TORONTO - Faculty, family, friends and fellow pupils gathered May 4 in the Karaffa Middle School gymnasium for the city Lions Club's presentation of its annual Going On Or Defeated awards.
Six pupils who displayed good character, good study habits and other positive attributes were presented with the honor. They included Alec Bender, fifth grade; Nick Sninchak, fifth grade; Karyssa Breece, fourth grade; Coulter Kelly, fourth grade; Brennan Suffoletta, third grade; and Maddie Anderson, third grade.
Fred Burns, city school district superintendent and Lions Club president, announced the G.O.O.D. award recipients, while Lion's Club members Bill Rebres and Jay Foster presented each winner with a certificate and T-shirt. Burns then introduced the Lions Club members in attendance, who also included Jim Coffey, past international president; Bill Rebres, Dick Carter and Ellsworth Graham.
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G.O.O.D. AWARDS — The Toronto Lions Club presented its Going On Or Defeated awards May 4 at Karaffa Elementary School to deserving pupils who met 10 criteria for the honor. Those involved included, front, from left, Karyssa Breece, Maddie Anderson, Alec Bender, Nick Sninchak, Brennan Suffoletta and Coulter Kelly, all award winners; and back, Jay Foster, city school board member; Fred Burns, district superintendent; and Bill Rebres, Dick Carter, Ellsworth Graham and Jim Coffey, all Toronto Lions’ members.
-- Mark J. Miller
Patti Quinn, principal of Karaffa Elementary School, welcomed students, staff and parents, andGraham spoke about the G.O.O.D. award and its founder Ron Derry.
"Derry developed this award with the belief that more emphasis should be placed on pupil behavior in the school environment," according to Maureen Taggart, district communications coordinator. "He created a list of 10 behaviors for the G.O.O.D. award.
"Third-, fourth- and fifth-grade homeroom teachers at the school were asked to select one pupil in their class who best exemplified these behaviors," Taggart continued. Pupils who had previously won the G.O.O.D. award were not eligible to receive it again.
Taggart said criteria included pupils attending school regularly; completing homework assignments on time; displaying neatness and accuracy with all written work; showing preparation for all announced tests; showing interest in learning through means of appropriate questions; being a good listener in class; constantly showing respect for administrators, teachers and all other school personnel; doing his/her part to see the classroom is conducive to a good learning environment; displaying acts of good citizenship on a daily basis; and showing an act of caring toward another person in a difficult situation.
Coffey spoke briefly spoke about the mission of the Lion's Club and the history of the club.
Those awarded included:
Bender, the son of Amanda Bender and Tim Gorby and a pupil in Patty Lamantia's fifth-grade class. He is an honor pupil, works hard and is responsible, according to Lamantia.
"He has perfect attendance. He shows respect for others and is kind and helpful to others. Above all, he always has a positive attitude and a smile on his face," she wrote in selecting Bender.
Sninchak, son of Steve and Bobbie Lynn Sninchak and a pupil in Jennifer Matyas' fifth-grade class. He exemplifies all criteria the award is based on, according to Matyas.
"Nick is a very hard worker, always willing to learn and pays attention in class," according to Matyas. "He always completes his homework on time and is well prepared for all tests. Nick is considerate and respectful of others and their property. He is honest and I know would act the same, with or without the teacher in the classroom. He gets along well with other students and is always willing to help those who don't understand or grasp a concept as quickly. Nick is very deserving of this award, and I know will be successful in his future and in making our community a better place."
Breece, the daughter of Heidi Channels and a pupil in Nikki Wright's fourth-grade class. She was chosen based on her ability to be an excellent role model for her fellow pupils.
"She attends school regularly and always with a smile," wrote Wright. "She is eager to help the classroom teacher and her fellow pupils. Honesty, sincerity and kindness are three good words to describe Karyssa. She is a good role model for all to follow. She will be missed by her fourth-grade teacher."
Kelly, the son of Mark and Tiffany Kelly and a pupil in Ann Silverthorn's fourth-grade class. Silverthorn selected Kelly because "he is so kind and caring toward everyone in his class. He is always very eager to help the teacher and his classmates when needed the most. His classmates and I always know they can count on him to have his homework complete and to follow the school rules."
Suffoletta, the son of Robert and Tammie Suffoletta and a pupil in Heather Keenan's third-grade class. Keenan said she chose Suffoletta based on his display of being an outstanding individual.
"He is one of the nicest boys I have ever met," said Keenan. "He is always prepared for class and does his very best on all assignments that are given to him. He does his best even when he faces challenges that aren't easily solved. He asks for help when he needs it and is always concerned about doing things correctly. He is a quiet boy and is always willing to help other students. He does so in such a way as not to draw attention to himself. He is nice to every boy and girl in our class. He is always smiling and in a cheerful mood. I am sure that he makes his parents very proud, and I am so glad that I had the opportunity to be his teacher. Congratulations, Brennan! You deserve it!"
Anderson, the daughter of Renee and Tim Anderson and a pupil in Denise Rebich's third-grade class. Rebich said Anderson is an excellent pupil and school citizen.
"She attends school regularly," said Rebich. "Her interest in learning is shown by her attentiveness, preparation, self-discipline, neatness and accuracy with her work. She is a good listener, participates in all class discussions and asks appropriate questions during class. She is responsible, dependable and respectful. She stays on task and completes all classwork and homework on time. She is always willing to lend a helping hand to anyone in need. She is very outgoing and friendly and well deserving of this award. I am very proud to be able to name her as the winner from my class."
At the program's conclusion, Patti Quinn, KES principal, congratulated pupils and their parents as well as the Lions Club for sponsoring the G.O.O.D. program.
(Miller can be contacted at mmiller@heraldstaronline.com.)
