Crowley talks to Garden School students

Garden School, an independent school in Jackson Heights, marked the beginning of its year-long program about being a good citizen with a speech delivered by Representative Joseph Crowley (D-NY) on Thursday, October 30.
During his speech, Crowley encouraged more than 300 students from pre-kindergarten through grade 12 to play a helpful part in their school, neighborhood and beyond.
Crowley also advised the students of Garden School, at 33-16 79th Street, to help their families because they are microcosms of a community.
Crowley’s speech helped the students grasp the citizenship concept taught at the school, said Richard Marotta, headmaster. “We’re stressing the idea of working in a community - that community can be as small as a classroom,” Marotta explained.
He said the students at his school have been involved in raising money for numerous causes - not just local, but also international, such as raising money for the victims of the China earthquake in May.
Marotta said all students got something out of the event. “He spoke to the older students when he talked about the committees he’s in and to the younger kids when he talked about family,” Marotta explained.
Crowley’s words about family appealed to older students too. Senior Casey Howard, 17, who is also the president of the Student Council, found them to be the most memorable part of the speech.
“How you treat your family is showing of how you treat others,” said Howard, who volunteers on several projects at school, like tutoring the younger students. He said he finds it rewarding.
“You cannot have citizenship understanding without being properly instructed,” said Crowley after the event. It isn’t always obvious how to contribute to one’s community, he explained.
At the end of the event came an announcement that the students would have an evening without homework because of their guest’s visit. This announcement made the younger students scream and jump.