Elementary Students
Andrew Wraight Aldershot Elementary School
Grade 8
This year’s Student of Excellence is a quiet leader both in and outside the classroom. They are an amazing athlete who has been on all sports teams, is extremely coachable, and is a supportive team player. In the classroom, their exemplary learning skills have helped them be successful in all their subjects. They are a good friend to everyone, are respectful to peers and staff, and always have a positive attitude. They are a great role model for others in the school, and will take risks with their learning.
Katelyn O'Donovan-BenthamAlexander's Public School
Grade 8
Katelyn is a wonderful all around leader at our school. She is involved in every team, club and activity that is offered at the school. Katelyn is a kind and caring role model for the younger students. She is always the first one to offer to help out her peers or her teachers. Katelyn has excellent learning skills and strives to do well academically in all of her subject areas. We are so proud of Katelyn and the integral role she plays at our school. She exudes the Alexander’s PS spirit in all that she does.
Thisari Dilenya Dampe Alton Village Public School
Grade 8
Dilenya is a respectful, kind, and caring student, who is empathetic toward others. Her mature work ethic, responsible behaviour and positive growth mindset provides leadership by example. She consistently puts tremendous effort into all of her class work and is always looking for opportunities to think outside the box. She values inclusivity and ensures that all members of her group are included and respected. Dilenya goes out of her way to create a positive classroom environment and puts a lot of thought into her contributions to class and group discussions. Understanding the importance of hard work, kindness, respect, dedication and self-reflection, she displays honesty and integrity in her daily interactions with teachers and peers, and goes out of her comfort zone to try new things. A well-rounded student, Dilenya tries her best in all aspects of school and takes on leadership roles and volunteers to contribute to her school community, both in and out of the classroom including Student Leadership and sports clubs.
Andrew JuddBrant Hills Public School
Grade 8
Andrew is a student who embodies the school motto, “Learn, Dream, Belong, Inspire” on a daily basis. He works hard at his academics and sets a positive example in the classroom as someone who embraces a challenge, especially when it comes to math class. Andrew is also a leader from captain of the Volleyball team, a member of the basketball team, coaching junior volleyball, to how he works collaboratively in a group. Andrew is a student who can amplify the people around him, and lead others toward achieving their goals. Ask anyone who knows him - Andrew is as positive and optimistic as they come. His sense of humour and general commentary always uplifts our school community.
Saanvi SinghBruce T. Lindley Public School
Grade 6
Saanvi consistently demonstrates to be a kind, respectful, helpful, responsible, inclusive and a positive student. Saanvi is actively involved in our school as a student ambassador, student voice, nutrition program leader, and morning announcer to name a few. Academically, Saanvi maintains high levels of achievement in all subject areas, consistently demonstrating strong understanding of the curriculum through assessments, group collaboration, performance tasks and learning skills. All around, Saanvi truly exemplifies the qualities and attributes for a student of excellence both in and out of the classroom.
Aiden OsorioBurlington Central Elementary School
Grade 8
Aiden is kind, considerate, helpful and a dedicated and hard worker. He gets involved in the school community through co-curricular activites and demonstrates leadership skills on each of these teams. This year, Aiden has been a leader on the school's flag football team and the captain of the intermediate boys' basketball team. He is able to see the bigger picture in his critical thinking, and he is the first to offer thanks or comfort to both peers and staff members. Aiden demonstrates a quiet but very strong leadership that resonates throughout our intermediate community at Burlington Central.
Liya ZhouC.H. Norton Public School
Grade 8
Liya is a highly motivated and highly able student. She consistently seeks ways to go above and beyond the expectations in all subject areas. For example, Liya created an incredible Unlearn poster focused on the issue of access to healthcare. She easily finds ways to incorporate her interests (such as visual arts) into her work. Liya is well connected to the CH Norton School Community, and part of the Student Leadership Team, Cross Country Team, Badminton Team and Concert Band. An excellent representative of CH Norton, Liya sets, and models, the example for all other students to follow.
