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Seventh-grader wins national Reflections award; Aberdeen Central named Forte Exchange School of the Year
Summary
At its May 12 meeting the Aberdeen School District honored Simmons Middle School seventh-grader Isabella Carlson for a national PTA Reflections award and presented Aberdeen Central High School with the Forte International Exchange Association School of the Year recognition for hosting exchange students.
Isabella Carlson, a seventh-grader at Simmons Middle School, told the Aberdeen School District board May 12 that her drawing, entered in the PTA Reflections contest, advanced from school to state and earned a national-level award.
The recognition came during the board’s “good news” portion of the meeting. Board members and attendees praised Carlson’s work and asked about her plans; Carlson said she intends to continue participating in art competitions and that the entry’s theme — accepting imperfection — reflected her own experience overcoming fifth-grade insecurities. “This drawing doesn’t just show something on a piece of paper, but it shows a meaning…how mistakes or insecurities can grow into new beginnings,” Carlson told the board.
Also at the meeting, Melissa Erlenbusch presented the Forte International Exchange Association School of the Year award to Aberdeen Central High School. Erlenbusch, speaking as a Forte representative, noted the school started the year with eight Forte students and finished with nine, and described staff accommodations to support exchange students — including schedule adjustments that allowed one student to earn a full year’s credit after a semester of homesickness. She singled out guidance counselor Riley Stadelk, principal secretary Shelley Sutton, assistant athletic director Mark Anderson and Dr. Jason Uttermark for their roles supporting students.
Erlenbusch said the school accepted two spring-term students for the first time this year and recounted that three siblings from the same family will attend Aberdeen Central this fall — a development she described as a mark of the program’s success. She also encouraged community members to consider serving as short-term host families; she said about 90 students still need host families locally and that stays can be as short as six to nine weeks.
Board members thanked Carlson and the Forte representatives. The board did not take any formal action related to the awards; both items were presented as recognitions.
Board members and the superintendent closed the segment by wishing Carlson well in upcoming activities and noting the school district’s appreciation for community volunteers and staff who support exchange and extracurricular programs.
