By Dylan Schroeder ’28
Five Chaminade freshmen traveled to the St. Martin de Porres Marianist School in Uniondale to spend time with some of the youngest members of the school’s afterschool program. Aiden Park, Nicholas Tsimis, Dylan Schroeder, Shaye Sykes, and A.J. Zilinek were selected to conduct story time, which involved reading children’s Christmas books and helping students complete coloring pages and a craft. The freshmen “auditioned” for this role by being the most expressive and enthusiastic readers when completing a public speaking assignment in their English classes.
Dylan Schroeder noted how attentive and engaged the St. Martin’s students were during the activities he ran. The best part for him, however, came when the pre-kindergarteners’ faces glowed as they proudly showed their creations. Shaye Sykes, who visited the kindergarten class added, “I had a lot of fun reading to the kids. [They were] very respectful and nice kids with great personalities.”
This December 12 visit was the first of what will be many. Ms. Heidi Hafner, one of the freshman English teachers who helped coordinate the event, stated, “We are excited about making our visits a regular occurrence. Mrs. Citrano and I have already begun discussing plans not only for the next trimester but also for growing the program for the 2025-2026 school year.” As it stands now, the Flyers will continue going back to St. Martin’s monthly to read to their new little friends and to color alongside them.
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