ERIE'S PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Erie's Public Schools Student Stairclimber Awards

Erie's Public Schools strives to always celebrate the success of our students. As part of that initiative, the Stairclimber Award is presented monthly at regular School Board meetings (from October through May) to one student from each building, recognizing their tenacity, grit and perseverance toward making improvements in their ABC's -- Attendance, Behavior and Classroom Performance.

The EPS Stairclimber Award, which stems from PA School Climate Data feedback and Strategic Plan Survey results, supports our district-wide movement of School-Wide Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports (SWPBIS).

Meet our March 2023 Stairclimbers!

Liam Austin, Jefferson Elementary School, 2nd grade

"Liam is the hardest worker in my class and went from barely knowing his sounds to finally reading words and even some books! He has perfect attendance for the year and has brought up several grades in the 2nd quarter. I am so very proud of Liam!"

Viviana Claudio, McKinley Elementary School, 1st grade

"Viviana has made tremendous growth since she started this school year. She always puts her heart and soul into everything she does and doesn't give up. Family involvement is phenomenal, which has helped Viviana so much in the classroom.  Viviana is always respectful to teachers and peers, prepared for school every day by doing her homework, responsible by coming to school daily, and always makes safe choices. Way to go Viviana! You earned this!"

Chris Duck, East Middle School, 8th grade

"Chris has shown that he is Ready, Responsible, and Respectful this year by nearly eliminating his behavior referrals for the 22-23 school year. With this decrease in behavior issues and behavior referrals, we have seen an increase in his grades. We are proud of Chris for his second quarter academic achievement, earning all A's and B's in his core academic classes. Chris has truly shown his warrior power and his teacher recognizes how often he is making positive choices in and out of the classroom!"

Chance Hartnell, Pfeiffer-Burleigh Elementary School, 4th grade 

"Chance is such an amazing student. He works hard, is kind to others, and is an overall asset to our school community. At the beginning of the year, Chance was missing a lot of school and it was impacting his success as a student. Chance was referred to our Tier 2 Check & Connect Program in November 2022. Check & Connect provided Chance with the opportunity for focused engagement within the school through mentoring with a caring adult at PB. Student attendance was closely monitored and reviewed with the student. Weekly group sessions provided opportunities to reinforce our School-wide expectations of RESPECTFUL (On-Time), RESPONSIBLE (If absent, return with an excuse) and SAFE (Attend every day unless sick), as well as explore and remove barriers to student absences. Since Chance's participation in this program, he has not missed a single day of school and last quarter earned HIGH HONOR ROLL! He comes to school on-time, every day and has truly become a shining example of a PROUD PANTHER. Chance is now in the process of exiting from Check & Connect and transitioning into his role as a Pfeiffer-Burleigh Attendance Ambassador. We are so proud of the work that he has done this year and could not think of a better candidate for this award!"

Kristiniana Kelsey, Grover Cleveland Elementary School, 3rd grade

"Kristiniana continues to shine in third grade! She puts forth consistent effort--which is proven by how much she has improved this year. Kristiniana is consistently excited by learning-- it shows! She helps make our classroom a place where 'personal best' is evident. This classroom leadership is what makes Kristiniana a Cool Cougar!"

Madelyn Mann, Perry Elementary School, Kindergarten

"Madelyn has shown amazing improvement in learning her alphabet letters and sounds since the beginning of this year. She is now using that knowledge of letter sounds to decode and read words in our leveled readers. Hearing Madelyn read puts a big smile on our faces! It is because of her dedication and hard work at school that she has blossomed into a beautiful reader. You make Perry very proud, Madelyn!"

Kevin Martinez, Patrick J. DiPaolo Student Success Center at Emerson-Gridley/EPS Cyber Choice Academy, 9th grade

"Kevin Martinez is a high school student in our EPS Cyber Choice Academy. Recently, he has doubled the amount of cyber work he is doing at home and school. Kevin has improved his grades to all passing over the past three weeks. He exhibits our Emerson-Gridley expectations by being respectful, responsible, and resilient."

