Get to Know Adelphi’s April 2022 Students of the Month
Adelphi Academy of Brooklyn’s April 2022 Students of the Month (clockwise from top): Avi (Lower School), Keira (Middle School), Alexander (Upper School), Haris (Scholar-Athlete) and Michael (Student-Artist).
BAY RIDGE – Adelphi Academy of Brooklyn’s prestigious “Student of the Month” program continued in early May as five outstanding students were recognized for demonstrating extraordinary effort during the month of April. Avi (Lower School), Keira (Middle School), Alexander (Upper School), Haris (Scholar-Athlete) and Michael (Student-Artist) received their official pins, congratulatory letters and certificates signed by Head of School Ms. Iphigenia Romanos during a very special assembly inside the John Lockwood Auditorium Theatre. These exceptional Adelphians 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 Avi was thrilled to receive this prestigious honor. “I feel happy and excited!” he exclaimed. Avi has a pretty good idea about what he did to warrant recognition this past month. “I did all my work and I was good in class,” he explained. “I’m also kind and I share.” The ambitious youngster has two goals he hopes to accomplish when he gets older. First, he would like to buy a blue race car — his favorite color — and drive it professionally. Second, he would like to become a firefighter to help people. Can he do both simultaneously? Of course! “I’m going to be a fire racer,” he said. “When people need help I will race there to help them!”
Lower School faculty member Ms. N. Baalbaki said, “Avi is an excellent student. He is always excited and ready to learn. He is kind and helpful and works very well with others. Avi has continued to show a great deal of effort with his assignments and projects throughout the school year. I am so proud of Avi’s hard work!”
Middle School Student of the Month Keira was extremely proud to earn this accolade. “I feel like I accomplished something that not everyone can accomplish,” she said. “It feels very good.” Among Keira’s many interests are theater arts and writing. She is a proud member of The Adelphi Oracle and Adelphi’s Theater Arts Program. “I enjoy mixing with the older students and learning from them in Theater and Publications,” she said. She attends Adelphi along with her siblings Daniel and Jake, which helps her time at school truly feel like home. “It’s a good thing because I get to stay on top of my assignments with Jake,” she said. Keira is an active soccer player who dreams of going pro one day as a goalie. “I’d like to be a professional player one day,” she said. “I’m hoping to attend a Division I school.” Keira takes her role as an Adelphian very seriously. “You have to be loyal and dedicated to everything in school,” she said. “I did well and improved in certain subjects and stayed for extracurriculars; I think that helped me get selected.” Her advice to her fellow Adelphians who seek to attain the same level of success is key. “Stay on task and always try to improve,” she said.
Homeroom teacher Ms. Wong said, “Keira is a kindhearted student who is always willing to help her peers and teachers. She is a very curious scholar who asks many questions in class. She strives to do her best in every class. Congratulations Keira!”
Upper School Student of the Month Alex is a talented artist who enjoys expressing himself through his work. “I like to create stuff,” he said. His creativity shines through various mediums, including drawing and painting. “Usually I think of something and then try to create it,” he explained. “It comes naturally.” Alex has been putting in extra effort, which he thinks led to his receiving this honor. “I did my work on time and I was good to my classmates,” he said. His greatest accomplishment so far at Adelphi highlights his creativity, he said. “I was featured in The Adelphian [Adelphi’s art magazine] for my artwork,” he smiled. When he gets older, Alex hopes to pursue a career in graphic arts.
Homeroom teacher Ms. Foronda said, “Alexander is a student who shows interest in all subject areas, including Art, History and Math. He continues to be supportive in his homeroom, and he loves to solve riddles and puzzles for our competitions at Adelphi Academy. He continues to push himself forward in his coursework and I am happy that Alexander was chosen as April’s Upper School Student of the Month. Keep up the great work!”
Adelphi Academy of Brooklyn’s April 2022 “Of the Month” award recipients welcomed parents and guests for a special congratulatory celebration.
Scholar-Athlete of the Month Haris excels in multiple sports, as he plays wide receiver for his flag football team, the Buccaneers, and plays on a competitive soccer team. He recently scored a goal that helped his team win the match. “I’m happy that we won,” Haris smiled. Participating in athletics has great benefits, according to Haris. “It makes me feel happy and energetic and helps build strength,” he said. Haris is also preparing for his future by participating in soccer. “I’m going to be a soccer coach. I will teach my team to move the ball and we will win a trophy,” he said. At Adelphi, Haris enjoys physical education class, naturally, and social studies. “I like learning about people and the world,” he said. In physical education class, Haris enjoys calisthenics. “I like jumping jacks,” he said. “I can do 10 already!” He also knows what it means to be an Adelphian. “You need to be neat and presentable. That’s why we wear a tie. And you need to be respectful and kind to others,” he said.
Faculty member Mr. Alvarracin of the Academy’s Athletics and Physical Education Department said, “Haris is a great sport! He shows excellent sportsmanship and enthusiasm in class. Haris is a great team player and always congratulates others for trying their best. I am very proud of the hard work and dedication Haris has shown!”
Student-Artist of the Month Michael has one rule of thumb when creating artwork. “Always do a sketch first,” he said. “I can draw whatever I want so long as there is a sketch.” Michael enjoys graphic art and is especially proud of a piece he drew in art class this past trimester. “I drew the Baron from ‘Whisper of the Heart.’ He’s a cat with the body of a person and he wears a suit,” Michael explained. “For my drawing, I reinvented the cat’s outfit with different colors.” Michael prefers using markers and colored pencils to paint, and he works on his craft in special classes outside of school. “I’ve been attending art class since I was about 7 years old,” he said. His favorite part of the drawing process is a method of shading called crosshatching. “It’s really fun,” he said. When he gets older, he would like to pursue a career in art, either as a graphic artist or a comic designer.
Art Instructor Ms. Fregara noted, “Artist Romero Britto once said, ‘Art is too important not to share.’ Michael always enjoys sharing his drawing tricks and expertise with his peers and teachers. He is a very talented artist who loves his favorite tool — the pencil, which allows him to create really amazing shading techniques. Way to go, Michael, on being named Student-Artist of the Month for April!”
Congratulations once again to Adelphi’s outstanding Students of the Month for April: Avi, Keira, Alexander, Haris and Michael!
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 three 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.
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Photos courtesy of Adelphi Academy of Brooklyn