Student Government Comes to Aid of Sandy-Struck Students in Long Beach

As rebuilding efforts in Long Beach continue, the Ward Melville Student Government responded by collecting school supplies to replenish classrooms in the Long Beach school district that were hit hard by superstorm Sandy a few months ago.

According to Cristina Amato, Student Government Advisor, and Annette Goldberg, Student Government Assistant, the students at Ward Melville led the way in collecting more than 40 boxes of supplies such as new and used books, backpacks, crayons, markers, computers, blankets and games to help reconstruct those classrooms.

Long Beach Middle School Principal Michele Natali and Sean Hurley, director of social studies for the Long Beach school district, welcomed the donations. Joseph “Buddy” Hoffman, a social studies teacher and Long Beach native, took the Ward Melville student government representatives on a tour of the city.

Goldberg and Amato described the scene as jaw-dropping. In an email to Patch, they wrote:

"The storm surge went above the height of many homes, displacing its residents still today. Few shops are beginning to reopen, and much of the town has been condemned. Some streets are still lined with debris from the hurricane; cars that have not been reclaimed since the storm still line other areas. Students were awe-struck when they were finally taken to the boardwalk, a centerpiece of life for decades in Long Beach, which was torn to pieces from the storm."