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Stuuuuuuudents of the Month, a tradition that started 13 years ago, is a high honor for students to be recognized for not only their achievements in the classroom, but also for outstanding character.

The criteria for Students of the Month holds students who receive this recognition to high standards, and it is no doubt that October’s selection of students meets that set of criteria. October’s students of the month are freshman Andrew Keck, sophomore Grant Wissman, junior Olivia Blanton, and finally senior Leah Bloomfield.

It is a well known tradition for Mr. Allen to read why a student was chosen over the announcements, and for Bloomfield her contagious enthusiasm and bright smile made a memorable impression on her teachers and fellow classmates. Bloomfield explains what it is like to hear the kind words from teachers being read over the announcements about her.

“I got very nervous when I first heard my name but then I was excited because I had never been student of the month before. I started to tear up in homeroom when Mr. Allen was saying all the kind things about me that teachers have said,” Bloomfield said.

Blanton, the junior selection, was picked for her genuine, humble and helpful personality that shines bright in the classroom. Blanton explains that her fellow students recognized her wonderful achievement.

“My friends were quick to hype me up and I got a lot of "congrats" from my classmates, and it made me feel very seen and happy,” Blanton said.

This recognition goes beyond school to the parents of the students selected. Keck, who was selected for his energy and positive attitude, explains how his parents reacted with pride when he told them the news.

“There were a lot of good choices, but I'm happy that I was chosen to be Student of the Month. My parents were very excited upon learning that I was student of the month. They said that they were very proud and happy for me,” Keck said.

October’s Students of the Month were truly astounding students, and deserved to be recognized for their hard work ethics and kind personalities that they bring to school every day.

Behind the scenes of making sure these students receive proper recognition is Mr. Allen. His enthusiasm is enough to get every student excited when the first words “Stuuuuudents of the Month” start over the announcements. The kind and thoughtful paragraphs students hear are written by him, and he explains why he enjoys this task and what goes into it.

“They are based on nomination comments about the student and also conversations among the committee that help me determine what to say about a particular student. Sometimes the student wins because of what they have specifically done in a particular month, and other times it's a student who is simply a quality person month-in and month-out in making a difference in and out of Badin HS. I like quoting from the nominations because those are good "ground level" assessments of the student by faculty. The descriptions can be challenging because you are trying to sum up success in just a few sentences and at the same time you want to make it unique to the student being recognized,” Allen said.

Students of the Month are nominated by faculty and staff that have seen the student rise above and beyond the expectations. Allen gives a further explanation of this process.

“Students of the Month are nominated by faculty and staff each month. I put a nomination form in the mailbox of each faculty and staff member and invite them to nominate potential candidates. They do this either by filling out the form or sending me an email. Obviously an important factor in the nomination is WHY the student is worthy and WHAT the student has done to earn the nomination. There is a committee that meets each month to determine the winners -- there are always great candidates and the decisions aren't easy. A student who is nominated stays on the list for the next month as well,” Allen said.

Allen’s hard work to encourage students to work harder and be the best student they can be doesn't go unnoticed, as many students of the month have felt the excitement and pride as they get called down to the office. His dedication to making these students feel special is felt by every student when his famous Stuuuuudents of the Month line rings through every homeroom. On behalf of the student body, thank Mr. Allen for your hard work, and congratulations to the October Students of the Month.