Brooklyn Education: I.S. 259 students wash cars for a cause

Students at McKinley Junior High School, I.S. 259 * * *

The P.S. 503 PTA held its first annual Spring Festival on June 1 and raised money that will be used to supply uniforms to families who request financial aid. P.S. 503 will be phasing in uniforms in grades K and 1 beginning in the fall of 2013.

The event attracted hundreds of attendees and featured a parents vs. teachers soccer match and chess blitz tournaments in the front yard; a flea market in the parking lot; a carnival on the patio featuring activities such as basketball, balloon animals and face painting; a live magic show in the auditorium; and raffle prizes, food and refreshments.

Demand for uniforms among P.S. 503 parents has been clear.The PTA sent home surveys to parents, and 78 percent of returned forms indicated that they wished to adopt a uniform policy.

* * *

This spring, learning about Pope John XXIII’s encyclical Pacem in Terris in religion class did not remain an academic exercise for Fontbonne Hall Academy’s juniors.

Responding to the 50-year-old call for universal activism for peace within our own society, 123 11th grade students assisted by their teacher Miss Donna Russo, began ProjectOne4all, with One4 representing their graduation year at Fontbonne.

By way of social media and networking, students are promoting their project’s cause, proving that small acts of kindness can create a greater change in the lives of others.

Each student wasgiven threebracelets to inaugurate the project.One bracelet is a memento for the student to keep. The second is to give to someone else to promote awareness for the project, and the third is to give to someone “caught in the act of being good,” performing an act of kindness or charity.

Fontbonne’s Class of 2014 invites you to support their cause by visiting them at their website ProjectOne4All.webs.com. They can also be reached via email at ProjectOne4all@gmail.com or Twitter and Instagram #ProjectOne4All.

* * *

The winners of the 2013 annual St. Edmund Preparatory High School eighth grade Writing and Photography Contests were acknowledged during an Incoming Freshmen Brunch held in the school’s gymnasium.

The writing contest required each student to write an essay about someone who has influenced his or her life. The 2013 winner, Roksolana Dushynska from I.S. 206 Joseph F. Lamb School, wrote an essay about her sister, Daniela, who taught her about perseverance and love.

The 2013 Photo Contest winner, Tatum Gargiulo from St. Mary Mother of Jesus/St. Francis Cabrini Academy, took the photo A Child’s Love. Her picture was chosen because it captured the true spirit of this year’s theme, “The Beauty That Surrounds Us.

This year’s winning essay and photo as well as past winners are on the school’s website www.stedmundprep.org.

* * *

For the past 19 years, Duffy Funeral Home in Park Slope has partnered with St. Saviour High School to offer an essay contest addressing societal issues faced by young people today. Recent essays have covered topics such as suicide and drunk driving.

This year, students were asked to write about Ordinary People Doing Extraordinary Things.The two winners of the contest were freshman Taylor Taglianetti and junior Keri Gill. Both students received cash prizes and certificates for their award-winning essays.