Wareham Middle School has announced its student award winners for December 2022.

Fifth grader Landen Grajales, sixth grader Miladii Figueroa and seventh grader Dorian Sims were named Students of the Month.

Each month, the teachers of each grade level select their most “responsible, respectful and thoughtful” students to receive the honor.

The teachers also leave anonymous words of praise for the students. 

“Landen is a super sweet and respectful young man,” one of Grajales’s teachers said. “He smiles often and has a positive attitude. He works well with his peers and is always there to lend a helping hand!”

Another teacher called Grajales “a natural artist.”

One of Figueroa’s teachers said that she “has not only made drastic improvements with her own grades, but with her social groups and her leadership skills. She shows compassion, strength and intellect.”

One of Sims’s teachers called him “a creative student with a big imagination.”

“Dorian is a student who is driven to excel academically,” another said. “He is an active participant in Student Council and will often contribute great ideas for community projects.”

“We are very proud of the young man he is becoming,” a third teacher said.

Student Kevin Costa won the December 2022 Scotty Monteiro Jr. Foundation Award. 

“He sets an example of how to show empathy and compassion to those around him,” a press release for the school read. “Kevin is always respectful to adults and his peers. He is an enthusiastic learner who always tries his best and encourages his peers to do the same.”

The “Scotty Award,” as it is called, is given monthly by Foundation of the same name. Established in memory of its namesake, a 21-year-old Wareham man who was murdered in 2009, the Foundation’s stated aim is to “stop the violence” by highlighting outstanding youth.