Every month a new chance to be Student of the Month
CRANBERRY TOWNSHIP — Students stay at Rowan Elementary School through fourth grade, making the youths in that grade the oldest in the school and role models for younger students.
So when a student in the fourth grade exemplifies leadership and other ideals relating to the Rotarian motto of “Service Above Self,” they have a chance to be formally recognized by the school and the Rotary Club of Cranberry Township - Sunrise.
“These are the kids that really exemplify ‘Service above Self,’” said Lauren O’Donnell, counselor at Rowan Elementary School. “These kids … they just have that solid character and good morals that they show throughout the day.”
The Sunrise Rotary Club implemented the Student of the Month program at Rowan Elementary School in 2008. The program existed at Haine Middle School before 2008. Now, the Rotary Club has brought it to a third elementary school in Seneca Valley School District — Ehrman Crest Elementary.
P.J. Lynd, a Sunrise Rotarian who runs the Student of the Month program, said it is a chance to reward the students who are making a difference, while also demonstrating to the rest of the school those who are making that difference.
“These are kids who are close to the Rotary motto as fourth-graders,” Lynd said. “They’re selfless, they want to help others, they are leaders in their classrooms. It’s all things we look for and strive for in Rotary.”
O’Donnell said it’s not just teachers who get input on what student ultimately gets chosen for recognition. It’s everyone the children interact with daily.
“They are great in the cafeteria, they are great in art, they are great in music,” O’Donnell said of the students chosen for the recognition. “The teachers nominate, but everyone gets a chance to vote.”
According to O’Donnell, the school doesn’t tell students that there is a chance to be named Student of the Month. But once the Sunrise Rotary starts honoring them publicly, the rest of the students catch on to the opportunity. O’Donnell said this is so the students don’t just think of the recognition as a title to chase.
Lynd said the Sunrise Rotary takes the recommendation of O’Donnell, who collects nominations and votes from the rest of the staff at the school. Lynd said the club awards one student per month with a plaque. Every other month, the club hosts a breakfast at Rowan Elementary for two Students of the Month and their families.
The club shares the guidelines for the program with the school, which the teachers use to nominate students, Lynd said.
The selection goes beyond grades, he said.
“It's not always the kid who gets straight A’s. It's the kid who helps others,” Lynd said.
On Friday, Feb. 20, the Sunrise Rotary honored Charlie Carothers as the January Student of the Month and Maren Brown as the February Student of the Month at Rowan Elementary.
Fourth-grade teacher Lauren Calderone said she nominated Maren because “her classmates always look up to her. When she speaks, students listen.
“Her personality is what draws other students toward being such good friends with Maren,” Calderone said. “Every morning I see Maren walk in and all the girls walk in and say, ‘Hi, Maren,’ and it brings a smile to my face every day.”
Fourth-grade teacher Candace McComb nominated Charlie, and shared a story of when she saw Charlie go above and beyond to be friendly to another student.
“Charlie knows that me or a (paraprofessional) helps a certain student get her book bag on,” McComb said. “She needed help and I look over and I see Charlie helping her put on the straps of her book bag and her coat and was like, ‘Have a good day.’”
Both teachers said the students were not seeking recognition for their actions, which is another positive trait about them, as well as other students that have been nominated for the program.
Charlie said he thought it was “pretty cool” to be recognized as Student of the Month, and that he didn’t expect to be rewarded for his actions.
Maren said this is her first year at Rowan Elementary, and while she knew about the award, being nominated still caught her by surprise.
“Two other kids got it in my class, so I kind of knew what it was,” she said. “It’s really, really good, and I really, really like it.”
The Student of the Month breakfast is a chance to further integrate the ideals of Rotary, said O’Donnell, who calls the selected students’ parents to tell them about the award and invite them to the award breakfast.
“It's just a nice way for parents to hear why they were nominated and they get to have a delicious breakfast our cafeteria makes,” she said. “Parents come, siblings, we do a presentation and we show them the plaque.”
The students also get a photo with the school’s staff, Sunrise Rotary members and the plaques they receive as a reward.
O’Donnell said being recognized by the program has made each student feel special. That sentiment is doubled when they get to meet with the club members, who further commend their actions in their school.
“We have since had a lot of Rotarians join us for the breakfast, and that is very cool for students to see and meet people of our community,” O’Donnell said.
Brian Kutchma, a member of the Sunrise Rotary, said the club has long been involved in the Seneca Valley School District. In addition to the dictionary program, which provides students in the district’s elementary schools with dictionaries, Kutchma said the club helps raise money for other programs, and even helps facilitate the Hope Squad at the high school.
“We support the Seneca district as a whole. We are involved in their Hope Squad,” Kutchma said. “We make not only monetary donations but hold various events and fundraisers and promotional things throughout the year.”
Denise Etter, president of the Sunrise Rotary, said instilling the ideals of “Service above Self” in elementary school students helps set them on a good path.
“The Rotary motto is ‘Service above Self,’” Etter said. “That’s what we speak to the kids about and what ‘Service above Self’ means to Rotary and how they are acting the same way.”
