Congratulations to Elijah, the 2023 Communities In Schools of North Texas Elementary Student of the Year!
Eli is a 5th grade student at Clara Love Elementary this year, who has been with CISNT since the 2nd grade. Eli’s teacher referred him for behavioral and emotional concerns, as he had difficulty making and maintaining friendships with his peers. Ms. Alexa Terry, the CISNT Site Coordinator at Clara Love EL, provided Eli with a safe place to learn and grow. Eli would often visit the CIS room when he would leave class or the lunch room, or when he needed a space to decompress during the school day. Although he would leave class or lunch, Ms. Terry advocated for Eli with his teachers to see this as a positive step as they dealt with the underlying issues surrounding his anger and feelings of being judged by others.
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit and school was virtual, Eli began homeschooling. In February of 2021, Eli re-enrolled in school, but not under the best circumstances, as both of his parents were experiencing health complications.
The combination of returning to in-person learning and other factors in his life was challenging, and Eli began having similar behavior concerns as he did in the past. Ms. Terry and Eli would spend hours working together to find healthy ways to communicate in overwhelming moments, as he would often shut down completely and withdraw.
Because Eli would struggle with having healthy relationships with peers, he worked together with Ms. Terry and his teachers to identify triggers and how to adjust and react accordingly. Additionally, Eli would occasionally suffer from intense headaches that would cause him undue stress and have to leave school. Although Eli built great relationships with his teachers and a group of friends he loved, his headaches proved to be a continuous problem that impeded his education, and he moved back to homeschooling.
Eventually, at his request, Eli transitioned back to in-person school. He was ready to be with his friends again and be in an in-person learning environment. Ms. Terry and Eli discussed a plan on how to deal with his headaches, and Eli has been hard at work in school.
Ms. Terry shares, “looking at Eli now, you would never know all that lies under the surface. I have felt so privileged to witness the bone-deep work Eli has put into accepting himself just as he is and facing life’s challenges head-on. He has learned that feelings are not the enemy and that to feel is to be human. Eli has been forced to grow up in so many ways and see the difficult parts of life that no child should have to confront, but he does so with the same humor and goofy personality that I got to know all those years ago when he was just a little second grader.”
Eli is the very definition of a CIS success story, one that is not a straight path, but with just as many lows as there are highs, bumps, and hard truths along the way, with lots of adjustments made. We can’t wait to see what the future holds for this kind and courageous young man!
Congratulations, Eli, on being named the 2023 Elementary Student of the Year!
Watch his video here. Thank you, Mixed Media Creations!
