The Fort Dodge Community School District has announced its students and employee of the month for January. This program recognizes one elementary, one middle school and one high school student, as well as one staff member monthly for exceeding expectations.

Allisyn Parker is the elementary student of the month. She was nominated by her teacher, Jaci Schreiber. She said Parker is a responsible, motivated and confident student. She gets right to work and focuses on her task until it is complete. Schrieber said that during math, Parker isn’t afraid to try new strategies she learned from her peers. She follows the PBIS expectations day in and day out. She is always responsible for her area, shows kindness to everyone she works with, is safe when walking the halls and is always respectful by raising her hand and listening to the speaker.

“Allisyn is a hard worker who comes to school ready to learn each day,” Schrieber said. “She is a positive role model and example for the other students in the class. She is a wonderful young lady and it has been a privilege being her first-grade teacher!”

Parker is the daughter of Darroll Parker and Shelley Parker.

Hannah Drummond is the middle school student of the month. She was nominated by both Diane Pratt and by the students and teachers of the 8 Respect team.

They said Drummond invests herself thoughtfully in every assignment and organizes herself so her work is completed with quality. She encourages and is willing to help others. Drummond epitomizes the PBIS expectations of responsibility, kindness, respect and safety.

Her classmates said she is nice to everyone and cares about everyone’s feelings even if she doesn’t know the person well. She has been a leader with the Scholastic Book Fair, middle school daily announcements and with her Dodger Time’s service project.

“Hannah extends kindness and a listening ear to those who are struggling or who may hold opinions different from her own,” Pratt said. “She will respond thoughtfully and respectfully to those ideas and show respect for herself by holding herself to high moral and ethical standards. Hannah exemplifies the Dodger spirit.”

Drummond is the daughter of Dylan Drummond and Janelle Drummond.

Joshua Harrison is the high school student of the month. He was nominated by Dr. Kenneth Hayes, FDSH principal. He shared that while Harrison struggled with academics and school in the past, he has done a 180-degree change this year. Harrison has improved his attendance, grades and behavior in such a dramatic way that he is receiving praise from staff and administration.

He has come to school to be a serious student and earned a B or higher in all of his classes this year. He has shown maturity behaviorally by demonstrating what a Dodger should be through his actions. Harrison has received three positive PBIS referrals and he continues to behave in a manner that represents himself and FDSH with excellence.

“Joshua is polite, respectful and is working hard,” Hayes said. “He has dreams and goals he is working toward that will no doubt end his high school career with a diploma in hand. He’s becoming a role model for his peers. I am so proud of the young man Joshua is becoming.”

Harrison is the son of Bobbi Jo Potts-Harrison.

Ryan O’Leary is the employee of the month. He was nominated by Ryan Flaherty, Fort Dodge Middle School principal. Flaherty said that in O’Leary’s first year as the Middle School athletic director he has been a self-starter, great co-worker and visionary from the first day. O’Leary attends every event at FDMS and has strong connections with the coaches, sponsors, athletes and parents. He’s willing to make changes, take risks and lead middle school programs. Flaherty specifically mentioned O’Leary arranging for the FDSH wrestling team to mentor and model good habits for the middle school wrestlers and his submitting names of students making positive contributions so the good news could be shared with families. O’Leary supports the code of conduct policy for athletes and activities, showing students that success comes first in the classroom and then in extracurricular activities.

“Ryan promotes and models good character for our students and professionalism for our adults,” Flaherty said. “He does things because they are the right thing to do. Ryan wants our middle school extracurricular programs to produce great people.”