January PBIS Students of the Month named

■ Editor’s note: Chase County Schools staff in cooperation with the school’s Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports team are nominating and selecting Students of the Month during the 2022-23 school year. Students of the Month are nominated by staff members based on positive qualities or actions teachers have observed that go above and beyond the usual expectations. The nominations are reviewed by the PBIS team and two students are picked based on the number of nominations and what was said by the nominators. January’s Students of the Month are Ali McNair and Colin O’Neil.
    
    Ali McNair is a senior at CCS. She is the daughter of Sam and Abby McNair.
    CCS art teacher Chelsea Zuege said, “Ali is a student that consistently shows strong leadership qualities in the classroom and around the school. I have had Ali for four years in art classes. She has always exhibited an extraordinary work ethic, going above and beyond with every project. Ali also has character qualities that set her apart from others, like complete respect for all ages, showing kindness for others and setting an example for her peers and younger students.”
    Middle school and high school English teacher Kara Hagan added, “Ali is an amazingly introspective student. She has a unique way with words and can respectfully listen to and share ideas, while valuing all opinions. Ali is a reader. She is particularly good at studying complex texts and is able to apply multifaceted concepts to current societal ideas. Ali is a leader inside and outside of the classroom, and has a bright future ahead of her.”
    CCS Spanish teacher Vanessa Taylor wrote, “Ali is a leader both in and out of the classroom. She is a positive influence on other students through her cheerful attitude and dedicated work ethic. Ali is one of four students who has moved on to Spanish IV, and she continues to work hard each and every day to better her language skills. I appreciate her continued ambition and desire to succeed in everything she does.”
    At CCS Ali has participated in volleyball, basketball, and track for all four years. She is also a member of FBLA, FCA and Student Council. She has been  a class officer and served on several class committees, and has been a volunteer Sunday school teacher at her church.
    The second Student of the Month recipient for January is Colin O’Neil, the son of Willy and Allison O’Neil.
    CCS social studies teacher Carl Zuege had this to say: “Colin is an excellent role model for our younger students. He can frequently be seen helping others in class and communicating with our younger students. Colin is looked up to for his consistently strong character and strong sense of humor. In Colin, our younger students can see an excellent example of a person with strong academics, an excellent work ethic and an ability to relate to most everyone.”
    Another CCS staffer wrote the following, “Colin displays strong leadership and a positive example in our school. He is very well liked and respected by our student body and our staff. Colin can often be seen helping others with academics and communicating with our younger students. Colin is an excellent example of the kind of classmate and leader that we ask our students to be.”
    Finally, high school math teacher Chris Bartels wrote, “Colin is not only a high quality student, but he is a high quality person. He is always willing to help out a struggling student or teammate and enjoys other people’s success just as much as his own.”
    Colin has participated in football, cross country, basketball and track during his high school career. He is a member of the FFA and quiz bowl team.