South Salem's Meadow Pond Elementary Holds First ‘Community Day’

SOUTH SALEM, N.Y. – Meadow Pond Elementary School students in South Salem learned to “be their best” when the school held its first Community Day last week, where the children learned about good manners and being helpful through a series of activities and games.

“It was a terrific day of learning and fun,” said school Principal Carolann Castellano. “It supported our overall ‘Be Your Best’” theme, he said.

The event kicked off with a town meeting, during which students, teachers and parent helpers sang the school song, “We’ve Got That Spirit,” which symbolizes the pride of Meadow Pond and its philosophy of kindness.

Dawn Pomeroy, teacher on special assignment, then discussed the ideals of kindness utilizing a slide presentation based on the book “Fill a Bucket.” Students were reminded to “just be nice, use good manners, be helpful and be your best.” Students Sandy Radin and Todd Blamires demonstrated the themes when they presented Pomeroy with a sizeable amount of money that they had found on the floor of the school and thus helped “fill the bucket.”

Community Day include four activity stations. One featured a tie-dye activity that was organized by the Character Education Committee. With a little help, the students created their own unique shirt designs. The finished products were then worn to help celebrate the Student Leadership Team’s school-wide Tie-Dye Day.

At the mosaic magnet station, each student created a magnetic tile to form a mosaic display on the new white boards on in the cafeteria. These boards, courtesy of the PTA and several grants, will soon be available for special student projects and to exhibit information. Each grade decorated a board relating to the theme, “Be You Best.”

Class buddies (kindergarteners paired with third-graders) took part in games and challenges at yet another station that offered shoe and “fill the bucket” relays and a game that featured a giant, colorful parachute.

The final station involved a collaborative effort by the entire Meadow Pond community. Each grade was responsible for creating “trees” using bark, leaves or flowers and a variety of materials. The six completed trees were placed throughout the school to add to the “small-town feeling” of the school, Castellano said.

Community Day was not over when the school day ended. The following evening, students attended a Community Night and garden party featuring food, face painting, games and a DJ. Families had the opportunity to take a walking tour of the school to see what the students had accomplished the day before.

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