Monessen middle school students show gratitude to police department
Among a group of Monessen Middle School students who prepared breakfast for the Monessen police on Law Enforcement Appreciation Day were Aaliyah Rice, Student Council vice president (front), and Bella Rizzuto, Student Council secretary (back). (Photo courtesy of Stephanie Kirkpatrick)
Submitted photo
Law Enforcement Appreciation Day gave Monessen middle school students and Monessen police officers an opportunity to get to know each other better. Enjoying the breakfast were, front row, from left, Ashlyn Clancy, Ava Petruska, Rhianna Grogan, Abby Rhome, Raven Anderson, Kendra Jones and Chief of Police Jim Smith, as well as, back row, from left, Officer Cody Klempay, Officer Jimmy Stoken, Officer Chris Gray, Josh Walters, Aaliyah Rice, Bella Rizzuto and Lacey Caterino.
Every day, officers from the Monessen police department put their lives on the line to keep the community safe. To show their appreciation, a group of Monessen middle school students recently prepared a special breakfast for Monessen’s officers and got a behind-the-scenes look at how a police department operates.
Stephanie Kirkpatrick, a sixth-grade English language arts teacher for the Monessen School District, said that the students planned the breakfast as a way to give back to the community and forge an even stronger relationship with the Monessen police department.
“I am a huge proponent of philanthropy, and I personally feel that we need to bridge the gap between the community, the school and the police department,” said Kirkpatrick who also serves as student council sponsor for the middle school. “When I presented this idea to the students, they were excited about being a part of the event. They felt that making breakfast was a small way to show their appreciation for all that the Monessen police do for us.”
The breakfast, which was held in conjunction with Law Enforcement Appreciation Day on Jan. 9, was served at the Monessen Police Department, where students made pancakes and eggs and also set up a table filled with bagels, muffins, breakfast bars, juice, milk and coffee. The school’s student council paid for the breakfast using proceeds from fundraisers.
Monessen Police Chief Jim Smith said his department was touched by this outpouring of gratitude from the students.
“It was definitely a pleasant surprise,” said Smith, who also took the students on a tour of the police department. “We aren’t used to people doing something like this for us.”
After serving breakfast, the students sat down with the police officers to enjoy food and fellowship. Bella Rizzuto, an eighth-grade student and student council secretary, said she enjoyed making pancakes, serving breakfast and talking with the officers.
“Several of the officers were ready to go on duty,” she said. “Seeing them prepare for their day was a strong reminder that these individuals make a lot of sacrifices for us every day. I love how our student council gave me an opportunity to become more involved in the community.”
Those sentiments were shared by Abby Rhome, an eighth-grader and student council public relations officer, who said, “I appreciate everything our police do for us every day. It was nice to show our support by serving them breakfast.”
Other student council members who helped prepare and serve breakfast included Aaliyah Rice, Joshua Walters, Lacey Caterino, Ashlyn Clancy, Kendra Jones, Ava Petruska, Rhianna Grogan and Raven Anderson.
Kirkpatrick said that the event was a tremendous learning experience for the middle-school students.
“School isn’t always about academic education,” she said. ‘It’s also about real-life education. Law Enforcement Appreciation Day gave our students a chance to develop a deeper respect of everything the police do to keep us safe.”
Kirkpatrick added that the Monessen School District has a great relationship with the Monessen Police Department.
“The officers patrol our halls every day and occasionally step into our classrooms to talk to the students,” she said. “They also provide security for Monessen’s sporting events, as well as offer professional development training for our teachers. We strive to make our students feel comfortable talking to the police and build trust, knowing they can talk to the officers if they ever need anything.”
Smith said the Monessen Police Department works hard to change the stigma about law enforcement.
“So many kids are taught to think that we are the bad guys,” he said. “If they see a police officer approaching them, they think that we’re there just to take someone to jail. What we try to do is let the kids know that we’re there to help them. When we started visiting the schools, students were a little apprehensive at first. But now, they know our officers by their first names and give them high fives as they walk down the hall. Above all, the students know that we are always there to help them.”
Kirkpatrick said the breakfast was such a great success, that the Monessen School District plans to make it an annual event. The student council is also organizing a similar breakfast in May for fire fighters and first responders.
“Monessen is a small community and just about everybody knows each other,” she said. “I think it’s great for our students to get to know the people who serve and protect our community. And it’s important for the community to know that we have a great group of kids who want to do good things for Monessen. This is a win-win for everybody.”