Musical Notes
Kate Henkel of West Windsor led more than 150 scouts and parents from West Windsor and Plainsboro in singing to senior citizens at RoseHill Nursing Facility in Hamilton, Arcadia Nursing Home in Hamilton, Bear Creek Assisted Living in West Windsor, Meadow Lakes in Hightstown, and Hamilton Continuing Care. While she played guitar and coordinated the events, ornaments, door hangers, and cards were presented to the seniors and each singer received a candy cane.
“Getting together with some friends and making the seniors smile for the holidays made me happy,” says Anna Henkel, a sixth grade cadette in troop 70216, and Kate Henkel’s daughter.
Ten years ago Kate Henkel was a leader for a Girl Scout troop based at Dutch Neck School and invited another troop to join her in concert. After that first year, her troops continued to grow — and she invited other troops to join in the festivities.
When she became a consultant, she continued to organize events that made it easier for leaders — especially new leaders — to do their job. “Singing with the seniors is a nice community service event that requires little work on the part of the leaders,” says Henkel. “That’s how the event expanded.”
She first offered it for three nights but it has worked up to five different events. “Some facilities can accommodate larger numbers than others, so I match up the facilities with the troops based on numbers,” she says.
While the scouts do not earn a specific badge, Daisies work on petals that correlate to the Girl Scout Law. “This event could be counted toward a few of the petals or an inch worm of service award,” she says.
“I’ve always enjoyed playing and singing and I know that many of the leaders are uncomfortable in this forum, so I like being able to make life a little easier for them,” she says. “It’s really great to see all of the enthusiasm that the scouts bring.”
Henkel taught herself both the piano and guitar as a teenager and has no vocal training. “I think the guitar gives the scouts a comfort level when we do these singing events — and it helps keep everyone in the same key,” says Henkel.
WW-P School
Faculty News
Sven Strnad, a fifth grade teacher at Millstone River School, has received national board certification from the National Board for Professional Teachers. Seven other district teachers and administrators who have previously achieved certification include Andrea Scaturo, David Argese, Ann Mika, Karen Galley, Karen Shannon, Brian Patterson, and Kimberly Hudak.
Tim Cornell, a mathematics teacher at High School North, has been selected as a winner of the 2009 Edyth May Sliffe Award for distinguished high school mathematics teaching, presented by the Mathematical Association of America (MAA). Cornell, one of 22 teachers throughout high schools in the United States and Canada to receive the award, will get a cash award, letter of recognition, a Sliffe Award winner pin, a certificate from the MAA, a one-year institutional membership in the MAA, and 20 subscriptions to Math Horizons for distribution to high school students.
The winners are nominated by the top 60 highest scoring students in the American Mathematics competitions. High School North nominators include Christopher Bergman, Jason Steinberg, Daesun Yim, and Atharv Vaish.
In College
Neville Lyons Fogarty of West Windsor, a senior at Washington and Lee University, is included in the newest edition of “Who’s Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges.”
Births
The University Medical Center at Princeton has announced the following births:
Sons were born to Plainsboro residents Sonia and Dinesh Gaur, November 28; and Jennifer Robinson and Klaus Kirchberg, December 10.
Daughters were born to Plainsboro residents Suhita and Anirban Basu, December 2; and Shannon and Joseph Carpenter, December 2.
A son was born to West Windsor residents Catherine T. and Brian E. Katona, November 28.
A daughter was born to West Windsor residents Amy and Chris Woods, December 7.
