Principal Alicanoglu’s Address
Good Morning Maspeth Family,
Today we celebrate health, wellness, and green spaces as a school community for our third Climate Action Day. We have so much to be proud of when it comes to all three parts of that theme.
Our physical education and health teachers work hard to create opportunities for their students to engage in activities that benefit their bodies and minds. I am thrilled to see them incorporate climate action into their lessons today. They and all staff members at MHS understand how profound and lasting their impact can be on students, and MHS grads journey into the world as lifelong builders of physical, mental, social, and spiritual wellbeing. No person’s wellness is isolated, and I know that the strength of our school is in all of us working together to achieve the things we know must be and things we dream can be.
Maspeth is a special place. From the day I first entered the lobby of our luminous building, I felt an energy here, one only possible when everyone is encouraged to be a learner and participant. We value learning as a process. We value self-reflection, persistence, growth, and excellence. We celebrate our many achievements while investigating what we can do even better. I hope that all of you today can think of your own physical, mental, social, and spiritual journey and the steps you will take to create your best selves. Those steps may sometimes be away from busy-ness and away from the distractions of technology. You too will one day be Maspeth grads (some of you in just two months) - You all will be tasked with changing a world that needs you.
Please enjoy today’s many climate action day activities planned by the Green Clubbers. We are excited to welcome Bentley Seeds today as we dedicate our new pollinator garden, bird houses, weather station, and anti-litter signage for our green spaces with our amazing custodial staff. During lunch, enjoy demos, games, and prizes and write your thoughts on the “Wall of Feeling.” Please thank the cafeteria staff who brought you a vegetarian, plastic-free lunch to honor our commitment to environmentally friendly food choices. Speaking of food, Mr. Bell and Mr. Powell developed a special food production lab today for science students to explore the impact of food systems on planetary health. Check out the lab setup and have a vegetarian smoothie with the Green Club after school in room 328!
I would like to now welcome members of the Green Club to read aloud the “MHS Climate Action Day Wellness Pledge.” Have a wonderful rest of your day!