The following is the acceptance speech read by Kawyie Cooper, 2014 Champ Recipient, at the 2014 7th annual Champ Celebration, help at Cityscape.
Hi, my name is Kawyie Cooper. I am in the 5th grade at King-Westwood Elementary. I am so proud to be honored tonight as the first elementary school Champ!
In my school planner, I wrote down this quote that my mom told me: “Birds soar with other birds because you can’t fly without wings!” I like this quote because it reminds me that my friends and I need to work hard in school in order to achieve our goals.
School can be a big challenge for me, but I have made huge improvements this year with the help of my parents, my teachers, and all the support I get from Communities In Schools.
My parents have high expectations of me. My mom inspires me with positive talks about staying on track with my grades and behavior. She makes sure I have food, clothes, and a safe place to live. My mom has a rule that we do homework first and no TV on school nights. My dad sets a good example for me by going to work every day at the Old Peninsula. I know if he’s doing his job, I should be doing my job by doing my best in school.
I am also lucky to have awesome teachers. Ms. Killen is special because if I make a mistake, she always gives me the chance to turn my behavior around. She understands how hard I am working this year and helps me keep a positive attitude. Ms. Cruz-Davis is a big help when I don’t understand my math. She reminds me not to worry and is patient when she helps me work through the problems that frustrate me.
I am also really thankful for my tutor and mentor, Miss Rosalie. We have lunch and recess together once a week and she helps me to understand my school work. We also learned how to give each other feedback – both positive and negative! When she compliments me on things she notices, I feel proud.
Kawyie Cooper, 2014 Champ
Each day I look forward to being a mentor to my 2nd grade friend, Nevaeh! At the end of the day, I help Nevaeh get ready to go home. Together, we gather her things and walk to the bus. Working with Nevaeh has taught me to appreciate how hard my teachers, parents, and tutor work to help me! It calms me down at the end of the day to know that I am helping Nevaeh end her day on a positive note.
[CIS Site Coordinator] Miss Laura and {VISTA] Miss Maggie have helped me improve my school year, too! When I have problems with my friends I come talk to Miss Laura and she helps me learn to solve problems through positive communication. Miss Maggie is the leader of our Fuel Up Play 60 group. She helped me learn that kids have the power to come up with our own ideas and make them happen in our school!
Also, this is my first year participating in Girls On The Run. It’s really exciting to practice for the 5k and learn how to motivate ourselves to keep going if we get tired during the race!
Today, I am so proud of myself and how hard I’ve worked to earn this Champs award and I am so thankful to everyone who has helped me soar in school! Thank you so much.
Tags: Champs, Girls on the Run, giving back, Kalamazoo Public Schools, Kawyie Cooper, King Westwood Elementary School
