Too often when the media reports news stories involving young people the focus is on negatives such as crime, violence and drug abuse.
The public doesn’t often hear about the good things young people do ? volunteer work, helping others, donating to charitable causes, exhibiting leadership and good citizenship, etc.
That’s why every year Oxford-Addison Youth Assistance publicizes such good works with its Annual Youth Recognition Ceremony held Tuesday at Oxford Hills Golf and Country Club.
This year Youth Assistance honored 15 deserving elementary age children and teenagers for their positive contributions to their schools and the community.
And the honorees are:
Lakeville Elementary
Tristan Kraus ? Tristan is her classroom’s student council representative and a member of safety patrol. She has the ability to work with her peers in a responsible and mature manner. She stands out as a leader in her class.
Jordon Pieczynski ? Jordon is the safety patrol captain at Lakeville and she has been a great leader, making sure the other students do their job and that everything runs smoothly.
Megan Slone ? Megan is a safety patrol member and has the job of making sure kids get on and off the bus safely as well as putting up the American flag.
Bruce Wright ? Bruce is a member of the safety patrol and a Cub Scout. He exhibits leadership skills that trascend his age. He is able to stand up to his peers and adults to do the right thing. He helps make sure kids gets on and off the bus safely as well as putting up the American flag every morning.
Daniel Axford Elementary
Rachel Kady ? Rachel is very sincere, compassionate, emphatic, responsible and mature. She is a great leader and a model student. She is responsible and very eager to help students who need extra assistance. Rachel has a big heart and treats every student with respect. She always has a warm and friendly demeanor. Rachel is always the student who you can call on if help is needed during classroom and physical education instruction.
Oxford High School
Ashley Barnett ? Ashley started coming to help at Clear Lake after her school day was over. She needed to fulfill service credit requirements, but has continued to help out above and beyond the call of duty. She clearly has a commitment to young children who need a little extra help. Ashley is patient and persistent with the children. She provides extra reading practice and fluency practice for some of the struggling readers.
Dan Hartwell ? For the last two years, Dan has served with distinction as the student representative on the Board f Directors of Oxford-Addison Youth Assistance. Dan has served on various committees including many fund-raisers and other Youth Assistance programs. Dan signed on for the National Guard and after completing his senior year in 2007, he will go on active duty.
Jennifer Hewett ? Jennifer has come back every year since fifth grade to work in her old teacher Mrs. Lynae Farmer’s classroom. She helps students, assists the teacher, and enhances the children’s learning with projects that she incorporates from her high school classes. Mrs. Farmer doesn’t know what she will do without Jennifer next year and calls her ‘truly one of Oxford’s finest.?
Rachel Kessler ? Rachel has been a tremendous help with Clear Lake Elementary’s young readers. She accomplishes the predetermined activities with the students to improve their reading fluency and spelling. She has worked with the students long enough to be able to inform their teacher of their progress. She comes four afternoons a week, after her school day. She has been an integral part of the students? literary development.
Phillip Popp ‘Phillip has tutored at Clear Lake Elementary for the last two years. He comes twice a week and reads with several different students. He provides an excellent role model for the students he works with. He generously gives his time for the improvements of the students he tutors. The teachers and students of Clear Lake greatly appreciate his time and efforts.
Stephanie Rider ? Stephanie has volunteered her time from August 2004 to the present to teach three-year-olds to pre-school children at her church on Wednesday evenings. She enjoys the young children, from teaching to playing games with them, to snack time, to taking them to the bathroom, to cleaning up. She is planning on teaching this class for years to come with the love of her heart.
Leonard Elementary
Jaclyn Comparoni and Bradley Marsh ? Jaclyn and Bradley have taken the responsibility each day of putting up and taking down the school’s American and Michigan state flags. They have been responsible in their efforts. The school and their teachers sincerely appreciate their patriotism and hard work.
Clear Lake Elementary
Brooke Kovacic ? Brooke befriended her ‘adopted grandparent? Barbara at Bortz Health Care of Oakland and spent much time visiting with her. For instance, on Christmas Eve, while most others were busy with holiday activities, she spent the day visiting Barbara and brightening her holiday. Brooke also visits the nursing home on Saturday afternoons to help with bingo. She has been known to lovingly decorate special cookies to share with the residents. In addition to her humanitarian heart, she possesses the true spirit of a volunteer. She has served on the Captain’s Council, Demonstration Team, Puppet Team and has worked with great dedication for the homeless dogs at Oxford Stray K-9 Rescue League.
Offering Alternative Therapy with Smiles
Sarah Palmer ? Sarah has been a wonderful volunteer at OATS, a therapeutic horseback riding program in Clarkston. Sarah assists on a weekly basis, helping groom and tack the horses prior to the classes and leads horses and sidewalks with riders needing assistance. Sarah never complains if she is tired or cold or hot or thirsty or hungry. She displays a lot of love and compassion to the riders, the horses and other volunteers. She is a true asset to OATS and should be commended for her dedication and hard work.