Language Arts Student of the Year 2014
All the usual adjectives apply: conscientious, courteous, creative; intelligent, interested, involved; punctual, positive, always prepared. And, of course, straight-A student! This description applies to many Honors English students, but there were few who seemed to work as hard and care as deeply as Kayla Wolfley.
While I may not have guessed it from her low-key behavior in class, this year’s Language Arts Spotlight shines on someone who was such a “high energy” addition to her family that on her Life Soundtrack she chose the song “Sweet Child o’ Mine” by Guns ‘n’ Roses to represent her birth. I know her older siblings, and I know she has big shoes to fill because they were fine students. But when it comes to English, this ‘Sweet Child’ is the best. Around midyear, Mrs. Anderson came in to talk about an assignment for all ninth graders. She was looking for a sample to illustrate her expectations for her students, and I started for the file cabinet to see if I had one. Before I could open the drawer, however, Mrs. Anderson took a paper from the pile on my desk, “This one is really good! Can I copy it?” It was, of course, Kayla’s. And it was not the first of her writings that I copied. She’ll be helping future students just as she helped many of her classmates this year.
At the end of the first semester, I assigned Kayla to my homeroom, figuring that her good example and tutoring could help some of my struggling students get their grades up. Willingly and with patience I can’t begin to fathom, she helped this one particular young man (and I use the term very loosely) earn a passing grade. When we reverted to traditional Intervention period instead of Homeroom, I always felt kind of honored when she chose to come in even when she didn't have to.
A couple months ago, she was one of a handful of students who asked me for a letter of recommendation. I've written lots of them over the years, but hers was especially easy because I had observed so much of her positive behavior and good work during the year. I said she was a gifted student in every capacity, a hard worker, a helpful classmate. In fact, I even called her an angel. (Most students know that I seldom use that word unless it is followed by the phrase “of doom”.) A week later, I was delighted to hear that she was one of a small number of winners selected from a large pool of applicants for a spot on the Layton High sophomore cabinet, and I would like to think that my letter sealed it for her because I pulled out all the stops: Angel! True to the character of the person I had so highly praised, Kayla wrote me a thank-you note. It’s a simple kindness, but she is one of the only students who has ever done it.
Earlier today, Kayla wrote one of her final notebook entries for Honors English. In comparing a well-known poem to a novel we read recently, she wrote “It is important to ask yourself what road you take in life. I am sort of in between…because I don’t stand out but I try to help others even when it isn't easy.” Sweet child: You DO stand out! That’s why we’re standing here [i.e., the stage where I presented her with the award] right now.
So it is not only for her excellence as a student of English but also for her excellence as a Human Being that the Language Arts Spotlight Award goes to this writer, this poet, this scholar, this helper, this “Sweet Child,” this angel: Kayla Wolfley.
While I may not have guessed it from her low-key behavior in class, this year’s Language Arts Spotlight shines on someone who was such a “high energy” addition to her family that on her Life Soundtrack she chose the song “Sweet Child o’ Mine” by Guns ‘n’ Roses to represent her birth. I know her older siblings, and I know she has big shoes to fill because they were fine students. But when it comes to English, this ‘Sweet Child’ is the best. Around midyear, Mrs. Anderson came in to talk about an assignment for all ninth graders. She was looking for a sample to illustrate her expectations for her students, and I started for the file cabinet to see if I had one. Before I could open the drawer, however, Mrs. Anderson took a paper from the pile on my desk, “This one is really good! Can I copy it?” It was, of course, Kayla’s. And it was not the first of her writings that I copied. She’ll be helping future students just as she helped many of her classmates this year.
At the end of the first semester, I assigned Kayla to my homeroom, figuring that her good example and tutoring could help some of my struggling students get their grades up. Willingly and with patience I can’t begin to fathom, she helped this one particular young man (and I use the term very loosely) earn a passing grade. When we reverted to traditional Intervention period instead of Homeroom, I always felt kind of honored when she chose to come in even when she didn't have to.
A couple months ago, she was one of a handful of students who asked me for a letter of recommendation. I've written lots of them over the years, but hers was especially easy because I had observed so much of her positive behavior and good work during the year. I said she was a gifted student in every capacity, a hard worker, a helpful classmate. In fact, I even called her an angel. (Most students know that I seldom use that word unless it is followed by the phrase “of doom”.) A week later, I was delighted to hear that she was one of a small number of winners selected from a large pool of applicants for a spot on the Layton High sophomore cabinet, and I would like to think that my letter sealed it for her because I pulled out all the stops: Angel! True to the character of the person I had so highly praised, Kayla wrote me a thank-you note. It’s a simple kindness, but she is one of the only students who has ever done it.
Earlier today, Kayla wrote one of her final notebook entries for Honors English. In comparing a well-known poem to a novel we read recently, she wrote “It is important to ask yourself what road you take in life. I am sort of in between…because I don’t stand out but I try to help others even when it isn't easy.” Sweet child: You DO stand out! That’s why we’re standing here [i.e., the stage where I presented her with the award] right now.
So it is not only for her excellence as a student of English but also for her excellence as a Human Being that the Language Arts Spotlight Award goes to this writer, this poet, this scholar, this helper, this “Sweet Child,” this angel: Kayla Wolfley.
The Beast and Beauty (2014)
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