Sophomore Betim Zhuta was awarded student of the month in February for English because of his outstanding participation and dedication in his class. Awarded by his English teacher, Ms. Ann Pagano, she says, “Betim is like a sponge that absorbs everything I teach and remarkably, he naturally connects prior learning to new learning on a regular basis, which functions as a model for his peers… He is a thinker. The rest of the class benefits from the connections Betim makes, and they now strive to make similar connections, which raises the rigor and depth and breadth of learning.” Zhuta wasn’t expecting to be awarded Student of the Month, but says that his favorite part of English is the people in it as well as Ms. Pagano, who “always seems to make us laugh.”