By Rikki Cason<br><a href="mailto:rikki.cason@journal-register.com">E-mail Rikki</a>
ALBION — Twenty-one middle school students were honored for academic achievement Monday at the Albion school board meeting.
“This is significant in our district.” said Superintendent Ada Grabowski. “We should be so proud of all the students represented here and their families.”
Grabowski explained that the students received the top scores in New York state during the exams they took last spring.
“The students that received a top score here are equally as competitive as any student in the state,” she said.
Students honored in eighth grade were Ashleigh Cheverie for math; Alexander Fitzak for English Language Arts; William Grimble for ELA; Kristen Liddle for ELA; Arsalan Mustafa for ELA; Alison O’Hearn for ELA; and Michael Patterson for ELA and social studies.
Seventh-grade students honored were Brendan Beecher for math; Jeffrey Freeman for ELA; Benjamin Kirby for ELA; Joshua Raymond for math; Jenna Reigle for ELA; Martha Smith for ELA; and Jonathan Trembley for ELA.
Sixth-grade students recognized were Drake Arnold for ELA; Belle’-Rosalie Casselman for math; Madeline Fournier for ELA and math; Kellie O’Hearn for ELA; Jacob Squicciarini for ELA; and Gabrielle Vagg for math. Caitlin Malanowski was recognized for fifth-grade math.
In other board news:
n Arts Department students presented Albion Main Street Alliance with a check from their recent ghost walk. The group raised more than $3,400 for AMSA.
Grants manager Sue Starkweather said one of the reasons the students chose to give the money to AMSA was that they will get to decide where their money goes. She said that the students will form their own advisory board and start a facade grant for the downtown businesses. The mini grants — most likely $500 each — will be a 50/50 match so businesses can do work around their buildings.
Starkweather said the applications could be for a historic sign for downtown, awnings, fixing up building fronts, window displays or paint, and that the students will then decide where the dollars they earned will go.
“The Albion Main Street Alliance thanks all of you for your hard work,” said AMSA member Carol Culhane.
n The board formed a committee to explore the option of switching to electronic board documents. Kevin Doherty and Margy Brown recently attended a workshop presented by the Monroe County School District about the pros of using online or computer documents. The committee will decide if this is a viable option for Albion to save trees and cost. If the option is chosen, the committee will also look into the need to buy laptops for all board members so they can access the files.
Contact reporter Rikki Cason at 798-1400, ext. 8227.
