Socks happen to be one of the most desired items in homeless shelters, so Winthrop Avenue School’s student advisory council recently stepped up their leadership skills to collect 191 pairs of socks to make a dent in this need at The INN, a nonprofit organization that serves the hungry and homeless on Long Island.

Under the direction of MaryBeth Cammarata and Debra Ammendola, the student advisory council held a competition based on the 2019 World Series to encourage students and staff to donate socks. If students and staff thought the Mets would win, they donated black socks and white socks for those who are fans of the Yankees. More white socks than black were collected, so the school will have to wait to see if the Yankees will be this year’s winner, or even contestants.

Even if the Yankees and Mets don’t qualify for the World Series this year, the students had a goal in mind and stepped up to the plate through teamwork and synergy to make a difference in the lives of others.

 

Photo caption: Winthrop Avenue School students in Bellmore held a sock drive based on a World Series theme for The INN.

 

Photo courtesy of the Bellmore School District

Student volunteers from the Bayport-Blue Point High School Peers-to-Peers program, which is advised by David Johnson, recently came together to assist their community in various ways during the school’s annual Citizenship Day event.

Throughout the course of the afternoon, upperclassmen worked alongside freshmen to make hundreds of sandwiches for the Bellport Boys & Girls Club, created dozens of toiletry baskets to be donated to benefit local veterans, planted gardens courtesy of donations from Bayport Flower Houses and cleaned up debris at Bayport Beach.

 

Photo caption: Students from the Bayport-Blue Point High School Peers-to-Peers program created thank-you cards for the nation’s veterans during the school’s annual Citizenship Day event.

 

Photo courtesy of the Bayport-Blue Point School District

LATHAM, NY- The New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA) is proud to announce Harrison High School as the winner of the Winter 2019 NYSPHSAA Community Service Challenge. Harrison was chosen by the NYSPHSAA Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) comprised of two current student-athletes from each of NYSPHSAA’s 11 member sections.

Established in the Fall of 2010, the program encourages students to stay active in their communities. This year, NYSPHSAA has partnered with Team Up for Community to allow online submissions. The Team Up for Community portal provides schools the opportunity to showcase community service projects which ultimately fosters young peoples’ sense of civic engagement and community thus helping them achieve their educational, developmental and social goals. This is the first year NYSPHSAA will be honoring Community Service Challenge Champions after each sport season. This winter, 91 projects were submitted by NYSPHSAA member schools with a total of 5,350 student-athletes involved in the projects equaling over 74,010 hours volunteered.

Three Harrison student-athletes, Josh Cooper, Matthew Cooper and Connor Novak created and led a program called Athletes in Action (AIA) with the goal of integrating community service into the Harrison High School athletics program. AIA partnered with Pleasantville Cottage School which is one of the most respected residential treatment programs in the country. Pleasantville Cottage School is home to emotionally troubled boys and girls between the ages of 7-15. One of the goals of AIA’s partnership with the cottage kids is mentorship and friendship. Each sports team from Harrison High School visits Pleasantville Cottage School once per season to play its specific sport with the residents.

“I am honored that Athletes in Action has been recognized by the NYSPHSAA,” said Josh Cooper AIA co-creator. “AIA was created because we felt Harrison athletes could make a positive impact on the kids at Pleasantville Cottages through friendship and fun, sports-related activities. The Harrison athletes are also rewarded with the great feeling that comes from helping other kids.”  Cooper was grateful for the support of Chris Galano, Harrison Athletic Director, from the very beginning and hopes other athletic directors will see the value in this program and adopt Athletes in Action in their schools.

“Here at Harrison we often speak to our athletes about the importance of having a positive impact on and off the field or court, said Chris Galano Harrison Athletic Director.  “Athletes in Action is a perfect example of having an impact and winning outside of a game situation. The best part of this program is it was created and driven by students.”

Applications for the spring Community Service Challenge are now being accepted and can be submitted by visiting http://nysphsaa.org/Educational-Programs/Community-Service.  Deadline is June 3, 2019. For questions, please contact NYSPHSAA Assistant Director, Kristen Jadin at kjadin@nysphsaa.org or 518.690.0771.

Previous Community Service Challenge State Champions:
2019 (Fall) – Canandaigua Academy (Section V)/Eastport South Manor (Section XI)
2018 – Farmingdale High School (Section VIII)
2017 – Akron High School (Section VI)
2016 – Mahopac High School (Section I)
2015 – Kings Park High School (Section XI)
2014 – Arlington High school (Section I)
2013 – Columbia High School (Section 2)
2012 – Ossining High School (Section I)
2011 – Adirondack Central School (Section III)

Staff and students from Connetquot Central School District’s Idle Hour Elementary School recently took on Maggie’s Kindness Challenge in late March in honor of Maggie Schmidt of Greenlawn, who lost her battle with a rare form of cancer in 2017.

With assistance from PTA Cultural Arts Representative and Maggie’s Mission Advocate Michelle Burke, the students at Idle Hour took on the challenge to live life to its fullest, show kindness to all and be mindful of others and surroundings. 

As students performed challenges such as donating clothes, baking for friends and family, enjoying a sunset, spending time with others and dressing up for theme days, pictures were sent to Mrs. Burke as she put them together and displayed them during a schoolwide assembly for all to see.

Throughout course of the week, more than 100 students participated in the challenge and kindness was spread throughout the community. Students also received bracelets as they handed in their participation pledges and certificates after they submitted their challenge trackers.

According to the official website, Maggie’s Mission was created in an effort to raise awareness of pediatric cancers, fund research and provide help to families and children in need. Although Maggie passed away in 2017, she is remembered as a wonderful young woman who loved everything life had to offer.

 

Photo caption: Students from Idle Hour Elementary School are pictured here in recognition of the legacy of Maggie Schmidt, who lost her battle with cancer in 2017.

 

Photo courtesy of the Connetquot Central School District

The freshman class at Earl L. Vandermeulen High School collected Easter candy, books and toys to create baskets for children whose families are enduring financial hardships. They also filled more than 100 plastic eggs with goodies for an egg hunt at a local shelter.

“The kids were so excited to help those in need,” said Christina Carlson, freshman class co-adviser along with Melissa Zinger, who both encouraged the entire class to share in the project by bringing the holiday items to teacher Jesse Rosen’s social studies classroom.

 

Photo caption: From left, Earl L. Vandermeulen High School freshmen Cami Spiller, Emily Hearney, Kate Carlson, Alex Carlson, Heather Quiggle, Kasumi Layne-Stasik and Stefano Rabeno. 

 

Photo courtesy of the Port Jefferson School District