Hauppauge Girl Scout Gives Back to Cleary School for the Deaf

Nicolette Paternoster is a Girl Scout Gold Award candidate. This is the highest achievement for a Girl Scout. Nicolette chose to work with Cleary School for the Deaf in Nesconset and raise funds to purchase supplies to start a sensory room for their school. She chose this project because her mother is a teacher for the deaf and as a result Nicolette was made aware of this very important need in the community.

Many deaf and hearing impaired children also have additional disabilities, including the inability to integrate all of their senses. This disability can also inhibit the ability to learn in the classroom setting. Before Nicolette’s project, the school didn’t have the necessary items or funds to provide a sensory room. A sensory room desensitizes the student to visual, movement and touch, when one or all of these areas are too distracting to them in the classroom.

In order to raise the necessary funds, Nicolette planned and ran a fundraiser at McGuire’s comedy club and held a “dress down day” at the company where her aunt works. The fundraisers were a great success and Nicolette was able to raise enough money to purchase the sensory room starter kit and some extra items that were on the school’s “wish list”.

Nicolette said that this project exceeded her expectations and felt that the most rewarding part was the actual presentation of the donations to the students and faculty at Cleary School for the Deaf on January 30, 2015. The teachers, principle, and superintendent were there. They unwrapped all of the gifts like children on Christmas and their faces were glowing. As a result of this project, Nicolette has gained leadership skills and the confidence to go outside of her comfort zone and she pledges to continue to inspire and educate others about the deaf and hearing impa