Western Avenue School Sisters Receive First 'Board Salute'

The Board of Education on Monday night presented two sisters from with its first Board Salute, which was created to recognize individuals or groups for outstanding contribution and effort to the community and the school district.

Alivia Rose, 8, and her sister Ariel, 5, received “We Salute You” plaques from Board President Dr. David Dreyfuss and Supt. Craig Doster during Monday night’s board meeting.

Thanks to the efforts of Alivia and Ariel (with the help of their mom and dad, Kelly and Gene), some other students in the district received school supplies they did not have to start the year.

The girls ran an ice cream stand this summer and raised $200, which they used to buy the supplies they donated to students at Serena Hills School.

“This is actually the third year the girls have done this. The first two years they had a lemonade stand, but they did much better with the ice cream so we will do that again next year," Kelly said.

“I wanted to have a lemonade stand, but I didn’t know what to do with the money,” Alivia said when asked how their efforts got started. “My mom had the idea of buying school supplies to donate.”

The girls' plaques read: “They truly exemplify Character Counts.” 

Character Counts is the district-wide program that teaches students basic values called the Six Pillars of Character: trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring and citizenship.