Celebrating Champions of Character at the 2021 Breakfast of Champions

May 18, 2021

The 2021 Breakfast of Champions, the annual character-recognition program, had a slightly different look this year. Rather than using the more intimate Senior Lounge as in the past, the High School’s large cafeteria, decorated with balloons and banner, provided a social-distancing triad-seating arrangement for each of the twenty-seven honorees and their two family members.  

After the Sayville String Quartet members Grace Urmaza, Emily Rosado, Christina Guiffre, and Alayna Pavao, directed by Ari Kramer, brought a touch of musical class to the ambiance, Assistant High School Principal Sabine Loriston welcomed the students, staff, families and administrators Superintendent Dr. John Stimmel, Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum Dr. Christine Criscione, Assistant Superintendent for Business John Belmonte, and High School Principal Ron Hoffer. She praised the students and their parents for making the best of a difficult and quite challenging year. “The students we are honoring this morning chose to show up every day, to show up for themselves, for their classmates, for their teachers, and represent the best parts of our Sayville Community. I’m proud of everyone here. You helped us set the tone in the classroom and around the school, and for that we are grateful.” 

At the morning recognition ceremony, Sayville teachers (named in the program) called up their Breakfast of Champion nominees. They presented them with touching personalized statements, along with certificates and Breakfast of Champions plaques—their portraits on a Wheaties Box background created by Tech teachers Chad Cross and Bill Vogel. 

After all the honorees were recognized, the breakfast—served with a smile by Sayville’s Food and Nutrition program—offered individually wrapped rolls, bagels, doughnuts, and beverages and an opportunity to mingle appropriately.