Bring Up Grades (BUG) Program Presentations at KMS - February 9, 2011

Third grade students at Kate M. Smith Elementary School were recognized as part of a special presentation in the school cafeteria at 9:00 a.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 9th,  attended by students and parents.  Sponsor of the program, the Chipley Kiwanis Club, presented special tee-shirts to students who improved a subject by one grade or maintained current grade level in all subjects, and each student also received a certificate.  The program continues from grade period to grade period to encourage constant improvement in school results.  In addition to personal grade improvements or maintaining acceptable grade levels, students can also be designated a “Super BUG” by helping other classmates as a mentor to achieve one grade improvements.

The BUG program was created this year at Kate M. Smith Elementary through the coordination of Principal Jerry Register and the Kiwanis Young Children/Priority One Committee chaired by Kiwanian Patsy Justice.  Further student recognition is provided by a school “BUG Honor Roll” for the 3rd-graders that is distributed school-wide.  Plans are to expand the program in future years to other 3rd-grade classes and schools. 

A total of 130 students were recognized at this initial presentation ceremony for BUG in Washington County.  Third grade teachers with award recipients were Cecilia Grissett, Kelly Kunde, Kim Hartzog, Thomas Lnaey, Jane Lively, Sammie Owens, Dee Stanton, Herbert Wiggins, and Deborah Woods.  Assistant Principal Bonnie Lindsey conducted the awards ceremony.

A key objective of the BUG program is to encourage students to focus on making one small accomplishment at a time.  For this school year, the BUG challenge to students started with the second grading period and will continue through the entire school year. 

Kiwanis International through its local clubs offers leadership opportunities to students at all grade levels from 1 through college with the K-Kids Club for elementary students, Builders Club at the middle school level, and Key Clubs for high school, with college students working through the Circle K International programs.

All of the student clubs offer leadership development opportunities while instilling the value for community service to others.  With the exception of the K-Kids, all the clubs are operated by student elected officers and mentored by a faculty advisor and Kiwanis club members as liaison from the adult Kiwanis organization.  All clubs conduct community service projects and raise their own funding to support club activities.  Kiwanis International is a global organization of volunteers dedicated to changing the world, one child and one community at a time.