Naomi Monga, Edison Elementary School, 1st grade

Jamaris Moore, Wilson Middle School, 7th grade 

"Jamaris's behavior improvement has been outstanding this year. He has positive interactions with students and staff and has improved his grades tremendously. He has helped other students in his classroom in anyway he can as well as new teachers to his class. We are so happy and proud of his improvement!" 

Domenic Neiswonger, Strong Vincent Middle School, 7th grade

"When it came to selecting this month's SV Stairclimber, one young man rose to the top of the list. The Colonels are proud to recognize seventh grader Domenic Neiswonger for the respectful behavior he shows to his teachers and friends. Dom, you know what it means to be a Colonel, through and through. Keep rocking middle school, buddy. With COURAGE, he CONQUERS." 

Jamaree Nickson, Erie High School, 11th grade 

"Jamaree's behavior has been amazing this school year. He has positive interactions with all staff and students. Jamaree is in our auto body career and technical education program as well and is one of our top students in the class. Keep up the great work Jamaree!! You are a great example of what it means to be a Royal. You are respectful, responsible and resilient." 

Charlotte Robinson, Harding Elementary School, Kindergarten

"Charlotte started the year with gusto! She had missed half a year last year and was way behind. She works hard and does all her homework this year. She is always ready to help anyone that needs help, is upset, or needs assistance. She has become a super reader. Her printing is outstanding. We are so proud of Charlotte!"

Mirianna Rodriguez, Northwest Pennsylvania Collegiate Academy, 9th grade

"Mirianna has done a great job holding or improving her grades. She is here every day greeting the staff with a smile on her face. She has worked hard to improve her behaviors in and out of the classroom. She is always willing to work hard to keep with our motto of Pride, Honor, Respect!"

 Connor Schenberg, Lincoln Elementary School, Kindergarten

"Connor has made wonderful progress in academics and behavior. During his time in kindergarten so far, he has learned the rules and routines of school. He is using strategies to handle frustrations and has begun to maintain focus to stay on task. Connor has made leaps in learning all of his letter sounds and is segmenting and blending words. Connor has become a good friend to his classmates and shows compassion to others. Walt Disney said, "If you dream it, you can do it!" Keep dreaming big, Connor! We know you will continue to do amazing things!"

Romeo Thompson, JoAnna Connell Elementary School, Kindergarten

"Romeo embodies the motto of a JoAnna Connell Cougar by always being respectful, responsible, and safe at school. Romeo has grown so much since the beginning of Kindergarten; he was very shy and reluctant to share with the group. He is now a confident kindergartner. He is constantly working hard to improve his academic skills. He is a great friend to all classmates and is the first to say 'please' and 'thank you.' Romeo also loves playing teacher at recess. We are so proud of you, Romeo!"   

Jaysmarie Vargas, Diehl Elementary School, 1st grade

"Jaysmarie Vargas is a first grader at Diehl Elementary School. She started the year as an eager learner and has grown so much since September. She actively participates in class and demonstrates responsibility as she comes to school ready to learn and is always prepared for the day. She has been a leader in the class, showing respect and kindness to her classmates and teachers. She has demonstrated growth in managing her feelings and makes responsible decisions to be the best she can be. Additionally, Jaysmarie has demonstrated tremendous growth in her DIBELS progress monitoring and has become a class leader in math. Her academic successes are the result of her hard work and determination. Jaysmarie continues to SOAR every day and makes her Diehl family very proud."      

Jack Colon Melendez, Eagle's Nest Program of Academic Distinction, 7th grade (Not pictured)

"Mr. Melendez is a pleasure to have at Eagle's Nest. Over the course of this school year, Jack has really come in to his own. He is a willing and eager participant in class discussions. Mr. Melendez is a hard worker and takes initiative in class. We are very proud and honored to have him as a part of the Eagle's Nest."