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ALSO COVERING AUBURNDALE, COLLEGE POINT, DOUGLASTON, GLEN OAKS, FLORAL PARK
• LITTLE NECK LEDGER
• WHITESTONE TIMES
Aug. 21-27, 2020
Whitestone fourth-graders send letters
of gratitude to local frontline heroes
A LASTING LEGACY
Queens lost a towering figure when Claire Shulman, the first woman to serve
as borough president, died on Sunday, Aug. 16, after battling lung cancer and
pancreatic cancer. See coverage on pages 6, 7 and 20. File photo
BY CARLOTTA MOHAMED
A fourth-grade class at P.S. 209 in
Whitestone is spreading kindness by
delivering letters and postcards to everyday
local heroes in the community
during the COVID-19 pandemic.
During remote learning lessons,
the students’ teacher, Dawn Motchkavitz,
received guidance from Steve
Hartman of CBS Evening News, who
presented a series of videos entitled
“Kindness 101 with Steve Hartman.”
“I saw his special on the Sunday
evening news ‘On the Road With Steve
Hartman’ and I said, ‘That’s fabulous.
I love it,’” Motchkavitz said. “I got the
idea from him and every day I showed
a video of Steve Hartman going on the
road and finding wonderful people or
children who are displaying positive
character traits.”
After viewing the videos and
online discussions, the students responded
by writing a letter, poster or
card to someone they consider being
a community hero — such as a mail
carrier, police officer and security
guard.
“It was during the second week
of home instruction for the children,
and I felt that it was so difficult for
them to be separated from the school,
teachers and their friends,” Motchkavitz
said. “I wanted the children to
do something that children can do to
spread some kindness … it was scary
hearing about all of the deaths. As
little as children are, they can still
make a difference.”
One of Motchkavitz’s students delivered
a letter to a security guard
thanking him for his hard work and
keeping his family safe.
“I know you are going through
a hard time but keep on trying your
best to be good,” Azimbek Rabimov
said in his letter. “I know you can
help other people to do good like you
and you never gave up on your dream.
Keep on doing good in your life.”
Another student, Caleb Chan,
thanked a police officer saying,
“Make sure you are being safe and
healthy while working.”
Vanessa Yim wrote a letter to
Motchkavitz, whom she called a hero.
“Thank you for all that you’ve done
for me,” Yim said. “During these hard
times you still keep me educated. You
are funny, nice and a great teacher. I
am very grateful for your service of
teaching me in fourth grade.”
Although remote learning has
been quite difficult for Motchkavitz
and her students, she said the class
went beyond to help their everyday
heroes.
“One of their kindness character
traits was altruism, thinking about
someone else and not themselves,”
Motchkavitz said. “They spread some
kindness even though they had to
stay home, and I think they learned
life lessons about compassion and
being generous and respectful.”
Vol. 86 No. 34 28 total pages
2021
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