BCMS students rock!
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January 14, 2014 |
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students are already hard at work to
attend the Junior National Young Leaders
Conference in Washington D.C., in July.
(l-r) Kay Hilliard-Dodge, Kelsey
English, Ben Tompkins and Michael
Youngwirth. |
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Students at Bonners Ferry Middle School are
doing some great things; a recent "Penny Drive
Challenge" earned a very nice letter and four
exemplary student, three of whom serve on the
student council, are already hard at work to
raise money for a summertime trip to a young
leaders conference in Washington, D.C.
The four, sixth-graders Ben Tompkins, Kelsey
English, Michael Youngwirth and Kay
Hilliard-Dodge, provided the highlight for
Tuesday night's school board meeting as they
were introduced by BCMS science teacher Jaak
Sanders, all having been invited to attend.
"Not only are these four great students," Mr.
Sanders said, they are developing into great
leaders, too. If they see something needing
done, or a fellow student needing help, they
don't ask or wait to be told, they're right in
there helping and getting things done."
Unsurprisingly, he pointed out, all four
professed to really like science (!), and they
also shared in common a love of reading and
math.
The Junior National Young Leaders Conference is
a six-day program to be held in July, dedicated
to middle school students nation-wide who have
demonstrated leadership potential, who have
shown maturity beyond their years and who have
demonstrated the desire to learn and excel, as
students and citizens.
Most years, BCMS gets one, maybe two
invitations; as best anyone can remember, four
invitations is a record.
To get there, each student will have to raise
about $2,500 to cover their registration, travel
and expenses, and Mr. Sanders confessed that
he's not well experienced in fundraising at such
a high level, and BCMS principal David Miles II,
in his first year, admitted that he wasn't
certain if the effort could be considered
school-sponsored or not.
Both said they've already had inquiries from
people and businesses who want to donate, but
that no account has been established as yet.
"Of course it can!" both the board and
superintendent Dick Conley shouted at once, and
Conley promised that by Wednesday morning,
everything would be put in place to allow the
Middle School to accept donations as the details
were worked out.
Those interested in helping can call Mr. Sanders
at (208) 267-5852.
Adding an exclamation point to the opportunity
awaiting these four, curriculum director Robin
Merrifield recalled that she'd made the trip
when she was a young Boundary County student
(she didn't say when, but the assumption is last
year or maybe the year before), and said it
still stands out as one of the most positive and
memorable experiences of her life.
And a little later in the meeting, Mr. Conley,
with assistance from two BCMS teachers, told
about a letter in the board packet BCMS teacher
Susan Stolley received from the
Wounded Warrior Project, a Jacksonville,
Florida, group dedicated to helping our nation's
military personnel wounded in war and their
families.
"Dear Susan Stolley," the letter reads. "Thank
you so much for your generous gift of $1,085.33
on 12/19/2013 ..."
While Mrs. Stolley was the recipient, the letter
was aimed at every student at BCMS.
While the fundraising effort itself was
laudable, it was the students' choice of
recipient, for which they they worked so
hard, that drew Mr. Conley's admiration.
"This is a program that helps our country's
wounded service men and women, and I think it
speaks highly of these students that they
recognized and worked for such a cause."
What makes it even more remarkable is that they
did it one penny at a time, with a penny drive
challenge.
There wasn't much members of the school board
could say after that. Nor the teachers or
administrators in attendence.
What was plain to see, though, was the pride and
gratification reflected on every face at the
board table, and on every other seat as well. A
moment of contemplation of clarity. A moment
that said, "your efforts are truly worthwhile." |
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