Rocky Point kids send package to soldier

Rocky Point students recently put a spook-tacular twist on a character education program.

First-graders at Frank J. Carasiti Elementary School sent Halloween-themed care packages this month to Army Pvt. Kevin Blieka, a district graduate who is currently stationed in Korea, as part of a bucket-filling program that encourages kids to fill invisible buckets with positivity and good deeds.

The mailing is part of a yearlong effort in which the students will send themed care packages each month to Blieka's unit. Next month's packages will have a Thanksgiving theme.

"We all miss our mommies sometimes, and not everyone can be with their mommies," said Jessica Lukas, a special-education teacher who is coordinating the effort with general education teacher Christine Edmonds. "This is also a nice way to bring current events into the classroom and teach kids to say 'Thank you' at an early age."

The recent care packages consisted of some 30 pumpkin cutouts made of construction paper with personal messages written on the backs by students, along with toiletries and Skittles, which are Blieka's favorite candy. The latter items were donated by parents after Lukas sent a letter home with students that encouraged donations in early September.

Lukas and Edmonds footed the cost to mail the packages overseas. They hope to have Blieka meet the children when he returns home this summer.

"It's wonderful to see that some people care so much," said Blieka's mother, Carol, who works as a lunch monitor at Carasiti Elementary. "As a parent, I really have a sense of comfort."

The effort was linked to the social studies unit, Lukas said, with students being asked to find Korea on a map and discuss facts about the country.

COPIAGUE

In a spin with tops

Copiague Middle School students celebrated one of the world's oldest toys earlier this month through a celebration held in conjunction with International Top Spinning Day. Technology classes created tops using recyclable materials such as paper and bottle caps, and some students brought in tops they own from their ancestors' countries, such as Japan.

"International Top Spinning Day exists for two reasons," technology teacher Lauren Lefkowitz said. "One is to celebrate that tops are one of the oldest toys in almost every country, and the second is because the Earth is a giant spinning top."

MIDDLE ISLAND

Fighting cyberbullying

Longwood Junior High School held a districtwide program on bullying and teen depression for adults earlier this month that featured John Halligan, whose son took his own life in 2003 in Vermont after struggling for years with cyberbullying. During his visit, Halligan encouraged parents to monitor their children's cellphones and computers.

"It's not a matter of trust or privacy," he said. "It's responsible parenting to know who your kid's friends are and what they are doing. Technology allows bullies to be anonymous."

During a daytime assembly, Halligan also advised seventh- and eighth-graders to act as heroes, not bystanders, when bullying arises, school officials said.

COUNTYWIDE

Focus on fire safety

Dozens of Long Island schools recently educated students about fire safety and prevention through activities held in conjunction with National Fire Prevention Month.

At Blue Point Elementary School students were invited to operate a fire hose under supervision of firemen from the Blue Point Fire Department. They also held protective fire gear to become more comfortable with firefighters should they encounter an emergency situation in real life.

In Ronkonkoma, a crew and captain from the Lake Ronkonkoma Fire Department spoke to kids at Edith L. Slocum Elementary School about the importance of having an escape plan at home and replacing the batteries in a smoke detector on a regular basis.

In Port Jefferson, Edna Louise Spear Elementary School students watched a volunteer firefighter from the Port Jefferson Fire Department climb to the highest point of a truck's ladder to show how firefighters can rescue people from great heights.

ISLANDWIDE

Science essay winners

Five Long Island students recently earned honorable mentions in the 2011 Science Essay Challenge coordinated by the Delaware-based chemical company DuPont. Nearly 10,000 pupils from the United States and Canada entered essays on various science topics. Local winners were: Jericho: Michael Zhou of Jericho High School; Lynbrook: Zoe Daniels and Stephanie Mertz of Lynbrook High School; Plainview: Ravid Granov of Plainview-Old Bethpage JFK High School; Setauket: Carly Weber-Levine of Paul J. Gelinas Junior High School.