Blendon Middle School educators launched a new award that recognizes students who best demonstrate the skills and aptitudes the community has deemed most important for them to have upon graduation.
The Portrait of a Bulldog award honors students who have consistently demonstrated skills outlined in the district’s Portrait of a Graduate framework: critical thinking, problem solving, social-emotional wellness, adaptability, collaboration and communication.
Blendon leaders, staff and parents recognized the 32 inaugural recipients of the Portrait of a Bulldog award at a special ceremony on Friday. Anne Baldwin, executive director of Secondary Schools, served as the guest speaker and Principal Kendall Harris and Assistant Principal Fred Tombaugh awarded each student with a certificate and commemorative shirt.
The event culminated with the unveiling of each of the recipients’ portraits on a Portrait of a Bulldog mural in the school.
“We are excited to recognize our students who display these competencies,” Harris said. “It’s important that our students be able to think critically, solve problems, adapt, collaborate and exhibit social emotional wellness as they become productive citizens in our community.”
Developed last year, the Portrait of a Graduate serves as a living document that brings consistency to the district’s academic framework and ensures all students will have educational experiences that meet their unique and changing needs from their elementary grades through their high school years.