PAINTING THE SUMMER IN GLORIOUS COLORS
Summer fun is often associated with surf, sand, swimming pools, and barbeques, but for the Sayville students from elementary through high school who attended the Extended School Year program at Lincoln Avenue, summer fun was filled with creative activities.
For six weeks, twenty-five students engaged in a variety of garden-improvement and beautifying projects. With the help and guidance of their summer school teachers, the students prepared the courtyard gardens by weeding, planting, and painting rocks to label the herbs and flowers in the revitalized garden beds. The students also used their painting skills to enliven several wooden benches in lovely pastel colors as well as built and painted fanciful bird houses.
"It was so amazing,” enthused Teacher Nicole Garcia, "watching the transformation of the garden in the six weeks we spent together. Having all of the students be able to participate and the hard work that went into it was truly rewarding to see. Teamwork makes the dream work!"
“Our goal over the summer,” added Stacie Gigante,Administrator and Summer School Principal, “was to maintain and generalize skills in the areas of communication, social, and academic development. The students utilized these skills to work on pre-vocational development,” that proved to be “a comprehensive, collaborative effort by both staff and students!”
The program ended with an Ice Cream Party to reward the industrious students and with a beautiful outdoor area where Lincoln Avenues students and teachers can enjoy learning activities or use as a place to go to reflect! Several Lincoln Avenue teachers have already expressed their excitement about using the space as an outdoor classroom.
Special thanks go to Lincoln Avenue elementary school for hosting the program this year and to the school teachers listed below who provide their enormous help:
Jennifer Hawthorne
Nicole Garcia
Anthony Papalia
Phil Anzalone
Justine Parcelluzzi
Principal--Stacie Gigante
Maleena Dionisio-Peer Model
