Members of Bronxville High School’s Habitat for Humanity Club recently volunteered to clean up a garden and restore and beautify the streets of Mount Vernon. 

Under the direction of club adviser Zhanna Cabrera, students Tim Atkenson, Nate Kim, James Rhee and Isaiah Weir cleaned up the garden by ripping out large amounts of weeds and vines from the metal fence, as well as other deep-rooted weeds. They swept up trash on the street and in the gutters and used rakes and brooms to pile up and place the weeds, vines and leaves into trash bags. 

Split into two groups, the students planted 20 small flowers, beautifying the area around the garden, while another group planted vibrant flowers along the sidewalks of Mount Vernon to beautify local storefronts. 

 

Photo caption: Members of Bronxville High School’s Habitat for Humanity Club volunteered to clean up a garden and restore and beautify the streets of Mount Vernon. 

 

Photo courtesy of the Bronxville Union Free School District 

 

Mineola High School is displaying its first Veteran Flag Field of Honor, hoping it will become a longstanding tradition in the Mineola Union Free School District. More than 140 American flags are waving out front of the high school, each one honoring a man or woman who has served in the United States military.

The Flag Field of Honor is the culmination of several student projects focusing on honoring Long Island veterans. Last year, 11th grade students in Francine Sclafani’s class helped local veteran Bill Urianek collect plastic bottles to be recycled, with the money going toward veteran charities. They also heard from guest speakers, like WWII veteran Bernie Rader. 

The now-seniors and Mrs. Sclafani’s current 11th grade students collaborated for the final project, the Flag Field of Honor. They sold flags to friends and family and accepted donations, raising a total of $2,000. The students researched organizations to donate the money to and chose America’s Vet Dogs, based in Smithtown. The national non-profit pairs disabled veterans with service dogs.

Students, staff, America’s Vet Dogs, and Nassau County Executive Laura Curran gathered at the high school for a ceremony on Nov. 12. Students unveiled the Flag Field of Honor and presented the non-profit with a check.

“I am very grateful for Vet Dogs for the work that they do and I understand that fundraising is very challenging right now. The fact that these kids stepped up makes me very optimistic about the future,” said Curran.

The Flag Field of Honor will be on display at Mineola High School until Thanksgiving.

 

Photo caption 1: The Flag Field of Honor at Mineola High School will be displayed until Thanksgiving.

Photo caption 2: Students presented America’s Vet Dogs with a $1,500 check. An additional $500 was donated, totaling $2,000 for the non-profit.

Photo caption 3: Around 120 students were involved in putting together the Flag Field of Honor. Some of them spoke about the project at the ceremony on Nov. 12.

Photo caption 4: Nassau County Executive Laura Curran expressed her gratitude for the Veteran Field of Flags project and the work Mineola students put into it.

Photo caption 5: America’s Vet Dogs volunteer and dog, Peyton, thanked Mineola High School for its donation, which will help veterans and first responders receive their own service dogs.

Photo caption 6: Mineola High School students played the National Anthem at the start of the ceremony.

 

Photos courtesy of the Mineola Union Free School District

 

The Wellington C. Mepham High School varsity kickline team recently raised money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and participated in this year’s virtual Light the Night Walk.

“They participated in honor of one of their teammates diagnosed with Lymphoma this past summer and another teammate who lost her father to Leukemia this past spring,” explained social studies teacher and coach Kerry Dennis. 

The team raised more than $9,800 and was fortunate to have the opportunity to walk together in their honor. 

“The team was also honored by the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society as one of the top 10 fundraising teams on Long Island,” she added.

 

Photo caption: The Wellington C. Mepham High School varsity kickline team raised money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and participated in this year’s virtual Light the Night Walk.

 

Photo courtesy of the Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District

 

In a collaborative effort with several other community entities and individuals, the Long Beach Public Schools dedicated a plaque honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on the boardwalk at Riverside Boulevard. The project was developed with input from Long Beach High School students as a way to signify unity and celebrate diversity in the community. 

The Long Beach Public Schools Board of Education, Bay to Beach Civic Association, Concerned Citizens of North Park, the Long Beach City Council, the Martin Luther King Jr. Center Inc. and the Long Beach Historical Society made this endeavor possible with special thanks to Phyllis Libutti, Anne Conway, Jackie Odom, Elizabeth Treston, Monique Powell, Miguel Rodriguez, Jim Kirklin and Evita Hernaneanz. Members of the high school’s LB United club, along with athletes and individual student volunteers, spent time brainstorming ideas during the initiative’s planning phases. 

“It’s going to be their community forever,” said teacher and LB United adviser Geoffrey Noss. “It’s one thing that will stick with them for the rest of their lives.”

“We wanted to get as many different parts of Long Beach involved as we could,” said student Theresa Tarantino.

Although attendance at the Nov. 7 plaque unveiling was limited due to COVID-19,  a small group of the involved parties was invited to view the plaque and celebrate and share reflections on the boardwalk. The event was livestreamed for those unable to participate in person, and Long Beach High School students led a ceremony that highlighted the plaque’s significance and Dr. King’s impact on their own lives, the community and the nation. 

“It represents the equality and diversity shown in Long Beach, the importance in being together as one,” said student Maura Conway.

Students took turns at the podium and discussed Dr. King’s legacy and his visits to Long Beach in the 1960s. They described the diversity and equality in the community and acknowledged the ways that Long Beach embraces and exemplifies Dr. King’s principles. 

Attendees applauded as the plaque was revealed, and Natalia Hakimzadeh, one of the student speakers, sang the famous John Lennon song, “Imagine.” 

“We are the next generation of leaders and activists,” Hakimzadeh said. “We the children have grown in a community that fosters the growth of tolerance through love and respect. We must set the example for future generations and show them how we hold hands and embrace our differences.”

 

Photos Courtesy of Long Beach Public Schools

1, 2: A small ceremony was held on the boardwalk at Riverside, where Long Beach students and community groups dedicated a plaque in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. 

3 & 4: The plaque was unveiled for all to remember the impact of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. 

5: Natalia Hakimzadeh sang “Imagine” to conclude the event.

6, 7: Many Long Beach Public Schools students addressed the audience and discussed the plaque’s significance.

 

Wantagh Elementary School student council organized activities during the month of November so that the school community could demonstrate their appreciation for veterans and members of the armed services in recognition of Veterans Day.

Students in kindergarten through grade 5 wrote a decorated thank-you letter to both the Wantagh American Legion and the Bellmore Veterans Association to thank the veterans for securing freedom and making the United States a safe country.     

Additionally, the school participated in Operation Gratitude, an organization that assembles and mails out complete care packages to soldiers oversees and serving stateside. The students donated plush toys to accompany the care packages and were extremely excited to be a part of the effort.

Student council adviser Lauren Mulry said, “The soldiers have been quoted as saying how much the small gesture means and how much of a comfort it can provide. The students were very excited about the prospect of bringing comfort to the soldiers.” 

 

Photo caption: Wantagh Elementary School student council organized participation in Operation Gratitude by donating plush toys for veterans.

 

Photo courtesy of the Wantagh School District