Chehalem Valley Middle School teachers and administrators honor four students per grade level each month in a ceremony that includes the recipients’ family members.
This December, the team invited the Communications Department to observe the Student of the Month ceremony, which sports a new theme every month. This month, the theme was compassion, an ability to feel and understand another person’s suffering and to take action to lessen that person’s pain.
This month’s honorees were:
- Eighth-graders: Adriana Acosta, Greysen Castaneda, Eli Clodfelter, and Kaelynn Morgan
- Seventh-graders: Claire Orozco, James McDonough, Dominic Meredith, and Jett Taylor
- Sixth-graders: Amira Alwineyan, Kai Cervantes, Dante Angel Montiel Ramirez, and Temperance Oles
Teachers and administrators called up each Student of the Month recipient and explained why that student was honored that week. For example, PE Teacher Mikaela Easterlin nominated Eli Clodfelter, as did Special Education Assistant Donna Golden. This is what they said about him:
“Eli has shown growth in the area of awareness regarding people with other abilities,” Golden wrote. “He has been a kind, caring aid for our students in integrated PE. He shows patience, understanding, and willingness to help support our students.”
Easterlin said the student showed a willingness to help in that class that he now demonstrates in his other classes, as well.
“He has grown so much in this regard, and I am very proud of him,” Easterlin said.
At one point, Assistant Principal Roger Lorenzen paused the proceedings to make an important point. Amira Alwineyan wore a shirt that had the word “rescue” written on it. He said that she and the other students are rescuers, heroes.
“You have no idea how your behavior can rescue someone,” Lorenzen said.
The staff continued to shower praise on the recipients for their good deeds and caring hearts. At the end of the event, Principal Andy DeBois took a moment to thank everyone for attending, especially parents, who took the time to appreciate that their children had grasped something before so many of us could: One of our main purposes in life is to act with compassion, to make the world as kind and gentle as it should be, as it can be.
Photos: CVMS held its Student of the Month recognition ceremony on Wednesday, Dec. 14, and the School District Communications Department was invited to check it out. Above are the Students of the Month. The photo to the right is of Principal Andy DeBois dressed as a tree. At the bottom of the story is a photo of all of the staff who presented to the students or who offered their supportive presence at the event.