Thursday, October 1, 2026
Long Island Jewish Valley Stream recently visited Brooklyn Avenue School in the Valley Stream 24 School District to see the impact of its “Sponsor a Classroom” initiative.
The program’s donations have provided new resources to students and teachers, helping to enhance learning experiences.
Thanks to fundraising efforts, LIJ Valley Stream fulfilled the wish lists of two Brooklyn Avenue School teachers: fourth-grade teacher Leigh Tamburello and kindergarten teacher Joanna Walbrecht. In September, Board of Education Vice President Markus Wilson, Superintendent Unal Karakas, Principal Scott Comis and school staff collected more than a dozen boxes of supplies from the hospital.
“We are very grateful for this collaboration, which truly reflects the power of strong community partnerships,” Karakas said. “Our Board of Education recently approved these generous gifts from Northwell at its business meeting. By working together with our community partners, we are able to provide resources that expand opportunities and empower our students to succeed.”
Tamburello’s classroom received instructional resources, including a Cricut machine, school supplies, birthday prizes and other materials aimed at boosting student engagement and creativity. Walbrecht’s kindergarten students received early-learning materials such as a puppet theater, kitchen playset and hands-on items supporting creativity, social-emotional learning and imaginative play.
The district continues to foster community partnerships that support educators and provide students with high-quality learning opportunities, thanking Northwell Health’s LIJ Valley Stream for its commitment to the community.
