Archives for October 2019

Each spring, many schools in Staten Island hold Basket Auctions to raise money. Attending an auction can mean big money for the school, but you can win some pretty sweet prizes for yourself too. Sounds like a win/win, right?

Please note that dates, times, locations, and seating availability are subject to change without notice. In addition, many of these events require tickets be purchased in advance. If you are interested in attending, please call the school and speak with the PTA or Parent Coordinator to confirm first.

Don’t see your school listed? Email jcintron@siparent-com.go-vip.net (subject line: Basket Auction) to include your school’s auction.

Gaynor McCown Expeditionary Learning School
Saturday, April 13 • 2pm
100 Essex Drive, 10314
(718) 370-6950

Girl Scout Volunteers of Staten Island Pick a Prize Basket & Gift Auction
Friday, March 29 • 7pm
Zion Lutheran Church • 505 Watchogue Rd

Holy Child Ladies Night Raffle
Thursday, April 11 • 6:30pm
Grand Oaks Country Club • 200 Huguenot Ave.
(718) 356-5159 or holychildprek@gmail.com

Holy Rosary School
Saturday, May 4 • 2pm
80 Jerome Avenue (enter on Bionia Avenue)
(718) 447-1195

I.S. 24
Friday, April 12 • 6pm
225 Cleveland Avenue, 10308
(718) 982-4700

I.S. 27 Spring Auction
Thursday, May 23 • 6pm
LiGreci’s Staaten • 697 Forest Ave.
(718) 981-8800

Petrides School
Friday, March 29 • 6:30pm
715 Ocean Terrace
(917) 202-5870

P.S. 23
Friday, March 29 • 6pm
30 Natick Street, 10306
(718) 351-1155 or ps23ptabac@gmail.com

P.S. 373R Raffle & Play
Saturday, March 30 • 1pm
We Rock the Spectrum Gym • 639 Veterans Rd. W
(718) 816-8897

P.S. 48 Spring Fling
Thursday, April 11 • 7pm
Labetti Post • 390 Hylan Blvd.
ps48pta@ps48.org

P.S. 53 Vegas Nights Auction
Thursday, April 18 • 6pm
Old Bermuda Inn • 2512 Arthur Kill Rd.
(718) 987-8020

P.S. 68 Raffle Rendezvous
Friday, May 10 • 6pm
Oriental Plaza • 1845 Richmond Avenue
ThePS68PTA@gmail.com

P.S./I.S. 48
Thursday, April 11 • 7pm
The Vanderbilt at South Beach • 300 Father Capodanno Blvd.
(718) 447-0800 • psis48pta@gmail.com

Our Lady of Pity-St. Anthony of Padua Youth Group Spring Fling Basket Auction
Sunday, March 31 • 11:30am
E.J. Michael’s • 137 Bernard Ave.
fmarchese@olpsare.com

Saint Adalbert
Friday, March 22 • 6pm
355 Morningstar Rd.
(718) 442-2020

St. Alban’s Episcopal Basket Auction
Friday, April 12 • 6pm
76 St. Alban’s Place (behind Denny’s)
(718) 984-7756

St. Christopher’s Basket Auction
Friday, April 12 • 6pm
15 Lisbon Place
718) 351-0902

St. Teresa Holy Name Society Spaghetti Dinner & Raffle
Sunday, March 24 • 1pm
Lower Church Hall • 1634 Victory Blvd
(718) 442-5412

Staten Island Giving Circle Basket Bash
Tuesday, May 7 • 7-10pm
Confections Dessert Lounge • 65 Page Ave.
statenislandgivingcircle.org

Team Valente’s 9th Annual Spaghetti Dinner for MS & Basket Auction
Saturday, March 30 • 12pm
ATU Local 726 • 3948 Amboy Rd.
(917) 403-5795

A massive measles outbreak in Rockland County has led officials to declare a state of emergency, banning all unvaccinated minors from public spaces (defined as “a place where more than 10 persons are intended to congregate). Anyone under 18 years old who has not had the MMR (measles-mumps-rubella) vaccination will not be allowed in public for the next 30 days. Violators’ parents could face fines or even jail time.

The ban comes on the heels of the largest measles outbreak New York State has seen in decades. There are 156 confirmed reported cases of measles in Rockland County as of today.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has seen six outbreaks in addition to Rockland County’s, including 214 confirmed cases in Brooklyn and Queens.

The outbreaks are mostly concentrated in ultra-orthodox Jewish communities, where resistance to vaccination is high due to religious and personal reasons. The current cases in New York and New Jersey are both linked to a measles outbreak in Israel last year.

