Tuesday, May 10, 2011

CONNETQUOT TEACHERS ASSOCIATION HOSTS 5TH ANNUAL SCHOLARSHIP AWARDS CEREMONY

Bohemia, NY - The Connetquot Teachers Association (CTA) hosted a reception and awards ceremony on May 10th , for the winners of the organization’s annual essay contest. Held at the colorfully decorated library at Connetquot High School, the CTA committee members welcomed the selected students, their parents and the teachers “… who made a difference …” in their lives. Each of the six winning students received an attractive certificate, a copy of their winning essay, and a check for $500.

A total of $3,000 is awarded annually to six students whose essays were selected from over 150 submitted by Connetquot seniors planning to continue their education after graduation. The topic of the essay was The Teacher Who Made a Difference in my Life. The teachers themselves were surprised, and humbled, by the students’ kind words.

The essays were read and graded by a committee of CTA members from Connetquot HS, as well as the middle and elementary schools. Essays submitted by the following Connetquot students were selected as the six winning entries: Erin McHale (Mr. Cavanagh), Benjamin Elmen (Ms. Christensen), Madison Pauly (Mr. Fertmann), Kimberly Barbieri (Mrs. Sosa), Christy Diamond (Mrs. Fischer) and Christine Hirt (Mrs. Neske)

The Connetquot Teacher’s Association has been increasingly involved in community events such as providing financial support of local sports teams for boys and girls, collecting clothing for the needy, raising funds to for cancer research, as well the financial awards for graduating Connetquot students. Connetquot teachers have also been an important addition to the annual ‘Every Child’s Dream’ dinner organized by Ken Mangan held during the December holiday season.

The kind words the students used to describe the impact Connetquot’s professional educators have had on their lives touched the hearts of the teachers being recognized.

The winners of the 2011 CTA Scholarship pose with the "Teachers That Made a Difference in Their Lives".