I have the incredible honor of facilitating the Student of the Month program, which is held at Grace Hudson Elementary School each month during the school year. This ceremony is a reflection of the hard work of a community working together to support young people: students, parents and guardians, grandparents, friends, school district staff, and our community agency and business partners. If you have not attended a Student of the Month program, I invite you to attend one of our inspiring events!
At the Student of the Month ceremony, I stand at the podium greeting our students and audience, and I reflect on all of the effort made by those in attendance to ensure that students are successful. As a mom of three school-aged students, I know how difficult it is to juggle the many demands placed on parents, guardians, and grandparents. Getting students fed and out the door on time, lunch in hand and homework completed while trying to balance school and outside activities as well as a parent’s demanding work schedule is a challenge. I applaud each one of our parents, guardians, grandparents, siblings, and friends for all they do to make this happen for our students.
Listening to school Principals talk about each student’s successes and why he or she was chosen for this honor is inspiring. I am always amazed at the accomplishments of our students in school and our community. Students are selected for this honor because of a wide variety of reasons like academic achievement, academic improvement, kindness, positive behavior, citizenship, and many other reasons. Our students display no shortage of these behaviors, so it is a very competitive award. If you know a student who has received Student of the Month, please take the time to congratulate him or her because it is quite an accomplishment!
Finally, as we honor each student, I reflect on how grateful I am to serve students in such a supportive community. Our community prioritizes its young people through the many programs offered by the City of Ukiah and many other organizations. We prioritize our youth through our support of organizations like SPACE and our local Lions Club, and so many more, it is difficult to name them all.
Our businesses prioritize students too. Through their support of our Student of the Month program and many fundraisers in our community, local businesses are making a difference in the lives of our students. The following businesses provide time, energy, and resources for local children and families through their support of our Student of the Month program: Applebee’s of Ukiah - free kid’s meal, Community First Credit Union - certificate for a savings account, Next Level Gaming Lounge - one round of virtual reality, Paradise Skate in Lakeport - one free admission ticket, Savings Bank of Mendocino County – backpack bag for each student, Schat’s Bakery - two free cookies, Slam Dunk Pizza - one mini pizza, Slush by The Park - free slush or soft serve, Star’s Restaurant - free kid’s meal, State Assembly Member Jim Wood - certificate of recognition for each student, State Farm Insurance - magnet picture for each parent, Ukiah Daily Journal - photos of students in the newspaper, Ukiah Players Theatre - two free tickets to any theatre production, and Ukiah Symphony Association - two free adult tickets to any season concert, student admission is free.
I encourage everyone to attend our Student of the Month celebrations. The next ceremony will be held on February 5, 2020, in the Alex Rorabaugh Gymnasium at 1640 S. State Street in Ukiah, CA, from 9:30 - 10:30 a.m. I’m sure you will be inspired, and our amazing students would love to be cheered on by the community that supports and loves them so much.
Thank you, Ukiah, for everything you do to support the youth in our community! You are so appreciated, and I am honored to serve children and families in this generous community!