For the 150 animals sheltered at the Heavenly Angels Animal Rescue in Ozone Park, Queens, the 4th-graders of nearby PS 65 are truly the cat’s meow. The students raised more than $2,000 for the animal shelter through a combination of T-shirt sales, social media promotion and old-fashioned donations. Students in each grade at PS 65 hold monthly fundraisers that correspond with each of the school’s character pillars. When the school joined the UFT’s Community Learning Schools Initiative at the beginning of the school year, 4th-grade teachers chose to focus on the value of “community.” The Heavenly Angels Animal Rescue just down the block from the school was a natural fit for the students’ generosity. Through a fundraising website, www.booster.com, students and teachers sold T-shirts they had designed. The red shirts featured a heart and the words “PS 65Q cares.” To promote the fundraiser, staff members at the school spread news about the site on Facebook and other social media outlets. Students created posters that they hung throughout the school and collected pet food and supplies for the shelter. “Our students were proud of what a great job they did and how they were able to help,” said 4th-grade teacher Michelle Stango. “It gave them a real sense of responsibility to show how much they care by helping animals.”