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Fair A time for giving in high school district
Memorial hosts toy drive
For students in grades 7-9, the month of December is usually synonymous with toys and gifts, but normally they’re the ones receiving them. At Memorial Junior High School, students in the World of Difference and Students Against Destructive Decisions clubs hosted a toy drive for families in need.
The drive, which began on Dec. 3 and ended last week, yielded toys and gifts that were donated to Holy Name of Mary Church. From there, the gifts will be given to local families.
Coreen Kelly-Johnson, a consumer science teacher and advisor to both clubs, said her students worked hard to come up with ideas to make the toy drive the success that it was. “When the kids are exposed to a lot of giving, they want to take part in it,” she said.
About 25 students participated in the toy drive and Kelly-Johnson brought the toys to Holy Name earlier in the week. She said it was nice to see kids looking to help others in need. “Here,” she said, “they’re trying to give back instead of just taking around the holidays.”
North students ‘Pay it Forward’
This week will be a busy one for North High School students in the Students to Oppose Prejudice and World of Difference clubs. For the third straight year, the students are collecting toys and packing stockings to donate to Pay it Forward with Jackie, a non-profit organization based in Babylon.
Club advisor Catherine Modzelewski said the roughly 20 students in her clubs will stuff more than 200 stockings on Thursday in assembly-line fashion. Once completed, a PTSA representative will pick the stockings up and transport them to Pay it Forward with Jackie.
