Hybrid learning and the COVID-19 pandemic did not hinder South Country faculty, PTA and students from generously donating food to assist those in need this Thanksgiving season.

At Bellport High School, the student council organized a food drive during the month of November and members successfully packed more than 30 large boxes for the Lighthouse Mission and for a number of individual district families. The student council also donated turkeys and hams, accompanied by individual donations from faculty and staff.

Student council adviser Ellen Hoffman said, “The student council has been really impressive in their drive to fill donation boxes as much as they can in a cohort setting. There are a lot of fresh new faces in our meetings and so many students want to help and be involved.”

Brookhaven Elementary School’s PTA also sponsored a schoolwide food drive for families in need of holiday treats. In order to support families and local businesses, community members supplemented donations with meals from Rudi’s Bar and Grill to be picked up by community families, school social worker Kate Coppola said.

Through the student council, Bellport Middle School also collected food throughout the month of November. Additionally, Verne W. Critz Elementary School donated 11 complete Thanksgiving meals to school families looking forward to celebrating the Thanksgiving holiday. The collection was sponsored by the PTA and staff.

Now more than ever, it is important for students to acquire the tools for a healthy and safe lifestyle. During the week of Oct. 26-30, the District promoted a healthy and drug-free lifestyle through celebration of Red Ribbon Week, an anti-drug campaign sponsored by the National Family Partnership.

Through participation in a variety of school-sponsored activities, students presented a unified and visible commitment to be drug-free school district. In addition to talking in school and with parents about this year’s theme “Be Happy, Be Brave, Be Drug Free,” students wore jerseys to “team up” against drugs, crazy socks to “sock it” to drugs, mismatched clothes to prevent getting “mixed up” with drugs and crazy hair to “use their heads” in not using drugs. They also wore red to pledge a lifelong commitment to Red Ribbon Week.

At Bellport Middle School, students attended a virtual presentation with Phil Januszewski and Matt Matkovich of M&P Productions and sponsored by Compass Unity.
The entertaining duo talked about embracing the awkward, self-confidence and a focus on the positive with an emphasis on what makes ordinary life extraordinary.

“When you take a healthy risk, you open new opportunities,” Januszewski told students.