Story by Warwick Valley Central School District
Superintendent Dr. David Leach
The Superintendent’s Spotlight is shining bright on Sanfordville Elementary’s fourth grade student, Leah Purta, and it is easy to see why. Leah’s beaming smile, eagerness to always lend a hand, and positive attitude shines through in everything she does—and she does quite a lot! Leah is an active member of her classroom community and her teachers, Mrs. Fitzgerald and Mrs. Wihry, describe her as a “student who excels at academics, who is always willing to accept a challenge, and who exemplifies a true leader in and out of the classroom.” Inside the classroom, math is Leah’s favorite subject. Leah explains, “I’m good at it and it is fun but I like when it is hard because I like challenges!” Leah also enjoys helping others in math class, especially with word problems. She believes paying attention to what the teacher says and going slowly is important when helping others.
Principal Maraia states, “Leah is a positive young lady. Her teachers, coaches, and friends have nothing but wonderful things to say about her. She is a great role model for her classmates.”
Helping others is something that Leah strongly believes in, so it is only natural that Leah is a member of the Leadership Club. She states, “I love Leadership Club because I love helping people in my community. I especially love gathering donations for people in need.”
At Leadership Club, Leah loves to work with others, designing skits and posters to share with her Sanfordville community. These posters and skits keep the students, staff, and faculty up-to-date as to what the Leadership Club is currently working on (right now it is a Sneaker Drive). In terms of leading others, Leah explains that there is not just one leader, but multiple leaders, and everyone works together to help make a difference.
Working together to make a difference is also why Leah is a proud member of Girls on the Run. This running club does much more than run. Leah is happy to share that they all help and encourage each other to always do their best; they also talk about ways in which to be a good friend and help others both in and out of school.
With a smile on her face, Leah always puts forth her best effort; her willingness to lend a hand is seen across the Warwick community. She is a junior scout in Girl Scouts, a member of both the Warwick basketball and soccer teams, and is also a tap dancer at the Warwick Performing Arts Center. With each activity that Leah participates in and each adventure that she embarks on, Leah believes in spreading kindness and paying attention to others.
Leah shares, “Kindness is important and I care about others and pay attention to them.” It is perfect that when talking with Leah about her herself, she was wearing a shirt that said just that—Sprinkle Kindness, because that sentiment truly embodies Leah!
