Megan Pomara, a cosmetology teacher at Queens Technical HS, helps her student style a 6-year-old child’s hair.
Teacher Michael Martin of PS 157 in the Bronx leads students in a model airplane activity.
Michael Martin, a technology teacher at PS 157 in the Mott Haven section of the Bronx, wanted to get more involved in his union this school year, so he volunteered at the UFT’s Thanksgiving luncheon for students living in temporary housing. What he found surprised him.
“I thought I was coming to a simple event for the coat drive,” he said as children gathered around his craft table in a decked-out Shanker Hall on Saturday, Nov. 22. “I didn’t realize it was this whole big event — this is amazing!”
Before sitting down to a child-friendly Thanksgiving meal, the 150 students made crafts, painted model airplanes and decorated ceramic figurines. They built with LEGOs and applied temporary tattoos. Cosmetology students from Queens Technical HS offered face-painting, manicures and hairstyling. A fun-loving adult and a bulldog, both dressed as turkeys, roamed through the festively decorated room offering holiday greetings.
“Today is just about fun,” said UFT Vice President for Middle Schools Richard Mantell, the organizer of the coat drive and the luncheon.
The luncheon marked the conclusion of the UFT Middle Schools Division’s annual coat drive. At the end of the day, each student selected a winter coat from the 800 donated by UFT members across the city.
“The excitement they have when they get to pick out their jacket for the year makes it all worth it,” said Gianna Coppola, a paraprofessional at IS 72 on Staten Island. “They get to express themselves through their clothes, which is something many of us take for granted every day.”
Coats left over after the luncheon were set aside for distribution to shelters around the city.
UFT members who volunteered to supervise the craft activities and to distribute coats, hats, gloves, scarves and mittens said they felt the joy in the room.
“In the classroom, the children know they’ll be doing work,” explained Lance Schatzman, a 3-K teacher at PS 329 in Brooklyn. “Here, they can let their hair down, so to speak. It’s an unbelievable experience to see the smiles on their faces.”
The volunteers said that while they spend their days teaching students, the children had something to teach them that day.
“Sometimes you forget about the power of a smile,” said Martin. “I learn from students how simple things can make a difference.”
