Whiz Kid(s): ‘The Wrecking Crew’

This week’s Fort Lee Patch “Whiz Kids” of the week are Fort Lee Middle School students Phil Barila, Andrew Cheaz, Chelsea Denniston-Lee, Argjend Nela, Brandon Lane, Daniel Shafaat, Anthony Barkachy, Lazzarus Ciurtiza, Lenin Hernandez and Roberto Torres.

The group of mostly seventh- and one eighth-grader, whom their principal, Rosemary Giacomelli, called “the wrecking crew from room 102” in a Patch article last week, recently spent two full school days transforming Lewis F. Cole Middle School’s center-island garden from a weed-infested mess to a true garden they could truly be proud of.

Their teacher, Sheri Steckler, a special education and Language Arts teacher, took the lead on the project. Along with special education Math teacher Howard Sidorsky, Steckler rounded up the group from among the six classes she teaches and put them to work.

For two school days—at least one of which they worked through significantly rainy conditions—the students drew up plans, dug up weeds, gathered up rocks from the nearby woods and planted what would become an impressive looking garden by any standard and a source of pride.

This week, Steckler asked some of the kids to write about their thoughts and feelings about the project and their participation in it. Steckler asked them four questions:

• How did you feel being chosen to work on the project outside?
• How did you feel while doing it?
• How did you feel after the project was completed?
• What did you learn a) about yourself, and b) about anything?

Here are the whiz kids’ responses:

Daniel Shafaat: "I felt great being chosen to do the garden project outside because I didn't have to do work for school for two days. I felt that I was doing something good for my school. After the project was completed, it felt good to see what a few 7th graders did for their school. I learned that you can do anything if you put your mind to it." 

Brandon Lane: "I felt really excited to have been chosen to do the garden project. While I was out there working, I was really happy. When it was all finished, I felt very special because now it will remind me what I did when I get older and come back here to visit. I learned that to get a job done, you have to put your mind to it."

Andrew Cheaz: "I felt great being chosen to work on the project outside because I could do something that could help the community and our school to look splendid. I felt great while doing the work on the project. I didn't want the work to end. After the project was completed, I felt great, happy and exhausted. I felt great and happy because I could help the community and the school. I learned that if you’re lazy, you can't achieve anything. I learned teamwork is key to completing a group project."

Argjend Nela: "I felt excited when I got picked to work on the garden project because you don't get picked randomly, you get picked by strength, and Ms. Steckler picked me. While we were out there working it was a lot of fun just ripping up the grass and being a part of something. After the project was completed, I felt like I really accomplished something in life, like I did something good for this school. If I have to do something like this in my future, I'll know what to do and how to do it."

Anthony Barkachy: "I felt really good being chosen to work on the project because I have A.D.D., and I can't control myself very well in class. Outside, I was able to control myself and just focus on doing the project. That felt really good. I had fun being outside with my friends. We dug and talked and worked, and it was fun. After the job was done I felt really good about myself because everyone could see what we did. I learned that digging is fun, but it's also really hard work."

Felice (Phil) Barila: "When I was chosen to do this project, I felt so happy. Then Ms. Steckler told me I was the foreman. That really made my day. That meant I was the boss of all the kids. While I was doing the job it felt good because I was doing something people will remember. After we finished and I stood back and looked at the job, I was really proud. It looked like a masterpiece. I learned that if you focus, you can do a lot."

Chelsea Denniston-Lee: "It felt very rewarding and an honor to be chosen by Ms. Steckler. At first, I thought that it was going to be a class project, but it was something more then that. It was a way to do something good for our school and our community. While I was out there working on the project, I felt like it was such a rewarding experience, and I learned a lot for the duration of the project. Also, I might add, it was a pretty grueling experience too! After the project was completed, I felt very rewarded that it was done. I felt like that because I was the only girl. I was out there representing the girls in the school and that, most importantly, I showed everyone that just because you're a girl (or a woman), you can do the same things that guys can do. I learned that I can do anything that boys can do, like digging with a shovel, carrying heavy stones, lugging a heavy wheelbarrow and planting flowers. It was great.”

The whiz kids’ proud principal thought that what they accomplished was pretty great too.

“It just goes to show that no matter what your capabilities, there are always possibilities,” Giacomelli told Patch last week. “You can do anything you put your mind to. No matter how old you are, no matter how strong you are or whatever, it’s a unique situation to be able to do something like this.”

Editor's Note: Know a great kid who did something special or is making a difference in school, sports, arts or the community in general? They may be our next Patch Whiz Kid honoree. Each week, Fort Lee Patch will seek suggestions from readers for individual kids, youth groups, teens and even sports teams that wow us with their accomplishments. We want to hear about these amazing children and teens and select one each week as the Patch Whiz Kid. Submit your nomination in our comment box below or e-mail the information to erik.wander@patch.com. Be sure to include all of the following information:
● Nominator's Name
● Nominator's E-Mail
● Whiz Kid's Name
● Whiz Kid's Age
● Whiz Kid's School
● Whiz Kid's Accomplishment
● Whiz Kid's Key to Awesomeness (what made him/her successful?)
If your nominee is selected, we'll contact you and assign a photographer to take a photo. For questions, e-mail erik.wander@patch.com.