The semi-annual awards ceremony includes honors for academics, athletics, leadership, and outstanding communications.
Photo credit: Ronni Newton
Submitted by West Hartford Public Schools
The West Hartford Board of Education held its semi-annual awards ceremony on Tuesday, Feb. 2, 2016, at King Philip Middle School, recognizing students and educators for academic and athletic achievements as well as excellence in leadership and communications.
The following awards were presented:
ACADEMICS
National Merit Semifinalist: About 1.5 million juniors in some 22,000 high schools entered the 2016 National Merit Scholarship Program by taking the 2014 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT), which served as an initial screen of program entrants. The nationwide pool of semifinalists, which represents less than one percent of U.S. high school seniors, includes the highest-scoring entrants in each state. The number of Semifinalists in a state is proportional to the state’s percentage of the national total of graduating seniors. Congratulations to Conard students William Dickinson and Anis Ehsani and Hall High School students Margaret Kinabrew, Madison Manning, Thomas McManus, Michael Stambler and Jakob Woods Weber, for being named semifinalists in the competition.
Commended Students in the National Merit Scholarship: The College Board recognizes students whose High Selection Index places them among the top 5% of more than 1.5 million students who took the preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test in the fall of 2014. Conard students Zach Boehm, Sarah Downes, Natalie Joseph, Andrew Olmstead, Zenith Rai, and Hall High School students Emma Brody, Julia Colliton, Noah Drazen, Lili Fishman, Jack Hutensky, Justin Katz, Caroline Kriesen, James Leung, Chloe Li, Michael Li, Nicholas Lombardo, Grace Luipold, Bethany Onyirimba, Hima Patel, Bridget Patterson, Carolyn Roche, Joseph Siegel, Marina Tinone, Samuel Weinberg, and Aida Zhu have qualified for this award.
National AP Scholar: This award is given to students who have earned an average score of at least 4 on all AP exams taken, and scores of 4 or higher on 8 or more exams. Congratulations to Hall High student Marina Tinone and Conard students Vinh-Kha Le and Pavlo Lyalyutskyy, for being named National AP Scholars.
AP Scholar with Distinction: This award is granted to students who receive an average grade of at least 3.5 on all AP exams taken, and grades of 3 or higher on 5 or more exams. The following Conard and Hall High School students have qualified for this award: (from Hall) Sophia Altimari, Talia Feldman, Philip Gitman, Jack Hutensky, Margaret Kinabrew, Caroline Kriesen, Chloe Li, Nicholas Lombardo, Thomas McManus, Akriti Mishra, Eric Mohan, Bethany Onyirimba, Noah Schulman, Joseph Siegel, Michael Stambler, Marina Tinone, Samuel Weinberg, Jakob Woods Webber, Dale Yu and (from Conard) Sophia Appicelli, Maria Armillei, Sarah Binder, Zachary Boehm, Sean Cavanaugh, Emma Damokosh, William Dickinson, Derek Ehle, Anis Ehsani, Isaac Gilles, Michael Hennessey, Ajay Jagjivan, Jacob Judd, Vinh-Kha Le, Emily Ledwith, Ansley Levine, Pavlo Lyalyutskyy, Aidan McCaffrey, Julia Monyak, Grace O’Connell-Bach, Angel Serrano, Jefrin Thomas, Gabiel Turco, Kristina Vakhman, Gabriella Vogel-Freedman
AP Scholar with Honor: This award is given to students who earn an average of at least 3.25 on all AP exams taken and grades 3 or higher on 4 or more AP exams. The following Conard and Hall High School students have qualified for this award: (from Hall) Nathaniel Baldwin, Samuel Bidwell, Noah Drazen, James Leung, Lily Levin, Grace Luipold, Madison Manning, Arun Narikatte, Hima Patel, Bridget Patterson and (from Conard) Jackson Bell, Lanceley Bondoc, Camilla Bowin, Lucas Busch, Clara Capone, Liam Connelly, Jonathan Davis, Diana Festa, Abigail Gosselin, Katherine Gosselin, Madeline Gregory, Cole Hollant, Natalie Joseph, Matthew McCormick, Syeda Naqvi, Elizabeth Narwold, John O’Connor, Kate Olguin, Andrew Olmstead, Wallace Phelps, Kevin Presing, Zenith Rai, Nathaniel Richam-Odoi, Michael Sisti, Michael Tuite, Kaylin Wu.
