Students in Mrs. Mercardante and Mr. Galletta’s third grade class at John F. Kennedy Elementary School recently explored their family culture. The students shared where their ancestors came from, family traditions, holidays and family recipes. Ms. Haritha, class paraprofessional, also presented her Indian culture. The students loved hearing firsthand about her culture, and Mrs. Mercardante had the chance to wear the sari. 

Students in Mrs. Peragine’s second and third grade class at John F. Kennedy Elementary School explored new heights by participating in a Greek STEAM challenge. The students used the ancient Greek post and lintel system to construct their own building using paper cups and cookie sheets. Their finished buildings resembled the Parthenon in Athens. The students enjoyed having different staff members – including class paraprofessional Ms. Tami who inspired the project – try out their construction model. The buildings were even able to hold up two adults.

Throughout the West Babylon School District, students and staff came together to help their community during the holiday season. While their efforts were a bit different this year, their good intentions and deeds spread to those in need.

On Dec. 10, a districtwide food drive through event was held. All food collected benefited the West Babylon School District food pantry located at the Senior High School. The pantry feeds West Babylon students and their families throughout the district.

Prior to Thanksgiving, the West Babylon Senior High School distributed 70 turkeys, along with the fixings, to West Babylon families. The turkeys were donated by the Lions Club and Stop and Shop. The high school also adopted 20 families for Christmas this year and flooded their homes with presents and food. Thanks to donations from the community and high school staff, they raised $1,500 for 10 families and the remaining families were adopted personally by central administration, transportation, teachers and families in the community.

South Bay Elementary School’s Parent-Teacher Association organized a mitten tree and coat drive in November. The school also held a virtual giving tree through a Target registry. South Bay’s PTA also holds “10 Can Day” each month. The fundraiser would typically happen at school, and students would bring in empty plastic bottles and cans. The PTA would then take the items for recycling and use the money to buy gift cards from Stop and Shop for the district food pantry. Starting over the summer, one West Babylon family offered to do the 10 can day offsite from their home. Parents can drop off recyclables to their home and this has resulted in an enormous surge in recycling. In October, the PTA presented the pantry with a check for $810.

The West Babylon Junior High School held a gift drive through Target where staff members can purchase toys and gifts online. The junior high also held a door decorating contest to bring some holiday cheer to the students and the building. Santapogue Elementary School held a mitten tree to benefit the local women’s shelter. The school has collected more mittens in different sizes and colors than ever before. John F. Kennedy Elementary School families and staff have purchased toys, games and clothes to help families in need.

Since the pandemic began, the food service department at West Babylon School District stepped up to make sure students and families had food. In March, the department started feeding the community from the West Babylon Junior High School as a grab-n-go site which continued over the summer months.

Once school started, the lunch department served school meals in different manner. All elementary students receive their meals delivered to the classrooms. Each student receives a cold bag that includes a milk, fruit, utensils and any other cold item that may be included with the meal and a hot lunch tray. Breakfast on the elementary level is now being offered as a grab-n-go breakfast bag that is picked up on the way into school to be eaten in the classroom.

On the junior high school level, small clusters of classes are served their lunch meals from kiosks that get loaded up, before each lunch period, in the kitchen and wheeled throughout the school.

“At the high school level, the lunch staff does an amazing job feeding the entire school in session in a 30-minute period as all of the students break to eat lunch between lesson block 2 and lesson block 3 around 10:15 every day,” said Jeannette Frabizio, West Babylon School District’s lunch manager. They serve from kiosks in the hallways as well as from the serving lines in the cafeterias. Serving stations are placed around the school so that students can remain socially distant when they are picking up their meals in a quick manner.

Breakfast and meal distribution for the take-home meals for the following day are set up at the entrances and exits of the junior high school and high school buildings as well. “We are also running a meal-pick up program for the remote only students on Mondays,” Ms. Frabizio said. “The family members of remote-only learning are able to pick up free meals for the entire week on Mondays out of the high school.”
Life is also very different this year for the school lunch staff as we are offering free meals to all students. Breakfast participation has more than doubled at all of the elementary schools due to this change, she said.

“The lunch staff has been amazing at altering their routines to meet the demands of this year,” Ms. Frabizio said. “They are working harder than ever to maintain high quality meals in a very unusual way. They miss seeing the students coming through their lines on a daily basis but are continuing to show pride in their work.”