Mission: Recognition is an initiative sponsored by The Hayner Public Library District to reinforce positive behavior in the young people of our community. The program recognizes kids up to 18 years of age for acts of good value judgment, a high standard of character and positive community impact. Kids can be nominated by anyone (family and nonfamily) and will be recognized on a monthly basis. Nomination forms are available online at www.haynerlibrary.org or at any library location. The following awards were announced for the contributions of kids recognized during this past summer:
Bradley Cox is a student at Alton High School who has been very active in sports and school programs since elementary school. He is passionate about school and willingly supports his fellow classmates whenever he can. He serves as sophomore class student council president for the 2009–2010 term. He willingly assumed the role of mentor for a student in East Elementary school—a wonderful experience for both Bradley and the student. Bradley is a member of the college prep program Upward Bound and serves as an ambassador for the Principal of Alton High. He also has been chosen to address new students attending the Minority Excellence program.
Josh Gaither, also a student at Alton High School, found a graphics calculator in his class. As it was the last class of the day, he made sure to turn it in to the Assistant Principal first thing next morning. The owning student was greatly relieved to have his calculator returned. He thought it was lost for good.
A staff member of Alton Middle School had lost his wallet, in which he had his Social Security card, credit/debit cards, insurance cards—everything critically important. Maurice Gray, a student at the school, found the wallet and returned it intact to the owner.
Natalie and Caroline Lauschke attend the sixth grade at Alton Middle School. The twins are always volunteering and making the extra effort, whether it’s assisting with the school store or helping their teachers with special projects and activities. This fall, the girls found $15 in a ziplock bag in the gym and promptly took the money to the Assistant Principal, who found the appreciative owner. Several months later, a fellow student injured her foot. The girls immediately volunteered to assist her with her books and help her get to classes. They gave up their lunchtime in the cafeteria with their friends and stayed upstairs to eat with the injured student so she wouldn’t have to eat by herself.
Sophie Smith is a student at Evangelical Elementary School. Sophie is eight years old. This past May Sophie started her own business, selling handmade jewelry involving recycled Scrabble® tiles. From her jewelry sales over the summer, she has donated more than $100 to Alton’s Five A’s Humane Society. Sophie has continued to sell her jewelry and donates 10 percent of her sales to the nonprofit organization to help animals find a home.
Emily Selby, 9, attends St. Ambrose Catholic School and Caleigh Bryan, 11, attends Meadowbrook Intermediate School. Together, the friends cut and hand-tied 45 blankets, which they donated to the OASIS Women’s Center in Alton. The girls worked on the blankets together while they sat in the stands watching their brothers’ hockey games. Tying the finished blankets with a ribbon, the girls presented them to the OASIS Center so that, when children visit there, they receive a warm gift with which they can snuggle.
Katelin Richie attends the eighth grade in Alton Middle School. In class she has proven herself to be a wonderful student whom teachers know they can depend on. One of her teachers had to be out of town for three days. The teacher was concerned that a substitute teacher might not know how to set up the computer class, so he showed Katelin how to do it. For three days during the teacher’s absence, Katelin set up everything to prepare the classroom and ensure that the substitute teacher and students would have a good, productive day. Without Katelin’s help, the classes would have been a shambles.
Christopher Runion is a first grader at East Middle School. He found an expensive pair of glasses on his school bus and determinedly sought out the school principal to make sure they were returned to the child who owned them.
Tamera Caruthers, a fifth grader at West Elementary School, regularly attends the Boys and Girls Club in Alton after school. Often while at the club, the kids get time to work on their homework. A friend told Tamera that she was upset because she forgot her spelling packet that was to be completed and turned in the next day. Tamera had already completed her spelling work. Tamera erased all the answers on her homework and copied the sheet so her friend could use a blank sheet to complete the homework assignment. Tamera then redid her own assignment. They both turned in the assignment the next day and learned their words well, too!
Congratulations to each one of these kids for choosing to “do the right thing,” going the extra distance to help others and unselfishly making a difference in another person’s life.
