(Front row, left to right): Whitney Gillund, Braxton Hennen and Bentley Walerius. Back: Cole Swedzinski, Piper Anderson, Lydia Coequyt and Jaylin Coequyt.  Not Pictured: Adam DeVlaeminck.

January Elementary Viking Valor

PreKindergarten: The Student of the Month is Whitney Gillund. She is a fantastic student and friend. She plays with everyone in the class and never leaves anyone out! She is also a great student. She always tries her hardest and never gives up. She is a fantastic helper throughout the classroom and school and always shows respect. Way to go Whitney! Keep up the good work!

Kindergarten: The January Student of the Month is awarded to Bentley Walerius, who shows honor, respect and high expectations more and more each day that Kindergarten passes. She shows honor by following classroom rules ALWAYS. She listens, shows enthusiasm but doesn't interrupt. And she shows respect by using manners everywhere, treating others with kindness. She is always asking what they can do to help and never turns down an extra task. Bentley shows high expectations by taking her time to do their best on every project. She loves to learn new things and figure things out on his own. You will see her helping others by cleaning up, sounding out and writing words or drawing pictures. We’re excited to see what the rest of this year has in store for her!

First Grade: The First Grade teachers nominated Braxton Hennen, who has shown a lot of growth already this year. He works hard every single day and always gives his best effort. He not only works hard to meet high expectations at school, but this student has also been working continuously at home. Braxton is a quiet leader in the classroom and gets along with everyone by showing them kindness and treating them with the Golden Rule. And he shows respect by always taking care of his materials, space, and the space around him. He’s always excited to learn and always adds important information to class discussions. Braxton can also be seen supporting the Minneota Vikings and showing school spirit. Keep 'rowing the boat,' Braxton Hennen!

Second Grade: Cole Swedzinski has been showing more Viking Valor each and every day. He has been extremely focused on getting his work done right away and has been doing a great job of staying focused throughout the day. He will always do what is asked of him and has been giving 100 percent. Cole has also made sure to work extra hard to going beyond his AR goal and is a role model when it comes to working hard. His work ethic is a great example for others to follow. Cole has also shown Viking Valor in being helpful to his friends and respectful to teachers and other adults in the school as well as in the hallway and lunchroom. Keep up the great work, Cole Swedzinski!

Third Grade: The third grade teachers nominated Piper Anderson, who is a joy to have in class and makes others around her feel comfortable. She has a great sense of humor and can make anyone smile with her wit. She is always doing what is asked of her. As soon as she is assigned a task, she gets to work immediately and completes the assignment or task quietly, efficiently, and with 100 percent effort. When Piper is done with her work, she is found helping another student or reading. In fact, she loves to read and is always working on meeting her AR goals right away. Even when she meets her goals, she continues to read and push herself. The third grade teachers would like to congratulate and thank Piper Anderson for a job well done thus far. Way to go!

Fourth Grade: The fourth grade teachers named Jaylyn Coequyt! She really goes above and beyond when it comes to helping others. This particular student really goes out of her way to help others both in class and after school. She shows up at the After School Program on a consistent basis and while she's there working on her homework, she's also helping fellow classmates who have questions on their homework assignments. In class, Jaylyn will drop what she is working on to help someone who has a question. She is a role model when it comes to working hard. Her work ethic is a great example for others to follow. Thank you for being so helpful, Jaylyn Coequyt!

Fifth Grade: The fifth grade teachers would like to nominate Adam DeVlaeminck, a student who is an extremely hard worker and role model for his peers. He shows up each day with a smile on his face and a joke to lighten the mood for everyone. Even though he has a smile on his face, he knows when to get to work. Adam has the ability to get others in their class to work hard and stay on task. He is a very good leader and someone that their peers can count on. Adam has a great heart for his classmates as well as wanting to do the best he can for himself. Thanks for being such a great role model and peer for the class of 2026. Congratulations Adam DeVlaeminck!

Sixth Grade: The sixth grade teachers would like to nominate Lydia Coequyt, who demonstrates Viking Valor each and every day. She has really gone above and beyond since Mrs. Buysse has been gone. She is always taking on extra responsibilities to help out and ensuring that the room is kept nice and tidy. She utilizes the After School Program to stay on top of her school work and helps out younger students who have questions on their homework. She is a great role model to all students and strives to be the best that she can be. Keep being awesome, Lydia Coequyt!

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Address: 201 N. Jefferson
Minneota, MN 56264

Phone:(507) 872-6492