FIVE DAYS OF PEACE AND GOOD WILL AT PHILLIPS AVENUE
Phillips Avenue celebrates the holidays with "FIVE DAYS OF PEACE AND GOOD WILL".
(December 16, 2013) Each year just prior to the holiday break, the Phillips Avenue School’s students and staff celebrate "Five Days of Peace and Good Will". Each day during the week, the students receive a gift. Some are gifts they can hold in their hand (toothbrushes, books, sweatshirts, small toys) and some are gifts that they will hold in their hearts or their heads (e.g. a performance, like the one given by the "Mad Scientist" on Tuesday, December 17th.).
"The gifts that our students receive are from some amazing organizations and people that embrace the spirit of giving. Throughout the week," notes Phillips Avenue Principal Debra Rodgers, "we encourage our students to find ways that they can give as well as receive."
(December 16, 2013) Each year just prior to the holiday break, the Phillips Avenue School’s students and staff celebrate "Five Days of Peace and Good Will". Each day during the week, the students receive a gift. Some are gifts they can hold in their hand (toothbrushes, books, sweatshirts, small toys) and some are gifts that they will hold in their hearts or their heads (e.g. a performance, like the one given by the "Mad Scientist" on Tuesday, December 17th.).
"The gifts that our students receive are from some amazing organizations and people that embrace the spirit of giving. Throughout the week," notes Phillips Avenue Principal Debra Rodgers, "we encourage our students to find ways that they can give as well as receive."
DAY ONE OF FIVE DAYS OF PEACE AND GOOD WILL! -- HAT DAY AT PHILLIPS
(December 16, 2013 - Phillips Avenue) Students in Mr. Deschamps' class wore some very clever hats on Day One of the Five Days of Peace and Good Will at Phillips. Take a look at the slide show and then check out the video (right). Wearing their theater hats, the students in the dual language kindergarten class acted out "THE LITTLE GINGERBREAD MAN" in Spanish and English for their parents. (See Video.) Following the performance, the kindergartners were invited to decorate a little gingerbread boy cookie AND THEN EAT IT! The students also received gift bags. All of the Phillips students also received a toothbrush and toothpaste from the Stony Brook Dental Van, which was at the school to provide dental services for those students who signed up for the dental exams given by the residents from the SBU School of Dentistry in November. |
HAT DAY AT PHILLIPS -- These hats move. Watch closely. Also see a performance of "The Little Gingerbread Man" by the dual language kindergarten classes.
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DAY TWO OF "FIVE DAYS OF PEACE AND GOOD WILL" -- FEATURED THE "MAD SCIENTIST".
(December 17, 2013 - Phillips Avenue) Each day during the week, the students receive a gift. Some are gifts they can hold in their hand (toothbrushes, books, sweatshirts, small toys) and some are gifts that they will hold in their heads (e.g. a performance, like the one given by the "Mad Scientist" on Tuesday, December 17th). Check out the video (below) and the slideshow (right).
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DAY THREE OF "FIVE DAYS OF PEACE AND GOOD WILL" -- FEATURED "JOCELYN'S OPERATION HOLIDAY SPIRIT.
(December 18, 2013 - Phillips Avenue) The Phillips Avenue family had a special treat on Wednesday with the arrival of Santa, who drove up in a semi instead of a sleigh. His elves all had one thing in common--they have a soft place in their hearts for kids--and love to see their faces light up.
"The gifts that we received, notes Principal Debra Rodgers, "are from some amazing organizations and people that embrace the spirit of giving. On Thursday, December 20, Santa and some of the nicest elves in New York arrived at our school with a tractor trailer full of items for our children. This group of people have supported our school in the past, but they really out did our wildest expectations today." Joe Rabb, one of Santa's helpers, explained, "The donations come from a number of sources. We receive about 600 letters to Santa from children. The letters differentiate between what the children 'need' and what they 'want'. We try to give them some of both. Then the shopping and the wrapping begins. The smallest children get a huge red bag full of gifts, and the older children get a duffle bag full of gifts. Some of the most common needs are hats, coats, and gloves. This is really a grassroots charity--100% of the donations go directly to the children. Yellow Freight (YRC) donates the use of the tractor trailer for transporting the gifts and often the stores where the shopping takes place learn where the gifts are going and chip in or discount gifts." The smiles for Santa as he talks with the children is almost as big as the big red and white bag of gifts he gives them. Another treat this year included a dramatic presentation by the dual language kindergarten students, who did a dramatic reading of "The Gingerbread Man" in both Spanish and English. A highlight in hilarity (especially for Principal Deb Rodgers) came with the arrival of Dominick the Donkey (who shall remain anonymous). THANK YOU TO ALL OF SANTA'S HELPERS! Check out the video and the slideshow (right). |
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