Students at Cornwell Avenue School in West Hempstead are helping 20 local families enjoy Thanksgiving this year, with the school’s Girls on the Run group and Student Council working together to collect donations of non-perishable food.
“We’re really trying to teach our kids the value of supporting your community while teaching them how it feels to help others,” said Elyssa Mayer, the school’s psychologist. “We’re also trying to teach them that there are many things to [be] grateful for.”
Girls on the Run is a nonprofit educational program that works with girls as young as 8 to develop self-respect and healthy lifestyles through interactive lessons. “We think that’s really important to foster that at such a young age, so that when they’re faced with adversity when they’re getting older, they’re prepared,” said Elizabeth Lindner, the school’s social worker. “It’s a more proactive approach in setting them up for success.”
Lindner said that it has been a rewarding experience to see the growth in the program during its first year. Each week, she said, the girls reflect on previous sessions, using the knowledge they have gained to support others. She added that because of the school district’s grade-restructuring, which took effect this year — with Cornwell Avenue now housing students for grades one to three — many of the children met for the first time. Lindner said she hoped that as the students got to know one another, that would foster more interaction in the program’s collaborative projects.
Third-grader Emma Pearlman, who donated pasta and macaroni and cheese, said that while she enjoys the activities, she understands how important the program is. “People need food to survive, and they’ll need some money, too,” Emma, 8, said.