More than 200 Rockwood School District students and staff members were honored for their achievements during the Board of Education Awards Ceremony on Dec. 1 at Eureka High.

The Board of Education Award is one of Rockwood's most prestigious honors, recognizing students and staff members who have achieved the highest standards of excellence that embody the Rockwood spirit.
 
Representatives from all four high schools earned Board Awards, as well as students and staff members from six elementary schools and three middle schools. Board of Education President Jaime Bayes and Superintendent Dr. Curtis Cain welcomed attendees to the ceremony, and Cain and Board of Education directors helped hand out the awards to students and staff.

“It is so good to gather as a district community to celebrate our successes,” Cain said at the ceremony. “We are honored to share this evening with you."
 
Near the end of the program, Above and Beyond awards were presented to seven recipients who have shown outstanding contributions through non-required service or volunteerism.
 
Brayden Oliver, a Eureka High student, earned an Above and Beyond Award for coming to the aid of a fellow student who was choking and unable to breathe. Oliver performed the Heimlich maneuver on the student, clearing his airway and allowing him to breathe again.

Above and Beyond awards were also presented to six staff members – Wildwood Middle physical education teacher and Lafayette High soccer coach Dennis Roques, Lafayette’s Mercy athletic trainer, Eric Doherty, and Lancers soccer coaches Ryan Butchart, Conner Sendobry, Dylan Thomas and Craig Wideman – for their life-saving actions when a student collapsed during practice. Doherty and Roques performed full CPR on the student, and Doherty utilized an AED on the student before paramedics from Metro West Fire Protection District arrived and provided further aid. Butchart, Sendobry, Thomas and Wideman worked together to manage the other players and call emergency services during the crisis situation.

“Both Eric and Dennis are quiet, humble men who would not go around telling others they are heroes, but to that young man, his family and our community, Eric and Dennis are exactly that,” Lafayette Principal Dr. Karen Calcaterra said. “We’d also like to thank Metro West for their response and continued partnership with our schools and community. Thank you all for your life-saving and heroic efforts!”

All of the Above and Beyond awardees received standing ovations from those in attendance.
 
Click the link to see a program of the night's award recipients: Board of Education Awards program.
 
View and download photos from the ceremony at the Board of Education Awards page.
 
Watch a video replay of the ceremony on our YouTube channel.