Honorees are selected based on the following attributes – collaboration, communication, critical thinking and creativity – otherwise known as The Four C’s. These skills and characteristics are central to the district’s mission and values.

— Jackson Bigaj for critical thinking: “Jax is one of my leaders in Lego Robotics. I call him a leader because Jax always models ‘come in and be a self-starter’ every day in class. Jax takes great pride at what he is doing and then will ask for help when he is puzzled. Jax is also one the students who has little trouble understanding the Lego building instructions and programming.” says science teacher Jonathan Spiegel.

— Natalia Elliott for critical thinking: “Natalia processes the ability to think clearly and rationally. She can analyze information easily and make a well-chosen decision regarding her home life and/or her school work. More importantly than being a good critical thinker, Natalia is a wonderful person that is always ready, willing, and able to help out anyone in need,” says teacher Renee Bauer.

— Aubrie Heron for collaboration: “Aubrie is an exemplary student. She is tenacious and works diligently to overcome obstacles. She is undeterred by challenge and when she is unsure of how to proceed at a difficult task she makes and earnest attempt, reflects on it, and asks for clarification or help if needed. This helps her both develop deeper understanding of the content and more effectively gauge her understanding than a student who asks for help immediately at the first sign of difficulty. This also enables her to ask more incisive questions to efficiently get her the support she needs before making another attempt. When collaborating with her peers, she asks probing questions that elevate everyone’s understanding by forcing students who seem to have a firm handle on things evaluate and clearly articulate their assumptions and process. While doing this, she manages to strike an impressive balance of being appropriately probing without straying into an aggressive or confrontational tone, further enhancing collaboration,” says science teacher Zachary Izard.

Natalia Elliott

— Danielle Miller for communication: “Danielle is an excellent student and role model in my classroom through Communication. She is polite and courteous to everyone around her, she is a great participant in class, and is always willing to help others. Danielle is such a kind person, and I love having her in my classroom!” says math teacher Randi Dauoheuang.

— Maleina Moses for critical thinking: “Maleina Moses displays her critical thinking skills in Living Environment throughout all of her assignments. Maleina not only explains her answers, but also backs them up with sound evidence and reasoning, which are crucial at this level of science. Maleina is also a strong lab partner and willing to help her classmates when needed,” says science teacher Margaret King.

— Maddison Smith for critical thinking: “Maddison is always very thoughtful in her actions and demeanor. She chooses to go above and beyond in every assignment she completes. Her answers are always well supported with accurate information and full of analysis. She makes connections between various time periods and civilizations. She is also one of the most polite people I know, always listening respectfully and attentively. She is not afraid to ask questions when she is not sure of an answer. She also lets her opinions be known on various topics, but does not expect others to agree with her, unique to the times we live in. Madison is just a stellar student in AP World Modern History and a superstar. I’m so grateful to have her in my classroom,” says social studies teacher Kathryn Haim.

Aubrie Heron

Danielle Miller

Maleina Moses

Maddison Smith