As we enter this season of giving, I want to take a moment to recognize the spirit of community and care that makes Pittsford Schools unique. The holidays are a time of joy and togetherness, but they can also be challenging for families who may be struggling and in need of support. Ensuring that our students and their families feel welcomed, valued, and supported is at the heart of our District’s mission, and Pittsford’s staff and students are the heart of our schools and community who provide support through numerous charitable collaborations and drives during the holiday season and throughout the year.

One example of this is the ongoing partnership between the District and Pittsford Youth Services to case manage needs across the district. A Backpack Food Drive is ongoing to fill backpacks with non-perishable items that students and families can easily access and bring home. This drive originated in response to local needs expressed by the Outreach Committee of the First Presbyterian Church who partners with the Pittsford Food Cupboard. To participate, please drop items off directly to the Pittsford Food Cupboard (3800 Monroe Avenue) or deliver them to the Student Services Office or Leylan Thompson, Student and Family Engagement Coordinator for Pittsford Schools at 75 Barker Road, District Offices.

Giving back to the community is also demonstrated regularly by the Mendon and Sutherland High School students involved in Pittsford Rotary’s Interact Clubs. In addition to collecting donations for the Pittsford Food Cupboard every month, students participate in many activities throughout the school year demonstrating the organization’s mission of “service above self.” They volunteer at epilepsy awareness and Special Olympics events, pick up litter and plant flower bulbs along the Erie Canal walking path, entertain elementary students with carnival games at school picnics, salute Honor Flight Mission veterans as they return from once in a lifetime trips to Washington, DC, and much more.

Outreach through our nine schools teaches students the importance of helping others and the joy that comes from acts of kindness. Some of the other ways students contribute to the needs of their community include holiday-time food drives at elementary schools, Calkins Road Middle Schools’ food and gift drives for the Happy Birthday Cha Cha Cha organization, Barker Road Middle School’s Community Service Club, and “Adopt a Family” gift giving among students at the high schools and athletic organizations who collect and deliver holiday meals and gift items for families in need.

The Pittsford Education Foundation offers another way for community members to help provide essential resources to students beyond what the government can provide. Its latest initiative is focused on the mental wellbeing of students in the Pittsford Central School District by providing support and education in the areas of destigmatizing mental health, suicide prevention, training for best practices, and the staff, technology and supplies needed to support these efforts. I invite you to learn more at https://www.pittsfordedufoundation.org/projects.

This is just a glimpse of the inspiring work our staff and students are doing as a school community, and I’m deeply grateful for their dedication to making a meaningful difference in the lives of others. It is a privilege to be part of a community that unites to create a positive impact both within our schools and beyond. As you celebrate Thanksgiving with loved ones, may you take a moment to appreciate the strength of community, the joy of togetherness, and the role each of us has in bettering the lives of others.