They could have slipped through the cracks, but didn’t – and they were applauded today, loud and long, as inspirational students who have overcome hardship to excel in school, including:
· A 5th grade boy who struggled with painful shyness, multiple heart surgeries and a grueling recovery process. He now actively participates in small group activities, volunteers in class discussions, and has made oral presentations to classmates.
· An 8th-grade boy who struggled behaviorally and academically during a childhood that exposed him to situations and people that not even adults, let alone children, should ever face. He is one of his school’s best students today, with a grade point average near 4.0.
· A 12th-grade girl who had an abysmal attendance record as a freshman, with “F” grades in every class. She turned her life around by assisting in the campus Independent Living Skills program. Her dream now is to become an Instructional Assistant.
Natomas Unified’s annual “Every Student Succeeding” ceremony today spotlighted a student success story from all 14 district-operated schools. Their principals, their parents or guardians, and district leaders cheered them on.
Honorees received a plaque and congratulations from Board President B. Teri Burns, Trustees Lisa Kaplan and Sue Heredia, and Supt. Chris Evans.
“The award honors students from 4th grade to Adult Education who have “succeeded, against all odds, beyond expectations or simply won the hearts of the administrators and other educators who helped them achieve their goals,” Associated Supt. Keven MacDonald said in introducing the winners.
Take Elizabeth, for example: The 5th-grader made a triumphant return after having to be on Home Hospital for almost her entire 3rd-grade ever. Known for her acts of kindness, she has organized a school coat drive and proposed starting a campus “Green Team.” She also has emerged as a student leader by becoming a Peer Helper and is a “5th grade buddy” to a kindergarten student.
To qualify for Every Student Succeeding honors, students must have made a special effort to succeed and overcome obstacles such as leaving a gang, returning to school, improving their attendance, changing their attitude, and overcoming physical or mental barriers, MacDonald said.
Supt. Evans touts the annual awards ceremony as testament to one of Natomas Unified’s Board-adopted Core Beliefs: “Every student can learn and succeed.”
One of this year’s honorees, an 8th-grade boy, was selected by the local region of the Association of California State Administrators as a candidate for statewide honors.
The teenager lacks consistent transportation to school, causing him to miss 17 days of instruction this school year. He has attended multiple schools as a child, including several school moves within a single year. Yet he has persevered.
The 8th-grader is passing all his classes and is known as a natural leader on campus. “Teachers describe (him) as smart, talented, mature beyond his age, goal-oriented and a positive leader in the classroom,” MacDonald said in introducing the teen.
Winners, all of them – in school and in life.
