Mr. Stephan nominated Chanda and he writes, "Chanda is an amazing student who is always on camera, always interactive, and always paying attention. Her desire to learn and the obvious joy she gets from it is a sight to see. Her classmates love to interact with Chanda. Her smile brightens up the classroom and we are lucky to have her!" and "Chanda 's actions affirm to me that what we do to help students learn and grow truly matter. Her attitude in the classroom is contagious. You just can't help but enjoy school when you are doing it with Chanda!"

Ms. Baka nominated Riyad and she writes, "For the Student of the Month nomination, I'd like to nominate Riyad for his outstanding achievements and contributions in various aspects: Academic Progress: Riyad has consistently demonstrated remarkable improvement in his academic performance. His dedication to learning and willingness to engage with challenging material is truly commendable.

Class Participation: Riyad actively participates in class discussions, offering insightful contributions and enriching the learning environment for their peers. His eagerness to engage with the subject matter enhances the classroom experience for everyone.
Perseverance: Despite facing obstacles and challenges, Riyad exhibits exceptional perseverance in overcoming them. He approaches difficulties with determination and resilience.
Respect: Riyad consistently treats his teachers and peers with kindness, empathy, and respect. He maintains a positive attitude and fosters a sense of inclusivity and mutual respect within the classroom community.
Helping Peers: Riyad goes above and beyond to support his classmates, offering assistance and tips to solve problems whenever needed. His willingness to help others succeed exemplifies the spirit of collaboration and teamwork.

Attendance: Riyad demonstrates a strong commitment to his education by attending school regularly and punctually. His consistent attendance reflects his dedication to learning and personal growth." and "Riyad's class participation, perseverance, respect, and willingness to help his peers has greatly impacted me personally. His participation is refreshing and always helps motivate me to keep my energy up in Class."

Teacher Arnold nominated Vernelle and writes, "The student has really blossomed in his education. He has moved from being very shy and not wanting to participle to volunteering frequently to read and answer question in class, even when he is unsure, and his work has been done well in modules." and "It has been wonderful to watch him move up and excel in my groups based on formative and summative feedback. I am able to help gauge how I have impacted his learning."

Ms. Witcher nominated Heaven and she writes, " Heaven has really "grown" as a student over the course of the school year. She went from being very shy and not wanting to share on the mic to being one of the most outgoing in our class. Heaven is always on time and on task during class. Always willing to share on the mic and give it her best, even when things get hard. She always has an awesome attitude, as well as a friendly and caring attitude towards others. Heaven "SOARS" here at GCA and it is for these reasons I am proud to nominate Heaven for GCA Student of the Month for April!" and " In the time I have had Heaven in class from the start of the school year, I have watched her grow so much. Heaven went from being a shy student who didn't always want to answer on the mic to one of the more outgoing in our class. Heaven's mom and lc told us at her last meeting that she is so glad that Heaven has come so far in our class this year and she feels she owes a lot of that to us as her teachers. This has impacted me personally and is proof of why I do what I do as an educator at GCA every day! "

Ms. Butler nominated Isaiah and she writes, "Isaiah is always on time, ready to learn and participates on the mic, camera and in the chat. He is the ideal class participant at GCA! Isaiah has a positive attitude and is constantly willing to help his classmates during our lessons. He always joins in any games we play and is so polite by always raising his hand to speak and using emojis to share his answers and thoughts. Isaiah works hard in our class and is a model GCA student!" and "Having Isaiah in class is such a joy! He’s always happy to be in school and he enjoys sharing things about his family, pets, and interests. He is the kind of student that makes me excited to be a teacher. He is always so kind to me and his fellow classmates and he works hard to be a good student. Isaiah always puts a smile on my face and I’m glad to have the opportunity to teach him this year!"

Ms. Hanvey nominated Karter and she writes, "Karter exemplifies the SOAR acronym every day: he demonstrates safe behavior, remains on-task every day in class, has an awesome attitude daily, and shows responsibility in completing his work. In our ELA class, Karter is consistently on-camera, and his positivity motivates his peers to display positivity, too. Karter's class participation is exemplary." and "Karter's awesome attitude inspires me to maintain positivity throughout each lesson."

