POMFRET — Students honored at the Rectory School Spring Academic Awards assembly include:
8th-Grade Newspaper Award : Natalie Perkins ‘19, Stonington; 8th-Grade Chorus Award: Rongyue (Tom) Sun ‘19, China; 8th-Grade Drama Award: Brooke Zahansky ‘19, Pomfret Center; 8th-Grade Instrumental Award: Inselbag Lee ‘19, South Korea; Academic and Effort Honors, Academic average of 95-100 and Effort average of 1-1.4: Meredith Bergendahl ‘20, Pomfret Center, Jonathan Chen ‘20, Quincy, MA, Olivia Chima-Anyanka ‘19, Newark, NJ, James D’Alleva-Bochain ‘20, Hampton, Maxtin Sergius Hart ‘21, Pomfret Center, Fufei (Fiona) Jiang ‘20, China, Justin Medeiros ‘20, Douglas, MA, Yi Ru (Christine) Qian ‘19, China, Zhen (Isabella) Wei ‘19, China, Ziqian (Alice) Xiao ‘20, China, Shurui (Julia) Zhao ‘21, China.
Academic Honors, Academic average of 95-100: Sangwook (Alex) Ahn ‘19, South Korea, Liyang (Christina) Bao ‘19, China, Maya Bullied ‘20, Pomfret Center, Miles Burrello ‘20, Ashford, Yufan (Jerry) Chen ‘20, China, Yuanqin (Albert) Dai ‘19, China, Xinyang (Kitty) Feng ‘20, China, Justin Fermin ‘20, New York, NY, Aleena Jafar-DeCesare ‘20, Woodstock, Taeeon Kong ‘19, South Korea, Wenling (Dolan) Kou ‘19, China, Inselbag Lee ‘19, South Korea, Kuan (David) Liu ‘19, China, Jirath (Bart) Lojanarungsiri ‘20, Thailand, Rongyue (Tom) Sung ‘19, China, Adam Tillinghast ‘20, Danielson, Jonathan Wang ‘19, Boston, Yun Jia (Jasmine) Wang ‘19, China, Yuting (Tina) Wang ‘19, China, Meilin (Celina) Zhao ‘21, China
Effort Honors, Effort average of 1-1.4: Yuno Yamakawa ‘20, Honolulu, Hawaii.
6th-Grade Reading Challenge: Shurui (Julia) Zhao ‘21, China (7,389 pages), Audrey Byun ‘21, South Korea (5,714 pages)
Mr. & Mrs. Bruce Lewis Prize for Greatest Gains in Language Skills: Addisyn Herdic ‘21, Lebanon
Section Awards
A section award goes to one member of each class section. Classroom teachers nominate a student from each class section that they teach.
5-1: Katherine Ritzau ‘22, Danielson, CT - For your tremendous maturity and focus on your studies; your consistent effort, your desire to learn, and your love of reading.
5-2: Tsz Cheung (Shawn) Wei ‘22, China - For being a very focused worker, who works harder than anyone in class.
6-a: Carson Ames ‘21, Pomfret Center, CT - For consistently being on task, asking questions, and always being dependable.
6-b: Shurui (Julia) Zhao ‘21, China - For your dedication to your studies and submitting beautifully completed assignments; for your curiosity, for being hardworking, kind, and thoughtful. A true pleasure to teach.
6-c: Seung Yeon (Audrey) Byun ‘21, South Korea - For your very high English skills, your great effort, and amazing desire to learn. For being an avid reader and working hard in math all year.
7-1a: James D’Alleva-Bochain ‘20, Hampton, CT - For showing great understanding and having a consistent work ethic; James shows a depth of understanding and a desire for knowledge that makes everyone around him (peers and teachers alike) better.
7-1b: Maya Bullied ‘20, Pomfret Center, CT - For your tenacious effort and desire to learn; for bringing joy to the class.
7-2a: Yi (James) Jiao ‘20, China - For being a hard worker and showing great improvement across all skill sets.
7-2b: Ziqian (Alice) Xiao ‘20, China - For being a unique student: eager to learn, passionate about math, very bright, motivated, and intuitive. For your strong personal drive and positive attitude.
