BROWNSTOWN
Three girls were recognized during the recent Brownstown Central Community School Corp. board of trustees meeting at Brownstown Elementary School.
Receiving Student of the Month honors were senior Sydney Cockerham, seventh-grader Madison Edwards and fourth-grader Joanna Pitts.
Cockerham was chosen by her family and consumer science teacher, Katlynn Schnitker.
“She has proven herself to be an exceptional student in my class,” Principal Joe Sheffer said in reading Schnitker’s comments. “Sydney is polite, funny, encouraging and an overall pleasure to have in class. Her witty personality and jokes always put a smile on my face and make class very enjoyable. I can always count on Sydney to produce an organized and complete assignment or project, answer questions during class and be a leader.”
Madison’s seventh-grade teachers said she is an exemplary student.
“Not only does she demonstrate excellence in academics, but she also contributes to the positive culture of the school by making other students feel welcome and assisting them with class assignments in a way that helps them learn,” Principal Doug McClure said in reading the teachers’ nomination letter.
Madison also takes advantage of extracurricular academic opportunities, including Spell Bowl, Academic Super Bowl and the Brave Botics robotics team. The teachers commended her for devoting many hours after school to increase her knowledge and creating a positive environment at the school.
McClure said Madison has “a wonderful, pleasant disposition” and has an insatiable desire to learn.
“Some kids do just what’s required of them, ‘What do I have to do to get by?’ That is not this young lady,” he said. “She wants to learn, she wants to grow, she wants to expand, she’s hungry, and it’s really exciting to see.”
Joanna was chosen by her teacher, Amy Hartley, for her dedication to reading.
Since kindergarten, Joanna has taken 874 Accelerated Reader tests, has an average overall percentage of 92.5 percent on those exams, has earned 1,519.6 points and has read 9,847,577 words. That doesn’t include any reading she has done for class or outside of testing.
“So it goes without saying why Joanna Pitts is being recognized for her love of reading, a habit she shares with her mom and sister,” Principal Chrystal Street said in reading Hartley’s comments.
“I rarely see Joanna without a book, and reading often provides background knowledge about classroom topics,” Hartley wrote. “But what I appreciate most about Joanna is that she is a very commendable, kind, hardworking student. I look forward to seeing her every school day. Happy reading, Joanna.”
Street even noticed when Joanna sat down with her mom for the school board meeting that she pulled out a book to read until the meeting started.
“So great job, and congratulations,” Street said.