Ms. Hoyt nominated Karter and she writes, "This student completes his assignments on time, participates in class, and follows directions." and "His smile when he is on camera in class is infectious. He makes me want to try my best every day because I can see the benefits of my hard work!"

Ms. Dacus nominated Ahmed and she writes, "Ahmed has done an outstanding job in class this month! Ahmed is always one of the first students to raise his hand to participate; he follows along and listens during class and stays on task during independent work. Ahmed has made great growth learning his letters and their sounds this month and is always eager to practice! Keep up the great work, Ahmed!" and " Ahmed rejoined us later in the year; it is not often that I get another chance to see a student when they leave my class. I was so happy to see Ahmed's smiling face on the day that he returned. His excitement and eagerness reinforced that learning can be and should be an enjoyable journey! "

Ms. Hart nominated King and she writes, "King started at GCA in January, and he fits right in! King exemplifies a GCA Champion. He always attends class on time and on camera. He is very engaged during our class sessions. He is so encouraging of his peers in the chat. He is a very bright student and shows great work ethic in our sessions!" and "King is such a kind soul. He always has a positive attitude and patience. He is a great example to not just students but to me as well."

Ms. Boswell nominated Amelia and she writes, "Amelia has really grown by leaps and bounds this year. I have watched her bloom into a SOARing Champion at GCA. Our class is a TEAM and we often talk about how it takes all of us being on task and being engaged to be successful. She has her camera on more, comes on the mic to share, raises her hand to answer questions, completes all of her assignments on time, and loves share her competitive side during reviews with quizizz, blooket, gimkit, etc. In our class, she demonstrates true TEAMWORK!" and "As I think about what it means to show teamwork, I reflect on myself and my job here at GCA. To me, teamwork means "Doing your part". It also means we need each other. We all have strengths and weaknesses, so we rely on each other ALOT. What a blessing it is to be on this GCA Team!"

"Juwel joined our class mid year, but she jumped right in with us and was ready to take on kindergarten from her first day here at GCA! The positive attitude and caring spirit she has shown in just her first couple of months is to be admired! Juwel comes in each day ready to participate with her camera on, is ready and prepared with all of her needed materials beside her. We couldn't be more proud of Juwel and can't wait to see how far she goes from here. Her positivity and willingness to continue working, even when things are still new to her is inspiring and much to be admired. She also has a charismatic smile that really brightens up our day! Juwel sparkles and shines in our class, and that is why I have nominated her as our student of the month.   When Juwel first came to our class mid year, from another school she told Mrs.Gullikson and I that she felt overlooked at her old school. Juwel's mom went on to tell us that was why she felt the need to move Juwel somewhere else.  I made it my mission to make sure that Juwel did not feel that way here at GCA. In only a couple of months here at GCA, Juwel now says she feels that she is part of a class which she enjoys! Juwel says she is happy here and she has teachers that understand what she needs. I am personally so happy that I have been able to help bring about a positive change in the life of such an incredible student!"

"I am so proud of Alyssa and how far she's come this year! Alyssa has completely come out of her shell, and is doing such a great job! She has made HUGE gains academically and socially. She always participates in class and is always on camera. She always has a positive attitude and is always willing to try. Alyssa's hard work is definitely paying off!  Alyssa was a very shy and quiet student when she first started. She very much kept to herself and was struggling academically. To see how far she's come and overcome all with such a positive attitude is really inspiring. She's a completely different student and she's doing really BIG things!"

"Daniel is an advocate for his and his classmates' success. He congratulates, cheers on, and shows compassion to all of his peers. He perseveres in all circumstances. His effort is second to none, and he shows up to his classes daily with a positive Can-Do attitude.  Supporting Daniel as one of his teachers is always fun. He loves to enjoy himself and truly has a love for learning. "

Ms. Lawson nominated Tristian and she writes, " Tristan joined our class later in the year, but he jumped right in willing and ready to take on kindergarten! The growth he has shown in three short months is tremendous and it is due to his persistence, determination, and hard work. He comes in each day ready to participate on his camera and is prepared with all of the needed materials. We couldn't be more proud of Tristan and can't wait to see how he grows even more this semester." and " Tristan's positivity and willingness to continue working through things, no matter how hard, is inspiring and much to be admired. He also has incredibly infectious smile that lights up our day. Tristan is a joy! "