8-1a: Zhen (Isabella) Wei ‘19, China - For being warm and friendly, for caring for others, and for always striving for excellence and achieving it!
8-1b: Olivia China-Anyanka ‘19, Newark, NJ - For being a respected and proficient student who is inquisitive, helpful, playful and considerate of her peers.
8-2a: Emma Hayden ‘19, Pomfret Center, CT - For working hard all year, asking for clarification, and for your perseverance, especially in math and Spanish.
Emilia Gutierrez Pinto ‘19, Mexico - For your consistently strong effort, your high-quality work, and insightful comments in class discussions.
8-2b: Rongyue (Tom) Sun ‘19, China - For your consistently high-quality work, your strong effort, and your desire to succeed.
8-2c: Yuanqin (Albert) Dai ‘19, China - For your diligence and excellence in all classes; and for your commitment to improvement in academics.
8-3: Caleb Williams ‘19, Valley Cottage, NY - For always engaging in class conversations, for being patient, respectful, and helpful to other classmates.
Karin Saunders’ Award: Wenling (Dolan) Kou ‘19, China
CREED Awards
These recipients best embody the Rectory School Creed, which espouses Respect, Responsibility, Honesty, and Compassion.: Katherine Ritzau ‘22, Danielson,; Maxtin Hart ‘21, Pomfret Center; Umu Diallo ‘20, Newark, NJ; Ziqian (Alice) Xiao ‘20, China; John Hazen White, Sr. ‘28 Cup
Awarded to the rising 9th-grade student who “best exemplifies those human characteristics Mr. White so greatly admired including community service, responsibility, self-sufficiency, passion, ethical leadership, and moral courage.” Zhen (Isabella) Wei ‘19, China
..
Pianist &
River Fire
set for Aug. 11
PUTNAM — As part of this season’s free events, the Town of Putnam is welcoming Eric Genuis “Inspirational Pianist” in concert at 6:30 p.m. Aug. 11 at Rotary Park Bandstand. River Fire begins at 8 p.m. and goes until 9:30.
Eric Genuis “Inspirational Pianist” 2018 is sponsored by Wheelabrator-Putnam, Inc. and Putnam Bank.
Eric Genuis, is a master pianist, composer, and world renown performer. Eric Genuis has been performing all over the world since his debut in front of an audience of 15,000 in Krakow, Poland in 1997. His live shows always consist of stories, lots of humor, and audience interaction.
Genuis will be accompanied by three talented instrumental performers
Music for the second Putnam River Fire will be produced by WINY 1350 am and the fueling of the fires will be powered by the Town of Putnam Public Works Department.
Bring a lawn chair or blanket.
Main St.
Car Cruise
coming
PUTNAM — The town of Putnam presents the Main Street Car Cruise from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Aug. 12. The rain date is Aug. 19.
This is the 12th year for the Main Street Car Cruise, Connecticut’s biggest annual car cruise.
More than 2,000 cars are expected to be on display in downtown Putnam. Main Street, Union Square and a portion of Kennedy Drive will be blocked to traffic and filled with show cars. Cars will also be on display at the municipal parking lot on Kennedy Drive and at Rotary Park.
The popular Rolling Burn-outs will be held on Kennedy Drive near US Button starting at 11 a.m.
The “Roaming Railroad” will make its first appearance at the show with rides for all ages from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The ARC Rubber Duck Race begins at 1:30 p.m. from the Bridge Street bridge.
Registration for the Main Street Car Cruise begins at 8 a.m. Admission is free for spectators, show cars and motorcycles and the first 1,000 cars will receive a dash plaque.
captions, page 9:
Gathering
Above: The Woodstock Academy prep basketball players gathered for one last time in a farewell ceremony this past spring. Sixteen of them will be playing collegiate basketball this year. Right: Brooklyn’s Sam Majek will be playing for former UConn head coach Jim Calhoun at the University of St. Joseph’s in Hartford this season. Far right: Dibaji Walker is looking forward to playing at Cleveland State in his native state of Ohio this coming basketball season. (Photos by Marc Allard)
Academy
prep program
sends 16
to college
WOODSTOCK — The Woodstock Academy prep basketball program helped put 16 members from its inaugural 2017-18 roster into college basketball programs.
