The acronym stands for Quakertown, Resilience, Ownership, Community, and Kindness and represents the culture QCHS seeks to highlight.
By Gary Weckselblatt
Quakertown Community High School gave out its first-ever QROCK awards Friday, recognizing 24 students who embody what the acronym stands for - Quakertown, Resilience, Ownership, Community, and Kindness.
Assistant Principal Kim Finnerty explained to the surprised students gathered in the school’s media center why they were there to receive certificates. She said that while academics are important, for these QROCK awards, teachers have been asked to point out which students are “amazing humans.”
“I want you to know that you’re super and to continue being awesome,” she said.
The new awards are planned to be announced monthly.
Principal Mattias van 't Hoenderdaal, who attended the ceremony, let students know “I’ve always said everything is not just about academics. We want to produce good people, solid citizens. I appreciate your commitment and everything you do as leaders in this school.”
Students receiving certificates (with their teachers who nominated them in brackets) were: Logan Goepfert (Kelly); Consuelo Torres (Girman); Calvin Lachman (Tyler Kitchenman); Julia Henry (Nick Burch); Madison Kreischer (Engler); Quinn Constanzo (Hamel); Stephanie Jaxheimer (Waddell); Kayra DeVries (Hood and Hunsicker); Paul Soto (Amen); Elijah Thomas (Hardy); Victor Kuria (Hardy); Victoria Rock (Swavely); Denys Avelar-Barahona (Burke); Taralynn Timer (Campion); Sho Sansculotte (Eisenmann); Bryce Widdoss (Boquist); Felicity Mandato (Frisch); Kylee Vika (Parker); Jared White (Polk); Rocco Pellegrino (Kaar);
Seren Derenthal (Neilson); Levi Culton (Neilson); Karly Bishop (Neilson); and Jessica Kelso (Li).
QROCK is at the heart of the QCHS positive behavior intervention and supports (PBIS) program in which the entire school is involved. Its purpose is to build a positive culture throughout the building by clarifying expectations for students, creating consistency among staff, reducing miscommunication, sharing building-wide values, and focusing on prosocial behavior.
Gary Weckselblatt, QCSD Director of Communications, writes about the people and the programs that impact the Quakertown Community School District. He can be reached at 215-529-2028 or [email protected].