SeDoMoCha shines the spotlight on outstanding students
DOVER-FOXCROFT — Each month the SeDoMoCha School recognizes its “Students in the Spotlight,” celebrating pupils from kindergarten to grade 8 who teachers and staff have determined best demonstrate a specific positive attribute or characteristic chosen for the timeframe from the Habits of the Mind (a set of life skills for educators and parents). Following a snow day last month, the December and January Students in the Spotlight were honored during an all-school assembly on the morning of Jan. 18.
Principal Adam Gudroe welcomed family and friends of the 22 Students in the Spotlight — most of whom did not know these guests were invited. “This is the second of our monthly Students in the Spotlight assemblies,” he said. “We were supposed to have one of these in December and sadly we had a snow day so we couldn’t do it.”
Observer photo/Stuart Hedstrom
EMPATHETIC STUDENTS IN THE SPOTLIGHT — During a Jan. 18 assembly a number of pupils at the SeDoMoCha School in Dover-Foxcroft were recognized as December Students in the Spotlight for demonstrating empathy, the positive attribute or characteristic chosen for the timeframe from the Habits of the Mind. The December Students in the Spotlight include front, from left, Balack Ade, Henry Day, Kaylyn Sargent, and Ava Pulkkinen (who is a January honoree). Back, Jaden O’Bar, Landon Smith, Keira Shaw, Lacey Kishbaugh, and Alice Myers.
“December is recognizing students who demonstrate empathy,” Gudroe said. “In January we are recognizing students who are thinking interdependently as well as recognizing cooperation and teamwork.”
Grade 7 social studies teacher Derek Carroll said students demonstrating empathy are “someone who is able to see things from someone else’s point of view, someone who truly looks at the world and sees things from other people’s perspective.” He said this skill is vital in subject area.
The 11 December Students in the Spotlight were called up one by one to receive a certificate from their teachers after the adults told the audience about how the pupils earned the honor. This group of students is comprised of kindergarten, Carter Nichols; grade 1, Sophie Dyer; grade 2, Balack Ade; grade 3, Henry Day; grade 4, Kaylyn Sargent; grade 5, Jaden O’Bar; grade 6, Keira Shaw; grade 7, Alice Myers; grade 8, Lacey Kishbaugh; elementary school unified arts, Reese Laplante; and middle school unified arts, Landon Smith.
“For January we were looking at thinking interdependently, working with others and in a group,” Carroll said.
This month’s Students in the Spotlight were then introduced individually with the audience learning a bit about each youngster. This honorees, who like their December counterparts were given a water bottle after the assembly, are kindergarten, Evan Annis; grade 1, Skylar Bowman; grade 2, June Noyes; grade 3, Alden Sutherland; grade 4, Julia Smith; grade 5, Lennon McAfee; grade 6, Novalee Demmons; grade 7, Shaley Webber; grade 8, Austin Weymouth; elementary school unified arts, Ava Pulkkinen; and middle school unified arts, Aaden Lane.
Carroll said the teachers decided to tell the students in advance about the February positive attribute or characteristic so they can be sure to practice this Habit of Mind, “creating, innovating, and imagining.”
Observer photo/Stuart Hedstrom
INTERDEPENDENTLY THINKING STUDENTS IN THE SPOTLIGHT — During a Jan. 18 assembly a number of pupils at the SeDoMoCha School in Dover-Foxcroft were recognized as January Students in the Spotlight for thinking interdependently, the positive attribute or characteristic chosen for the timeframe from the Habits of the Mind. The January Students in the Spotlight include front, from left, Skylar Bowman, Carter Nicholas (Nicholas is a December honoree), and Evan Annis. Middle, June Noyes, Sophie Dyer (Dyer is a December honoree), Alden Sutherland, and Julia Smith. Back, Lennon McAfee, Austin Weymouth, Aaden Lane, Novalee Demmons, and Shaley Webber.