“Advocacy, access, achievement: Making the connection” is the theme of National School Nurse Day, being celebrated on Wednesday, May 9. The theme is reflective of the overall positive impact school nurses have on the health and well-being of students, according to the National Association of School Nurses (NASN).

The Iroquois Central School District, covering approximately 84 square miles, includes the towns of Elma, Marilla, Wales, Aurora, Lancaster and Bennington. The district serves approximately 2,900 students in six public schools, and also includes two Catholic elementary schools — Annunciation and St. Vincent de Paul.

Depew High School students in an advanced drawing and painting class recently completed a project that brought a smile to the face of a child living in Ecuador. The high schoolers created unique keepsake portraits for children living in an orphanage in Ecuador.

The Depew students took part in The Memory Project for the first time. The Memory Project is a unique initiative in which art students create portraits for children and teens around the world that have been orphaned, neglected or disadvantaged. These children usually have few personal keepsakes, so the purpose of the portraits is to provide them with a special memory of their youth, to honor their heritage and identity, and to help them build a positive self-image and to see themselves as works of art.