19 students are recognized for demonstrating Respect, Responsibility, Safety, and/or Empathy
By Jim Beers
CHESTER – On Friday November 21, 2025, Chester Grade School presented its sixth set of “HIVE” awards for the 2025-2026 school year. These awards are presented twice each month throughout the year and students in grades kindergarten through the eighth grade are eligible to be recognized for demonstrating one or more of the four “HIVE” character traits.
Character traits being recognized include Respect, Responsibility, Safety, and/or Empathy. Throughout the weeks leading up to each set of “HIVE” award presentations, teachers, staff and administration, are observing students that are regularly demonstrating the four “HIVE” good character traits.
Nominations can be made by any CGS employee, but typically are made by teachers or classroom paraprofessionals who are in day-to-day, regular contact with the respective students. All nominations are submitted to the coordinator of the program, Kacey Crook, school counselor. Crook reviews all of the nominations and selects the bi-monthly award winners.
All award winners are recognized at the bi-monthly school-wide “Morning Meetings” that take place in the CGS gymnasium. All students, teachers and paraprofessionals are in attendance at this bi-monthly gathering of the CGS family.
At the time of the presentation of the bi-monthly “HIVE” awards, the honorees are introduced to the entire student body where they receive a very ‘loud and proud’ round of applause and are brought down to the gym floor where they are recognized and presented with a certificate to commemorate the honor.
Following the presentations, a group photo is taken of all “HIVE” award recipients with their certificates. These photos are published in various media outlets as well as on various social media platforms.
For the November 21 presentations, there were a total of 19 students that received awards. The areas of recognition included Respect (5); Responsibility (10), and Empathy (4), for a total of 19 awards. Grade levels that received these awards included:
K-3
1st-2
2nd-3
3rd-3
4th-4
5th-0
6th-1
7th-1
8th-2
Total: 19 awards/recipients
Award winners, grade levels, and “HIVE” Characteristics being recognized
Respect (five students)
Emely Pastor Hernandez-Kindergarten
Cayson McDonough-1st
Aaron Cotner-3rd
Karson Hecht-4th
Lorenzo Brooks-8th
Responsibility (10 students)
Elizabeth Sica Ixcoy-Kindergarten
Dayana Maldonado-Hernandez-1st
Gwen Yankey-2nd
Joslyn Gregory-2nd
Zane Stafford-3rd
Karson Nanney-3rd
Korryn Smith-4th
Chloe Keeton-4th
Matthew Simcock-7th
Javier Velasquez-8th
Empathy (4 students)
Keily Gomez Perez-Kindergarten
Rhett Kennedy-2nd
Freya Roche-4th
Connor Draves-6th
The next “HIVE” awards will be presented on Friday December 5, 2025 at the CGS “Morning Meeting” at 8 a.m.