By Carrie James
"The parents in the school do a lot, and the winter breakfast is our way of saying thank you," said Susan Hyde, Meadowbrook assistant principal.
The school's annual Winter Breakfast, sponsored by the PTA, is just one of many endeavors that Meadowbrook Elementary faculty members and students are taking on this holiday season to show their giving spirit.
All district schools are showing a spirit of giving this season, whether by sponsoring a food drive or collecting gifts to give to those more needy. Not only do the projects make the students feel good, educators said, but they also teach them to give back to the community.
Every district school is helping the East Meadow Kiwanis with a food drive to fill a greater-than-usual need for food baskets, said Hyde, who as a member of the Kiwanis helped organize the drive. For years, the high-school Key Clubs have helped with food drives, but this year the Kiwanis approached all the schools to help meet the need.
"What has happened is that there are more families than in the past who are in need, and so it's going to be harder to meet the demands," Hyde said. "So, we approached the PTAs, and they said they would do whatever they could to help."
Each school is collecting non-perishable items, which the East Meadow Kiwanis will put into gift baskets that will be donated to area organizations to distribute.
Many of the schools are also taking part in the Toys for Tots drive, which the U.S. Marine Corps sponsors. Meadowbrook and Parkway are just two of the schools collecting new toys that will be donated to families in need.
There's also the winter-wear drive. Dr. Rita Meyerowitz, McVey Elementary School principal, said students have given to the "Coats for Kids" drive since early December. Meadowbrook is collecting hats and gloves for its "Cold Hands, Warm Hearts" drive, and all the donated items will be given to families in need, said Laurie Sprinzen, Meadowbrook PTA president.
McVey Elementary School is also sponsoring a "Giving Tree." Students can pick a tag off the tree that gives the information for a person in need, including gender, age, toy or gift. The presents will be donated to the Bethany House, a homeless shelter in Roosevelt, and local East Meadow families, Meyerowitz said.
Woodland Middle School's Builders Club also held a drive to provide families with needed items during the holidays. According to faculty adviser Richard Santer, the club collected and packaged 20 gift baskets of toiletries for the Nassau County Coalition Against Domestic Violence.
The baskets will be given to families at the coalition's Safe House.
"We have really great kids in the club," said Builders Club President Jacob Wilkins, who praised his members for their dedication to giving to others during the holiday season.
Participating in food, clothing and gift drives, especially during the holiday season, gives the children in the East Meadow School District a new-found sense of responsibility to their community, Hyde said.
"There is a character education piece in our curriculum," she said. "And we are always looking for ways for parents to demonstrate to their children how to be responsible citizens. We want them to know that the community is more than the walls of the classroom. A lot of kids have so much, so we teach them how to give back. It's our way of showing them how to be a good person."
While the drives might change from year to year, the end result is still the same, many involved in the effort said. Students, families and faculty members come together to help their neighbors in need.
"The East Meadow community has demonstrated repeatedly that it stands ready to assist families and individuals in times of need," Hyde said.
