By By JOHN EBY / Dowagiac Daily News
Dowagiac Board of Education Monday night at Patrick Hamilton Elementary School honored five of the six December Citizens of the Month.
Patrick Hamilton third grader Allyssa Blomgren, Dowagiac Middle School eighth grader Shea Hopper, Justus Gage first grader Nicole Harley, Kincheloe kindergartner Shamya Miggins and Sister Lakes kindergartner Amelia Grote received plaques and Chieftain Hero T-shirts from the school board.
Union High School senior Tyler Hall was at a choral event in South Haven and will be honored in February.
Allyssa Blomgren
Allyssa is a third grader in Gloria Staten's class. She is the daughter of Greg and Angie Blomgren. Her brother, Andrew, is a first grader in Jon Leazenby's class at Patrick Hamilton.
Her sister, Avery, attends Inside Track preschool.
Principal Heather Nash introduced her.
Ally likes to play Play Station with her brother and Wii with her sister.
Her dog, Maisie, is a golden Lab that enjoys fetch.
Ally loves art projects, checkers and swimming in her Aunt Erin's pool.
She hopes to become a teacher when she grows up. She already made a good start toward that goal by helping classmates with their lessons.
When asked how to become a Citizen of the Month, Ally replied that one should behave nicely and do their work when they're told.
Shea Hopper
Shea, 14, lives with her cousins, Melissa and Eddie Barnes. She has three cousins at home: Kelsey, in sixth grade; Kaitlyn, in fifth grade; and Austin, in second grade. Principal Mike Frazier nominated her.
Her favorite class is computers, taught by her favorite teacher, Mrs. Jordan.
Shea likes to play volleyball and softball and was an eighth grade cheerleader this year.
She would like to be a pediatric nurse when she grows up.
Shea says her best quality is that she is quiet and thinks before she acts.
Frazier said, "I remember Shea coming to us last year and, as a new student, she was very shy to begin with. Since then, she has come out of her shell and is a very warm person with a great sense of humor. She has all the tools it talks to be a success."
Nicole Harley
A first grader in Ronna Page's classroom, Nicole moved to Dowagiac with her family from Maryland. She has one sister and two brothers. Jeffrey also attends Justus Gage, whose Principal Marcy Hendress presented her.
Nicole is a student who always arrives at school ready to learn. She is known as a very considerate young lady who is willing to help all of her peers as well as Mrs. Page.
Nicole's favorite time of the school day is center. She loves going to the math center so she can practice counting money. She also likes building puzzles.
Nicole would like to be a teacher when she grows up. She thinks it would be fun to "hang out" with kids all day.
Mrs. Page would love have a classroom filled with children like Nicole.
Shamya Miggins
Shamya is a kindergarten student in Cristine Green's classroom. She is the daughter of Leon and Gail Miggins. Principal Dawn Conner introduced her.
Shamya has four older brothers. Her family also includes three dogs.
Shamya likes to snowmobile in the winter with her mother. Warmer weather, bike riding is her favorite thing to do.
Shamya is well-liked by all her classmates. She plays fair and always waits for her turn. She practices good manners on a daily basis.
Shamya consistently gives 100 percent to her school work and does a great job every day.
When she grows up, Shamya wants to be a firefighter.
Amelia Grote
Kindergarten student Amelia Grote is the daughter of Vicki Grote and a member of Betsy Collins' morning class. Amelia has a younger brother, Erich.
Amelia always comes to class with a smile on her face which can light up anyone's day.
She works hard and never complains about tasks given to her. She puts 100 percent into everything she does.
Amelia also has great time management skills which help her to get her stations completed each and every day.
At home, Amelia's favorite food is steamed broccoli.
Her favorite TV show is "SpongeBob SquarePants."
When she grows up, she would like to be a nurse because "I'm a girl and nurses are girls."
First-year Principal Matt Severin called honoring his outstanding students with Citizen of the Month is the favorite part of his job.
Tyler Hall
Hardworking and dependable, Tyler "is a very talented young man," according to teacher Rich Frantz. He is the son of Howard Hall and Pam Lechenet and has a younger sister, Brianna.
"He is an accomplished actor and singer," Frantz says. "He has been a leading actor in many DUHS and Beckwith productions and often leads in choir concerts. Tyler is the president of the Drama Club and the student representative on the Beckwith board of directors. In many young people, this would be grounds for an inflated ego; something actors are especially prone to. This is not the case with Tyler Hall. He is humble and unassuming. Despite his long experience on stage, Tyler is eager for direction. His goal is to be a better actor.
"Tyler is also concerned about being a better student," according to Frantz. "Tyler is currently in my college English class. He took this class despite never having taken an advanced English class before. He did so to better prepare himself for college. When many of his peers are looking for the easiest road to graduation, Tyler is trying to grow through his education, no matter how difficult that may be. All of the these attributes make Tyler Hall an ideal candidate for Citizen of the Month."