Gibbons Students Chosen as 2012 Scholar Leaders

Eighth grade students Sheila Orlando and Christopher LaMountain were awarded the prestigious 13^th Annual Middle Level Scholar Leader Awards for .

“Our teams of teachers put together a list of student leaders each year to see who would be a good fit for the award,” said Principal Jack Foley. “It was pretty obvious this year.”

The award is organized annually by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Middle Level Educators and the New England League of Middle Schools (NELMS).

“I was really honored. I appreciated that my teachers thought about me in this way,” LaMountain told Westborough Patch. He said he hopes to study medicine one day, perhaps becoming a neurosurgeon or oncologist.

“I was excited that my teachers recognized me,” said Orlando. She said she hopes to become a second grade teacher when she gets older, adding that she enjoyed working with second graders at this year as they prepared the annual Goin’ Buggy show.

Orlando and LaMountain received their awards at a May 23 banquet held at the Best Western Royal Plaza in Marlborough. Over 450 guests, including students, educators and parents, attended the banquet. The guests included 90 students from 45 Massachusetts schools who received the recognition.

According to a statement from NELMS, “The criteria for being chosen to receive the middle level scholar leader award include demonstrating academic initiative and scholarship, providing service to classmates and schools, exemplifying positive attitudes and demonstrating leadership in the classroom and school activities.

In addition to the award winners and their families, Foley and Gibbons Middle School teachers Lisa Greenwald and Ann Benbenek attended the ceremony.

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