Pulaski High School Honors Recognition Dinner

The Pulaski Middle/Senior High School held a special Honors Recognition Dinner for students and their families to recognize outstanding academic achievement in the 2013-14 school year.

Students who maintained a 95 or better average for the entire academic school year were honored and presented with achievement pins that featured a shield symbolizing knowledge to signify the special honor.

The pins will be worn at their graduation along with honor cords and sashes.

Following dinner, recognition of the students began with Michael Bateson, middle school principal who announced the ninth grade students recipients.

The following students achieved the highest academic standing for the 2013-14 school year:

Alexis Bowen, Bailey Felio, Savannah Goodsell, Madison Kennedy, Jennifer Lapp, Cullen Martinez, McKenna Moonan, Walter Novak, Tessa Powlin, Taylia Rodriguez, Mason Spink and Laura Torres.

Bateson praised the students for their self-discipline and cautioned them to be careful of their thoughts which will become their words, which will become their habits, which will become their character and which will become their destiny.

Pulaski High School Principal Jay Altobello presented the tenth grade student pins to:

Jacklyn Booth, Britney Castillo, Thomas Gibbons, Evan Jones, Hannah Masuicca, Natallka Mehallow, Kyra Nielsen, Mikayla Petrie, Connor Raham, Ruth van der Heide, Brittany VanDuzer and Erin Washer.

Students in the junior class receiving honors included:

Angel Bush, Kelly Bushell, Matthew Foederer, Shelby Goodsell, Hannah Greulich, Morgan Jordal, Seth Lallier, Andrew Lapp, Lydia Marino, Genevieve McCormack, Austin Monson, Samantha Nutting, Katherine Scranton and Edward Sheats.

Senior honorees included:

Isabel Engelbrekt, Grace Farrell, Madison Forcione, Samantha Jones, Matthew McNitt and Randall Novak.

Pulaski Superintendent of Schools Brian Hartwell was the keynote speaker for the evening and called the achievement remarkable.

Hartwell had just that day returned from a conference in New York City where at a workshop they talked about relevance, rigor, achievement and excellence in education.

“It just dawned on me,” he said, “they were talking about you.”

The district-wide theme for the school year is “Mindset Matters” and Hartwell pointed out that it took a deliberate effort on the students’ part to successful.

“Thank you for your relentless pursuit of excellence,” he said. “Thank you for making it cool to care.”

Hartwell also pointed out that while it was a deliberate choice by the students to be successful, they didn’t get there alone, noting that “your first teacher, and your teachers for life – your mom and dad, your grandma and grandpa” through love and support helped make the achievement a reality.

He also noted that Pulaski Academy and Central Schools is a unique place, a place of caring and concern on the part of teachers that he noted was very special.

“What’s next?” he asked the students. “What’s your vision? Make a plan. Your plans will change, but it’s always better to have a plan.”

Hartwell ended with a story about a carpenter who had an outstanding reputation for excellence but was ready to retire.

His contractor came to him and asked him to build one more house, but the carpenter’s heart was not in it.

He cut corners and did shoddy workmanship.

Upon completion, the contractor presented the carpenter with the keys to the house saying, ‘here you go, it is my gift to you.’

“Build your house with excellence,” Hartwell said in closing.

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