Vote on GMSD’s November Fine Arts Student of the Month: Elementary School

GMSD is excited to announce the November nominations for Fine Arts Student of the Month, presented by Joy Williams, Affiliate Broker Main Street Realtors. These nominations are based on artistic talent, creativity, and character—but these students are more than artists. They must also demonstrate strong academic standing, maintain a good attendance record, and have a positive outlook toward their education and their community. Hear directly from their teachers about what makes them a dedicated student, a creative thinker, and a strong role model. Receiving a nomination is an honor in itself!

Here are the November Elementary School Nominees:

Ellie Beach - 5th Grade, Band, Forest Hill Elementary School 

“Ellie is an out of the box thinker. Her creativity stems from her joy of music. Ellie performed a beautiful solo at our Fine Arts Night last year. She is also involved in our strings program at FHES. The importance she and her family place on the arts is evident in her strong performance in the classroom. ” - Peter Simons, Music Teacher, Forest Hill Elementary School 

Lucca Dyer - 4th Grade, Visual Arts, Riverdale K-8 School

“Lucca Dyer is a superstar in our art class! She is wildly creative and always has amazing ideas for making each art project reflect her style. You can tell she loves coming to art class because she works so hard, and encourages everyone to do their best work. Lucca is not just a great artist; she's also a wonderful friend. Lucca is always kind and ready to help her classmates if they need it. Because she is so talented, works so hard, and is a REAL Raider, Lucca deserves to be recognized as Riverdale's Fine Arts Student of the Month!Our fourth grade is currently working on a Peter Max inspired "Skate collage." Lucca has taken inspiration from the bright and bold work of Peter Max, and has begun to design a funky background for her artwork.  Lucca's creativity radiates in everything she does. Creative problem solving is necessary in everything we do, and Lucca is able to shine any time she can add extra creative touches.”  - Erin Sutton, Art Teacher, Riverdale K-8 School 

Hazel Graves - 3rd Grade, Visual Arts, Dogwood Elementary School

“Hazel's open mind and positive, determined attitude enable her to approach each artistic challenge with creativity and skill.  Her twice award-winning fruit still life demonstrates exceptional formal skill as well as creative choice in color and composition. Hazel's artistic passion continues to grow through her art education experience. Her light-hearted yet fully-committed approach to art making is evident in all tasks she undertakes. ” - Ashley Luyendyk, Art Teacher, Dogwood Elementary School

Addie Kandel - 5th Grade, Visual Arts, Forest Hill Elementary School

“Addie is incredibly creative and thinks outside the box on her projects, making them stand out among other student work. She has consistently shown craftsmanship, regardless of artistic media used. On her clay house, she chose to create an intricate design and even painted a Christmas tree in glaze using multiple colors. She made sure her glaze had several coats to give the best result once fired. Her understanding of materials helps her succeed in all her projects and her unique creativity helps bring her art to the next level. She always comes to class with a great attitude, eager to create. She is ready to try whatever materials or processes that are presented and she is not afraid to ask for feedback as well.”  - Charlie Ardrey, Art Teacher, Dogwood Elementary School & Forest Hill Elementary School 

Jules Lawson - 5th Grade, Visual Arts, Farmington Elementary School

“Jules is very passionate about her art to the point she takes her work home to finish it.  She recently designed a "haunted house" using watercolor. There was nothing haunted about her house but the details and layering of watercolor was amazing!  Her passion for the arts inspires her classmates to think more deeply about their own designs and to put greater effort into their work. She sets a positive example through her creativity and dedication.”  - Kaitlyn Seahorn, Art Teacher, Farmington Elementary School 

Emma Nanney - 2nd Grade, Music, Riverdale K-8 School

“Emma is a GREAT music student! She's very musically inclined, and she is also a very eager class participant! Her hand is always raised to answer ANY question I ask the class. She goes out of her way to help other classmates when we are playing instruments. Our second graders have been playing xylophones this quarter, and Emma can play 3 types of bordun (chord, broken and crossover) with ease! Emma is sweet and soft-spoken, but she is always on task. I really appreciate that she leads by example every week in my class.”  - Megan Woodring, Director of Bands and General Music, Riverdale K-8 School

Regan Summers - 5th Grade, Music, Dogwood Elementary School 

“Regan Summers, fifth grade, is being nominated for Music Student of the Month because of her outstanding dedication and hard work in orchestra. She is also excelling in the steel drum band, where her enthusiasm and focus truly shine. Her positive attitude and steady progress make her a wonderful role model for her peers.” - Jonathan Brookshire, Music Teacher, Dogwood Elementary School

Lilo Wong - 5th Grade, Music, Farmington Elementary School

“Lilo is always working hard to become a better musician, not only as a choir member, but as a cellist in the 5th grade string orchestra. She also pursues music outside of school as a pianist.  This past spring, Lilo entered a piano competition to be scored and was rated a superior score. She was so proud of her work, she brought her certificate to school to show me! Also, in choir, she is super helpful to remember small details of phrases that need attention that might not be correct. Her work ethic in music is evident in the classroom as she always puts forth her best effort there too.”  - Amy Assad, Music Teacher, Farmington Elementary School 

Cast your vote for Fine Arts student of the month! Voting is set to close on December 1, 2025 at 12:00pm CST.