Rewarding Good Behavior, Ten St. Louis Students Receive KidSmart Angel Character Award
"I was once a bully too,' I overheard her say to another student...When most of the others chose to ignore her (the bully), she cooperated by attempting to teach using her own life experiences," wrote the student's first-grade teacher in one of the top ten Angel Character Award nominations. This student and nine other area students received the award this year. The selected students, who did not know they were chosen, were surprised at their schools throughout the week of Jan. 29.
The Angel Character Award recognizes and encourages the development of key character traits in students. It is a celebration of the ongoing display of high standards in the areas of respect, cooperation, responsibility, perseverance and kindness. Teachers, who shop at the KidSmart free store, submitted nomination forms explaining how their students showed the character traits in the classroom. Ten local students served by KidSmart were chosen to receive the award this year.
Volunteers from KidSmart, Mary Beth's Angels Foundation and Purina delivered the good news along with balloons, class sets of school supplies, books from Scholastic and cereal from Ralston Foods. The students will also be honored at a special banquet in their honor at the City Academy on Feb. 22 at 5:30 p.m.
2007 Angel Character Award Recipients
Ollie - Webster Middle School, St. Louis Public Schools
Keandrea - Moline Elementary, Riverview Gardens School District
Shaine - Blow Middle School, St. Louis Public Schools
Elijah and Greta - Oak Hill Elementary, St. Louis Public Schools
Olivia - Briar Crest Elementary, Pattonville School District
LaPrecious - Compton-Drew ILC Middle School, St. Louis Public Schools
Demetrius and Matthew - Hodgen Elementary School, St. Louis Public Schools
David - Fairview Elementary, Jennings School District
KidSmart was established in 2002 to give local kids in need the chance to succeed in school by providing them with free school supplies. Since 2002 KidSmart has distributed nearly $5 million in school supplies and educational materials to more than 40,000 St. Louis area kids in need. There are still an additional 40,000 students eligible for KidSmart's services.
The Angel Character Award is made possible by a generous gift from the Mary Beth's Angels Foundation. The Foundation was established to live out the dream of Mary Beth Ricken and has the mission to promote a positive environment for underprivileged children, concentrating on specific areas of need in our community including hunger, cleanliness, education, and illness.