Gandom Abbasnejad MatikolaeiCentral Public School
Grade 6
Since joining Central, Gandom has become an active part of our school community both inside and outside the classroom. She is a positive leader, who is open–minded and welcomes a variety of voices and perspectives. Inquisitive and committed to her education, she works collaboratively with peers and staff. Gandom embraces a Growth Mindset philosophy by venturing out of her comfort zone and welcoming all learning opportunities. She appreciates and uses feedback and challenges to grow, and is always cheering for her peers' successes. Gandom is a kind and caring student, always looking for ways to make Central an even better place to learn and grow. Although this is her final year as a Central student, her positive contributions will be felt in the years to come.
Ishita MalhotraCharles R. Beaudoin Public School
Grade 8
Throughout her time at CRB, Ishita has been involved in all areas of school life, from the arts to athletics to leadership roles in the Wellness and Equity team. Ishita is a well rounded student who approaches all learning opportunities with a positive attitude. She consistently looks for ways to engage in her learning and takes on new challenges whether it be playing any position in soccer, leading assemblies, or developing an original Science fair project. She regularly puts others first, looking for ways to help others in need both in the classroom and in the larger school community. Ishita’s determination and drive to be successful is evident in her academic achievements, athletic successes and leadership skills.
Sidhakdeep KaurClarksdale Public School
Grade 6
Sidhakdeep is a very responsible learner who displays a positive attitude toward learning and strives for excellence in all subjects. Always giving her all, she arrives at school each day, smiling, happy to be here learning and always greets peers and adults with a kind word. Sidhakdeep is an active member of the school community - always looking for ways to get involved and help others. Sidhakdeep is part of the Wolf-Pack Leadership group, she is a kind kindergarten helper, and a member of the athletic council. Beyond that, she volunteers her time to connect with the larger community by helping at the Newcomer Coffee Chat, offering her time to share her knowledge by hosting Google demonstrations for students, reading to other students during multi-language story time, and taking on the role of DJ at the school Dance-a-thon. Sidhakdeep is a very self-aware student, who takes on initiative to look for ways to constantly improve her work and learning and looks for ways to challenge herself.
Presley KritzerDr. Charles Best Public School
Grade 5
Presley provides an authentic example of citizenship and student leadership at Dr. Charles Best PS. This has been part of her personality for years and will certainly continue as she moves forward to Grade 6. She goes above and beyond in all her interactions with peers, adults and guests who come to our school, and spends numerous hours fully engaged with peers who might need extra connections. Presley participates in all activities and clubs offered at the school. She's kind, caring, and hard-working and is truly a difference-maker.
Sophia BorjasFlorence Meares Public School
Grade 8
Sophia is a highly committed member of the Florence Meares community. As part of Student Leadership, she regularly hosts our morning announcements, organizes spirit days and brings awareness to our community around mental health, environmental and indigenous issues. As a member of the Social Justice Team, she has led a number of initiatives including a successful food drive. She is a proud member of the Girls Senior Basketball team, supports our intramural programs and assists managing the school's recess sports equipment. She is a very dedicated student, achieving strong academic results while maintaining excellent learning skills.
Maha AliFrontenac Public School
Grade 8
Maha constantly strives for excellence in all that she does. Apart from the incredibly high academic standards she sets for herself, Maha has devoted herself to improving the school community. She has involved herself in an impressive variety of extracurriculars that range from Student Senate, Newspaper Club, multiple sports teams, and absolutely everything in between. Maha has also started her own debate club at Frontenac to encourage the discussion of important issues that have a direct impact on students. Maha is incredibly deserving of this distinction for all of the incredible skills and values that she exhibits every day.
Sara ForbesGlenview Public School
Grade 6
When Sara isn’t swimming with GHAC, shushing down the Glen Eden ski hills or adventure racing with her Dad, she can be found hanging out with her friends and family. While at school, Sara is a dedicated and hard working member of the Glenview community. Her involvement in the many clubs and teams at Glenview over the years, make Sara a well rounded student in both citizenship, academics and extracurriculars. She demonstrated great initiative by starting a Nature Club in Grade 5, getting involved in volleyball and cross country teams and as a dedicated lunch monitor. She strives for excellence in all academic areas and is a positive leader in the classroom. Sara’s natural curiosity for learning is evident in all areas of the curriculum. Willing to step out of her comfort zone and enthusiastically take on the lead role in class, she displays excellent leadership skills that make her a valuable partner and group leader. Sara’s future goals are to own a bakery and become a teacher. These career choices encompass her creativity and her thoughtful way she is with others.
