Photo courtesy of Harborfields Central School District
The hard work and creativity of eighth graders Evelyn Bavaro, Millie Fox, Cailyn Lawn and Ava Spatafora of Oldfield Middle School in the Harborfields Central School District have gained these students a leg up on attaining the New York State Seal of Civic Readiness.
This past summer, Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction Dr. Danielle DeLorenzo asked middle school social studies teachers Michelle Da Silva-Burke and Christine Miller to write curriculum culminating in a project that would allow for interested eighth grade students to earn credit towards the New York State Seal of Civic Readiness for graduation. Under Dr. DeLorenzo’s direction, Da Silva-Burke and Miller attended multiple workshops on this new state initiative that urges young people to become directly involved in their communities. Oldfield staff also received training over the past year on project-based learning, which enhanced the development of the Seal of Civic Readiness curriculum.
The eighth graders were assigned national and local problems such as food insecurity, homelessness and environmental conservation. They were asked to research their assigned issue on both levels, and then identify a local organization that was actively working to solve the problem. The students’ final task was to create a public service announcement about how Oldfield could help to address the problem in the Harbofields community.
After the PSAs were presented and graded, Da Silva-Burke and Miller chose the best from their classes and held a gradewide vote. Evelyn Bavaro earned first place for her PSA addressing local water pollution and her idea of a “Trashion Show.” The team of Millie Fox, Cailyn Lawn and Ava Spatafora took second with their news report on food insecurity. The students’ videos were shown on the school’s morning announcements, and they won a gift lunch from Chipotle.
OMS Seal of Civic Readiness: Oldfield Middle School eighth graders Evelyn Bavaro, Millie Fox, Cailyn Lawn and Ava Spatafora were the winners of a New York State Seal of Civic Readiness PSA project.
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