2008 Theodore Kuykendall Community Service Awards
District honors four students for community service and good citizenship
 

This year's Kuykendall Award winners are pictured with guest speaker Cathy Sadaghiani and Superintendent John Xanthis.

The Port Jervis School District honored four students April 29 for their community service and good citizenship.

Giovanna Steinhaus; Alex Deal; Kira Nichols; and Michael Murphy, III, received the school district’s most prestigious award – the Theodore Kuykendall Community Service Award – in a special ceremony at Anna S. Kuhl Elementary School.

During the ceremony, the award recipients were recognized individually by their building principal, who presented them with a $200 U.S. savings bond and an engraved plaque.

School board member Cathy Sadaghiani presents keynote address at award ceremony.

The prestigious award was created in 1987 by the late Theodore Kuykendall, who served as a Port Jervis councilman and school board member, to honor students who excel in academics and demonstrate good citizenship by participating in community service, volunteerism, and extra-curricular activities. The Kuykendall Award is presented annually to one sixth grade student from each elementary school, a middle school eighth grader, and a high school senior.

During the ceremony, guest speaker Cathy Sadaghiani applauded this year’s award winners for their selfless service to the community. “This award is near and dear to my heart,” said Sadaghiani, who in addition to being a member of the Board of Education and a dedicated community volunteer, is the mother of a past award recipient. Sadaghiani’s son, Amir, won the award when he was a senior at Port High School. Like many of the other outstanding students who have received the Kuykendall Award over the past two decades, Amir has continued to serve his community. Today, he is the Orange County Assistant District Attorney and the attorney coach for this year’s highly successful High School Mock Trial team.

Sadaghiani encouraged the students to continue “to see what needs to be done in the community” and “to use their special talents to make a difference.”

Congratulations to the following award winners:
Senior Giovanna Steinhaus received the Port Jervis High School award. A well-rounded student, Giovanna is currently ranked fourth in her graduating class and is actively involved in numerous activities. In addition to serving as secretary for the Senior Class and Key Club, she is a member of the following organizations: National Honor Society, Peer Leaders, Mock Trial, Odyssey of the Mind, and the concert, stage, and pep bands. She also plays varsity track, soccer, and tennis.

Outside of school, Giovanna volunteers her time at the Port Jervis Library, Thrall Library, and the St. Jude’s Bowl-a-thon. Additionally, she has volunteered for two years as a camp counselor and participated in numerous community service projects through Girl Scouts. In recognition of her community service, Giovanna was awarded the Orange County Youth Bureau Third Place Award for Outstanding Citizenship and Youth Volunteerism, the Girl Scouts Silver Award and the Girl Scouts Gold Award.

Eighth grader Alex Deal received the Middle School award. Alex is involved in many extra curricular activities, both with the school and in the community. An honor roll student, Alex participates in soccer, club softball, club tennis, track club and the French club.

Outside of school and sports, Alex is actively involved with helping her community in many ways. She is a long-standing volunteer at the local food pantry. Her passion to help others shines through as she works sorting and distributing food to families in need. Additionally, she also participates several times a year in her town clean up. She goes street-by-street with local volunteers to clean up the garbage and beautify her town. On holidays, Alex takes time to visit senior citizens who reside in the local nursing homes. Along with these community activities, Alex is an active participant in her church youth group, which participates in helping with both church and community events.

Sixth grader Kira Nichols received the Anna S. Kuhl Elementary School award. At her young age, Kira already understands the spirit of volunteerism. An active volunteer in her church, Kira assists younger students with Bible story readings and helps them during church services. She also walks her cousin’s dog, shovels driveways, rakes leaves, and volunteers to help a kindergarten neighbor with her homework and school projects. When Kira earns an allowance for doing chores at home, she donates the money to the Humane Society or to the food pantry at her church.

At school, Kira is a member of the ASK chorus and recently had a role in the school’s spring production of the drama, “Honk, Jr.”

Sixth graders Michael Murphy, III, was the winner of the Hamilton Bicentennial Elementary School award. At the young age of 11, Michael is already doing much to help his community. During the 2006 floods, Michael helped set up the regional emergency medical services (EMS) special operations division disaster response trailer that was deployed to the Deerpark and Port Jervis area.

Additionally, he volunteers regularly to clean-up and stock the regional EMS ambulances that operate in Port Jervis, and he serves as a volunteer “victim” during local EMT training programs. Michael also participates in the annual clean-up of the Van Etten Cemetery in Huguenot. 
 

Kuykendall Award winners pose with Assistant Superintendent for Instruction John Bell and their principals (from left) Thomas Bongiovi, High School; Cynthia Benedict, Middle School; Donna Muro, ASK Elementary School; Sharon Dickstein, HBE School.