St. Charles Parish Schools celebrates its Students of the Year

Superintendent Felecia Gomez-Walker likened the Dec. 4 Student of the Year awards ceremony to the Oscars. After every school selects a student of the year, committees have the task of picking three – at the elementary, middle, and high school levels – as the district’s students of the year. In a school district ranked fifth in the state, choosing among the best students is no easy task.

“It occurred to me that each of these young people have an award-winning story that lays the foundation for their success in the future,” Gomez-Walker said in a speech. “I look forward to their sequels.”

In order to earn the initial honor, students must have maintained a 3.5 or higher grade point average. The competition looks only at grades 5, 8 and 12, with applicants putting together a portfolio. The portfolio lists the students’ academic achievements, leadership, specific recognition,  group memberships and a biographical essay. Once they win the school-wide competition, students are interviewed by a committee that selects who will earn the district awards.

The ceremony held to honor the students was attended by numerous members of the school community. In addition to Superintendent Gomez-Walker, the entire School Board was present. Each committee tasked with selecting the students was also in attendance, which included representatives from Praxair, the St. Charles Parish Government and the United Way of St. Charles. Three Teachers of the Year were also members of the selection committee.

The students vary in their backgrounds and dreams. Indira Escobar, for example, was born in Nicaragua and aspires to be the next doctor in her family.  Gabrielle Abate donated her hair to Locks of Love and aspires to be a psychiatrist or physical trainer. District-wide middle school honoree Connor Fisk was the youngest member ever admitted to the River Region Orchestra. Reading each story, it becomes clearer that each student demonstrates a love not only for academics, but for their school and community as a whole.The selection is only the first step in consideration for regional and statewide Student of the Year honors. Eighteen Regional winners will be announced in March, from which the Department of Education consider Student of the Year for the entire state.

Last year, no student from St. Charles Parish qualified for the state competition.

All school-wide winners went home with a plaque bearing their custom-made “movie poster.”

You can see the full list of individual school winners, as well as their movie poster’s, in the Dec. 11 print edition of the St. Charles Herald-Guide.

 

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