The night started like this. Everyone filed in and took their seats, Dr. Weiss-Wright gave a fantastic speech, and the special night began. The night began with the most prestigious award you can receive at McAullife, the American Legion Award. This award was given to two students, one male student and one female student. Teachers nominated who they thought to be the most fitting recipients.

This year’s recipients were Maddie Heenan and Carson Sharon. Maddie is an amazing co-president and leader in ASB. She is a student that tries her best on every assignment she receives. Carson on the other hand is an amazing student that is always willing to chime in. He is a hard worker and does everything in his power to stand out from the crowd. Typically, this award is presented last, but the person who handed out the award also had to do it for Oak.

Another prestigious award was the ASB Award. Only one student would receive this award after being hand-picked by Ms. Bellendir. The most suitable person to receive this award was none other than Emma Micheal. Emma is a co-president of ASB and shows outstanding leadership skills. She can single-handedly get the attention of the entire class.

Many other awards were given throughout the night. Almost everyone there received the Principal’s Honor Roll Award. Students who were able to maintain a 4.0 GPA throughout the entirety of middle school received the Academic Excellence Award instead of the Principal’s Honor Roll Award. Other awards included Perfect Attendance, CJSF, Community Service, and an award for each core subject and elective class.

The final award of the night was new this year. The student that had improved the most throughout their three years at McAuliffe would receive this award. The administration decided which student was to receive the award. Ultimately, they decided on Anthony Feliciano. He improved and grew so much during his time at McAuliffe and proved to be an outstanding student. He even won first place in ASB’s Black History Month Jeopardy Competition this year!

Awards Night is for sure a night for many to remember. Students received various awards for their hard work and perseverance throughout middle school.