By Josh dinetz
editorial@antonmediagroup.com
On Thursday, Oct. 15, The Wheatley School took part in the annual Day of Service and Learning. Students and teachers took part in a number of community service events either on campus or off. This year, a new event was commenced: Stop Hunger NOW! The goal of this event was to make thousands of sandwiches which would be donated to charity.
Day of Service and Learning started seven years ago after a staff development meeting, said Karen Klapper, assistant principal. She was quick to add that it is a pleasure to see faculty and students work side by side and it is a “very important day.” The students would agree. During the day, students sign up for events that they feel they would excel in, which gives them the opportunity to work with new people that they might not have known. Many students credit the Day of Service and Learning for making new friendships while giving back to the community.
Another popular event, Horsability, took place on the campus of SUNY Old Westbury. There, students learned what life on the farm was like and how not to take what they have in Roslyn for granted. After the hard work, they did get to pet and enjoy the beautiful horses. Back on campus, students cleaned up the SWS Garden where organic produce is grown and used by the school’s SWS Community. Mrs. Allison Chanin-Bermudez, one of the advisors of Day of Service and Learning, said that this day “enhances students self awareness and installs a better sense of self-worth.”
Another event that is a favorite of many students is going to the North Side Elementary School. Wheatley students had the opportunity to work on the obstacle course in the gym, assist second grade teachers on making special Halloween decorations for the classroom and helping fourth graders with Common Core math that they learned probably when they were in ninth grade. It was a major culture shock for these high school students to see how the Common Core has affected the younger kids.
More events during Day of Service and Learning are making pillow cases for children in hospitals, singing to the elderly in nursing homes, cleaning up Christopher Morley Park, making care packages for children in homeless shelters and volunteering at The Inn.
