Ridgefield School District honors April employee and students of the month

On April 28, officials in the Ridgefield School District recognized the April employee and students of the month at a digital board of directors meeting.

Kody Eastham, a grounds and maintenance worker, is employee of the month for the district. Eastham is deserving of the award because he is always willing to dive into new and unexpected duties without hesitation, according to the district. Along with this, Eastham learns quickly, has a great work ethic and maintains a great rapport with staff at all Ridgefield schools. This year, Eastham planned and completed a project at Union Ridge Elementary to convert a muddy, hard-to-maintain area into a pea-gravel sand box complete with Tonka Truck type toys for kids to play with a recess. He also worked with science teachers at Sunset Ridge Intermediate and View Ridge Middle schools to plan and build an access trail to the adjacent wetland, providing students with an outdoor learning environment.

Meghan Miller was selected as the student of the month for April at the Ridgefield Early Learning Center. Meghan is an exceptional student who is kind, helpful and makes the right choices. She is a good friend to all of her classmates, is a joy to have in class and can always be counted on to help a friend. The Early Learning Center is proud of Meghan and her ability to look for ways to include others.

Jaden Mitchell, a third-grader, is April’s student of the month at South Ridge Elementary School.

Jaden exemplifies resilience, is an exceptional student and has consistently demonstrated responsible and on-task behavior. Through his hard work and determination, Jaden is making progress and has developed a love for reading and his teachers say it’s fun to see him getting excited to read. Along with this, Jaden is respectful of others and has a very kind and gentle heart. When someone is upset or sad, Jaden is good at knowing when to offer help and when to let them have some time. Jaden also has a great sense of humor but knows when it’s appropriate to make a joke.

First-grader Amelia Meade is the student of the month at Union Ridge. She was chosen because she shows the characteristics of a great person and student. She is hardworking, curious and caring. Amelia loves to learn and takes initiative when she wants to learn something. Amelia encourages her classmates to try their best and is always willing to lend a helping hand. She even helps students from other classes learn new things, and never hesitates to offer her help to teachers and staff.

Kylee Clarke-Henderson, a sixth-grader, is the student of the month for April at Sunset Ridge Intermediate School. Kylee is a hardworking student who is always ready for a challenge and is willing to try new strategies, ask for help, do additional work and focus on whatever she needs to meet her learning goals. Kylee is responsible and takes initiative in organizing what she needs to excel in her learning. As a member of the Sunset Ridge leadership team, Kylee is self-motivated and can be seen regularly setting an example for other students. Ridgefield staff have seen Kylee be welcoming and caring to students from all walks of life and never heard here share an unkind word.

Eighth-grader Nolan Meek is the student of the month for View Ridge Middle School. Nolan is positive and respectful and is one of those students who quietly and consistently comes to class ready to work each day. Nolan is thoughtful, precise and witty in his work and does everything he needs to learn and succeed. without hesitation. He asks questions when he needs to and is great at self-assessing his work as he goes. Nolan is supportive of his classmates. “It has been a pleasure having him in science class these past two years. One of my favorite things about Nolan is that he is genuinely kind and cares about others. For example, he frequently asks me how I'm doing and takes an interest in my answer. When Nolan sees others having a hard time, he notices and tries to help,” Mrs. James said in the news release. Nolan rises to the challenge even when others say it isn’t possible. He is a model student who will do great things as he goes through life.

The Ridgefield High School student of the month is Zack Wells. Many staff members had great things to say about Zack, such as “I truly believe Zack is an excellent choice. He started off the year with a lot of self-doubt and stress, and had a difficult time just coming to class. He took a deep breath and came to class. He stepped outside his comfort zone and started helping other students in class. Zack is always polite and always has a smile on his face, he rocked his senior boards, he has become organized and, most importantly, he believes in himself. He is a wonderful young man.”

Zack is one of those students or whom school does not come easily. As early as second grade, he was identified as having a learning and speech disability and has had to work hard to make progress in school. He exited speech services in the sixth grade, but continued to struggle with reading. Through the support of his family and teachers and because of his hard work and resilience, Zack is now ready to graduate and start a career in the construction industry as either a carpenter or welder, having gained valuable skills in the woods and metals programs at RHS. While there are many students who are deserving of representing RHS as student of the month, Zack Wells stands out among the best of the best, according to the school district.