Westhampton Beach Middle School recently welcomed more than 130 kindergarten students from Westhampton Beach Elementary and sending districts — East Quogue, Remsenburg-Speonk, and Quogue— for a two-hour interactive Dental Health Day. The event paired eighth graders with kindergarten “buddies” for a morning of learning and hands-on activities designed to promote healthy habits and build meaningful cross-age connections.

The program expanded on the middle school’s popular Pillow Pocket Project, led by Kathleen Ciancio, family and consumer sciences teacher, which debuted last year. Eighth grade FACS students worked with their first grade buddies to create a pillow design on paper. The middle schoolers then worked for six weeks constructing a pillow reflecting their buddy’s design. They brought the pillow designs to life by cutting fabric, pinning and operating a sewing machine. Once complete, the middle school students’ hand-delivered the pillows to their excited buddies. This year, the initiative grew into a larger, meaningful community service-learning experience.

The event began with a special presentation by Dr. Victor Grazina, who taught students about proper dental hygiene and the importance of lifelong healthy habits. Following the presentation, buddy pairs rotated through a series of themed stations, including: games, a dental hygiene demo with Oric the Service Dog, who showed students how he “brushes” his teeth; book circles, where an eighth grader read a dental-themed story to the kindergarten buddies; a healthy snack station that reinforced nutritious choices and fun crafts connected to dental health. Kindergarteners also worked with their eighth grade buddy to create their pillow pocket design.

“This was an exciting and rewarding experience for everyone involved,” said Ciancio. “Our eighth graders gained the opportunity to mentor younger students and the kindergarteners — future eighth graders themselves —got to explore the school in a fun, supportive way.”

Date Added: 12/15/2025