Winsor Hill students pledge to 'Be Your Best Self'

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Winsor Hill Elementary School’s Super Hero Headquarters was filled with future doctors, marine biologists and even a Navy Seal last Friday.

Likewise, Winsor Hill teacher Stacy Landi’s fifth grade classroom, which was decorated with colorful education pieces and messages, also featured future historians, veterinarians, NASA staffers and engineers who took part in a program presented by La Salle Academy senior Viansa Portesi.

Portesi was a special guest at the Johnston-based school courtesy of Susan Parillo, Winsor Hill’s popular health and physical education teacher, as part of the school’s Be Your Best Self program.

That program, in fact, includes a special pledge that Winsor Hill adopted and encourages young people nationwide to make a commitment to being their best selves in areas such as academics, physical fitness, morality, character and social and civic participation.

Portesi embraces the Be Your Best Self message that empowers young people with valuable tools to face the challenges of negative peer pressure.

She is the daughter of Thomas Portesi and Lori McKinsey and lives in Warwick and visited Winsor Hill School to share her personal experiences that led to her winning o winning the prestigious title of Rhode Island’s Distinguished Young Woman of the Year for 2018.

Portesi, drawing on her own personal experiences, delivered helpful messages throughout her impressive 45-minute presentation last Friday emphasizing the importance of setting goals and striving to reach them.

Using a well-done slide presentation, Portesi discussed in depth the five elements of the Be Your Best Self Program and held a question and answer segment for each of the categories.

The first is Be Healthy, be physically fit and drug free.

Then there’s Be Involved-Serve your community; Be Studious-Stay in School; Be Ambitious-Set and achieve goals; and Be Responsible-Live by moral and ethical principles.

Portesi is the epitome of the Best Your Best Self program and who Parillo will tell you is “an excellent representative of the national program that celebrated the pledge during last week’s National BYBS Week.

“Everyone is proud of Viansa,” Parillo said. “Through the Distinguished Young Woman program, she earned a four-year renewable, full tuition scholarship and plans to attend the University of Alabama.”

Also as part of Portesi’s presentation, students were eager to share how they live a healthy life and some even talked bout their involvement in sports, dance, gymnastics and karate.

Being involved is something that Portesi stressed and she spoke about how wonderful if feels to give back to the community. Students also shared with Portesi their community service projects that Parillo conducts each year in such areas as cancer and autism awareness, mental health awareness, food and blood drives and good deeds programs.

Several visitors to also took in Portesi’s program told Parillo they were impressed with the attentiveness and participation of each student.

Portesi, said several visitors who listened to her presentation, “is an excellent mentor for these students. She encouraged students to dream big, set goals and be their best self always.”

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