For the month of November, I would like to acknowledge one of my 5th Grade students at Rivera Elementary in Denton, TX. At the end of her 4th Grade year, Da’Niya was struggling with controlling her attitude. I was having frequent conversations with her about respecting her teacher and noticed she was becoming more involved with drama with her peers. It was a bit of a shock for me since she had had a pretty good school year and all of a sudden she was on a downward slope and was resisting turning it around for the better.
This year, however, I have noticed a significant change in Da’Niya’s personality. In our Lunch with a Leader group she is always attentive, involved, and encouraging towards the other girls. She’s been working hard in school, and when she doesn’t do as well as she had hoped on something in class, she works really hard to do better the next time around.
Da’Niya has shown great manners towards adults, both with her teachers and the mentors that participate in the program. I’m super proud of her focus on her goals to be better this year with her attitude, staying out of drama, and being a better friend. Da’Niya is smart and has a lot going for her, and I admire that she notices she needs to stay away from the things that can weigh her down.
