Number Four School Students Donate Holiday Care Packages To Marines

Story and photo courtesy of Maureen Schwartz.

Lawrence teacher Maureen Schwartz and her kindergarten class at the in Inwood recently sent holiday care packages to United States Marines in Afghanistan, raising money for the project through bottle and can redemptions they collected throughout the school year. 

This was a social justice project that was implemented to encourage kindergarten students to have a 'voice' and to help the community. They learned lessons in math, recycling, and the district's Social Emotional learning curriculum on caring and sharing.

The students packaged shoe boxes to servicemen and women for the holidays, along with handwritten notes of thanks and bracelets.

Three representatives from the Blue Star Moms, President Cynthis Ventura, Nancy Neenan and Rosemarie Fitzpatric, along with U.S. Marine Lance Cpl. Billy Ventura, came to visit and mail the packages with the class.

Ventura noted that Schwartz's class was the youngest group to make care packages for the Blue Star Moms of Long Island.