Ms. McKenny nominated Radley and she writes, "Radley is diligent in every task that he is given. Even if the assignment is tough and he gets a little frustrated. Radley will give himself a little encouraging pep talk and complete the task. Even when I make a mistake he encourages me, saying, "It's alright Ms. McKenney." I absolutely love Radley's loving and caring personality. I wish that the world had more Radleys." and "Working with Radley brings me joy. It's a great pleasure chatting with Radley and learning all about his pets, and rock collection, as well learning about his engineering kits that he works on."

Ms. Farless nominated Xavier and she writes, "Xavier has gone from not being sure of himself to a confident learner. He works hard and is persistent; willing to try even when learning is difficult or there are challenges His academic performance has changed in that he is eager to participate, help others and work on assignments. He now feels confident in his classes and is no longer afraid to ask for help. It has been a 180 experience." and "Xavier has helped me to think outside the box and bring fun back into teaching. Sometimes math and science just need that extra boost and because of him I have been able to find activities to get them excited about Math and wanting to learn. My kids are also excited to come to my classes more so than ever. He has truly helped me grow as a teacher."

Ms. Cox nominated Ajeta and she writes, "Ajeta soars here at GCA in so many different ways, but what's most important is her attitude that she brings to the classroom. She is punctual, hard-working, and supportive of her classmates every day; often giving her own personal round-of-applauses for them when they are on the microphone and leaving encouraging comments in the chat box. Ajeta is truly an outstanding student that deserves to be recognized!" and " Ajeta helps Mr. Stephan and I constantly by making our class a positive environment where students want to come to class to learn and have fun! I have also been amazed at her wonderful artwork that she creates, I can tell that it has inspires other students around her, because it inspires me too! I want to make a shoutout to Ajeta's LC as well, thank you for all that you do! "

Ms. Bennett nominated Emily and she writes, Emily recently moved to the United States with very little knowledge of the English language. Since day one, she has worked hard and goes above and beyond on her assignments. At first, Emily was hesitant to participate in class, but she has slowly opened up and has gotten more comfortable and will often volunteer to participate. Emily is respectful and always puts forth much effort with a smile on her face. Emily stated that one of her goals this year is to learn to speak English better and I have seen her working diligently to accomplish this goal. I am so proud of Emily's persistence and positive attitude so far this school year!" and "Emily has shown me firsthand that anything can be accomplished as long as you have a positive mindset, tell yourself that you can do it, and work hard. She is the perfect example of this!"

Ms. Bazemore nominated Addie and she writes, "Addie is an amazing student who loves to learn. Addie doesn't let anything stop her from being her true self and she adds so much substance and excitement to each class. I love that Addie has true perseverance and fortitude. She makes me proud every day!" and "Supporting Addie in her learning has personally impacted me because I realize every day that my attitude and my countenance easily influence my students. Addies joy rubs off on me constantly and reminds me to choose joy daily."

Ms. Patterson nominated Sara and she writes, "Sadie makes Champion choices in every single class. She works hard to finish all assignments, participates in class, and shares kind words with her friends. She never gives up when we work on something new and tricky, and she always wants to do the right thing! Sadie loves science, and when she grew a giant bean plant, she shared updates with her friends each day so we could watch it grow." and " Sadie's smile brightens up our classroom! She is sweet and caring, and she shows good character in everything she does. We are so happy to have her in our class."

