Boy Scout Troop 759 of Plainsboro has had its share of Eagle Scouts, but Nivruth Maramreddy’s project was a little different. This time, it was personal. “I was inspired by my mother, who encouraged me to do a project for the Joseph Cappello School,” Maramreddy said. “My younger brother, Nityanth, attended Joseph Cappello School in order to improve his speech capabilities. Seeing that the school has made a significant difference for my family, I wanted to express my gratitude.”
The project that Maramreddy undertook was to adapt toys for the special needs students at the school, which is on the campus of Mercer Community College and serves students with physical and behavioral challenges.
“A kid at Joseph Cappello School doesn’t have either the strength or the hand-eye coordination to operate certain toys using the same on and off switch that was originally installed on the toy,” Maramreddy says. “An external switch will be connected to the wiring of the toy and will allow for a challenged child to operate the toy. The external switch can be a very large and light button. Any protruding wiring or contents of the toy can be covered up so that the children do not hurt themselves.”
He also built a wooden cart for the school to house these toys. “Here at the Cappello School, we serve many students with various disabilities,” says Karen Machin, a teacher at the school. “The adapted toys help many of our students with hand over hand activities, Niv has been a great asset to our school.” For information about the school call at 609-588-8485.
A new graduate of High School South, Maramreddy will attend the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs. Troop 759, chartered through Queenship of Mary Church in Plainsboro, meets most Fridays at 7:30 p.m. Visit www.troop759nj.org for information.
Tiffanie Pfaltzgraff of West Windsor is the recipient of the District Award of Merit from the Mercer Area District of the Boy Scouts of America. She is a committee member and trainer for Pack 759 in Plainsboro. She also served on Cub Scout Day Camp staff for three years and chaired the Tiger Cub Fun Day. She also served as Popcorn Kernel — leading the Mercer Area District to a sales record of $305,000. The mother of four children, Pfaltzgraff is also a Girl Scout leader and PTA volunteer.
