Students of the Month

Students of the Month for February at Holyoke JR/SR High School have been named. They are senior Traeli Hutches, nominated by science teacher Ashley Clayton, and seventh grader Nathaly Espinal Peña, nominated by language arts teacher Heather Bieber.

The nomination letter for Hutches read, “At Holyoke JR/SR High School we strive to ensure each student possesses the necessary knowledge, skills, and character to find success in life. In order for a student to get the most out of this educational setting, they must be an active participant constantly striving to get the most out of each opportunity that is put before them, and in my observation Traeli Hutches strives to do just that every day. As a student in my chemistry class, Traeli is consistently working to stay on top of each new task and topic, oftentimes going above and beyond to ask for help and then help others to gain a grasp on the material.

“Due to the time of day, Traeli frequently misses class as she leaves to compete for the swim team. Rather than use this as an excuse to get out of work, Traeli ensures that she collects her materials and assignments beforehand and no matter how long the swim meet may have been or how late she may have gotten home, Traeli works hard to make up the material that she missed. She is a shining example of what it means to be a true student-athlete.

“And when she is not going above and beyond in the classroom, she is doing the same to help her peers and the other organizations to which she belongs. Recently, a blood drive set up by one of her peers was short of volunteers at the last minute, and Traeli immediately stepped up to help out. While she could have stood back and not taken the risk of missing class and getting behind, she instead chose the path of kindness rather than ease. These examples epitomize Traeli’s consistent effort to get the most out of her dwindling days here at Holyoke JR/SR High and prove that she is an outstanding example of choosing to RISE to excellence with each new day.”

Espinal’s letter read, “Nathaly (Michelle) Espinal Peña demonstrates RISE on a daily basis. She comes to class each day with a smile and desire to learn and achieve. Michelle uses her class time very efficiently and is always ahead on her assignments. In fact, when she finishes early, she voluntarily assists her peers as needed if I am working with another student. Michelle’s responsibility and positive interactions with her peers are clear examples of RISE and make her a worthy recipient of Student of the Month.”