Ms. Bass nominated Radley and she writes, "Radley is always one of the first students to show up every day in classes. I don't recall a single day that he hasn't shown the brightest smile and welcomed me and his classmates with a "Good Morning" or "Good Afternoon" greeting. He has one of the best personalities - honest, respectful, responsible, compassionate, well-mannered, hard-working, and funny. All of his classmates adore him! If anyone wanted to see an example of a SOARing student, Radley is the kid that needs to be seen. When things get difficult of challenging for him, he is persistent to overcome the challenge - at all costs. There have been several instances where I have witnessed Radley in small group being the one to lead by example. He made sure that students stayed on task during independent time and was first to help when a student was unsure of what to do. The first time I met Radley, I knew we were going to have a great time together. I am amazed at how much growth Radley has shown already this year academically and socially. I can't wait to see everything else he accomplishes!" and "Teaching Radley this year has been such a blessing. His big, bright smile has kept me positive and grounded if I was having a stressful day. One thing that truly amazing me about Radley is his caring heart. He notices if his classmates seem sad, and he is not afraid to reach out to them with his contagious grin and encouraging words. Through his academic achievements and his joyful personality, Radley has reminded me of why I became a teacher in the first place - to witness the desires and joys of students as they learn all the things the world has to offer."

Ms. Jennings nominated Faith and she writes, "Faith attends class regularly and is always on camera. She is on task and participates during each class session. She works hard and completes any task given to her. She is responsible in the chat and on mic when participating. She is a great example of a SOARing CHAMPION!" and "Supporting Faith has impacted me by making me want to be the best teacher I can for her. She comes to class each day with a smile and works hard; therefore, inspiring me to do the same! I am so thankful she is my student and inspires me to SOAR each and every day!"

Ms. Stephan nominated Miracle and she writes, " Miracle works very hard in class, and it is hard to get her down! We started the school year off a little rocky with the new platform, but Miracle always had the sweetest attitude and was always ready to jump on the microphone. She didn't let technical problems dull her sparkle. She is kind to her teachers as well as her classmates, persevering, and always attentive when called on. I love having her in our class!" and "Miracle's awesome attitude encouraged me to have the same attitude no matter what difficulties may come. She is inspiring and can do anything she puts her mind to as long as she doesn't give up. That inspired me to be the same way!"

Ms. Bradford also nominated Miracle and she writes, "Miracle is eager to participate in class shows kindness to her classmates. She has worked so hard this year. I am proud of you, Miracle." and "I look forward to saying good morning to Miracle everyday. She always has a smile a positive attitude to share with our class. Keep up the great work Miracle."

Ms. Bennett nominated Evelyn and she writes, "Evelyn is a true example of a model student. She always tries her best and works hard. Evelyn always participates in class by having her camera on and responding to questions using the chat, reactions, and her whiteboard. Evelyn displays perseverance in all she does. When something is hard, she doesn't give up, but keeps trying until she is successful. She turns in all of her assignments on time and completes them to the best of her ability. During our student-led conference, Evelyn told me that a goal she had for this school year was to become a better reader. I can see how hard she is working on this with her weekly practice in Learning A-Z, Teach Your Monster to Read, and Lalilo. Evelyn always has a smile on her face no matter what." and "Evelyn inspires and motivates me as a teacher each and every day. Being a teacher can be tough at times, but Evelyn motivates me with the effort she puts into learning. Seeing her progress and perseverance reminds me that what I do makes a difference."

Ms. Winker nominated Mariely and she writes, "Mariely is always showing her champion behaviors. She comes to class prepared to learn. She is always involved in class. She asks questions when she doesn't understand something, and this sets a great example for her classmates. She has not been asked to do this, but she keeps her small groups on task and focused. She is a joy each and every class." and "Mariely pushes me to find ways for all ESOL students to get the best out of each and every class. She is always helping me to think differently, and this improves my teaching effectiveness. She has so much positivity and it spreads to all her classmates. She just brightens my day each session."

Ms. Patterson nominated DJ and she writes, " DJ is an incredibly hard worker and a very attentive student. He comes to class and makes Champion choices every day! When something is hard, he puts in effort and never gives up. He is encouraging and kind to his classmates, and he goes above and beyond on everything he is asked to do. He even wrote a book to share with his classmates! DJ will be successful at everything he does, because he always tries his best."

Ms. Gassman nominated Scarlett and she writes, "Scarlet works very hard in class. She always has a great attitude and is the first to raise her hand and volunteer to read or answer a question in class. She also loves sharing affirmations and "filling everyone's bucket. "

Ms. Gilleland nominated Nalani and she writes, "Nalani is always prepared for class with a smile! She actively participates and encourages her peers."