Students at Chatterton Elementary School, within the Merrick School District, have made it their mission to collect new and gently used adult shoes to benefit adolescents and adults with mental health recovery challenges. 

The Chatterton Student Council has partnered with Zucker Hillside Hospital, a Northwell Health affiliate, to donate the requested items to help make patients’ hospital stays more comfortable. 

As with past collections and drives, the student council strives to provide much needed aid to its local communities and truly appreciates all of the generosity and continued support.” 

 

Photo courtesy of the Merrick Union Free School District

 

Pulaski Road fourth grader James Siragusa is using his creativity for a good cause. As a member of the school’s SHARE Club, James created a trifold flyer to explain the goals of the club’s initiative to purchase a goat for the Heifer Foundation. 

The SHARE Club, which stands for “Students Helping and Relating to Each Other,” started the initiative with the Heifer Foundation to support fellow students who suffer from poverty and hunger. Purchasing a goat for a family around the world can help them create a sustainable income. To support this initiative, James took it upon himself to create a trifold flyer outlining the goals of the initiative. In addition to this, he created a joke book comprised of student-submitted jokes, which he is selling for 50 cents. Profits will be used to the support the purchase of the goat. 

The club is led by elementary counselor James Durand and fifth grade teacher David Kaiser. When describing James, Mr. Durand said he is “a wonderful student who works really hard.” He added that “this initiative could have a big impact on a family, and it’s great to see a student finding creative ways to make it successful.” 

 

Photo Caption: Pulaski Road fourth grader James Siragusa holding his trifold flyer to raise awareness and funds for the Heifer Foundation. 

 

Photos courtesy of the Northport-East Northport Union Free School District  

 

Mineola High School is highlighting one of its seniors, Wenny Cheng, for her achievements inside and outside of the classroom. Cheng has been an active member of the Mineola school community throughout her whole life. She is a part of the Track and Field Team, a National Honor Society member and is a tutor for the high school’s Student Service Center. Through her involvement in extracurriculars, Cheng has made it a priority to give back to her community. Her commitment to helping others shines through in all that she does. 

This past March is when Cheng launched her first website with the intention of helping peers throughout the pandemic. She realized many students were unable to visit prospective colleges due to campuses closing. That’s what gave Cheng the inspiration to found Virtual College Help, a website with interviews from college students attending more than 80 American universities, to help high school students gain insight to student life. Since its start, her website has received more than 14,000 views worldwide.

“I feel a responsibility to help others during this hard time,” said Cheng.

The success of Virtual College Help led to Cheng’s creation of a free, tutoring website. She offers virtual help to students around the nation in the STEM subjects, exam prep and even guides high school students through the financial aid process. Being a low-income, first-generation college student herself, Cheng says financial aid and college applications were an initial challenge for her. She did not want her peers in the same boat to go through this blindly, which is why she is offering this free, accessible service.

Cheng has excelled in the classroom throughout her time in the Mineola Union Free School District. She says her experience growing up with parents who do not speak English and have faced financial struggles, inspired her to accomplish her goals.

“I see my parents work extremely hard and since I was in elementary school they always said, ‘As long as you work hard in school and achieve academically, you will change your life forever,’” said Cheng.

Her academic achievements have proved successful as Cheng was honored in multiple scholarship programs. She was one of 1,609 students from across the nation to be named a Coca-Cola Scholar Semifinalist. This scholarship program recognizes high school students who are dedicated to leadership, service and action that positively benefits others. Most recently, Cheng was announced as one of 496 semifinalists in the Cooke College Scholarship program, which awards high-achieving high school seniors who face financial need. In addition, she is a quarterfinalist in the Elks Most Valuable Student scholarship competition.

Next year, Cheng will be attending the University of Pennsylvania on a full-ride scholarship. She plans to major in chemistry and carry out her altruistic nature by becoming a professor or teacher, while conducting independent research. She also notes that she loves computer science, thanks to the classes at Mineola High School, and is thinking about adding that as a double major.

Cheng says she wouldn’t be the person she is without being a Mineola student. She says her time in the district has helped shape her and thanks Mineola for her experiences.

“Mineola doesn’t have any boundaries for you, they allow you to explore and try out anything you want,” said Cheng. “All of the teachers are very supportive and always stick with you through your failures and successes,” she said.

We are #MineolaProud of Cheng and can’t wait to see all that she goes onto accomplish.

 

Photo caption 1: Wenny Cheng

Photo caption 2: Wenny Cheng ringing the bell at Mineola High School, after being accepted to the University of Pennsylvania.

 

Photos courtesy of Mineola Union Free School District

 

Photo caption: Smithtown High School East Habitat for Humanity club members donated clothing, Valentine’s Day cards and candy to Kid’s Hope in Port Jefferson. The nonprofit organization supports more than 300 families across Long Island with food, clothing, school and baby supplies.

 

Photo courtesy of Smithtown Central School District

 

Members of Connetquot High School’s Helping Hands Club stay true to the group’s name, regularly dedicating themselves to various philanthropic endeavors throughout the local community. Since its inception, the club has done a plethora of good deeds, from donating backpacks filled with school supplies to local families in need, to providing holiday meals to community members, to fundraising for those struggling due to unfortunate circumstances such as illness, death, house fires and loss of jobs.

Currently, the club is participating in “The Takeout Project,” a Long Island-based initiative that provides local food pantries with gift cards to local restaurants in an effort to feed community members in need while bolstering local businesses that may be struggling due to the pandemic. Connetquot’s Helping Hands Club is collecting both gift cards and monetary donations to help “The Takeout Project” achieve its goal. 

Connetquot Central School District thanks all members of the Helping Hands Club, as well as its advisers Susan Schiappa and Lynn Parks, for the continued altruism they offer to the Connetquot community, which truly makes it a better place.

 

Photo caption: From left, Connetquot High School’s Helping Hands Club president Ashley Spillane, vice-president Laney Schmitz, club member Zachary Palazzotto and treasurer Hannorah Ragusa.

 

Photo courtesy of Connetquot Central School District