Lara Topaloglu enjoys writing non-fiction, but also dreams up stories of talking fans.
Her teachers praise her ability to think through hurdles, but her favorite class is gym.
She plays softball and violin, and more than once has sung on stage in front of large groups of students.
The Krieger Elementary fifth-grader has been encouraged to pursue her varied interests throughout her childhood in the Poughkeepsie City School District.
“She’s had excellent teachers from the very beginning,” her mother, Jeromina Topaloglu said. “She’s been offered all of these opportunities other school districts wouldn’t have.”
That’s why her accomplishments have provided the Krieger school community reason to celebrate. As New York State math and ELA assessments arrive again, Lara the last two years has earned perfect scores on her math assessment and was nearly perfect a year ago in English.
“She takes pride in her work,” said Andrea Boccio, co-teacher of Lara’s class, calling her development “a collaborative effort” of the school’s instructors through the years. “She definitely loves to solve problems, whether it’s math- or reading-related.”
Lara said she was “proud” of her test scores, noting she likes math because “it’s straightforward. Usually if you read it properly you can get the right answer.” However, she said she simply likes to learn about “anything that interests me.” That spans a wide spectrum.
Lara dreams of becoming a film actress – or a job that involves taking care of animals – and has had the opportunity to be in four musicals. Most recently, she starred as Belle in Krieger’s production of “Beauty and the Beast” in January.
“I think she fit me,” Lara said of Belle. “She doesn’t really go with what people are saying. She has her own mind and she can talk back.”
Lara also sang a duet of Rhianna’s “Diamonds” at Poughkeepsie Middle School during its Black History Month celebration, and will sing the national anthem acapella during the City of Poughkeepsie softball league’s opening day on April 13.
Good grades, she said, will “help me get something I would really be interested in.”
Though exactly what that will be is still unclear, Jeromina said her exploration has been encouraged by programs offered at the Poughkeepsie district.
“Every year she’s grown enormously,” Jeromina said. “None of that growth has been stunted. She’s flourished.”
Skip Hoover, another co-teacher of Lara’s class who focuses on math and science, called her a problem-solver, who “has the ability to think out everything that’s in her brain on paper.
“It’s amazing to see the work that she shows,” he said. “We emphasize that a lot. Show what you’re thinking.”
Boccio, whose focus is on ELA and social studies, said Lara’s writing has “matured” this year.
“Before she would tell you things in her writing,” she said. “Now she’s using words that show what she means.”
As for what she likes about coming to school, Lara said she sometimes is bored on days when she is at home.
At school, she said, “I’m surrounded by other kids, teachers who can help me, and I can help them too.”
