School Committee Honors Stellar Student Achievements

Accolades – a deceptively brief agenda item that in fact honored over 100 students from both Mt. Hope High School and Kickemuit Middle School – were the focus of much of the Bristol Warren Regional School Committee meeting on Monday, March 28.

The awards began, with recognition of a Mt. Hope High School faculty member. Beth Penkala, Athletic Director, earned the 2011 State Award of Merit from the Rhode Island Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association.

Diana Rose Camara, a MHHS student, also earned special recognition as a recipient of the Girl Scout Gold Award – the highest award in Girl Scouting --  for her project teaching photography to students enrolled in the Bristol Parks and Recreation Department summer camp.

Also recognized were students who were named to the All State Chorus, DECA Career Deveopment award winners, and All-State fall athletes.

Perhaps the biggest contingent of honorees was the Mt. Hope High School Science Fair winners. Showcasing projects ranging from “The Effect of Water Temperature of Hurricane Strength” to “How Much Does the Drop of a Regular Curveball Differ From a Knuckle Curve,” over two dozen young scientists were honored for their stellar work.

But it was the two teams of champion cheerleaders that showed the most team spirit on their way to collecting their awards. Sporting purple and white hair ribbons, members of the Kickemuit Middle School’s undefeated cheerleading team shared the stage with the Mt. Hope High School JV team, which won the RIIL State Championship.

School Committee members Karen Lynch and Susan Rancourt passed out the awards, while Superintendent Melinda Thies and Committee Chairman John Bento personally congratulated each student. With the school district’s budget on the table at tonight’s Joint Finance meeting, an evening focusing on the achievements of Bristol and Warren’s students and athletes was a welcome respite.