Half Hollow Hills Students Honor Our Veterans For Their Service

The students in the Half Hollow Hills Central School District have been creating cards with special messages and carrying out collections to show our veterans and active military personnel how thankful they are for their service and sacrifices.

The district’s youngest learners in Ms. Abarno’s kindergarten class at Otsego Elementary School learned about the importance of Veterans Day, and then drew cards that are being distributed by the nonprofit Operation Gratitude to veterans in hospitals. At Sunquam Elementary School, the student council wrote letters of gratitude that were delivered to veterans at an assisted living facility in Melville, New York. The art classes at Signal Hill Elementary School, West Hollow Middle School, High School East and High School West created cards that the Lions Club of Melville is including in care packages sent overseas to active duty military personnel.

Mrs. Paulsen, a second grade teacher at Vanderbilt Elementary School, invited her father and two of his friends to share with her class their experience as veterans and the importance of Veterans Day. The visitors were presented with cards by the students, which they plan to share with other veterans who they volunteer with at the Northport VA Medical Center.

Students at West Hollow Middle School are celebrating Veterans Day by collecting supplies like snacks, hygiene items and games for one of their security guards, Mark Sital. He is currently stationed in Saudi Arabia as a member of the U.S. Army.

The students at Candlewood Middle School honored their hall monitor, Hank Machold, with cards, letters and pictures that they created to thank him for answering the call to serve. Machold is a veteran and Purple Heart recipient who served in the U.S. Marine Corps during the Vietnam War.

“I am always impressed with the many special projects our students and staff carry out to honor and thank our veterans for their service to our country and vital work in protecting our freedoms,” said Dr. Patrick Harrigan, superintendent of schools in Half Hollow Hills. “We encourage a strong culture of service learning in Half Hollow Hills, with the belief that learning the importance of volunteering at a young age helps develop leadership skills and creates well-rounded young adults.”

An education-oriented community with high academic expectations, the Half Hollow Hills Central School District is located in a residential area of 50,000 people in the central part of Long Island, approximately 40 miles from New York City. Providing for the education of almost 8,000 students, the school district has five elementary schools, two middle schools and two high schools. Half Hollow Hills High Schools are fully accredited by the New York State Department of Education. The district is committed to providing all students with opportunities to excel in academics, athletics and the arts.