High Road School of Frederick County Student Spotlight: Kalani and Messiah
Student Spotlight: Kalani
For Kalani, he started at the school in fall 2024, and for the past year and a half, he has brought creativity, joy, and kindness to the classroom each day.
He’s an enthusiastic and lovable sixth grader, and according to his teacher, Ms. Kassandra Blizzard, Kalani’s transformation has been remarkable. Before he was in her classroom, she heard that he struggled with school. Today, that couldn’t be further from the truth. He’s not exhibiting behavioral challenges and communicates better.
“He always comes in with a smile on his face and ready for the day,” Blizzard shared.
Kalani used to hesitate and avoid participating in projects, but now he’s eager to engage. He wants to be at school, and most importantly, he’s self-motivated to do his best. Kalani is excelling academically and can often be found creating elaborate play scenes with carefully chosen toys, and he happily invites others to join his imaginative worlds. He’s also a committed learner who takes pride in a job well done and understands the value of hard work. His growth was reflected in a major milestone when Kalani recently made the honor roll.
“When Kalani got honor roll this year, I was so proud and happy I was able to help him get to where he needs to be,” Blizzard said.
In Kalani’s words, “school is great!”
Student Spotlight: Messiah
Messiah began his first day at High Road School of Frederick County last fall and has been a bright presence in the school community ever since. In the beginning, he was shy and quiet until he entered Mr. Halim Johnson’s classroom, where his personality and academics began to flourish.
Messiah’s an excellent student, and his natural curiosity often takes center stage in the classroom. He’s the student who follows up lessons with thoughtful “why” questions, especially in math and science. He wants to understand the essence of how things work.
Johnson has witnessed firsthand Messiah’s academic growth and evolving confidence. Messiah faced challenges with his speech, yet with patience and over time, he has become less self-conscious. He also maintains perfect attendance and has been on gold level Step 4 of the school’s CASE Model since he arrived at High Road. He is one of three students in the entire school to achieve that distinction.
“I’m very proud of Messiah, especially with seeing his evolution and transition,” said Johnson. “I know the day is going to come when he returns to his local school, and I am confident that he will do well beyond High Road.”
Messiah made quick friendships with his peers, and you can often find him laughing with his classmates, racing on scooters outside, or making impressive basketball shots on the court.
The High Road School of Frederick County team is incredibly proud of Kalani and Messiah!