YOUTH ON THE GO
New Paltz High School’s Peer Leadership Club recently introduced “Teen A La Carte” — formerly known as the Teen Closet — where all students can go for personal hygiene necessities they may need or want. Those items can include deodorant, shampoo, toothpaste, body wash, toothbrushes, socks, floss, menstrual products, water, combs, hair spray, shaving cream, stain removal sticks, and more.
The products, located on a cart outside of the Health classroom, are easy to access and free of charge.
Peer Leadership Club members Ella Constable and Cleo Verderosa, both seniors, have been particularly involved with implementing the cart. Both said that they soon recognized that it was important to destigmatize using the cart by broadening the concept of “need” to include situational need as well.
Several other members of the Peer Leadership Club joined Constable and Verderosa and visited all of the school’s Social Studies classes to make students aware of the cart’s existence and to spread the word that the resource is available to anyone with an immediate need. “We explained to the classes that anyone can take from it — like if you come to school one day with bad breath — you can come to get a toothbrush and a tube of toothpaste or mouthwash,” Constable said in a press release.
Verderosa added, “If you are on your way to practice and need to put your hair in a ponytail, you can come to grab a hair tie. Teachers or anyone in the building are also welcome to take it from it.”
The girls also suggested that anyone feeling too shy to take an item off the cart can always ask a friend to retrieve it. Since the classroom outreach began, they said, the cart has begun receiving regular visitors, noting that lip balm is a hot ticket item.
Peer Leadership Club Advisor and Health teacher Shannan Magnetico said the initiative is extremely meaningful to the club members and others in the school community. “One teacher’s daughter had a birthday party and asked for her gifts to be items to donate for the cart,” Magnetico said in the release.
New Paltz High Principal Samuelle Simms said she appreciated that the students have led this initiative and have decided to add some new items, like nail polish “The main goal, however, is to provide much-needed items in a ‘laid-back’ way,” she said.
Magnetico said the school is currently accepting donations of brand-new personal hygiene items, as well as individually wrapped snacks, socks, underwear, and sweats or leggings. To donate, contact Magnetico by email at smagnetico@newpaltz.k12.ny.us or call the school’s main office at (845) 256-4100.
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Rondout Valley High School student Marley Pileggi was named a commended student in the 2022 National Merit Scholarship Program.
Pileggi was honored for his strong academic promise, as demonstrated by his performance on the qualifying test used for program entry. The Rondout Valley senior is among 34,000 commended students throughout the nation being recognized for their excellence in education. Although they will not continue on in the 2023 competition for National Merit Scholarship awards, Commended Students placed among the top 50,000 students who entered the 2023 competition by taking the 2021 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test.
Pileggi is the captain of the school’s varsity soccer team and participates on the track and field teams. He is the president of the National Honor Society and a peer leader, as well as a member of the school newspaper, Science Olympiad team, and Math Team. He is also the captain of the Mock Trial team, where his impressive performance in last year’s trial resulted in him being offered an internship with a local attorney. He plans to follow a law track and major in linguistics next fall.
Rondout Valley High School Principal Jessica Torok praised the accomplishments of the honoree. “Marley is an impressive student and a valuable member of the Rondout Valley school community,” she said. “We are extremely proud of him, and wish him well as he continues his educational journey.”