Taylor AdamsJohn T. Tuck Public School
Grade 8
Taylor is not only a leader amongst her peers in Grade 8, but also for students in the younger grades. As an active member of the leadership team, she helped identify and spearhead areas for improvement at John T. Tuck. A natural athlete, she embodies the true spirit of sportsmanship with her positive attitude on numerous teams. In the classroom, her positive energy is contagious and reflects in her academic success.
Rachael KeenanJohn William Boich Public School
Grade 8
Rachael is an incredible role model for everyone at John William Boich PS. She is engaged in the classroom, always respects rules and expectations, and she works extremely well with everyone. Inclusive and considerate, Rachel is very involved in her school and she loves being a Jaguar. She is a vibrant individual whose positive energy, willingness to support those around her, and quiet way of making a difference has had an incredible impact throughout her years at school. She is that person who will see a peer who needs help and, without any hesitation, be there to assist. As a learner, she worked tirelessly to challenge herself, taking notes, doing additional research, and always giving her very best. Nothing she does is for any sort of recognition but quite simply because she truly cares about making each day better.
Katelyn BarnardKilbride Public School
Grade 8
Katelyn is an extremely outgoing, upbeat and personable individual who demonstrates respect and caring for every member of the Kilbride community. Her academic drive and determination have catapulted her learning and performance in all subject areas. Katelyn is an active member of the Grade 8 Leadership Team and has taken on many school initiatives including spirit days, announcements, fundraisers, contests, assemblies and play days. She is also a sports enthusiast and participated on many Kilbride teams including cross country, volleyball and flag football. Katelyn is an active member of the drama club and welcomes public speaking and formal presentations. She always seeks out additional leadership opportunities and enjoys working with younger students, such as helping coach the junior girls volleyball team. Katelyn is the Student Senate representative and takes her role very seriously. Overall, Katelyn embodies the spirit of Kilbride and always tries to be kind, do her job and make a difference.
Shaneika RobinsonKing's Road Public School
Grade 6
Shaneika has been selected as this year's Student of Excellence Recipient because of her positive attitude, strong leadership skills and dedication to making King’s Road an inclusive environment. Shaneika strives for excellence in all subject areas and is willing to help in any way she can. Within the school, Shaneika is an active member of Student Voice and school athletics. She takes on various leadership roles such as announcements, filling snack bins, delivering pizza, planning special events and much more. Each day, Shaneika comes to school with a wide smile on her face and is caring towards everyone she meets throughout the day. Her positive attitude and kind nature sets a wonderful example for her peers and makes her a deserving recipient of this year’s award.
Olivia Pepler Lakeshore Public School
Grade 6
Olivia is an exemplary role model for her peers. She approaches all learning opportunities with a high degree of enthusiasm, passion, and curiosity. A highly motivated, self-directed learner, she diligently strives for excellence in everything she does. She demonstrates a superior degree of creativity, artistic ability, athletic prowess, and academic performance. When presented with a challenge, Olivia displays perseverance, flexibility, innovation, and superior problem-solving skills. Her unfailingly cheerful disposition and positive outlook have had a positive impact on her peers and the learning environment in her classroom. Olivia displays empathy and sensitivity towards others and offers her expertise, support, and encouragement when needed. She is an active participant in many clubs and teams, and regularly volunteers around the school.
Tuong Vi Dao Makwendam Public School
Grade 6
Melody is the true embodiment of all of the characteristics of a student of excellence. In her time at Makwendam, she has demonstrated to her peers and educators that she is a sincere, kind, honest, hardworking and dedicated student who stands out as a leader in the classroom and in the Makwendam community. Showing a genuine passion and interest for learning, she is particularly passionate about writing and visual arts. She created a poetic and moving photo essay on the Biodiversity of a mythological world. Melody has a strong work ethic and is a compassionate and creative student. She always puts forth her best effort, regardless of the subject area, and perseveres with great success in every challenge. Melody takes pride in her Vietnamese heritage. During our school wide Lunar New Year celebration, she prepared a traditional Vietnamese cuisine, from scratch, for the class to enjoy. She also proudly educated the students on the traditions behind it. Melody plays an integral role in building culture and community at the school level, demonstrating responsibility and thoughtfulness in all that she takes on. Melody goes above and beyond to advocate for herself and others and is consistently acting as a role model for her peers.
