LINDEN PUBLIC SCHOOLS

They are tech-savvy, media-ready, and full of leadership potential. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐓𝐞𝐜𝐡 𝐓𝐞𝐚𝐦 at School No. 10 was honored with the prestigious “𝐈𝐭 𝐓𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐬 𝐀 𝐕𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐠𝐞” 𝐀𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐝𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐧 𝐁𝐨𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐄𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧’𝐬 𝐀𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐥 𝟐𝟗𝐭𝐡 𝐦𝐞𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠—recognized not only for their technical know-how, but for their teamwork, professionalism, and positive impact on the entire school community.

Made up of standout fourth and fifth graders, the Tech Team has been 𝐝𝐚𝐳𝐳𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐬, 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐭 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐀𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐬. During a recent statewide instructional event, they left a lasting impression on everyone in the room.

“These kids were just amazing,” said 𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐩𝐚𝐥 𝐖𝐚𝐲𝐧𝐞 𝐇𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐥 during the board recognition. “People were stopping at the door saying, ‘Oh my goodness—those kids! How amazing were they? They knew how to do X, Y, Z. They were smarter than I was!’ And that’s coming from guys who work for Apple. They were blown away by our students’ knowledge of iPads, their professionalism as fourth and fifth graders, and their dedication to their leader, Ms. Kefalas. I’m incredibly proud.”

That leader is 𝐊𝐢𝐦 𝐊𝐞𝐟𝐚𝐥𝐚𝐬, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐭’𝐬 𝐄𝐥𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐓𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐧𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐲 𝐓𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐭 𝐒𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐥 𝐍𝐨. 𝟖 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐒𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐥 𝐍𝐨. 𝟏𝟎, who built the program from the ground up. Her enthusiasm, creativity, and passion for empowering students have transformed a small idea into one of the district’s most inspiring success stories.

“These are my tech team students,” Kefalas explained at the meeting as she introduced each student on the team. “They have to fill out an application, go through a brief interview, and then they’re trained to help both students and teachers. If a class is having tech issues, these students step in and support. They also document our school events—they’re the unofficial paparazzi! From filming assemblies to creating videos, they’ve become the heartbeat of our media efforts.”

She added. “Mr. Happel has always encouraged my wild ideas, and these kids meet every challenge with heart and hustle. I couldn’t be more proud.”

Superintendent Dr. Atiya Y. Perkins applauded the team’s innovation and spirit during the presentation of the “It Takes A Village” Award.

One by one, the students were called forward to receive their honors as the board and audience cheered them on. And while they may be young, their impact is already powerful—and growing.

In a district dedicated to future-ready learning and student empowerment, the School No. 10 Tech Team is not just supporting the village. They’re helping build to it.

“Congratulations to our brilliant young tech leaders,” she said. “Your creativity, commitment, and collaboration are exactly what Linden Public Schools represents. This award reflects not just what you do with technology, but how you show up as leaders and changemakers in your school.”