Recognizing students achievements can be a great way to bolster confidence not only in the students themselves, but in the desire to learn and be creative.

The Bell County School Board did just that in their Dec. 19 meeting. Various students from the elementary, middle and high school levels in the Bell County school system attended the meeting with their parents and teachers and were rewarded for the academic achievements as well as their creativity.

Superintendent Yvonne Gilliam took the reigns in introducing the children and handing them their awards and certificates. The first award given was for the winners of the District Spelling Bee.

“My hats off to people who can win a spelling bee…spelling is certainly not one of my strengths, but I do admire those who can. So it’s with great pride that I’d like to recognize our spelling bee winners,” said Gilliam.

The winner at the elementary level was Cole Jones, and at the middle school level, Kenneth Treece.

Treece will compete at the Kentucky Derby Spelling Bee in March.

The next groups to be recognized were from Bell Central and Page School. These students were chosen to attend the Kentucky State Book Fair due to their involvement in the Book Battle Program — which entailed reading 12 books. The students were asked to address the board members about their experience at the book fair, which included attending seminars from the authors. Some of the students even got the chance to speak with the authors. They described the experience as “fun and educational.”

The students then thanked the board for the opportunity to attend the book fair.

The last group of students recognized were the District Storytelling Contest winners. This was, in essence, performance art. The students would craft a story by themselves and perform it in front of a crowd, “one man show” style.

The students went the extra mile in their performance by dressing up as the characters and using props to give the stories that extra bit of immersion and detail. The stories weren’t just simply recited to the audience either; they were genuine performances that required the students to portray different characters, constantly switching back and forth between them.

“This is one of the most fascinating events, I think, that has been held in the Bell County School District…it is a real treat to watch these little ones, and even the big ones — they’re so entertaining. They’re not even intimidated,” said Gilliam.