Backpack giveaway

It seems the little ones in West New York have something new to smile about thanks to students from Memorial High School’s Future Educators of America (FEA) club and from the Tomorrow’s Teachers classes. Last Friday, Sept. 25, high school students distributed approximately 80 backpacks to kindergarten students from the new P.S. 2.
The backpacks were stuffed with supplies that included crayons, colored pencils, washable markers, rulers, scissors, composition books, and small pencil boxes among other school necessities.

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Approximately 80 backpacks were distributed to elementary school students.
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Student members of the FEA collected funds and supplies from faculty and staff as well as from local residents and a collection of business sponsors that included but were not limited to: bookstore Barnes and Noble from Edgewater, Walmart from Secaucus, Modell Sporting Goods, Dr. Morganstein, and the Friedman Discount Furniture store from West New York.
“The community really came together,” said Diana Stedman, district supervisor of English at Memorial High School. “We’d like to thank all of them,” said Michelle Madariaga, teacher of the second part of the two-part course Tomorrow’s Teachers.
“All the students were happy to take part in an event such as this,” said FEA Advisor Esperanza Alfonso. A teacher with nearly 25 years of experience, she teaches the first part of the course Tomorrow’s Teachers, designed to introduce juniors and seniors to education as a career,
“Some students aren’t sure of what is out there for them in college. Some may not know what career field is the best fit for them,” said Stedman. “This is a way for them to see if they would like to continue a career in education. In the future the course may give college credit.”
Stedman also mentioned that it could potentially lead to an academy being developed at Memorial High that would allow students receive not only college credit, but also, it would be mentioned on their graduation diplomas, a factor that may attract colleges.
“One of the things students like about the course are that they get to leave the classroom for some hands-on experiences,” said Madariaga. Through the two-part course elective, Tomorrow’s Teachers, students are able to go to other schools in the district and interact with children.
For more information on Memorial High School, visit their new website at: http://www.wnyschools.net/district/mhs/.
Melissa Rappaport may be reached at mrappaport@hudsonreporter.com