Each month, students are honored with recognition in a variety of forms. Below are the nominations that were submitted by faculty recognizing students in the categories of Habits of Mind, Art, English, and Athletics. The Student of the Month highlights a theme from our Habits of Mind; for November and December the Habits of Mind were clarity and precision—to strive for accurate communication in written and oral form. These students listen with understanding and empathy, and they respect and consider others’ input and perspective.
Students of the Month
New Hampton School is proud to recognize Nina Morel: Nina is an exceptional student. She strives for excellence on a daily basis. She approaches each task with a seriousness of purpose that yields excellence. And, Nina wouldn’t have it any other way. Nina is not only a hard worker, but she is also kind, compassionate, inclusive and has an uncanny ability to integrate prior knowledge while expanding and learning new information. If it was possible for her to earn a grade of 100% in the Freshman Seminar, she would earn 110%.
New Hampton School is proud to recognize Rob Farrell: Rob is always proactive, Rob strives to get ahead on assignments and does not hesitate to ask for clarification about assignments when need be. Regularly annotating his books, writing notes to himself to ask questions about certain topics related to writing in class, Rob is always striving to do his best and then some. He wants to improve and wants to inspire his peers. With the latter, he often offers support to his peers when answering questions in class and is never afraid to “break the ice” and volunteer, offering clear ideas and explaining where he has found inspiration in our text.
Artist of the Month
In Ceramics II, Candice is always pushing herself to try new techniques and push the limits of the materials. In a recent sculptural piece, she meticulously constructed a scale model of an SUV, carefully measuring out the proportions and angles. On the wheel, Candice is equally precise, throwing simple, symmetrical forms, often adorned with exquisite hand-carved details. She reflects thoughtfully on her work, demonstrates curiosity and thoughtfulness throughout the creative process, and is always eager to expand her skillset.
In her advanced, independent study photography class Candice is consistent in her camera work, creating images that are strong in design, purpose, and personal vision. She sees through her camera, creates images that are original and personal. Candice is consistently challenging her vision and her technical camera skills. She is always learning. Candice’s exam project, images of NYC in black and white, is currently on display in the art hallway.
Male Athlete of the Month
The December Male Athlete of the Month is a member of the Men’s Varsity Ice Hockey Team. This player had a phenomenal month of ice hockey for the Huskies. In 8 games played, he had 4 goals and 16 assists for 20 points. He helped lead his team to a Championship at the Brooks-Pingree Tournament where he had 1 goal and 2 assists in the Finals against Millbrook School. This player carried his strong play into the E.G. Watkins Cushing Academy Tournament where he continued to showcase his vision and playmaking abilities with 7 assists in 4 games.
Not only has this player produced on the score sheet, but his desire to get a better attitude all over the ice is what separates him as one of the best players in New England. He is excellent on draws and kills penalties as well. This player accepted a Division I scholarship last month and will be playing his future hockey at Sacred Heart University. Congratulations to the December Male Athlete of the Month, Marcus Joughin.
Female Athlete of the Month
The December Female Athlete of the Month goes to a member of the Women’s Varsity Basketball Team. This player has been a standout athlete during the opening month of the season. She is characterized by her intense work ethic and her willingness to learn every day. There is no doubt this freshman is talented. However, it is her high intensity that stands out on the court, on both the offensive and defensive ends. She never stops working. She makes the necessary adjustments to improve her game, while also helping her teammates around her.
In a competitive holiday tournament, this athlete averaged 19 points per game and was voted onto the all-tournament team. Congratulations to the December Female Athlete of the Month, Oluchi Okananwa.
Writer of the Month
Truly taking to heart details about three different peoples’ lives with Multiple Sclerosis, this writer chose to go far beyond the requirements of our assignment. While he didn’t have to use any additional resources for this essay, he investigated funding for MS research and medication. This led him to the CDC and making broader connections about government, society, and disease. These data points and an interview with a current MS patient gave him “a new understanding and appreciation for my physical state.”
For his willingness to understand what it means to be “different” and for his desire for people to “not be judged by categories set in place to keep us in boxes,” Tyler Hammond is the December Writer of the Month.
