Students throughout the district recently celebrated the Thanksgiving holiday by taking part in festive events and educational activities designed to give back to the greater community. In the days leading up to this year’s holiday, students used their mathematical skills to create fresh baked goods for area residents, coordinated nonperishable food drives for those in need and took part in themed parades to bring joy to the community.

Idle Hour Elementary School fourth-grade students, parents, faculty and friends gathered together in the newly renovated “Cafetorium” for a fun and exciting Native American exhibition and feast in preparation for the Thanksgiving holiday.

First-grade students at Edward J. Bosti Elementary School put on their own version of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade for the whole community to see. With help from the school art teachers, the students crafted their own holiday-themed costumes, floats and decorations.

Fifth-grade students at Helen B. Duffield Elementary School collaborated with one another to create a delicious cranberry sauce to be used with their Thanksgiving feast. With help from volunteer family members, the students used their math skills to measure out proper ingredients before mixing everything together.

Several Oakdale-Bohemia Middle School sixth-grade students were recognized for their excellent contributions to New York State Sen. Phil Boyle’s “What Are You Thankful for This Thanksgiving” poetry contest. Amongst the recognized students were Angelina Dell’Isola Ortiz, Vittoria Marchetti, Gianna Hughes, Tommy Valerioti, Sara Sabatino, Anna Zimmermann and Luke Thomson.

With the help of school staff, students at Ronkonkoma Middle School were able to collect enough food items to ensure 21 local families had all the trimmings to enjoy a fulfilling Thanksgiving meal. Boxes were separated into A, B and C categories so that 27 boxes were able to be evenly distributed to the district families.

Connetquot High School coordinated a number of holiday food drives for those in need this holiday season. Students in Alaina Bennet’s class collected over 5,000 items alone, ultimately winning the schoolwide competition to see which homeroom could collect the most food to be donated. Additionally, continuing with their constant contributions to the community, the Helping Hands Club gathered, sorted and packaged enough products to be distributed to at least 11 Connetquot School District families.

As part of their Family and Consumer Sciences elective course, students enrolled in Connetquot’s Eastern Suffolk BOCES Regional Alternative High School program prepared a traditional Thanksgiving feast to be shared by district staff and family members alike.