Students are serving up valuable skills with Lynbrook North Middle School’s after-school Cooking Club. Open to all Lynbrook North Middle School students, the club is run by foreign language teacher Rebecca Krieger and has approximately 80 members who meet each month.
 
With such a high enrollment number, club members are separated into three different groups. Each group meets once a month to cook a tasty treat or dish with their peers. The chosen recipes are usually geared to fit the season or an upcoming holiday.
 
Throughout the month of October, members created pumpkin pie twists using crescent rolls, pumpkin pie mix, cream cheese, cinnamon and cinnamon sugar to taste. The students worked together as they read through the recipe directions and started preparing their pumpkin pie twists for baking.
 
The club is not only about what is on the menu though. The process of cooking teaches students how to be detail-oriented, patient, listen and work collaboratively as a team. The club is also is a great way for students to bond with their peers and make new friends along the way.
 
“The best part about being in this club is the food,” said seventh grader Jorielle Phillips. “We always have fun, eat food and we get to hang out and talk with our friends.”

Students from West End Elementary School and Lynbrook North and South middle schools recently celebrated the importance of inclusion with the Start With Hello program, sponsored by Sandy Hook Promise. The week-long program consisted of empowering activities and lessons to teach students to be more socially inclusive and connected. The week also was a prime example of how students are embracing the Lynbrook Public Schools’ 2019-2020 theme of the year, A Community of Caring.

During West End’s morning announcements, students gave tips on how to approach new students in the cafeteria or on the playground in a friendly way. Students were encouraged to say hello to someone new and fifth graders made sure no one sat alone unless they chose to. West End teachers were instrumental during the week as they played getting to know you games with their classes, read books highlighting different cultures and school dilemmas. The awareness about different cultures was integrated into West End’s Hispanic Heritage Celebration.

At Lynbrook North Middle School, a challenge was set for students each day during the week. Challenges included greeting a new student and making them feel included, writing a positive affirmation to a peer on a wall of positivity, doing a random act of kindness and sitting with someone who is alone. To end the week, North students enjoyed a photo booth outside of the cafeteria where they took photos with their new friends.

Similar activities were facilitated at Lynbrook South Middle School. Students kicked off the week with a three-minute Loving Kindness Meditation and wore name stickers as they were encouraged to say hello to new people in the hallways. Throughout the week, the students participated in unity games and activities to promote teamwork and inclusivity. They also enjoyed a photo booth with new friends, smile grams were sent to new students and field games were facilitated during lunch periods. Students were paired with a student they did not know and had fun playing games with the hopes of winning a prize.

The week allowed Lynbrook students to embrace new friendships, build a stronger school community and strengthen their understanding of empathy. 

Students throughout the district proudly showed their school spirit during Spirit Week from Sept. 16-20. Each school had a schedule with different themed days for students and staff to participate in.
 
At North Middle School, students and staff dressed the part for Military Monday, Team Tuesday, Wild West Wednesday and Throwback Thursday. The South Middle School community also enjoyed the fun-filled week by dressing in their best clothing, going tropical in Hawaiian shirts, wearing crazy hats and representing their favorite college throughout the week. At the end of the week, students throughout the district showed their Lynbrook pride in green and gold as excitement grew for the district’s homecoming festivities on Sept. 21.