elementary School in the Smithtown Central School District honored Paige Keely on Oct. 22 as AVM Awareness Day. Paige passed away suddenly at the age of 6 from the condition known as arteriovenous malformation. To raise awareness and remember Paige, students at the school held a crazy hair day.

Gina Keely, Paige’s mom, has set up a foundation – the Paige Elizabeth Keely Foundation – to raise awareness and detection of brain AVMs. October is designated as AVM Awareness Month and the goal is to help raise awareness in the school, community and beyond. The foundation educates communities about this treatable disease and is working to establish early detection screening programs. 

Photo caption: To honor Paige Keely and raise awareness of arteriovenous malformation, students at St. James Elementary School in the Smithtown Central School District held a crazy hair day. Paige was a student at St. James Elementary who passed away suddenly at the age of 6 from the condition. 

Photos courtesy of Smithtown Central School District

Acceptance, inclusion and kindness are year-round messages at Edmund W. Miles Middle School in the Amityville Union Free School District, but those community building traits were particularly emphasized on Oct. 21 when the school celebrated Unity Day.

October marks National Bully Prevention Month, an initiative of the PACER Center, and the middle school participates every year. Social worker Beatriz Offitto said that Unity Day is the centerpiece of this awareness campaign to show that the school community stands together against bullying. Students and staff were encouraged to wear orange to show their support.

Throughout the week of Oct. 19-23, several related topics were addressed in advisory periods including bullying, digital media and the brain, on-screen diversity and the science of character. Because students are connected digitally in many ways, including social media, the impacts of cyberbullying were also discussed.   

Photo captions:

1: Edmund W. Miles Middle School student and staff wore orange on Oct. 21 for Unity Day, part of National Bullying Prevention Month. Students, from left, are Sasha Urias, Dante Intriago, Aurora Morales and Daniel Glasgow. Staff, from left, are social worker Beatriz Offitto, English teacher Kelly Wilson, Principal Earl Mitchell and assistant principals Lurdez Berrios and Paul Duguay.

2: Teachers Megan Martin and John Katsigiorgis presented a character education during an advisory period. 

Photos courtesy of the Amityville Union Free School District