ARC and Food Pantry

The ARC (Association Retarded Citizens) is a great place for our mentally challenged citizens to be part of the community and to feel worthwhile They help them get active by taking them to the fire station, the food pantry and other places to work. At the food Pantry they help by sorting the clothes and help pack the packages for the poor. Then they feel a lot better about themselves and know they have been actually helpful in the world!

D Sharkey

Food Drive with the help of ARC.

The food drive in Ballston Spa gets the help of many associations. But a very special one is ARC (the Association of Retarded Citizens). These people are very helpful to the food drive. They help put away caned items. They store items on the selves, help hang clothes and many more helpful things!
A woman at the food drive said that she is very grateful for their help. She also said that they help out in the fire department too. Some of these people in the ARC (the Association of Retarded Citizens) use to have nothing to do and even maybe thought of themselves as useless people. But now that they have something to do with their lives they are very happy! The woman said that she thinks they are very kind, loveable, and grateful people. She is so happy for their help.



M. Sullivan

Food Pantry

Ballston Spa Food Pantry



The Ballston Spa food pantry is a great place. The volunteers that work there will pack bags of food and other things that people need. You might think that they would need the most food donated to them around the holidays. I asked one of the people that worked there when they needed the most food. I was surprised when she said winter. The reason is because when people need to pay bills for heat, they might not have money for food. Most churches in the area will donate things to them. Some dentists will even give tooth brushes and tooth paste. Stewarts even gives their day old bread. You can donate food there too.


By A. Shaffer

Food Pantry

The 4th grade and the 6th grade went to the food pantry today. The people there where nice, and some of the people where there for a reason. Ex. One of person was there because her husband died 4 or 5 years ago. And other people where there because they saw someone and then wanted to help. I asked one of the main volunteers what part of the year people needed food the most. She said that the Winter is because people are trying to pay their heat bills and still need to buy food. But, Stewarts donates bread, and most of the churches donate milk, vegetables, and as a desert: pudding. Also some of the dentists donate toothpaste. After that trip I thought that I had made a difference!!



By : K.Breen

C Murphy Boy Scott's Food Drive

Boy Scouts food drive

The Boy Scouts of America help the food pantry with their annual scouting for food and other food drives. The scouting for food drive is when a local boy scout puts a bag on one’s front porch. A week later, the Boy Scouts will pick it up. This program is sponsored by United Way and Price Chopper. The Cub Scouts and the Girl Scouts help gather and distribute the bags.

C. Murphy

Ballston Spa - Food Pantry

Today St. Mary's fourth and sixth grade classes brought 40 bags containing complete meals to the Ballston Spa Food Pantry. We also had a brief visit with one of the pantry's main volunteers. Here's what we have learned so far!

Sister Debbie

International Day of Peace

The international day of peace is at St. Mary’s and the 6th grade is helping little kids hang up the pinwheels. It was cool to see the kids having fun and helping make the world a better place. After a long day of hanging up the pinwheels we (the 6th grade) had a little treat (ice pops) and it was good. Not only did the 6th grade help the world they also had a great time!!!!!!!!

K. Breen

International Day of Peace

Here in Ballston Spa, St. Mary’s school started their day of peace by setting up pin wheels for peace around the school. The six grade class took their time from their classes to help the whole school set up there pinwheels! It was such a great site to see!

First the children of St. Mary’s school started learning about peace and about how to become a peacemaker. There goal for the day was to be peaceful to one another. They also prayed for peace throughout the day.

Some ways you can make peace are by trying to convince Mayors, Governors and Heads of states to declare a Proclamation for peace. Also, you could write letters, volunteer in your community, and spread the word that we can help make Global Peace. You could also perform your own International Day of Peace play or you could read books about the International Day of Peace. Some simple ways are just being nice to your family members and share with others.

M Sullivan

International Day of Peace

Saint Mary School did a nice thing on International Day of Peace. We 6th graders helped tape up pinwheels for peace to make the day more special!
Then we stapled up doves. I saw little kids happily putting pinwheels up and really making it a peaceful day for us all .We yelled to the cars that if you want peace you have to honk your horn. After we ate popsicles, we went in to have peaceful day.

D Sharkey

International Day of Peace

International Day of Peace is a day when we try to be more peaceful people. It is also a day that you should try to make peace in the world and our communities. Some good ways kids can promote or suggest peace are write letters to our mayor or governor and volunteer in your community. There are so many ways to promote peace that I can’t write them down but you can do them. Kids at St. Mary’s made doves and pinwheels for peace. Sixth graders hung up the pinwheels and peace banners. I would like to make more pinwheels for peace because they are fun to make and they get people’s attention. Remember to be a peacemaker and that every day is peace day.

C Murphy

International Day of Peace

On September 22, 2005, the International Day of Peace, many schools did events in honor of the day. At St. Mary’ School, in Ballston Spa, NY, the whole school (Pre-K through 6th) were more peaceful than they usually are and they all made pinwheels for peace. They made the pinwheels with a pin, a pencil, and a square piece of paper and they wrote a peace saying on the pinwheels. The 6th graders and Sister Debbie (the technology teacher at St. Mary’s) put the pinwheels up on the fences by the school. You can be a peacemaker by not starting fights and being peaceful.

B Bausch

St/ Mary's Celebrates International Day for Peace

September 21 is the International Day of Peace. In St. Mary’s School, Ballston Spa, everyone signed their name on a Peace flag. Also, all of the children and some of the teachers made “Pinwheels for Peace” and they were hung on the fences around the school. The sixth graders helped the younger kids put their pinwheels up.
If you would like to do something for peace, you can write a letter to your mayor or governor asking them to declare a proclamation for peace. When they make the proclamation, you could organize a Peace Fair. You could also write letters for peace, or volunteer in your community, any way that you can tell that if we work together we can create a Global Ceasefire and Day of Peace in our homes and communities.

For more information you can visit the International Day of Peace site!

A Shaffer