Community Corner

Free Playland Passes for Students with A's and Perfect Attendance

Winners of the Astorino Challenge in Education (ACE) rewarded with season pass to Playland, a press release from the Westchester County Executive's office.

 With the 2012-2013 school year recently completed, Westchester County Executive Robert P. Astorino today honored students who met a academic challenge he issued last September to Westchester County students in grades 6 through 12. The Astorino Challenge in Education, or “ACE,” offered a free season pass to Playland to students who signed up in September and achieved one of the two following benchmarks during the 2012-2013 school year: 
• Final G.P.A of at least 3.8, 95% or A average, or better (depending on the school’s grading system) -OR-
 • Perfect attendance for the entire school year.

Astorino touted the undeniable importance of a good education and said the ACE challenge was the county’s way of encouraging Westchester’s students to do their very best and letting them know that their friends, family and neighbors were behind them 100 percent.

“The ACE challenge was just a little incentive for our kids to let them know we were thinking about them throughout the school year and encouraging them to do their very best in the classroom,” said Astorino. “My message to students is that you can be whatever you want to be in life, but your success starts with a well-rounded education. That is why every day in school, it’s important to work hard and learn everything you can.” 

Astorino said the ACE challenge rewards both excellence and effort. “We set the bar high to win this challenge,” said Astorino. “We wanted the students to strive to do their very best.”

There were 138 students who accepted the challenge and more than half so far have provided the documentation required to prove that they met either the G.P.A. requirement, or the perfect classroom attendance requirement. The free season pass to Playland is good from the date of issue until the end of the season and includes free admission to the park and unlimited rides. The free season passes are made available through the Westchester County Youth Bureau.

 “We are happy to support the county executive’s efforts to encourage young people to excel in their education,” said Iris Pagan, Executive Director of the Westchester County Youth Bureau.

 “We extend our congratulations to their parents and to all those that love and care about them, as well. It takes at least one caring adult to make a difference in a young person’s life. At the Youth Bureau we are happy to have the opportunity to do our part.”


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