Deer Park students use creativity for change

The Deer Park School District was represented by nine students at New York State Assemblyman Andrew P. Raia's There Ought to Be a Law Poster Contest Award Ceremony. Students from John F. Kennedy Intermediate, John Quincy Adams and May Moore Elementary Schools were all honored for their winning posters. Through their creative posters, students proposed laws, some of which will actually be brought before the New York State Legislature in Albany for discussion.

Students at all three of these Deer Park schools reflected on their everyday lives, examining topics and researching topical issues - both large and small. After brainstorming possible solutions to everyday problems, students created informational and vibrant posters describing their law.

The There Ought to Be a Law contest spurred direct student participation in the legislative process, as students learned how to draft a bill and how a bill becomes a law. Thousands of established laws are the result of ideas from ordinary New York State residents. Students were inspired through their drafted legislative proposals and the idea that they can positively affect all New Yorkers.

Deer Park students, fifth from left Thomas Sandoval, sixth from left Deidre Burke, eighth from left Richard Incandela, ninth from left Samantha Perrone, tenth from left Trevor Sheehan and far right Amanda Muller are congratulated by Assemblyman Andrew P. Raia for their winning New York State law proposals. Other district awards were given to Kayla Caputo, Adam Lorber and John Boyd who are missing from the photo.

Shown in the photo, Deer Park John Quincy Adams student Richard Incandela's proposed law, "All commercial buildings shall have solar panels and they shall sell back any leftover power to the power company," has an opportunity to be brought before the state legislature.