Three Pine Island students ‘Do The Right Thing’
For each of the last 19 years, the Lee County Sheriff’s Department has been recognizing students for making positive choices and healthy decisions. The program is named “Do The Right Thing.”
This month seven students from Cape Coral’s Trafalgar Middle School, including three from Pine Island, were recognized for “Doing The Right Thing.”
Each month during the school year, nominations are submitted by parents, teachers, deputies and community leaders. Student nominations may be for any positive act, such as volunteering, standing up to peer pressure or simply dedicating themselves to their school work. In addition to monthly ceremonies, large groups of students may be honored through the Class of the Month Project and some winners are honored at a regional awards celebration held each summer.
Trafalgar Middle School teacher Margaret Horn wrote that “these seven students volunteered to assist the Life Skills students every period in Art and to mentor and help their ‘mentee’ (a child who has chosen them) with a successful project competition. Each Life Skills student chose their own mentor from the volunteers. These special volunteer students give up their own Art time to help them. The level of compassion and concern that they have shown is remarkable and mature beyond their chronological age of 11. They did so with concern and love for them and their special needs.”
The students wrote about their experiences.
Megan Donnelly wrote “working with these students really makes my day.”
Emily Davis wrote, “you feel good about yourself.”
William Fraser-Nash wrote, “I know it helps a lot.”
Makayla Jo Hauck wrote, “I like helping people.”
Danika McCaffrey and Madison Brennan wrote, “everyday they put a smile on my face.”
Maite Pavez wrote, “I volunteered to help because I like to know I can make people happy and help. I learned that it is not just helping it’s making a difference in someone’s life.”
“These students demonstrated concern, encouragement, were a source of stability that touches your heart. What they have done is remarkable,” Horn wrote.
The photo was taken at the Lee County Sheriff’s Office “Do The Right Thing” awards ceremony Thursday, Nov. 19.