AP Scholar: This award is given to those students who have completed 3 or more AP exams with grades 3 or higher. The following Conard and Hall High School students that have qualified for the AP Scholar Award: ( from Conard) Alexandra Abels, Hugo Barrillon, Josiah Blackwell-Lipkind, Liam Bruce, Rachel Burke, Joseph Campbell, Kevin Chen, Meghan Cobb, Elizabeth Crosby, Kyle Dale, Callie Dannhauser, Gerson Echevarria, Luke Flege, Matthew Flynn, Michael Gammon, Kathleen Gerity, Eve Gilles, Kayla Golden, Rebecca Gotthelf, Isabella Gradante, Adrianna Graham, Bryce Halter, Mitchell Hamilton, Olivia Heintz, Julia Hook, Pei Ivins, Robert Iwerson, Caroline Kane, Arjun Kaneria, Laura Keck, Anna Kirklin, Nicholas Lagana, Madeline Lynch, Josie McCormick, Zacharie Mega, Nicholas Meredith, Carlie Musto, Samuel Newton, Cassie Orkin, Rosemary O’Rourke, Erin O’Shea, Owen Painter, Ethan Patterson, Katherine Policelli, Carson Reale, Cailyn Regan, John Rinald, Avery Schott, Philip Simplicio, Karman Singh, Alanna Uthgenannt, Astrid Isabella Villamil, and (from Hall) Emma Brody, Xiang Cai, Julia Colliton, Kyler Cubbage, Trevor Darling, Rafaela DeConstantino-Laurentino, Owen Farley, Sean Farley, Lili Fishman, Jacob Gershon, Jacob Ginden, Daniel Gitelman, Allyson Graulich, Alison Greene, Joseph Hochman, Justin Katz, Adrienne LaForte, Michael Li, Yusuf Malik, Ashvini Melkote, Natalie Nanez, Jose Paz Soldan, Grace Percival, Celina Porcaro, Carolyn Roche, Miriam Schwartz, Karo Shakhnazarov, Zhihui Xu, Zhiya Xu
National Merit Hispanic Recognition Program: The National Hispanic Recognition Program is a College Board program established in 1983 to provide national recognition to the exceptional academic achievements of Hispanic high school students. In order to qualify for this honor, a student must take the PSAT/NMSQT, and earn a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher by the middle of junior year. Conard High School is proud to announce that Kate Olguin has been named a scholar in the College Board’s National Hispanic Program. Kate belongs to the Hermonics Jazz Choir and has taken music composing classes at the Harte School. She also volunteers at a soup kitchen through her church group raising money for My Sister’s Place, a shelter in Hartford. Congratulations also to Hall student Marina Tinone who also named a scholar in the program. Marina is secretary of Hall’s National Honor Society, co-captain of Hall’s Model United Nations Club and also volunteers at Autism Families CONNECTicut and facilitates a monthly teen night for youth with autism.
Mathematical Association of America: The American Mathematics Competition Grade 8 (AMC 8) is a 25- question, 40-minute exam. The content of the exam focuses on middle school mathematics, and it is designed to assess the development and enhancement of problem-solving skills. Many problems are intended to challenge students by offering problem-solving experiences beyond those provided in most middle school mathematics classes.
By virtue of their scores, the following students have earned Gold Medal status from the Mathematical Association of America: from Bristow Middle School, Ella Novitsky, from KP Middle, Andrew Sun, from Sedgwick Middle School, Brian Puleo. All these students earned the highest scores at their schools.
Guinness World Records: The Guinness World Records has named Webster Hill Elementary School as the record holder of the world’s largest origami butterfly with its measurements of 4.36 by 3.29 meters. This monumental act was recorded on March 11, 2015, in the school’s gym under the direction of math tutor Madelyn Filomeno and physical education teacher Eileen Shahverdian. Students Amy Ni and Annie Lopez Lopez folded a 7.3 meter craft paper into the origami butterfly. The idea began several years ago as a result of the school’s Family Math Night. Students learned about angles and mathematical equations while having fun constructing and problem solving. Students created origami butterflies on a small scale, then larger and larger models until one day they decided to create a new world record with Guinness.
Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching: The Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching recognizes those teachers who develop and implement a high-quality instructional program that is informed by content knowledge and enhances student learning. This award is considered the most prestigious honor a STEM teacher can receive. Awardees serve as models for their colleagues, inspiration to their communities, and leaders in the improvement of mathematics and science education. Congratulations to Conard High School teacher Jackie Corricelli for being named the recipient of the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching. Mrs. Corricelli traveled to Washington, D.C. in July, 2015 to participate in the award ceremony. President Barrack Obama presented the award to each of the recipients. Mrs Corricelli joined the West Hartford Public Schools in 2010. She currently teaches AP Computer Science and AP Computer Science Principles within the Conard High School Mathematics Department.
The Stock Market Game: Fourth and fifth grade math Quest students played the Stock Market Game this fall. This competition is sponsored by the Hartford Courant and SIFMA (Securities Industry Financial Markets Association). In the game, each team starts with $100,000. They trade with real-time online prices from the New York Stock exchange and try to earn as much as they can in ten weeks. Teams from Norfeldt, Bugbee and Smith STEM won First, Second, and Third Place respectfully in CT. There were forty-two teams in Connecticut in the fourth and fifth grade division. All teams gained money from Amazon and Google and the First Place Team from Norfeldt earned over $14,000 from PCRX, a pharmaceutical company. We have some great investors! Congratulations to the following student investors:
From Norfeldt: Adam Godel, Justin Dinowitz, Dylan Albanese
From Bugbee: Ethan Striff-Cave, Tristan Hunt, Vincent Sullivan
From Smith: Lillian Fletcher, Henry Frank
First LEGO League (State Tournament): Smith STEM School Quest and after-school students participated in the FIRST LEGO League challenge this fall. Students had to build and program a LEGO EV3 robot to score points in under 2 ½ minutes. Students also had to create a project and presentation about recycling and be judged in robot design and teamwork. One team, The Waste Warriors, won First Place for their robot which had the most points scored in a single run from base. The second team, The Trash Terminators, won First Place for team spirit. Both teams advanced to the State tournament where they performed well. Special thanks to Quest teacher Kathy Hardesty, and parent Pete Towey, for coaching the teams. Congratulations to the following students who participated in the FIRST LEGO League challenge: Avery Allen, CJ Bukowski, Elizabeth Carnemolla, Estelle Cohen, Marcel Cohen, Ford Gillespie, Saharandeep Kaur, Lucia Martinez-Castro, Xavier Prince, Amelia Sabol, Grace Samuel, Garrett Selstad, Eilyaan Shakeel, Emory Sirman, Lucas Steadman, Delaney Towey, Minso Tumbahangphe
LEADERSHIP
West Hartford Teacher of the Year: Congratulations to Jennifer Lanese, English teacher at Hall High School, for being named the 2015-16 West Hartford Teacher of the Year. Jennifer received both her bachelor’s and master’s degree in Secondary Education, English, from UConn. The Teacher of the Year process is rigorous, beginning with nominations from other teachers. Nominees then submit a resume, essay, and recommendations. Finalists have a lesson videotaped; the Teacher of the Year Committee formally interviews the final three candidates and then makes a decision. Congratulations Jennifer on this outstanding accomplishment!
U.S. Senate Page: U.S. Senator Chris Murphy appointed Amina Lampkin, a junior at Hall High School, as a U.S. Senate Page for the fall 2015 Senate Page Program. As a Senate Page, Amina is one of just thirty high school juniors from across the country to be selected. Senator Murphy stated, “The Senate Page Program is a rewarding opportunity for our nation’s future leaders to learn firsthand about policy and to develop the skills they’ll need to improve our communities through service. Page responsibilities include delivery of correspondence and legislative materials within the Congressional complex, taking messages for members, preparing the Chamber for Senate sessions, and carrying bills and amendments to the desk. Pages are also required to attend classes each morning at the Page School beginning at 6:15 a.m. The Senate Page Program is administrated by the Sergeant at Arms, the Secretary of the Senate, and the party secretaries.
The CT Association of Public School Superintendents: Congratulations to Hall student Marina Tinone and Conard student Will Fowler for being selected to receive the CAPSS Student Recognition Award. This award is bestowed upon an individual who demonstrates leadership service to his or her school, academic prowess, and service to others in their community.