Nine of those student-athletes will be playing on a full scholarship for a Division I college basketball program in the 2018-19 school year, two on full scholarships for Division II schools and six others received grant-in-aid packages from Division III schools.
“It was terrific,” said Woodstock Academy prep basketball coach Tony Bergeron. “We were 100 percent with student-athletes being accepted into college and having scholarship offers. Three of our overseas athletes opted to play what I call ‘club basketball’ but what they call ‘pro basketball.’”
Joe Kasperszyk (Bryant University); Jakigh Dottin (Towson State University); Jeameril Wilson (LeHigh University); Elijah Buchanan (Manhattan College); Chaylyn Martin (Sacred Heart University); Dibaji Walker (Cleveland State); Ty Perry (Fordham University); Luis Rodriguez (University of Mississippi) and Marquis Moore (University of Detroit Mercy) all received full rides to play Division I basketball.
E.J. Dambreville (Florida Southern) and Gedi Juozapaitis (Flagler University) received Division II full scholarships while Ryan Omslaer (Connecticut College); Elijah Winston (Springfield College); Paul Kingsley (University of Wisconsin-Whitewater); Chris Childs (University of St. Joseph’s – West Hartford) and Sam Majek (University of St. Joseph’s – West Hartford) all received partial grant-in-aid, partial scholarships to play Division III basketball.
The 16 student-athletes received approximately $716,000 in scholarship or grant-in-aid monies for the year, an average of just under $45,000 per player for the year.
“This is the mission of our institution, to provide opportunities and to prepare students for the next step in their academic and athletic advancement,” said Woodstock Academy Head of School Chris Sandford. “It’s better than I expected for the first year in terms of college acceptances and financial support and it sets the bar that we have to continue to meet or exceed in subsequent years.”
Maksim Karvanen from Russia, Selim Fofana from Switzerland and Tom Van Westendorp from the Netherlands all signed pro contracts.
Robert Kralicek from New York opted to go into the family business.
“We missed on those four, or it would have been 20, but it’s a great feeling,” Bergeron said.
It’s not the most Bergeron has helped find a college fit for.
At Commonwealth Academy in Springfield in 2016-17, 17 of his players went into higher education programs.
“I thought we were going to break that record this year, some of the overseas kids opted out. I knew the platform and the landscape of what it was going to take to do it. I’ve been down this road before and this year (2018-19), I’m hoping to get 20-plus in,” Bergeron said.
Bergeron admits that will take a lot of work.
“But it’s rewarding, you help one kid and it’s satisfying so when you multiply that, it makes it a lot of fun,” he said.
Bergeron said, overall, the first year of the program was very successful.
Every year, he wants to see 100 percent who begin with one of his programs to complete it and move on to the next level.
It’s a goal, he admits, that is rarely accomplished in the world of prep basketball.
“You always feel bad for the kids that missed, but we will celebrate those 16 kids for a terrific year. There was tremendous support from the administration and the school. The future here is very, very bright. Mr. Sandford wanted to enter at the penthouse level and we certainly did that, we were probably a layup away from the national championship game. Any time you can play on the last day, it’s good, and with all these kids going on full rides to four-year colleges, it was certainly a success,” Bergeron said.
The Centaurs Gold prep basketball team finished 35-5 and lost in the national championship semifinal game in overtime.
Division I
Full Scholarships
Joe Kasperszyk (Bryant University)
Jakigh Dottin (Towson State University)
Jeameril Wilson (LeHigh University)
Elijah Buchanan (Manhattan College)
Chaylyn Martin (Sacred Heart University)
Dibaji Walker (Cleveland State)
Ty Perry (Fordham University)
Luis Rodriguez (University of Mississippi)
Marquis Moore (University of Detroit Mercy)
Division II
Full Scholarship
E.J. Dambreville (Florida Southern)
Gedi Juozapaitis (Flagler University)
Division III
(Partial, grant-in-aids)
Ryan Omslaer (Connecticut College)
Elijah Winston (Springfield College)
Paul Kingsley (University of Wisconsin-Whitewater)
Chris Childs (University of St. Joseph’s – West Hartford)
Sam Majek (University of St. Joseph’s – West Hartford)
Marc Allard
Sports Information Director
..