Patch Whiz Kid: 4th Grader Sydney Altbacker

This week’s Patch Whiz Kid is fourth grade student Sydney Altbacker who took the opportunity to turn her birthday celebration into a very giving and charitable event.

The Babylon Memorial Grade School fourth grader chose to have a birthday party that did something good for someone else. She asked her friends to donate gifts to "Toys for Tots" rather than give her birthday gifts. 

During the party, Sydney and her friends made blankets and toys to donate to animals in a local shelter.  Kelly Arcoleo, Sydney's teacher, describes Sydney as being generous, compassionate, kind, intelligent, and always going "above and beyond to be helpful to others." 

School Principal Eric Freidman said Altbacker got to help the animal shelter after reading an article about making fabric toys for sheltered animals. Then she extended the "giving" idea by also donating to "Toys for Tots." 

Freidman said she told him that doing such good things helps to show good character.  “Sydney, you seem to have a heart the size of a house,” said Freidman in his nomination of her for the Patch Whiz Kid distinction.