Elementary and middle schools in the Connetquot Central School District recently participated in the district’s annual “Dignity for All Students Act Week,” which promotes acceptance and unity in all aspects.

Edith L. Slocum Elementary School facilitated a “kindness chain reaction” project where each class was assigned another class for which to complete an act of kindness. Fourth and fifth graders at the school also embarked on a scavenger hunt, using educational posters hung around the building to answer questions about mental health and bullying. DASA week at Cherokee Street Elementary School featured daily dress-up themes, including superhero day because “superheroes take a stand against bullying” and jersey day because “everyone counts.” At John Pearl Elementary School, students enjoyed a virtual assembly hosted by nonprofit Camfel Productions, centering around themes such as being the best version of oneself and treating others with kindness. The week’s programming at Ronkonkoma Middle School included a virtual yoga program available to all students, a DASA-themed art showcase and an activity in which students wrote about what makes them special by answering the prompt “I am more than…”

Connetquot Central School District thanks all elementary and middle school faculty and staff for working hard to ensure another successful DASA week, as well as the students for enthusiastically participating in the week’s activities.

Students in Tiffany Prin’s class at Ronkonkoma Middle School recently spread love around the school by hosting a Valentine’s Day craft fair. The students worked together to create and decorate a variety of Valentine’s gifts, including picture frames, bracelets, sweet treats, key fobs, puzzles and dog biscuits. Half of the event’s proceeds were donated to a fund supporting the medical recovery of treasured staff member Justin Hertz.

Sixth graders in Susan Tomassone’s art class at Ronkonkoma Middle School recently used pop artist Robert Indiana's famous “LOVE” painting as inspiration to create personalized drawings. The students’ work featured their own recreations of the text in the painting, surrounded by depictions of things they love, such as their favorite places, hobbies, interests and more.

Students in Anthony Carbonaro’s technical education class at Ronkonkoma Middle School recently completed an exciting project that involved working cooperatively to build wooden towers that could hold anywhere from 20 to 270 pounds. According to Carbonaro, “We worked on this project in class for about five weeks. Students drew thumbnail sketches, from which we selected the one we thought would be the best. Students then completed full scale drawings and constructed and assembled them.”

Sixth graders in Lindsay Ilg’s Family and Consumer Sciences course at Ronkonkoma Middle School recently sewed face masks from scratch. The students used fabric squares, T-shirts, and old pillowcases to create comfortable face masks to wear for the new year. Each day in class, the students made progress by pinning, cutting, measuring and sewing their project together. Once the elastic was securely fastened, they were able to start wearing them.