Rockland county has administered 17,000 doses of the MMR vaccine since the outbreak started in October 2018, and nearly 6,000 unvaccinated children were sent home from school, thanks to an earlier executive order.

“We have the worst outbreak of the measles in the nation and great challenges call for bold action,” Rockland County Executive Ed Day said at a news conference held March 26. “This is a public health crisis, and it is time to sound the alarm and take the appropriate action that, while it may be the first in the nation, is necessary to address the crisis right here in Rockland.”

“We must not allow this outbreak to continue indefinitely. We will not sit idly by while children in our community are at risk. This is a public health crisis, and it is time to sound the alarm, to ensure that everyone takes proper action to protect themselves and their neighbors; for the health and safety of all of us in Rockland,” concluded County Executive Day.

Measles is a highly contagious respiratory disease (in the lungs and breathing tubes) caused by a virus that is spread by direct contact with nasal or throat secretions of infected people (when a person infected with the measles virus breathes, coughs, or sneezes). Measles is one of the most contagious viruses on earth; one measles infected person can give the virus to 18 others. In fact, 90% of unvaccinated people exposed to the virus become infected. You can catch measles just by being in a room where a person with measles has been, up to 2 hours after that person is gone. And you can catch measles from an infected person even before they have a measles rash.

The New York State Department of Health Measles Information Line is (888) 364-4837. For more information, visit the New York State Department of Health website.

Read Next | Health and Wellness Resources for Your Staten Island Child

Staten Island Parents Discuss How They Manage Their Kid’s Severe Allergies

When a child has the occasional common cold or stomach bug, parents often feel helpless as their kids suffer through the symptoms for a few stressful days. But, when a child is diagnosed with a severe food or environmental allergy, it can totally transform a child’s daily routine and lead to a lifetime of pain and suffering — with little relief and lots of worry, Staten Island parents said.

Calling 911 as she watched her two and half year-old daughter Cristina vomiting, turning shades of green and yellow, and having trouble breathing is a horrifying memory that Francine Brown will never forget.

Yet, the Huguenot mother said the experience taught her that life would never be the same when caring for a child diagnosed with a severe, life-threatening food or environmental allergy.

Unfortunately, she and other Staten Island parents aren’t alone — anaphylaxis to food results in 30,000 emergency room visits and 2,000 hospitalizations annually, according to the U.S. Food & Drug Administration.

At the time, Ms. Brown didn’t realize that her daughter was in the middle of anaphylactic shock after eating a cashew nut.

Anaphylaxis is a severe, potentially life-threatening allergic reaction that can occur within seconds of exposure to a food or allergen and triggers an immune system reaction that includes declining blood pressure, narrow airways, blocked breathing, skin rash, nausea and vomiting.

“She started with an itchy throat,” the Huguenot mother recalled. “Within seconds her lips and eyes swelled up like blisters,” she explained. She turned pale like a ghost.”

The words “Mommy, I can’t breathe” sent her into a panic during the ordeal and she frantically feared for her daughter’s life in the back of an ambulance.
“It took about six to seven hours before she woke up and started to be herself again,” Mrs. Brown said.

Life is not the same
Later, tests revealed Cristina was allergic to peanuts and tree nuts — today, her condition has dramatically changed her life and her family must take huge precautions in their everyday, normal routines.

Over 6 million children in the United States have food allergies, according to a new study from Northwestern Medicine in Chicago.

“As a parent it is the scariest thing ever,” Mrs. Brown said. “Everywhere we go it’s a huge concern.”
To make matters worse, her daughter — now a 5-year-old kindergartner — is also asthmatic, but regulated with medication and can participate in outdoor activities, like playing soccer.

“I worry every second of the day about her life — especially in school,” Mrs. Brown said.

Today, 1 in 13 kids has a food allergy, which translates to 2 kids in every classroom, according to 2019 statistics in the Northwestern study conducted by board-certified pediatrician and health researcher Dr. Ruchi Gupta.

Cristina, like many youngsters, loves to dance and is a Girl Scout — but her daily routine is highly impacted by her food allergies.

Her daughter has a paraprofessional at school, and can’t go anywhere without antihistamines, like Benadryl, and Epinephrine — a self-injectable medication known as an Epi-pen that is approved by the FDA to reverse severe allergy symptoms.

All family members are knowledgeable about how to administer her medication if needed — and about her limited diet, according to her mother.

The family is extra cautious when eating out and avoids foods, such as bakery items, ice cream, sprinkles, and Asian food. They almost always avoid having desserts at restaurants — unless the waiter takes a photo of the label for Mrs. Brown’s careful inspection.

They also avoid sleepovers, playdates — unless they occur at her house — and taking vacations outside of the United States.

