Blue was the color of the day at East Lake Elementary School on Jan. 9 for the second annual Law Enforcement Appreciation Day. Dozens of police officers visited throughout the day to talk about their vital role in protecting the community.
The uniformed guests were family members of students and staff. They showed off their equipment, talked about a typical day in law enforcement and answered questions from curious students. Police officers visited classrooms and hosted grade-level presentations in the All-Purpose Room.
Each guest engaged students in a unique way. One officer flew a drone for a class while another read a children’s book. Outside, children got to see a pair of police motorcycles.
The officers came from variety of agencies including Nassau County Police, the New York City Police Department, Port Authority Police and village departments. They also represented different police units.
A LEAD committee of more than a dozen administrators, teachers and staff members planned the event. Co-chairs Toni Farrell and Kelly Laura said that the police officers were asked to emphasize their roles as community helpers.
“We want students to know how special and important police officers are, and understand how they protect us,” Ms. Farrell said. “We are coming together as a school community to honor them for their service.”
Students made a variety of crafts that were hung throughout the building to show their appreciation for the officers. First graders penned thank-you notes that the guest could take home or bring to their colleagues.
Tim Kornbluth, a retired NYPD sergeant who has a child in fifth grade, enjoyed interacting with the students. He said they asked a lot of questions about his experiences and wanted to hear his most memorable stories.
“Massapequa is a very big law enforcement community,” he said. “For the school to recognize the sacrifices that we make is so important.”