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FD schools name students, employee of month

Lemus, Doster, Tilawen, Vinson recognized

The Fort Dodge Community School District has named its students and employees of the month for December.

This program recognizes one elementary, one middle school and one high school student, as well as one staff member monthly for exceeding expectations.

Rosewhite (Rosa) Lemus is the Elementary Student of the Month. Emily Winninger and Jenny Litwiller both nominated her. They stated Lemus is excited about learning new things. She has a growth mindset and knows it is OK to make mistakes. Instead of getting frustrated when learning gets tough, Lemus perseveres. She knows there is always something to learn and is willing to learn it. She also encourages others as they learn new things. Lemus has a big heart and is a kind friend to all in the kindergarten classroom. Because she speaks both English and Spanish, she is an excellent helper when others may be confused or lost in translation in the classroom. They concluded, “We are lucky to have Rosa in our schools. She makes her classroom and school a great place to be. She is a positive role model who her peers look up to. Rosa does the right thing because that is who she is.” She is the daughter of Jorge Lemus and Bibiana Manuel.

Camden Doster is the Middle School Student of the Month. Aaron Miller nominated Doster. He said Doster is constantly and consistently on task. She is always working to improve her grades and push herself academically. She has a willingness to work on assignments that are finished, but not complete in her eyes. She takes time to assist other students and build relationships with her peers. Doster is willing to assist any student, whether it is the nicest person in class or a student she doesn’t know very well. Miller concluded, “Camden is good character in action. She exhibits the four B’s. She has a tireless work ethic and is the embodiment of how far a little kindness can go.” She is the daughter of Dan and Tawnya Doster.

Rodney Tilawen is the High School Student of the Month. Trista Thompson nominated Tilawen. She said he works hard in his classes, shows respect to his teachers and knows the importance of being in class. She said he has been meeting with college representatives so he is prepared for what next year will bring. She stated Tilawen is a great role model for other students. He is always kind, willing to lend a helping hand and has a positive attitude. As a senior student athlete, he is able to make a positive impact on the younger student athletes that look up to him. Thompson said she knows she can count on Tilawen to do what is right even when no one is looking. Thompson concluded, “Rodney is deserving of this honor because of who he is. He is a true Dodger who leads by example and has shown integrity during his high school years. He will be missed at FDSH, but I know he will do great things next year.” He is the son of Robert and Irine Price.

Nick Vinson, FDSH teacher, is the Employee of the Month. Blake Utley nominated Vinson. He acknowledged all the extra hours Vinson spends outside his contract working to ensure his School to Work students have the perfect job to match their skills and the time he puts into Special Olympics. Utley said Vinson even spends weekends away from his family to support his Special Olympics athletes at their state competitions. He shared Vinson’s willingness to take on the head bowling coach position. While he was unsure what all went into the position that did not deter him from jumping in and giving it his best. He also stated Vinson does a great job of organizing the paraeducators in his department, ensuring they are matched with students in the best way possible. He shared Vinson is doing all of this while pursuing his master’s degree in special education. Utley concluded by saying, “Nick is selfless in everything he does and watching him develop and maintain relationships with each and every student in his program is admirable.”

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