This Week's Whiz Kid: Brian Camillieri

Whiz Kid's Age: 11

Whiz Kid's School: MacArthur Barr Middle School

Whiz Kid's Accomplishment: Brian is the ultimate definition of well-rounded!

Whiz Kid's Key to Awesomeness:

Brian encompasses the full breadth of what a whiz kid is.  Imagine an 11-year-old who enjoys math so much that he actually joins a club for it. The Math Olympiads is a group of students who meet after school every couple of weeks at MacArthur Barr Middle School to explore and strategize math topics.  It's somewhat of a math think tank at the middle school level.  During this time they also practice for a contest where they solve five or six difficult math problems. Throughout the course of the program they are scored on how they chose to solve these problems.  The top three places will receive a medal. 

"Math is my favorite subject in school and I enjoy it," said Brian.

Clearly, it must be as he has won first place in third grade and second place in fifth grade.

Excelling at math is not the only thing Brian enjoys and is good at. He is Boy Scout 1st Class, Assistant Patrol Leader.  As an assistant patrol leader he is second in command and he works closely with the patrol leader and fills in when needed. Brian loves being a Boy Scout and has helped on a few Eagle projects for the older boys.  In addition to a week-long sleep away camp he attended, he loves to camp and enjoys every overnight camping trip they take.  He has achieved the level of 1st class rather quickly and is motivated to continue to rise through the ranks until he becomes an Eagle Scout which is his ultimate goal.   

Brian plays soccer in the fall, basketball in the winter and baseball in the spring. However, he loves to run, particularly long distance, and is really good at it. Winning first place in the Nanuet Fun Run two years in a row.  He has also been participating in the Nanuet Summer Track Program for a few years and loves it.

"I can't wait to start modified cross country and track in seventh grade," said Brian. 

When Brian is not at a game or a scouts meeting he may be playing his trumpet. Not only does he just play the trumpet, he plays it well. He made Intermediate All County Band this year!  He plays in a jazz band that is made up of a small group of students that meet once a week after school to play together with the band instructor. The students play and learn new jazz-style music.

Brian also enjoys things like shaving his head for St. Baldrick's Day. And one of his favorite subjects in school is Art.  His art work has been chosen to be displayed in the Nanuet Library for the past few years. 

On top of all these activities, Brian continues to be an "A" student at Barr, achieving High Honor roll each quarter in the fifth and sixth grade. 

To sum up this superstar: he excels in the classroom as an honor student, wins math contests,  is quickly climbing the ladder to his goal of Eagle Scout, plays and loves sports, and is an award winning trumpet player in a jazz band. And he's only in the sixth grade. Watch out Nanuet, Brian Camillieri is only beginning!