Borough Wide
Assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis (R–Bay Ridge) last month treated winners in her elementary school Presidents’ Day Essay Contest to a pizza party.
Back in late February, third-, fourth-, and fifth-grade students were charged to pen their opinions on what they would do to improve their community if they were president. The assemblywoman’s office received more than 200 submissions from students all over the borough and across the Verrazano Bridge in Staten Island. The assemblywoman presented those students with a certificate of merit from the State Assembly, and a letter of recognition.
Six winning writers were invited to the pizza palaver on April 26 in celebration of their on-point solutions to the query.
The winners included: Ali Chugtai, fourth grade at PS 102; Andrew Guzman, fifth grade at Big Apple Academy; Laibah Imran, fifth grade at PS 209; Aveney Kandiah, fifth grade at PS 209; Gianna Lupo, fourth grade at PS 312; and Chryssa Vavas, fourth grade at Holy Cross.
Malliotakis was more than pleased with the contest results, saying: “I was delighted to read some of the wonderful ideas in these essays. The students were very much aware of the real issues affecting our community and expressed a particular concern for littering, bullying, and drugs. It certainly wasn’t easy selecting our finalists, but I am very glad to have given our participants the opportunity to think critically about civics and I hope this exercise further encourages them to help others.”
Standing O sends out congrats to the students, a special thanks to Leo’s Casa Calamari in Bay Ridge for providing the pies, and of course to the Assemblywoman for hosting the contest and party.
Malliotakis’s District Office [7408 Fifth Ave. at 74th Street in Bay Ridge; (718) 987–0197].
