Get to Know January’s Students of the Month!
January’s Students of the Month were joined by their families for a very special assembly in their honor.
BAY RIDGE – Adelphi Academy of Brooklyn’s prestigious “Student of the Month” program continued with a special assembly inside the John Lockwood Auditorium Theatre to recognize five outstanding students who demonstrated extraordinary effort during the month of January. Annamaria (Lower School), Rebecca (Middle School), Weiwei (Upper School), Svetlana (Student-Artist) and Platon (Scholar-Athlete) were each recognized in front of the entire Adelphi community and received official certificates signed by Head of School Ms. Iphigenia Romanos. They recently sat down with the Panther Press Room for an exclusive interview, during which they shared some details about themselves and their experiences at Adelphi.
Lower School Student of the Month Annamaria is still deciding between two distinct career paths, both of which would allow her to help others. “I want to be a doctor or a chef,” she said. “Both help people feel good!” She explained that as a chef she would be able to cook healthy foods for people, like salads. Her favorite ingredients for a healthy salad include lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers and onions. But that doesn’t mean Annamaria is averse to dessert. “I like rice pudding!” she smiled. Annamaria said her mom is a big source of inspiration and she loves to assist her in the kitchen. “My mom makes rice pudding,” she said. “I help her cook!” At Adelphi, Annamaria enjoys the house system and how all the students interact with each other. “I like that we’re always all together,” she said.
Lower School faculty member Ms. Churchill said, “Annamaria is a very responsible student and serves as a good example for her siblings and fellow classmates.”
Middle School Student of the Month Rebecca is looking forward to pursuing her career as a doctor so she can help people feel better. She has a natural scientific curiosity that is sure to help her in her medical studies. “I want to know what’s inside the body and how everything works,” she said. In addition to science, the versatile Adelphian enjoys studying math, English and art. “I like to draw random things,” she giggled. She also excels at gymnastics and can perform splits and cartwheels with ease. At Adelphi, Rebecca enjoys taking art classes and ceramics on Activities Day.
Middle School faculty member Ms. Wong said, “Rebecca is an excellent student who always helps her peers. She is respectful and self-disciplined. I am very happy that Rebecca has received the ‘Of the Month’ award for January!”
Upper School Student of the Month Weiwei is looking forward to pursuing a career in finance, just like her father. “When I was very young, I ‘worked’ in my father’s company,” she said. “He brought me to work and I got to see what he did.” Her early exposure to her father’s work has inspired her to one day also own her own financial firm. When asked what she would do after earning her first million dollars, Weiwei didn’t hesitate. “I know I would give half to my parents,” she said. The other half, she admitted, would require more planning to be put to good use. She has enjoyed her time at Adelphi, especially her time as a member of the Chess Club. Her favorite chess piece? “The queen,” she smiled. “She’s very powerful.” Weiwei is also a talented musician who expertly plays the violin and even taught herself to play piano. She enjoys art and painting in watercolor. “I like to paint people and flowers,” she said.
Upper School faculty member Ms. Foronda said, “Weiwei has been an Adelphian since Spring 2017. Throughout her high school experience at Adelphi Academy, she has shown her school spirit, intellect and creativity through her hard work and dedication. She is being recognized for her impeccable essay writing skills in history and English, whimsical creativity in art, and analytical processing in her science courses. She continues to be a driving force in the classroom through her quick wit and compassionate personality.”
Congratulations to Adelphi Academy of Brooklyn’s January Students of the Month!
Student-Artist of the Month Svetlana is inspired by art and creativity all around her. “I like watching how people draw,” she said. A big source of inspiration currently is the Cartoon Network, as Svetlana has fully embraced cartoon drawing and has a colorful collection of characters in her sketchbook. “I started by drawing food with big eyes,” she explained. “Now I make people with cute eyes. I draw different types of people.” Though a talented artist, Svetlana hopes to pursue a career in medicine as an ENT. “I enjoy science. I like learning about the body and different diseases and sicknesses,” she said. The multitalented Adelphian is also a gifted musician who enjoys playing the piano. She started taking lessons a few short years ago and has already performed in front of her family, friends and fellow students at various assemblies. “At first I was nervous, but it’s actually kind of nice when you know people like it,” she said.
Art Instructor Ms. Fregara said, “Svetlana always takes her time creating her artwork. She pays attention to detail and shows dedication during art class. I am very proud to honor Svetlana as the Artist of the Month for January.”
Scholar-Athlete of the Month Platon excels in several athletic activities, including hockey and judo. He learned to skate at the age of 5 and now plays hockey in a local spring league. He is looking forward to joining a travel team to further improve his skills on the ice. He is extremely dedicated to his judo training and has already achieved the rank of yellow belt. He has learned the proper fighting stance, as well as several sweeping and throwing techniques, and is always setting new goals. “Orange is next!” he smiled. At Adelphi, Platon enjoys studying a variety of subjects, including Spanish, art, history and science. Naturally, he also enjoys physical education class, where he gets to showcase his athletic abilities. “I’m a really fast runner,” he said. He runs often to stay in shape and said he has run as far as three miles before. The dedication to fitness is already starting to pay off, he said. “Look, I’m starting to get abs!” he bragged. When it comes to the future, Platon has no shortage of options. “Right now I have about 22 choices for my career,” he said. “I might be a geologist, an ecologist, or I might even run for president!”
House Lockwood House Master Ms. Wynne said, “Platon always pays close attention to the action in physical education class. He has a very strategic mindset when it comes to athletics and he is an excellent teammate in all sports.”
Congratulations once again to Adelphi’s outstanding “Students of the Month” for January: Annamaria, Rebecca, Viola, Svetlana and Platon!
As the oldest private, independent, continuing, coeducational, college-preparatory day school in the borough and one of the oldest in the nation, Adelphi Academy of Brooklyn, “the little school of big dreams” has been “effectively preparing young people for college, career, and life, one day at a time” for over 150 years. Founded in 1863 and located in the historic Bay Ridge section of Brooklyn, Adelphi enrolls students from two years of age through twelfth grade. A strong emphasis is placed on small class size, individualized attention, self-expression, critical thinking and challenging hands-on learning through Adelphi’s founding philosophy and dedication to the education of the “total child.” Adelphi students excel within a small, intimate, safe, caring, nurturing, and secure environment through Adelphi’s core values and founding principles of pride, tradition, spirit, and excellence. The student-teacher ratio is 8 to 1 and Adelphi is a New York State Regents Exempt Program with a 100% college application, acceptance and attendance rate. A founding member of the Coalition of Essential Schools, Adelphi receives its charter from the Board of Regents of the University of the State of New York and has been a member of the Middle States Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools since 1928. Ms. Iphigenia Romanos serves as Head of School.