Doing good feels good, and at Briarcliff Middle School, there are countless opportunities for showing kindness to one another and to the community.
Recently, the school held a Thanks & Giving Boutique, which is an annual tradition centered on sharing with those less fortunate.
For several weeks, students brought canned goods, dry cereal and other non-perishable food items to the school. For every item brought, a student received one ticket.
On Tuesday after school, students across all three grades participated in the boutique and had the chance to use their tickets to “purchase” various items that the club members prepared, or participate in various activities.
The Nature Club had a station for decorating suncatchers.
The Greenhouse Club made pizza that students made from scratch at the school.
Eighth grader Alex treated himself to three slices.
“These taste homemade,” he said.
The Art & Clay club had a station for making gift tags.
ELA teacher Ali Mazza participated in the fun and made a gift tag for her dog, Solo.
“I’m going to get him a new bone and a chew toy, and a jar of peanut butter of his own, because I am not sharing mine,” she joked.
The Bears2Bears Club had a cookie decorating station where students could write positive messages on sugar cookies that Student Assistance Counselor and Club Advisor Alexa White baked at home.
The Writers Club made bookmarks and picture frames.
“The International Club made a cookie recipe book, featuring recipes for cookies such as Mandel Bread, gingerbread cookies and chocolate chip cookies.
“We are going to make a cookie swap in the club, so we will use recipes from the book,” said club members Grace and Daphne.
The Wellness Club made self-care packages that included a QR code to a free meditation, a printout of yoga poses, a coloring page for a mindfulness coloring activity, a tea bag, a piece of dark chocolate and an affirmation card.
Science teacher Julie Gallagher had a station for making mini yarn hats.
The event culminated with a lottery draw for an oregano plant from the greenhouse.
“It was great to have a community event like this and to have students be in a big mixed-age group, find a fun activity to do and have something to nibble,” said art teacher Jessica Dubin, who organized the event with special education and science teacher Bob Iovino. “This was a technology-free fun fair, and all for a good cause.”
“I would like to thank Lucio’s Pizza in Pleasantville for donating the dough to make the pizzas,” Iovino said. “I brought the other ingredients, and the students had fun baking the pizzas. They were excited to use rosemary that we grow here at the school.”
The event yielded 493 pounds of food which was donated to Feeding Westchester, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping people with food insecurity. This is the equivalent of 411 meals.
“This annual event is a celebration of creativity, community and the incredible spirit of Briarcliff Middle School,” said Principal Amy Gladstone. “It’s a true reflection of what makes our school so special, and it is possible because of the dedication and involvement of our amazing staff.”
All photos supplied by Briarcliff Manor School District