“I carry snacks and food with me at all times,” Mrs. Brown said, adding that she supplies a container of nut-free snacks at school and brings her own desserts to birthday parties.

“We have been at a birthday party were they gave out ice cream cones with peanuts on it — we simply packed our bags and left,” she explained.

Meeting the challenge
When a severe peanut allergy sent Alex DeMeo to the emergency room at two years old after the introduction of peanut butter, his life went from playful toddler to anxious youngster, according to his mom Janine DeMeo of Princes Bay.

“As per his doctor, we rubbed a little up his leg, and worked up to his neck,” she said. “He had no reaction so we gave it to him on a cracker; he licked a little off and didn’t seem to like it.”

The area around his mouth was a little irritated, but his skin is sensitive and he seemed unfazed by the newly tested food, she explained.

“Within minutes he began vomiting,” his mom recalled. When vomiting continued after Benadryl was administered, they headed to the ER and he recovered after being given steroids, she explained.

He was later diagnosed as anaphylactic to peanuts, tree nuts, beans, peas, and mustard, and is one of the 1.6 million children affected by peanut allergies, according to Dr. Gupta’s study. Another 1.4 million are allergic to milk.

Now 9, his severe allergies hinder his daily activities, and his mom worries about the medical and social impacts.

“He has a lot of anxiety because of his food allergies,” Mrs. DeMeo said. “If he develops a random cough or irritation we both panic.”

The fear and anxiety is heightened when trying a new food — or unfamiliar conditions, she added.

“He always makes sure to ask what’s in what he’s eating, but he’s still young and really only trusts me to serve him — or to tell the server at a restaurant about his allergies,” she explained.

Besides avoiding snacks at school parties and elsewhere, Alex sits at a separate lunch table at school — and exhibits social and food anxiety, according to his mother.

“I am so worried as this allergy has stifled him,” Mrs. DeMeo said. “I feel that he feels different, left out,” she said. “We’ve thankfully never really encountered a situation where he has felt left out, or told he can’t have anything because of his allergies, but I know he feels different.”

Mrs. DeMeo tries to make life as normal as possible for her son, but it is a challenge — especially because Alex is an active fourth-grader who loves to watch and play baseball and wants to do things other kids do.

“He can’t just go for ice cream in the summer like all the other children,” she said. “He’s had to give up all the yummy desserts that all other children get to enjoy.”

In addition, she tries to allow him to enjoy his hobbies and interests — with minimal stress.

“We try not to avoid situations entirely because it’s not realistic,” Mrs. DeMeo said. “We go to baseball games, but we are very aware of people around us. We fly, but are very cautious and preboard.”

Older kids, growing worries
The heightened concern doesn’t get any easier when the child is older — especially if an allergy unexpectedly presents itself in the teenage years.

Deidre Noto-Piccolino knows firsthand how unnerving it can be to live with an allergy-impacted lifestyle after her son, Peter, suddenly became highly allergic at age 15 following surgery for osteoid osteoma on his tibia bone.

Shortly after surgery, crackers, juice, and other foods were bothersome to his throat — and one episode of eating cookies and peanut butter led to his throat closing up and he couldn’t breathe, she explained.

“It was diagnosed within that week that he was allergic to shellfish, peanuts, high fructose corn syrup, all corn products, and sesame,” Mrs. Piccolino said.

The surprising diagnosis triggered a new regime for Peter, now 19, after a lifetime of previously eating the foods that now are life-threatening to him.

“I am very concerned for him because his diet is not balanced at all,” his mom said. “It is very difficult to food shop for him,” she added. “I am so worried that he is just going to slip up one day and end up having to call 911 when he isn’t around me.”

Like others, Benadryl and Epipens are critical necessities — and heightened concern over food labels, hand-washing, and interaction with others have become the norm.

They try to minimize risk through being diligent, cautious, and careful when it comes to shopping, eating, cooking, dining out, and socializing.
“He has to be mindful of washing or sanitizing his hands after touching items or handshaking,” his mom explained.

She said a recent example of his high sensitivity occurred when he ate some finger foods without washing his hands after his dad handed him a key after touching almonds.

“He started having reactions immediately,” Mrs. Piccolino said, noting that the high fructose corn syrup and corn products are the most impacting on his life because they are so prevalent in foods, with sesame a close second.

“It is not easy to go out anywhere with him,” she said, adding that food has to be specially purchased, ordered, washed, prepared and cooked — and he has to bring his own food to work.

“As a teenager, he likes a slice of pizza or soda once in a while,” his mom said. But, he is limited to one pizzeria and can only drink Coke processed in Mexico.
She said he is very cognizant of his allergies and precautions — and will starve himself if he doesn’t have his foods or can’t guarantee that it will be cooked properly when dining out.

