The Palmyra Board of Education honored five pupils as students of the month for January at its Jan. 12 meeting. Among them were Ethan Masten, Fernanda Oliveira, Roger Zhang, Maya Richman-Dupont and Olivia Lynch.
According to Superintendent Brian McBride, the students were selected for their outstanding performance, school activity involvement and for being well-rounded overall. McBride believes the qualities the students possess are among those that make Palmyra a great place and a fun environment.
The first student honored during the meeting, by Charles Street School Principal Chris Tracey, was Richman-Dupont. According to Tracey, the fourth grade student of the month exemplifies everything a Panther should be.
“She works hard, helps everyone around her and has a positive attitude even when things are hard,” said the principal. “She encourages her peers to do her best and isn’t afraid to try new things.
“She’s always pushing herself to do the best she can and always asks great questions to further her learning,” he added. “She is always willing to go the extra mile and inspires those around her to do the same.
“She embodies all of the great qualities to be a leader.”
Also honored by Tracey was the second student, Lynch. He said Lynch was nominated not only because she has blossomed into an amazing student, but also because she is a great contributor to the school.
“”She is helpful to her classmates when they are in need and she is the first to volunteer to help her teachers,” Tracey noted. “She is a leader to others by example.
“I am very impressed with her dedication to her extracurricular activities. She has such a long list of things she does outside of school. This coupled with the fact that she received distinguished honors is quite impressive,” he added.
“She is the epitome of what it means to be a well-rounded student.”
At the middle and high school level, Palmyra Middle School Principal Ken Holloway began by honoring Masten. He believes Masten’s inquisitive nature and outstanding work ethic are two of the big reasons he is worthy to be student of the month.
“His questions in class are always on point and he shows that he has a real interest in understanding the material he is learning,” Holloway explained. “His hard work has paid off with As and Bs across all subject matters.
“He’s confident in himself and has always shown to be a leader when working in groups. This is quite impressive since he is new to the Palmyra family.”
Another student of the month honor went to Oliveira. According to Holloway, she is a hardworking, conscious student who demonstrates excellent work ethic in the classroom.
“Fernanda always tries to do her best in all of her classes and is a leader in group assignments,” explained Holloway. “She is the type of student that isn’t just satisfied with getting an answer. She wants to understand the concept and the steps to getting that answer.”
Zhang was presented with his student of the month certificate by one of his teachers, Donica Sico. Zhang was described as a delight in class.
“He always comes to class with a smile on his face and is ready to learn whatever the topic may be,” said Sico. “In class he is extremely motivated to succeed and participates regularly in class.
“With his hardwork and dedication, we know he will be successful.”