Shevaan SamarasingheMaplehurst Public School
Grade 6
Every year at Maplehurst, Shevaan demonstrates compassion for his peers, engages in many school based and extra-curricular activities and always puts forth his best effort in academic endeavours. He is a leader within his peer group, who quietly models good behaviour, and includes everyone.
Elora YorkMohawk Gardens Public School
Grade 6
Elora is dependable, accepting, well rounded in academics and extracurricular, team player, inclusive, encourages others, and takes initiative to solve problems on her own. She has shown evidence of growth both academically and socially and is kind hearted and accommodating.
Kayleigh Davidson Orchard Park Public School
Grade 8
Over the past few years, Kayleigh has demonstrated incredible growth and development both socially and academically. She has prioritized her responsibilities and focused on leadership, caring about her community, and the environment. Kayleigh recognizes the importance of hard work and perseverance. Her attention to detail and enthusiasm for learning is contagious. She is inclusive, equitable and kind to her classmates. Kayleigh is actively involved in the Orchard Park community through her involvement in clubs such as Leadership, Equity, and Wellness. Her strong work ethic and determination has enabled her to meet many personal goals. As an advocate for her classmates and role model of Orchard Park’s core values, Kayleigh is truly deserving of this honour.
Georgia HowardPaul A. Fisher Public School
Grade 6
Georgia volunteers and perseveres in various aspects of school life. She works very hard on all her tasks, tries hard and asks for help when she needs it. She shows a wonderful sense of community by volunteering for events around the school, volunteering to help in many situations. Polite, kind and friendly to all peers, Georgia is diligent in her schoolwork. With a positive attitude toward learning, she participates in athletics in and out of school, showing herself to be a good sportsperson.
Florence PowellPauline Johnson Public School
Grade 6
Florence is one of Pauline Johnson’s most positive and well rounded students. Her teachers describe her as a creative and loving individual who works equally well with any group across all subjects. She is a kind and thoughtful leader in our school community. In whatever project Florence embarks on, be it academically, athletically, or in her volunteer work, she gives nothing but her best effort, every time. In her role as guardian and chief caregiver of our adopted school pet fish, Florence demonstrates our school’s core values - courage, caring and collaboration. She is a shining example of the type of person our world needs more of.
Raia VallabhaneniPineland Public School
Grade 8
Raia demonstrates leadership within the school and community. She is actively involved in Pineland's Student Council and is involved in the Board Equity Committee. Raia has been dedicated to Boardwide initiatives in her involvement as a Student Senator on the HDSB Student Senate Committee. Raia excels in academics and is highly involved in many extracurricular activities and leadership initiatives including Junk Drawer, Jazz Band, Grade 8 Band, supporting the Primary Concert, MC at the Band Concert, intramurals, and more.
Nathan CampbellRolling Meadows Public School
Grade 8
Nathan is an intelligent, athletic, and confident student who brings a smile to everyone’s face. As a leader in the classroom, he has earned the admiration and respect of his peers. His academic intelligence and commitment to school work are complemented by his kind heart and his inclusivity toward everyone. He treats his peers and teachers with kindness and respect, while always lifting others up around him. His confidence is exemplified by his strong voice in classroom discussions and readiness to take on new challenges. Nathan seeks out leadership roles within the school including creating the Eco Club and being part of many sports teams this year. His passion for learning and challenging himself is demonstrated daily in his work ethic and positive attitude. Nathan is an all-around fantastic student who represents excellence in education.
