Hicksville Robotics Clubs Doing Their Part During Pandemic

Created and donated 600 PPEs and 953 snack bags

Members of Hicksville Middle School and Hicksville High School robotics clubs, under the direction of adviser Catherine Temps, and with support from the Hicksville JBirds Team 1468 Booster Club, used their drive and determination to help others during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Hicksville Robotics 070320A — Hicksville Robotics Club students with their parents, adviser Catherine Temps, and board trustee Sunita Manjrekar donated 100 face shields and 100 snack bags to Nassau University Medical Center. Legislator Rose Walker joined the hospital staff in thanking the Hicksville groups for their generosity as they all gave an emphatic thumbs up.
(Photo courtesy of the Hicksville Public School District)

Using their own devices, students from both school clubs (including former club members and former students) produced personal protective equipment and assembled snack bags. To date, the clubs together created 600 face shields and assembled 953 snack bags, which they have delivered to 15 nursing homes, hospitals, fire rescue units and food pantries throughout Nassau and Suffolk counties. Students created face shields using their own 3D printers and a shared file. The Booster Club collected funds to purchase the contents of the snack bags.

Hicksville Middle School’s robotics teams–the Meteorites, Meteorites Squared and Meteorites Cubed-wrote approximately 150 notes of appreciation to essential workers on the front lines of the pandemic. These notes were placed in every snack bag.

Hicksville Robotics 070320B 1024x768 1 — Members of Hicksville JBirds Robotics Team 1468 with adviser Catherine Temps assembled snack bags for distribution to nursing homes, hospitals, fire rescue units and food pantries throughout Nassau and Suffolk counties.
(Photo courtesy of the Hicksville Public School District)

Kudos to current robotics team members Aniket Sonika, Sam Zhen and Sean Zhen, who came together to create the face shields. Former robotics team members Justin Hisgen and Steve Kelly, and Tyler Castagliola, a current Hicksville High School student, also created face shields. Special thanks to Paul Posner and Lisa Weyde from Massapequa for providing the clear plastic for the face shields.

Thank you to Alexander Diaz, Felix Diaz, Kevin Diaz, Bryan Eichenauer, Jenn Eichenauer, Jessie Kohli, Rohan Manjrekar, George Palermo, Sam Zhen and Sean Zhen for assembling the snack bags.

Temps made most of the deliveries of equipment and snack bags, with some help from Hicksville High School teachers Dena Civello and Alison Hagedorn.

Many thanks again to all of the students and adults who participated in this amazing collaboration of selflessness.

(Submitted by the Hicksville Public School District)