BC News

Clarksville and Slingerlands 'sister schools' unite for a great cause
Release Date: Feb. 4, 2010

Perhaps there are no two better reasons for students to come together
than what brought a busload of Slingerlands fifth graders to
Clarksville on Feb. 2: getting to know fellow students and helping
those in need.

As part of the Sister School relationship forged earlier this year by
the two schools, all Clarksville and Slingerlands fifth graders united
on that day for a work party to benefit residents of the Marillac
Family Shelter in Albany.

Students created cards and banners, made blankets and counted
donations for the shelter's residents.

"I think that when they go there, they can't take much with them,"
said Slingerlands student Ari Miller. "They're probably cold, so we're
giving a card with it to say to have a nice day and, because it's been
hard for them, the future is going to be better."

Since launching earlier this year, the Sister Schools program has
picked up some serious steam. The fourth grade classes of Mrs. Jones
and Mrs. Ward have combined on a sister class, or buddy, relationship
and have had multiple exchanges over videoconferencing and other
online social networking tools.

Earlier this winter, the two schools and their PTAs joined forces to
provide an afterschool enrichment program.

As fifth grade students contemplate the move to Middle School next
year, the joint activities are great way for them to
get to know some of the future classmates they will finish their years
at BC with. Two of the fifth grade classes participated in a Web chat
prior to the work party.

"And then they came here," Clarksville student Riley Pelow said. "We're working together and we actually get to meet our partner in real life."

Fifth grade teachers said helping the shelter was a great opportunity
to get their students together and contribute to the broader community
in a positive way. Slingerlands student Ari Miller agreed.

"With the groups going together with the two schools, I think that's
really cool," he said. When you want to make a difference, it's good
to do it with a lot of people, and I think it's really smart to do it
with two schools and not only one.  

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