The Students of the Month program has returned to recognize students who help build positivity throughout the school. Senior Ella Shissler, one of the recipients, explained the significance of the honor.
“I was in complete shock when I found out I received the recognition. I was extremely delighted and proud,” Shissler said. “Being recognized feels really great. I feel very grateful that teachers notice the little things.”
Junior Addison Giglione agreed.
“When I was nominated, it felt really good because I was glad a teacher saw my hard work, which made me smile when I found out,” Giglone said. “I think taking the extra steps in my classes to really study for my exams, while also helping other students, got me this nomination.”
The program is being run by the Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports team, a group of faculty and administrators focused on supporting students academically, socially, and behaviorally. Students who are nominated by staff for the honor display accountability and responsibility, serving as role models to their peers.
Assistant Principal Brandon Whitfield, who is part of the PBIS team, saw the importance of highlighting exemplary students each month.
“We started this program to start to recognize students for displaying positive characteristics within our school,” Whitfield said.
The PBIS team plans to continue and possibly expand the program moving forward.
“The eventual goal is not only to recognize kids, but for students to nominate teachers as well and really just continue to build up what happens here positively,” Whitfield said
Physics teacher Rachel Neil, another PBIS member, said discussions with students helped guide the implementation of the program.
“All of the qualities we were looking for in the Student of the Month really came from students,” Neil said. “We pulled people together starting last year and asked what they would want Baldwin to look like. What are some of those attributes, some of the things they want to see in the hallways, in the cafeterias, in the classrooms, on the buses? All of those came from student input.”
Senior Class President Mwango Kasuba stressed the importance of acknowledging students’ achievements and positivity.
“It’s always easy to recognize a good athlete or someone in a club, but the everyday students who do the right thing are who we need to draw more attention to,” Kasuba said.
Counselor Noel Santini, another PBIS member, said one aim of the Student of the Month program is to inspire students.
“I think that our students do amazing things here and we are trying to find ways to recognize that and reward them as an incentive for students to look up to each other,” Santini said. “If they see other students doing awesome things and getting recognized for it, the hopes are that other students will want to model the behavior that they’re seeing throughout the school.”
The recipients of the Student of the Month award for the Month of April are: Evelyn Esek, Rylee Glus, Jackson Sgattoni, Moe Moe Thu, Laci Bernotas, Gavin Sakely, Jacob Kaercher, and Olivia Kozak.
The recipients of the Student of the Month award for the Month of May are: Chelsea Dowhy, Ella Shissler, Addison Giglione, Gabe Herrle, Kate McGeever, Anna Plunkett, Gianna Harkins, and Richard Leicht.
