Four Honored at Hispanic Heritage Assembly

In celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, an assembly was held in School #8 Thursday afternoon to honor four men and women of Hispanic descent for their contributions to education and the community.

Carlos Valentine, Executive Director of ASPIRA, the national Hispanic organization dedicated exclusively to developing the educational and leadership capacity of Hispanic youth, was present to award the plaques of recognition.

In their acceptance speech, the honorees particularly addressed the students in the audience, especially those with Hispanic roots.

The first awardee, John Rivera, the first Latino elected to the Belleville Board of Education, said, "Our children are our future. We need them to be successful. We need you guys to be successful. We want what all parents want for our kids--to do better than what we did. The clearest way to do that is to educate them and to educate them best."

The next awardee was the Vice Principal of Belleville High School, Aida Cordona.

"When I was your age, there weren't many role models that I could look up to except for my grandmother," said Cordona. "But today we have a lot of people that represent Hispanics. So I want you to keep working, going to school, and try to be more.

"Our culture is so rich and we have so much to offer. You are here to make a difference and you can."

Another awardee, the Vice Principal of Belleville Middle School, Ricardo Acosta, encouraged the students to listen to their parents and keep studying.

"Listen to your parents. They know what's best for you.

"You've got to do your homework, study, and pay attention to your teachers. That's the most important thing. You're here in school to learn and that should be your priority.

"And make sure you get involved in things. Whatever you like to do (drama club, sports), there's something out there that will help you stay out of trouble and stay focused on what's important."

The last awardee was School 8's own Principal, Dora Piriz-Cavallo. She talked about hard work and never giving up, which she learned from her parents.

"Believe in yourself," she urged the students. "Do not allow anybody to say you can't do that. Use your other language as something good. Make it work for you. Boys and girls, continue to make good decisions because good decisions bring what?"

"Good consequences," responded the students in unison.

The assembly concluded with the students serenading the audience with a couple of Spanish songs and dedicating another number to their beloved principal, as they presented her with flowers.

Guests then proceeded to the school library for some refreshments.