May 23, 2019
By: Bill Conger
The 8th graders at DeKalb West School will be heading up the hill in August after graduating May 21. During a special ceremony the students were recognized for their academic and other achievements.
Aly Griffith led the way with the academic awards. She won ELA with a 100 average, an Algebra award with a 100 average, Social Studies with a 99.5 average, and Science with a 99 average. Patricia Gassaway won the ELA award in her homeroom with a 96 average. Aniston Farler and Madison Martin won Algebra awards each with a perfect 100 average. Lane Goss and Wesley Wright won the Math award. They tied with a score of 95. Brett Walker and Bonnie Hale took home History awards from Sean Antoniak’s homeroom. They both had a final score of 98.25, and Kortnee Skeen in Karen France’s homeroom won the Science award with a 98.
Ten students made the All A Honor Roll: Isaac Brown, Luke Driver, Noah Evans, Aniston Farler, Aly Griffith, Emma Martin, Madison Martin, Bralin Moss, Kortnee Skeen, and Wesley Wright. Named to the A/B Honor Roll were Gavin Conger, Caleb Dies, John Ellis, Patricia Gassaway, Lane Goss, Bonnie Hale, Chevelle Lockwood, Jamison Marlar, Matt Nokes and Brett Walker.
Earning the Making Tracks (Most Improved) award were Chevelle Lockwood and Gavin Conger. The Citizenship Awards, which 8th grade peers vote on, are given to a boy and girl in each homeroom. Brett Walker and Kortnee Skeen in Sean Antoniak’s homeroom were presented with the award. From Karen Frances’s room, the honor was handed out to Luke Driver and Madison Martin.
Luke Driver also won the Perfect Attendance award for the second year in a row. He has not missed a single day nor been late or left early from school the past two years.
Junior Beta Club sponsor Jessica Antoniak presented Aniston Farler and Aly Griffith with the DWS Beta Club Community Service Award. Both girls volunteered more than 60 hours this past year. The 16 8th grade members volunteered 493 total hours of the 1252 hours that the entire club earned.
Service awards were given to all Betas who have earned at least 10 service hours this school year. Receiving a certificate were Gabby Wheatley 10 hours, Matt Nokes 10 hours 30 minutes, Bonnie Hale 11 hours, Patricia Gassaway 12 hours 15 minutes, John Ellis 14 hours, Brett Walker 18 hours – Vice President, Noah Evans 23 hours 15 minutes, Emma Martin 23 hours 30 minutes, Cameron Bailey 24 hours, Kortnee Skeen 28 hours 15 minutes, Bralin Moss 33 hours 45 minutes, Lane Goss 38 hours, Isaac Brown 43 hours 30 minutes, and Madison Martin 48 hours.
The 4 PAWS Award went to Lance Duke and Caleb Dies. That award recognizes awesome students who may not make the honor roll all the time but work hard, may be a good citizen, class helper or show improvement.
The Library awards were presented to Jamison Marlar and Destiny Strickland with 400 points; Noah Evans, Bonnie Hale, and Matthew Nokes for 600 points; Brett Walker, Isaac Brown, and John Ellis with 800 points. Awesome Accuracy awards went to Aly Griffith and Isaac Brown. Bralin Moss was honored for receiving over 1,000 points.
The members of the DeKalb West 8th grade class were Cameron Bailey, Jeanine Boody, Isaac Brown, Gavin Conger, Caleb Dies, Luke Driver, Lance Duke, Rebecca Eastes, John Ellis, Noah Evans, Aniston Farler, Patricia Gassaway, Jackson Gibbs, Lane Goss, Aly Griffith Bonnie Hale, Emily Hendrixson, Hailey Hendrixson, Kailyn Jordan, Olivia Knowles, John Law, Chloe Lockwood, Jamison Marlar, Emma Martin, Madison Martin, Devon Maxwell, Bralin Moss, Matthew Nokes, Braxton Page, Emily Poole, Kiara Shoffner, Kortnee Skeen, Jarrod Smith, Destiny Strickland, Faith Tripp, Cayalyn Turner, Brett Walker, Gabrielle Wheatley, and Wesley Wright.