This press release was written by Senior internship student Natalie Baron.
This year, grades from throughout the Albion Central School District packed bags for the Orleans County Department of Social Services to provide support to foster infants, toddlers, children, and teenagers.
Mrs. Miller & Mrs. Hitchcock’s Kindergarten classes put together infant bags with aid from their music teacher, Mrs. DeMena, and the Elementary School’s social worker, Mrs. Nicholson. Items that were packed included safety locks, books for reading to babies, rattles, and baby blankets made by Mrs. Zayac’s High School Child Development class. Along with these items was stuffed a brochure providing information about why nurturing, safety and reading are important.
Bags for children aged 6-10 were created by fourth grade students from Mrs. Kast, Mrs. Napierala, and Mrs. Salerno’s classes. Music teacher Mrs. DeMena and the school’s counselor, Mrs. Badura, helped out. Included were fidget toys, books about emotions, math games practice cards, rain sticks, and fleece blankets. Mrs. Moskaluk’s Middle School math students completed research on math games and designed a pamphlet to be provided to foster parents talking about how children can learn math at home.
Mrs. Conde’s literacy classes in the High School created the bags for teenagers, filled with literature chosen by the students, fleece blankets, fidget items, journals, and personal hygiene items.
The district’s service-learning coordinator, Toni Plummer, worked with DSS to find those in need and reached out to teachers to make this project possible. This has been another successful project that teaches students how to help community members in need.