Mary M. Knight OWLS Celebrate Week of March 11-14 GRIT Award Winners
At Mary M. Knight School, we believe in celebrating our students who demonstrate GRIT - Growth, Resilience, Intensity, and Tenacity. These weekly awards recognize students who embrace challenges as stepping stones to greatness and embody our school motto of "Nurturing Resilience, Inspiring Excellence."
This week, we're proud to highlight students from every grade level who have shown exceptional GRIT in their academic pursuits and character development.
Our Youngest OWLS Show Their GRIT
Our PreK student Ian Weaver demonstrated impressive growth in number recognition while showing resilience by applying teacher feedback to improve his work. Ian's intensity shines through in his ability to focus on writing assignments for extended periods, and his tenacity is evident on the playground and during rotation stations.
In Kindergarten, we celebrate several standouts this week. Brielle Dunnington bravely faced her first day of Kindergarten, overcoming fears to join Morning Meeting ready to thrive. Keith Johnson has shown tremendous growth in expressing himself safely and demonstrated GRIT by completing his i-Ready lessons. Hunter Vogland used his GRIT to advance his reading skills to higher-level material, while Meika Garcia persevered through challenging March assessments, allowing her teachers to see just how much she's capable of achieving.
Elementary Students Making a Difference
Our 2nd graders have been particularly impressive this week. Andrew Ushman consistently stays on task and isn't afraid to ask for help when needed. Analea Atwood has been recognized for her helpfulness and hard work across all subjects. Wyatt Bartell demonstrates kindness by assisting fellow students, while Jackson Short and Matthew Mock have shown dedication to their work and helpfulness to others. The entire 2nd grade class earned special recognition from their substitute teacher for being helpful, respectful, and hardworking all week.
In 3rd grade, a group of friends including Lewis Baughman, Luka Thomas, Xavier Lingnau, Thomas Mataya, and James Horn showed remarkable GRIT by voluntarily picking up trash during recess time. New student Alaina Dunnington has faced the challenge of being new with true GRIT and is already thriving at MMK.
James Reed in 4th grade has focused on becoming a more engaged student by staying on task, following directions, and maintaining positivity during challenging moments.
Our 5th graders continue to impress, with Koal Reed consistently demonstrating GRIT while mastering multi-digit division, working through problems and seeking help when needed. Mason Haskins has shown tremendous growth in PE, helping with cleanup, following directions, and even assisting with stretches to help the class get to games more quickly.
Building a Culture of GRIT
These students embody what it means to be an MMK OWL - embracing challenges, demonstrating resilience, applying intensity to their work, and showing tenacity in the face of difficulty.
As we continue through the 2024-25 school year with our focus on "Nurturing Resilience, Inspiring Excellence," these weekly GRIT awards highlight the everyday moments of growth and character development happening throughout our school community.
Congratulations to all our GRIT award winners! Your dedication to personal growth and positive contributions to our school community make Mary M. Knight a better place to learn and grow together.