Last week the Marlboro School District honored their Students of the Month for January.

Elementary School
First grader Amiyah Folster was named the Marlboro Elementary School Student of the Month for January.

Teacher Tracy Feeney began by saying, “every child is special and unique. This year I have the honor and privilege to tell you about my student Amiyah, who I call Miss Amiyah. Don’t let her small stature fool you or her crutches make you blind to the spirited individual in front of you. Amiyah has a big personality that comes out more and more each day. She perseveres when tasks are difficult and meets every challenge. What Amiyah has brought to our room can’t be measured. She has taught her classmates and all the other first graders the importance of kindness. She has taught them to be more thoughtful, to problem solve, to adapt and the biggest and most important thing she has taught them is patience. Our students have a great understanding that people with disabilities are capable of great things.”

“If you want to see Amiyah beam from ear to ear, ask her about her brothers, she loves them but if you want to see her light up ask her about her dog, Dannie. She loves her unconditionally.”

Feeney said Amiyah has a, “warm heart that is always open to everyone. She is sweet, kind, gentle and at times quite a jokester, especially with [teaching assistant] Mr. Pezzo because she likes to lock her wheelchair on him, so she’s fun. More importantly she’s strong, courageous and determined and for all these reasons Amiyah is our student of the month.”

Middle School
Principal Debra Clinton introduced Gael Vega as the Marlboro Middle School Student of the Month.

Teacher Kathleen Plover said she and her fellow 6th grade teachers developed an acrostic poem about their student.

“Gael has made great gains because he is goal orientated. He tackles tasks and problems in a well organized and efficient manner. He is generous and genuine and listens intently when others speak and in turn shares his true thoughts, beliefs and opinions with others. Gael is good-hearted and is helpful to his peers and teachers alike….His greatness is undeniable and his future success is guaranteed.”

Kathleen Keane said, “every letter of the alphabet that starts with A screams Gael. He is the kind of student other students look up to; he is admired, he is worthy of this award from the moment he entered the Marlboro School system. He is authentic, someone who speaks from the heart and cares for those around him. He is ambitious and inquisitive...and is accountable for every action he takes. His grades are astonishing because he’s disciplined and he’s hard-working. He amazes every person he comes in contact with and that makes you want to be a better person.”

Kassia Messina handled the letter E in the poem, saying she is pleased to present an, “energetic, inquisitive and eager man who loves to learn. He is the epitome of a leader and you can often find Gael encouraging others to do their best. He shows empathy and kindness toward his peers. Gael is quite endearing and he, with all these exemplary traits, he is a true joy to teach.”
Melissa Carbone was assigned the letter L.

“Gael is a level-headed young man whose qualities as a leader will benefit him for his entire life. He is actively engages in learning and is a true light in our classroom. Gael’s efforts should be lauded and it is very likely that we will hear about successes well into the future.”

High School

“You are an exemplary student and I don’t know what you’re gonna do in this world but maybe musical theater. I know you sing, you dance and are full of energy. I know that whatever you do you are a force, you are not going to be stopped, you’re going to accomplish great things and I can’t wait to see you in a few years.”

Music teacher Katie Budryk has been teaching Emily since kindergarten.
“She was a precocious little kid, coming into music class every week singing her little kindergarten heart out. She was the kind of student that every elementary music teacher would dream of having,” Budryk said.

“Emily showed incredible dedication and hard work in the Performing Arts program here,” Budryk said. “She is currently President of the Choral Program and in this role Emily regularly runs rehearsals for the entire 30 member Chamber Choir...Emily uses her impressive musicianship and vocal skills to lead her peers in warm-ups while most students don’t have the knowledge or confidence to work with such a large group of her peers. Not only is Emily a great leader but she’s also incredibly dedicated, hard-working and talented. While singing might be a natural talent to some people, truly phenomenal musicians know that a great work ethic and practice are the real keys to success in the performing world.”

Budryk said many do not see the countless hours that Emily puts in practicing voice and practicing her acting.

“She has taken what began as a natural talent and has crafted her incredible singing voice through hard work. I am so very proud to have worked with Emily all these years; she’s a shining example of the rewards of hard work and dedication and in the performing world these are some of the most important skills to have. We wish her the best as next year she goes on to pursue a career in musical theater.”