Students not only build meaningful relationships with their classmates, but develop strong connections with their teachers. Each year, a special ceremony is held in the auditorium, known as Silver Shield. This event allows teachers to recognize one student in the school who they feel should deserve this award, which represents a student who goes above and beyond.
On Feb. 26 at Francis Howell Central, students and staff attended the event, as well as their close friends and family to honor these outstanding individuals. Each student received an envelope a month prior to the event stating they had been chosen for the award by an anonymous staff member, which they would later learn after being read a message and turning around on stage. Ms. Ashley Runge attended the ceremony to give out an award for a student she had selected. When selecting a recipient, Runge looks not only for how a student behaves in her class but also how they interact with other students, primarily looking for someone who is a leader and will take charge when it’s necessary. Before the ceremony, each teacher, including Ms. Runge, must write a small message for the student, which is read aloud to express their appreciation during the event. Runge likes to get her recipient a small gift, such as flowers, to hand off on stage. Runge shares why she thinks the Silver Shield ceremony is important.
“I personally think that Silver Shield is a great event for our school, because it brings people from outside the community, such as our students’ families and friends, to come in and celebrate the greatness that we have here at FHC,” Runge Said. “It’s a night for students to be recognized, I feel like sometimes students don’t necessarily feel that they’re seen, and I think it’s a great night for them to be chosen and showcased for the great things that maybe they don’t notice in themselves, but their teachers notice.”
The students who were awarded Silver Shields wore their medals the next day at school.
