After reading “Balloons Over Broadway” by Melissa Sweet, Hampton Bays Elementary School second grade students in Heather Ellis and Erin McDermott’s class learned about the history of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and took on a balloon challenge. They designed their own balloon floats and then proudly paraded them around their classroom.

Hampton Bays Elementary School students were all smiles when Love on a Leash volunteer Bob Lynch and his dog, Ray, recently visited their classrooms. The students took turns petting and asking questions about 8-year-old Ray.

The visit was part of a new partnership between Hampton Bays Elementary School and the nonprofit Love on a Leash Foundation. Biweekly, a Love on a Leash volunteer and their pet will visit the school and stop in six classrooms for a 15-minute visit.

The therapy dog program provides students comfort, stress relief and smiles. All of the Love on a Leash therapy dogs are trained, certified and vetted before visiting schools, hospitals and more.

“We hope to expand the program in the future to additional classrooms,” said Principal Marc Meyer.

The partnership was brought to fruition by third grade teacher Nicole Neroulas, who researched the idea and presented it to the district.

The Hampton Bays Elementary School PTA and student community service group K-Kids teamed up during the month of November to hold a fundraiser that will provide gift cards to local families in need this Thanksgiving.

Through separate fundraisers, $1,000 in donations was collected and will be used to purchase supermarket gift cards for 35 families.

The K-Kids raised their portion through an annual rubber ducky sale.

To give back to their community, members of the Hampton Bays Middle School Builders Club worked to collect nonperishable goods for neighbors in need during the month of November. All items collected were donated to St. Rosalie’s Food Pantry.