The suspense didn’t last long when Cottonwood Creek Elementary announced the fifth grade “Cougar of the Month” award recipient on Sept. 26.
“As soon as they said it was someone in Mrs. Layman’s class, I immediately looked over at Scarlett and said, ‘It’s going to be you!’” fifth-grader Lilah Bevilacqua recalled. “Then they started giving hints, like theater, and that’s she’s really kind to everyone, and that she’s super smart, and then everybody started joining in saying ‘It’s Scarlett!’”
Indeed, the first fifth-grade Cougar of the Month for the 2023-24 school year was Scarlett Kim, who was selected by the fifth-grade teachers.
“We talk about students in our classes who we think show those ROAR characteristics: Respect, Ownership, Attitude, and Responsibility,” said Kristina Layman, who is Kim’s teacher. “All of the fifth-grade teachers agreed she had to be our Cougar of the Month for October.”
The choice met with approval from other fifth grade students who say that Kim is one of those special people who truly cares about others.
“She always stands up for people,” Bevilacqua said.
“She’s a kid who can work with anyone in our class and she’s so kind,” Mrs. Layman added. “It could be a classmate she doesn’t know super well, it could be a close friend. It doesn’t matter, she’s just always kind. We’ve been talking a lot about treating each other with kindness and she just embodies that.”
“There are some people who are quiet or feel left out and I try to make them happy and include them,” Kim explained.
In addition to being kind and demonstrating ROAR characteristics, Kim is one of only three fifth graders selected for Cottonwood Creek’s math team, which will compete in the Rich Morrow Math Challenge later this year. She’s also an up-and-coming actress with the Joyful Light Theater Company.
From October to May, Cottonwood Creek honors one student from each grade level as Cougar of the Month. They are announced during grade-level assemblies and featured on the “Cougar of the Month” wall, which was designed by kindergarten teacher Susan Stroeher.
Congratulations to all the October Cougar of the Month award recipients!
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- John Francom – Kindergarten
- Easton Reed – First Grade
- George – Second Grade
- Finn Carron – Third Grade
- Cody Gao – Fourth Grade
- Scarlett Kim – Fifth Grade
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Posted 10/24/2023.
