Children at the John A. Coleman School in White Plains, a community-based special education program for young children, celebrated day number 100 in the current school year by helping others. They, their families and school staff members participated in a food collection drive that had a goal of collecting 100 items. According to Maureen Tomkiel, executive director of the school, “We tripled our goal. The Coleman School has been blessed with many generous and longtime supporters over the years and we felt like we wanted to show our appreciation and support of the Westchester community by ”˜giving back”™ in some small way.”
The food drive benefitted the Food Bank for Westchester. Tomkiel explained that leading up to the food drive teachers worked with their students explore what it means to help people in need.
MiAngela, a student in Coleman School”™s preschool inclusion classroom, Children”™s Place, said, “We did this because people needed food to eat.” Her classmates, Jack and Daniel, added, “People feel happy when they get food.”
