At East Aurora, supporting the Whole Child means fostering an environment where academic excellence goes hand in hand with social-emotional growth, respectful relationships, and personal well-being. This past Saturday, November 7, that commitment was on full display as East Aurora Middle School proudly hosted the New York State Junior Classical League (NYSJCL) Fall Fest which is an event that challenged our students' minds, strengthened our community connections, and celebrated their diverse strengths beyond the classroom.
Opening our doors to more than 220 students from over a dozen schools across New York State, our halls were filled with vibrant camaraderie, spirited competition, and a true sense of statewide community. Forty-one EA students stepped up to compete across rigorous academic exams, fast-paced Certamen buzzers, creative arts, and athletic challenges, bringing home an extraordinary collection of honors while demonstrating leadership at every turn.
Academics: Intellectual Tenacity & Scholarship
From 6th graders taking their very first classical exams to advanced high schoolers tackling college-level material, EA scholars demonstrated dedication and deep historical and linguistic understanding across every level.
Level ½:
Roman Civilization: Delaney Hannon (1st), Vivian Roach (3rd)
Roman History: Jameson Fildes (1st), Isaac Bray (3rd)
Pentathlon: Kevin Cox (2nd)
Level IB:
Roman Civilization: Daniel Whitehead (2nd)
Roman History: Michael Baker (1st), Daniel Whitehead (2nd)
Latin Derivatives: Chase Pokrywa (2nd), Michael Baker (2nd - Level I), Daniel Whitehead (3rd)
Pentathlon: Annabelle Potter (3rd)
Level II:
Molly Hannon: 1st place in Latin Derivatives, Roman Civilization, and Roman History; 2nd place in Pentathlon and Latin Vocabulary; 3rd place in Mythology
Raja Vitous: 2nd place in Roman Civilization and Roman History; 3rd place in Latin Vocabulary
Theo Dudley: 3rd place in Pentathlon and Roman History
Lucy Improta: 3rd place in Roman History
Level III:
Kelsey Trzeciak: 1st place in Pentathlon; 2nd place in Latin Derivatives, Mythology, and Roman Civilization; 3rd place in Roman History and Latin Vocabulary
Cameron Gregoire: 2nd place in Pentathlon and Roman History; 3rd place in Latin Derivatives, Roman Civilization, and Latin Vocabulary
Serene Tunkey: 1st place in Latin Derivatives
Level IV, V, & AP Latin:
Jonas Trzeciak: 1st place in Latin Vocabulary; 2nd place in Latin Derivatives and Roman History; 3rd place in Mythology, Pentathlon, and Roman Civilization
Audrey Holtz: 2nd place in Pentathlon and Roman Civilization; 3rd place in Latin Vocabulary
Collaboration: The Heart of Certamen
Certamen (Latin quiz bowl) demands lightning-fast reflexes and absolute teamwork. EA fielded teams across all divisions, securing six top-three finishes:
Level IB: 2nd Place (Daniel Whitehead, Michael Baker, Deeka Setiawan, Chase Pokrywa)
Level II:
1st Place (Team A): Lucy Improta, Marielle Idland, Molly Hannon, Penny Rausch
2nd Place (Team B): David Cox, Dominic Dimitri, Raja Vitous, Theo Dudley
Level III:
1st Place (Team A): Cameron Gregoire, Emma Spielman, Felicity Everhart, Kelsey Trzeciak, Serene Tunkey
3rd Place (Team B): Declan Armstrong, Nathaniel Potter, Peter Calleri, Sam D'Attilio (winning a hard-fought tiebreaker over EA’s Team C: Isa Strzeciak, Juliet Callahan, Natalie Laidman, and Thatcher Belka)
Level IV/V: 1st Place (Noah Forness, Jonas Trzeciak, Audrey Holtz, Logan Noel)
Creativity, Voice, & Wellness: Beyond the Classroom
The classical tradition celebrates mind, body, and spirit. EA students expressed their unique voices and talents through visual arts, public performance, strategic games, and physical play:
Visual Arts & Design: Aliza Howe took 1st place in the Grades 9–10 Poster Contest, Lieselotte Csakany took 2nd place in Grades 7–8 Poster Contest, and Jameson Fildes earned 1st place in Photography. The Middle School Latin Club took 3rd place in the T-shirt contest with a student design by John Roach.
Oratory & Dramatic Interpretation: Speaking and performing in Latin requires nuance and confidence. Sam D'Attilio captured 1st place in Dramatic Interpretation, with Kelsey Trzeciak (2nd) and Thatcher Belka (3rd) rounding out an EA sweep. In Latin Oratory, 1st place finishes went to Michael Baker (Grades 7–9), Molly Hannon (Level II), and Audrey Holtz & Jonas Trzeciak (tied for 1st in Levels III–V). Delaney Hannon and Ruby Matott tied for 2nd place, and Annabelle Potter placed 3rd in the Grades 7–9 division.
Strategy & Athletics: Logan Noel claimed 1st place in the Chess Tournament. In the gym, Vivian Roach took 1st place in the middle school mixed basketball shootout; Owen Howe and Tucker Catanzaro earned 1st and 2nd in the 7/8 boys division and later tied for 1st in the middle school volleyball tournament. Nathaniel Potter and Declan Armstrong played on the winning high school volleyball squad.
Our Community: The Foundation of It All
An event of this scale does not happen without an extraordinary village of staff, families, retirees, and student leaders working shoulder-to-shoulder:
Facilities & Wellness Staff: Boundless gratitude to Bryan Murtzlufft, Doug Ronan, Mary Woods, and Jeff Fugelwicz from our buildings and grounds crew for working overtime to prepare our school, and to PE teacher Peter Tripi for coordinating the athletic events.
Parent & Community Volunteers: Thank you to parent chaperones Sarah Everhart and Jason Baker for managing dinner and ensuring a safe, memorable evening. Special appreciation goes to Senior Classical League member Andrew Machkasov, as well as retired educators Gail Taylor, Lynn Smith, Michael Kutny, and Thomas Virginia, who generously returned to moderate, proctor, and judge.
Student Leadership: Over two dozen EA students stepped up outside of their own competitions to set up, clean up, manage bake sales, run open certamen, and welcome visiting schools: Marielle Idland, Delaney Hannon, Luci Serwicki, Chase Pokrywa, Deeka Setiawan, Vivian Roach, Aliza Howe, Lucy Improta, Molly Hannon, Penny Rausch, Raja Vitous, Theo Dudley, Cameron Gregoire, Declan Armstrong, Emma Spielman, Felicity Everhart, Isa Strzlec, Kelsey Trzeciak, Natalie Laidman, Nathaniel Potter, Peter Calleri, Sam D'Attilio, Serene Tunkey, Thatcher Belka, Jonas Trzeciak, and Logan Noel.
Administration: Thank you to district and building administration for your continuous support of the Latin program and for championing opportunities where our students can shine as whole, multifaceted learners.
Congratulations to all our competitors and leaders—you made East Aurora proud!
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