Eagle Scout: Eagle Scout is the highest-ranking award given to only a select few for their demonstration of leadership and service. Only about 4% of Scouts have earned the rank since 1911. To earn the Eagle Scout rank, a boy scout must fulfill requirements in the areas of leadership, service, and outdoor skills. A number of specific skills are required to advance through the ranks of Tenderfoot, Second Class, Star, Life, and Eagle. Congratulations to Conard students Will Fowler and Ryan Gabinelle for being awarded the rank of Eagle Scout from the Boy Scouts of America.
Heifer International: Rose Kitz, an eighth grade student at King Philip, was chosen by Heifer International to represent the organization as a global youth ambassador at the Global Citizen Festival in NYC in the fall. She shared the stage with about a dozen youth ambassadors from other organizations, as well as Queen Rania of Jordan and Selma Hayek-Pinault. Rose started off fundraising as part of her Quest project and decided to raise donations for Heifer International because the organization is dedicated to ending world hunger and poverty. According to Heifer International’s website, “Giving an animal is like giving someone a small business, providing wool, milk, eggs and more. Animal donations can provide families a hand up, increasing access to medicine, school, food and a sustainable livelihood.” Rose’s goal was to give sixteen animals, which cost $5,000. She was able to do this in 60 days from 51 donors. She set up a fundraising page through Heifer International, created a Facebook page called “Rosie’s Ark,” and her teacher helped her promote the campaign through KP’s Twitter account. Rose continues to fundraise for the organization and is hoping to raise another $5,000 for a total of $10,000. To date she has raised $2,441 through 22 donors.
National PJ Day: King Philip seventh graders Rylie Dagnall, Cayden Goldberg, and Sabria Roggendorf organized the fifth annual PJ Day for Kids. Students and staff at King Philip donated $2 to wear pajamas for a day. $1,007 was raised to benefit the Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders at CT Children’s Hospital.
Department of Children and Families Holiday Fundraiser: Jade Hunter, an eighth grader at King Philip Middle School, organized the second annual fundraiser to collect toys for the Department of Children and Families. A total of 34 toys were donated by King Philip students.
ATHLETICS
All-State student athletes have distinguished themselves as elite athletes in their sports in the state of CT. The criteria for All-State recognition varies from sport to sport. Criteria in individual sports are dependent upon overall placement in state championship meets, while team sport individuals are nominated and selected by the state coaches of that sport. Congratulations to the following Conard and Hall High School students for being named All-State athletes:
All State Swimming: Maria Armillei (Conard), Clara Capone (Conard), Emma Dowd (Conard), Marisa Haverty (Conard), Tara Tiernan (Hall)
All State Soccer: Chantell Swaby (Hall)
All State Football: Nathaniel Richam-Odoi (Conard), John Wells (Hall)
All State Field Hockey: Charlotte Leyland (Conard) and Caroline Kane (Conard) also named All Academic based on GPA
CABE AWARDS
The Connecticut Boards of Education has honored school districts with the Award of Excellence in Education Communications since 1975. Their goal is to identify and honor employees in school districts and communities for outstanding communication. Congratulations to the following Award and Honorable Mention recipients:
Award Winners:
In the category of Newsletter: Bugbee Buzz submitted by Noam Sturm
In the category of Parent/Student Handbook: WHPS Elementary Handbook submitted by Nancy DePalma
In the category of Course Selection Guide: WHPS Conard High School Program of Studies submitted by Julio Duarte
In the category of Special Project: WHPS “Creativity” submitted by Craig Diamond, Jeff Duquette and the Charter Oak International Academy Student Council
In the category of Computer Generated Projects: WHPS Convocation Video submitted by Tom Moore and Amy LaRose
Honorable Mention Winners:
In the category of course Selection Guide: WHPS LifeLearn Adult Fall catalog submitted by Roszena Haskins, Ruth Kozlowski and Amy LaRose
In the category of Special Project: WHPS Pops n’ Jazz Poster, Tickets and Program submitted by Haig Shahverdian and Amy LaRose
In the category of Computer Generated Project: Homelessness submitted by John Foster, Craig Diamond and 5th grade students from Charter Oak International Academy
In the category of Websites: Whps.org submitted by Jared Morin and Amy LaRose
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