Jacob EmersonSir Ernest MacMillan Public School
Grade 8
Jacob is a silent leader here at Sir Ernest MacMillan who is always promoting kindness and inclusivity all while demonstrating his patience and resiliency. Jacob returned to in-school learning and had an immediate impact with his fellow peers. Leading through his work on the leadership team and in class, Jacob is making a difference at the school. He works closely with peers and teachers to research and bring in various presenters to the school whom can share important messages (ie. The Saidat Show). Along with Jacob's contributions to his school community, he is a competitive figure skater. Jacob balances the busyness of school and skating extremely well and excels at both. Jacob is the embodiment of what it means to be a Mustang.
Phoebe-Kate BalasadasTecumseh Public School
Grade 8
Phoebe has demonstrated so much strength, initiative and perseverance this year. Not only does Phoebe excel in her academics but she is kind, helpful, engaging and involved in all aspects of school. Phoebe is so deserving of this recognition - she is Tecumseh’s humble superstar.
Abbey VasilTom Thomson Public School
Grade 6
Abbey is a hard-working student who takes ownership of her learning and works with focus and integrity. She listens to and leads others with kindness and compassion. She is cooperative and kind in her approach to group work and leadership. She demonstrates excellent initiative, always checking in with herself and with her teachers to see how she can go further in her academics and how she can support her school and her community. Abbey has taken on a leadership role, running the school food drive and creating Mindful Monday announcements to support mental health initiatives. Abbey is also a very athletic member in our community as she is on the Burlington Rep Softball team and Tom Thomson’s volleyball team. An advocate for social change, a champion of human rights and a voice for environmental stewardship, she uses her voice to uplift others and to lead the way toward positive change.
Secondary Students
Mackenzie RichardsonAldershot High School
Grade 12
A game changer, Mackenzie is an exceptional student who always finds ways to apply her learning in meaningful ways. Anytime she is given a leadership opportunity, she seeks to make a difference and create positive change. This was evident in many of the large scale initiatives that we took on as a class last spring. Whether she was embracing her leadership role teaching elementary school students about wetlands and biodiversity, providing a driving force for our school wide environmental awareness campaign or leading her peers through the Killarney Provincial Park Backcountry, her impeccable moral compass and ability to inspire those around her, leads to success in everything she chooses to take on. Mackenzie is an exceptional role model for other students, leads by example and is always willing to lend a hand to someone needing assistance. She has a thirst for understanding global issues and has truly begun to see her own potential as a positive agent of change. She has a natural ability to make people around her feel comfortable and her infectious positive personality is a welcome addition to any group.
Majd AburasBurlington Central High School
Grade 12
Majd came to Canada four years ago and is a multilingual learner. Along with demonstrating academic excellence, Majd shows kindness and empathy for his peers, teachers and other community members. He is a leader in the school's Robotics program as well as an outstanding Link Crew leader in supporting grade nine students in their transition to high school.
Piper McNicolDr. Frank J. Hayden Secondary School
Grade 12
Piper is cheerful, optimistic, and hard-working. She is an exceptional student and has been at the top of her class for several years. Piper believes passionately in community involvement and working for the common good. She donates her time and energy to worthwhile causes while maintaining good grades, involvement in extracurricular activities, and a part-time job. She is an all around lovely person.
Ramla KhanM.M. Robinson High School
Grade 12
Throughout her high school career, Ramla has been committed to serving and improving our school culture, promoting various equity initiatives, and supporting diverse student needs all while maintaining academic excellence. She has multiple student leadership roles in the school through the CEOs of Equity, USB, Link Crew Commissioner, and more, and she works tirelessly to make MMR a welcoming, inclusive environment for everyone. She has led whole-school assemblies, presented to staff at staff meetings, organized school events, and shared voices and perspectives that help us grow. She has been such a positive, involved, proactive and devoted student who has made a lasting impact on her school community. She truly leaves a legacy that makes her a perfect choice for Student of Excellence.
Antonella Pecora Ruiz
Nelson High School
Grade 12Antonella’s hard work, dedication, and perseverance has earned a well-deserved reputation as a top-performing student. She has demonstrated a deep understanding of her studies, and has consistently demonstrated the ability to think critically and analytically about complex issues. Her role at Nelson High School as student council president has made a lasting impression on both the staff and students, setting a high standard of excellence. School staff are extremely proud of Antonella for this exceptional achievement, and are confident she will continue to excel in all areas of her life.