News

North Fork Head Start celebrates its young graduates with parade

Some of the North Fork’s tiniest graduates were celebrated with a drive-by parade Tuesday.

Staff at the North Fork Head Start facility in Southold greeted a caravan of more than two dozen students and their families as they wound through the parking lot waving and saying hello.

In addition to a certificate honoring the end of another school year, students were also treated to bubbles, chalk, coloring books and crayons and toys donated by teachers and local nonprofit Kait’s Angels.

Each student also received an ice cream cone from Mister Softee.

A second ceremony will be Thursday to honor 23 children moving on to kindergarten next year.

Maria Fedele, a family advocate for North Fork Head Start, said staff at the facility decided to honor the students despite being shut down due to the ongoing COVID-19 crisis.

“We had to find another way to do this,” she said of the annual moving up ceremony. “While we’ll miss all of the families gathering to see the children singing songs, the intent is to let the children know how special they are, as well as bringing joy to those who love them.”