Aledo ISD

March 2023 Bearcats of Character Honored

Posted Monday, April 17, 2023 10:55 am

The Aledo ISD Board of Trustees recently honored the March 2023 Bearcats of Character for the character trait “Love of Learning.” Aledo ISD began recognizing Bearcats of Character shortly after beginning the character education program Positivity Project - or P2 - in 2021-2022.

P2 says that those with a love of learning are intrinsically motivated and engaged in a topic regardless of achieving an external standard. People who love learning experience positive feelings in the process of acquiring skills, building on existing knowledge, or learning something completely new. Over time, individuals with this character strength often develop deeper and wider knowledge they can use to enrich the lives of not just themselves, but most especially of others around them.

Ty Hand	Ty Hand, 12th grade Aledo High School Ty is an incredible example to his teachers and peers. He seeks out opportunities to grow and learn in the classroom. Coach Hyles, Ty’s Anatomy and Physiology teacher, said "Ty is very detailed oriented and has fantastic study habits." Mrs. McClellan, Ty’s AP Statistics teacher, said "Ty is a joy to have in class. He is curious, diligent, responsible, respectful and an all around amazing student.”

Hector Acosta Maldonado	Hector Acosta Maldonado, 12th grade Aledo Learning Center Hector was nominated this month for his love of learning. Hector not only comes into class ready to learn the content, but he also comes in ready to learn the English language. Because he is new to speaking English, learning the material presented takes him longer than most of the other students in class. As he translates and works, however, he does not get discouraged. He perseveres, excited to learn more and ask questions.

Joel Stoker	Joel Stoker, 9th grade Daniel Ninth Grade Campus Everything about Joel points to a deep “love of learning” according to several of his teachers. Mr. Bruton, Joel’s engineering teacher, shares that Joel has jumped into educational leadership roles because of his "love of learning.” Recently, Joel volunteered to run a booth at a STEAM carnival, displaying his "love of learning" and helping more than 700 elementary students start developing their own "love of learning.” Even though Joel may not have any previous experience with a certain topic or task, he can be counted on to dive right in and learn any knowledge needed to complete that task. That is the very definition of "love of learning.” Ms. Fox, Joel’s biology teacher, shared how Joel created an amazing Mitosis project and Genius Hour project and for his DNA model he took it upon himself to write “sugar” in 73 different languages. Mrs. Martinez shared that Joel is always delving deeper into Spanish. He truly tries to use the language as he's learning it for a deeper understanding. He also often asks what words/phrases mean so he can add them to his vocabulary. Joel is a great example of having a strong sense of "Love of Learning."

Ezekiel Reyna	Ezekiel Reyna, 8th grade Aledo Middle School From day one, Ezekiel has demonstrated his love of learning. The drive to learn more, challenging what he already knows, correcting any errors in his understanding or application, and the sheer joy he takes from improving himself is beyond inspiring. Students like Ezekiel are why teachers do what they do. His unwavering passion for learning will ultimately lead to success in not only his life, but those fortunate enough to be impacted by his zest of learning.

Claire Ashby	Claire Ashby, 8th grade McAnally Middle School Claire Ashby has a passion for learning and a desire to expand her knowledge and skills. She can be found reading during her free time and has been successful in all of her classes. Claire chooses to take all advanced courses because she is curious, creative and is interested in discovering new things. As one of the first ever students in Aledo ISD to take it, the faculty at MMS is also especially proud of Claire’s high achievement in her online Mandarin Chinese course. She was willing to dive into this difficult course and did not back down from the challenge. Her teachers said “Claire has a bright future ahead and we look forward to watching her successes continue to grow while in Aledo ISD and beyond!”

William Nuttall	William Nuttall, 2nd grade Annetta Elementary School William's second grade teacher said, "William is so kind and considerate to all students, but his love of learning sticks out the most! William is so excited when we are starting a new study. William listens intently to the content when it is being taught. But, William's love of learning does not end in the classroom. William will continue to research the subjects that interest him at home. There have been several days that I have received a slide show presentation, from William, over what he has additionally learned from the topics he has researched!”

Ainsley Davis	Ainsley Davis, 1st grade Coder Elementary School From Mrs. Babcock, her first grade teacher, “Ainsley has a true love of learning. She is inquisitive and seeks to find answers through her problem-solving skills. She not only loves to learn but loves to encourage others and help them when they are struggling! Her positive, can do, see a need … find a solution attitude is contagious to those around her!” From Mrs. Andres, her music teacher, “Ainsley is an amazing student. She is always asking “why” questions and seeking to further understand the things I teach. She is the first to step up and help another friend who may be struggling. Her love of learning spreads to those around her and it is a joy to have her in music class. She has bright future in education.”

Gianna Morales	Gianna Morales, 3rd grade McCall Elementary School Her ELA teacher, Lara Decker, said "Goodness, where do I start? This girl loves to learn. She's always striving to go above and beyond and extend her learning. Sometimes she asks me how she can learn more on a topic, but most of the time she figures it out herself. She even writes stories, researches topics, and creates Google Slides at home to share with me. She immediately asks for her data after a benchmark or any kind of testing. She wants to see her mistakes so she can learn from them. I wouldn't say her final grade is her goal, she truly just wants to learn all she can, all the time! As a teacher, I am blessed to have her in my class this year!”

Natalie Hromadka	Natalie Hromadka, 4th grade Stuard Elementary School Natalie has an exuberance and love for learning new ideas and studies which is rare to find. She takes all we are learning here in class and goes above and beyond what we are doing to learn and grow more. Her love of learning is contagious, and we are so blessed to have her leadership in class. - Mrs. Banks, 4th grade Teacher.

Veer Devgun	Veer Devgun, 2nd Grade Vandagriff Elementary School Veer displays an enthusiasm for learning and has an eagerness to always challenge himself to learn more! He is a great student whose love of learning is always inspiring to those around him.

Allie Youngberg	Allie Youngberg, Kindergarten Walsh Elementary School From Allie's teacher, Mrs. St. John-Staver: “Allie demonstrates a love of learning every day! She has grown so much this year in large part because of her passion for learning. She gets excited about learning new information and is a leader in our classroom academic discussions. She is curious, joyful, and highly motivated. Allie sets a great example for our whole class! I am lucky to be her teacher!”