“He had had to learn to be very aware of his surroundings,” Mrs. Piccolino said.

“This is very difficult for him to handle as a young adult who likes to be very social, but holds himself back from going out with friends to different places because he has no control over what is going to happen or when it is going to happen.”

Be on guard, educate
Staten Island parents of children with severe allergies say education is key.

“Make sure they understand the importance of washing hands continuously, keep medication with them at all times, make sure the people they are with know about the allergies and the warning signs,” Ms. Piccolino suggested.

“All of Peter’s friends and his girlfriend are aware of his allergies and know what to do in case of an emergency,” she added.

Mrs. DeMeo advised parents to make sure restaurants can and will accommodate a child’s allergy, and frequent places that make children feel familiar and comfortable.
“We have mostly vacationed in Disney because Alex feels safe there,” she said.

One other positive aspect is his closest friends also have the same food allergies, “so going to friends homes is comfortable for him,” his mom noted.

While she can’t control people’s use and consumption of nuts, she can prepare her son for the future.

“We can’t ban them from everywhere, however, I do believe people can do a better job to teach their children compassion and empathy,” she said.

Mrs. DeMeo hopes as Alex gets older, he will be able to manage his allergies and have less anxiety. “I have done my best to teach him that he lives in a world with his allergens and it’s my job — and eventually his job — to make sure he can navigate in this world,” Mrs. DeMeo said.

Cristina Brown’s knowledge of her condition has advanced in the nearly three years since her frightening episode — but not to the point where Mrs. Brown can trust her on her own yet.

“The day will come where I have to let go and that thought is even more frightening,” she added.

She recommends other parents take one day at a time, always be aware, read labels carefully, and never be embarrassed to leave an uncertain, unsafe, or uncomfortable situation.

“Never let your guard down,” she said.

By Christine Albano

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OTHER SUMMER PROGRAM UPDATES & MORE!

The NYPD Summer Youth Police Academy is one of several innovative, effective programs that the Department provides for young people in New York City. The program gives young individuals between the ages of 10 and 15 the opportunity to train with police officers during the summer, leading to positive relationships between the Police Department and the city’s youth.

Participants attend the Youth Police Academy in the borough of their residence, five days a week for six weeks, from 8:30 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. Police Officers conduct classes that include lectures, role-plays, and demonstrations in the areas of law, behavioral science, drug prevention and gang resistance. The program also provides participants with lunch, uniform shirts, and field trips. Students engage in military drills like those done in the Police Academy and go on field trips to police facilities. Transportation is provided for the field trips although the sites are accessible by public transportation.

The Summer Youth Academy:

• Enhances responsible citizenship.
• Provides positive interaction with police officers and educates young people about the challenges and responsibility of police work.
• Encourages young people to take part in other youth programs offered by the Police Department such as: the Law Enforcement Explorers, Police Cadet Corps and the Police Athletic League.

For additional information, please call the Community Affairs Bureau’s Youth Strategies Division at 718-312-5079.

Apply Now

Apply for the 2019 Youth Police Academy. The application is a fillable pdf form. Please complete the application on your computer, save the form, and email it to communityaffairs@nypd.org

• 2019 Youth Police Academy Application Form
• Youth Police Academy Application Instructions

In the aftermath of Staten Islander Jeanine Cammarata’s tragic death, New Yorkers are being urged to wear purple on Thursday, April 11. The color represents domestic violence awareness.

The 37-year-old teacher and mother of three went missing last week and was later found dead in a storage locker in Arden Heights. Her estranged husband, Michael Cammarata, has since been charged with her murder. His girlfriend has also been charged in connection with Jeanine’s death.

Cammarata admitted to abusing his wife in the past, and domestic violence reports had been filed. The estranged couple was in the process of a messy divorce that included a battle for custody of their two children, who are currently in the care of ACS. Cammarata had served her husband with divorce papers just days before she went missing. We offer you a fantastic read on this case.

Heartbreaking memorials for Jeanine have been set up outside her home in New Brighton as well as at P.S. 18 in West Brighton, where she formerly taught. The hardworking mom was on staff at P.S. 29 in Castleton Corners and also worked a second job at Dollar Tree.

Friends have set up a Go Fund Me page to aid in funeral costs.

“Wear purple this Thursday, April 11th, for teacher Jeanine Cammarata and all others that suffer in silence. #stoptheviolence #justiceforjeanine,” was posted on the Facebook page for the group UFT Solidarity.

Raise awareness for domestic violence and to support Jeanine’s memory by wearing purple on Thursday. Learn more about the movement against domestic violence and other ways to support the cause at the National Domestic Violence Hotline.