EPS celebrates a season of kindness, academic excellence, and community spirit

submitted by Mrs. Carol Spencer

The past two months at Ekalaka Public Schools have been a whirlwind of activities as students delved deeply into lessons about citizenship and kindness courtesy of the school's counseling program. On December 4th, the students enthusiastically embarked on a food drive collection. In a spirited display of generosity, each class earned points by donating holiday essentials such as cookies, sugar, flour and chocolate chips. Mrs. Guyer's second-grade class led the charge, which gathered 740 points, claiming the top spot with their significant contributions.

Not far behind, the kindergartners secured second place with a tally of 551 points. This impressive effort resulted in a substantial donation of 111 boxes of cookies, 59 bags of flour and sugar, and 12 bags of chocolate chips. The Ekalaka Public School community's commitment to kindness enhanced their understanding of good citizenship and made a tangible difference in their local community.

An awards ceremony was held on December 18th to celebrate November and December's k-12 academic and excellent achievements. Holly Walker and Clayton North distinguished themselves as the top music students of the month, showcasing exceptional talent and dedication. Corrik Laughery and Reign Fernandez earned the spotlight in physical education as the top PE students, demonstrating outstanding athletic skills and sportsmanship.

The event also recognized students for their remarkable academic accomplishments. The following students were recognized as the top math students for November: Ty Smith, Kayzlee DeFrance, Ryder Christenson, McKenna Loudermilk, Holly Walker, Landry Shepherd, and Cai Jesperson. December's top math enthusiasts included Ryah Carroll, Cinch Roth, Coy Montgomery, Reign Fernandez, Violet Strub, Judd Walker, and Kaden Loudermilk. These students showcased their outstanding growth in mathematics so far this year.

Further recognitions were given based on points accumulated for Accelerated Reader. Students who achieved this distinction included Cinch and Ryder Roth (4.6 points), Bekka and Cody Brown (4.7 points), Mai Hammel (6.2 points), Calgary Spring (6.4 points), Sasha Yates (7.5 points), Grady Stieg (8.2 points), Kaylee Nelson (10.8 points), Claire Brence (16 points), Wyatt Sedgewick (17.8 points), Eli Whitney (18.8 points), Zoey Hansen (19.2 points), and Ty Smith (20.7 points).