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Leadership, caring top reasons for recent area student Do The Right Thing awards

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PHOTO PROVIDED Do The Right Thing Program ceremony officials and honorees include front row (left to right) Nathan Reed, Daren Bruce Hanshaw Jr., Daniel Spencer and Angel De’Dios. Back row (left to right) Director John McGraw, Apryl Stauber, Dalton Williams, Caitlyn Dickerson, Taylor Fleming, Sarah Levine, Tia Smart, Jazlyn Dorr, Rebecca Walker, Nicole Weigold and Sheriff Mike Scott.

Each month throughout the school year, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office honors students who do the right thing with a special award from the Do The Right Thing Program.

This month, three local students were commended for outstanding leadership skills and caring about both fellow students and their teachers.

“These students continue to demonstrate themselves as leaders in their schools and we reward that so they will continue to be leaders in our community,” said North Fort Myers resident and Lee County Sheriff Mike Scott.

One local elementary student, Caitlyn Dickerson, took a leadership role in her school’s science night.

“We are extremely proud of Caitlyn,” said Dr. Carrie D. Robinson Littleton Elementary assistant principal Robert Cooper. “Her leadership during our science parent involvement night was exemplary. She took on the responsibility of presenting information to parents and community members, followed up with each participant to ensure that everyone understood the subject matter, and concluded her presentation by ensuring that participants were properly directed to their next activity.

“Caitlyn truly knows how to do the right thing and we are extremely proud to have her here at Robinson Littleton Elementary,” he said.

The two other local students were from Bayshore Elementary School — Angel DéDios and Nathan Reed. Both demonstrated caring for fellow students and a teacher.

Program director John McGraw provided the following nomination letters that got the students the awards:

Caitlyn Dickerson of North Fort Myers is a fourth-grade student at Dr. Carrie D. Robinson Littleton Elementary School.

Dr. Carrie D. Robinson Littleton Elementary School fourth-grade teacher Dana Scrippo wrote, “Caitlyn exhibited outstanding leadership skills at our school science night. As a student educator, she taught teachers, students and community members how to create vermin-composting bins in order to grow a food bearing garden that uses only clean non-polluting fertilizer. She was friendly, kind, worked hard and inspired our community to make eco-friendly decisions as well as encouraging self-sustaining actions. She is a role model, is always happy to help her classmates and teachers and an ideal candidate for Do The Right Thing.”

Angel DéDios, of Fort Myers, is a fourth-grade student at Bayshore Elementary School.

Bayshore Elementary School fourth-grade teacher Cynthia Mikkelsen wrote in a nomination letter that, “Very recently, I had the honor and anxiety of speaking at the National Elementary Honor Society meeting. I expressed to my students that I was a little anxious and that it was normal.

“I was hoping to help ease their anxiety when they have to get in front of the class to read. I was quite anxious and when it was over and I picked up my class, this very special student took my arm and said ‘You did a great job Mrs. Mikkelsen.’ Well he almost brought me to tears. What a wonderful thing to say. The best part is that he does this all the time for all of his classmates.

“On another occasion, a new student in our class was being made fun of at Physical Education and cried. This wonderful student was patting the students’ shoulder and using comforting words. He also gave me a good account of what had happened to our new student. The student I am speaking of is Angel De’Dios. He is eager to help and always has a kind word to say. Angel is confined to a wheelchair and could be angry or sad, but that would not be Angel. He chooses to do the right thing everyday. He is a pleasure to have in class and a wonderful representative for our school.”

Nathan Reed, of North Fort Myers, is a second-grade student at Bayshore Elementary School.

Bayshore Elementary School ESE resource teacher Beth Brownell wrote, “I was walking in the hall when Nathan’s class passed me on their way to lunch. He grabbed my hand and pulled me down to his level and said ‘you need to send her (pointing to a girl) to the nurse.’ Why I asked? He answered ‘she hurt her eye and it was my fault, but it was an accident.’

“Apparently his pencil had slipped and hit this little girl. The class had a substitute teacher that day, who had decided that the girl was fine. There was some redness around her eye and Nathan was very concerned that she receive treatment. He wanted to make sure that the substitute teacher had made the right decision.

“Nathan showed good judgment by going to someone he knew he could trust. He was allowed to escort the little girl to the nurse’s office. She was fine, but for a second grader, this showed a strong sense of empathy, community and responsibility to fix his accidental mistake. Great job Nathan!”