Cade Johnson (16′) | Our Students Our Stories

Rotary Club of Beloit
Student of the Week
October 2015

Moved To Beloit

This represents the culmination of experiences in the Beloit School District community that began in grade school and proved truer than ever when Cade was injured playing baseball for the BMHS Purple Knights, Dana stresses.

Explaining that they were not native Beloiters, Dana says, “I am from Marshfield, Wisconsin and came to Beloit to attend Beloit College. His dad is from Waukegan, Illinois and moved to Beloit due to his employment.

We bought our house specifically so our kids could attend Robinson Elementary School which was an amazing place filled with an exceptional leader, phenomenal teachers, kind, caring staff and families whom have become an integral part of our lives.

Opportunities:
Single-gender Classrooms, Gifted & Talented

“Cade was a very busy little boy and struggled to learn to read. I honestly thought he had learning disabilities. One day during first grade, however, it was like someone handed him a key to unlock the code and he began to read and hasn’t stopped since.

“In fourth grade, Cade was in Mr. Pettit’s all boys class. He became more confident, outgoing and made lifelong friendships. I think Mr. Pettit sparked his inquisitiveness and his love of math. In fifth grade, Mrs. Bender introduced Cade to the gifted and talented program and he has excelled in school ever since. It became more of a challenge and less boring!

“In middle school at Aldrich, Cade’s math abilities became more pronounced and he loved any type of math class,” Dana says, adding that Cade particularly enjoyed classes with Ms. Duzinga and Mr. Krajcek.

Teachers & Coaches

Continuing, she says, “Notable and influential persons in Cade’s life at BMHS would be Mr. Dekok, who has been such a great male role model and treats Cade as another son; Jeannie Schoenenberger who was instrumental in getting Cade involved in Youth Options and in transitioning him back to school after his injury and Deb Prowse; an amazing math teacher who encouraged Cade to work beyond the classroom and expand his critical thinking skills.

Outside of the classroom, Dana says, “Cade played football at Aldrich Middle School and during his freshman and sophomore years at the high school. As a lover of sports, I introduced him to baseball at the age of three by teaching him to bat and catch. He was hooked and has played baseball ever since through the Cub Scout Program, the Y, the Beloit Bombers, Beloit Legion and for the Knights.

“Last spring, Cade was seriously injured during the first baseball game of the season. Due to the nature of his injuries and the complications, his recovery has been slow. He has to undergo another surgery next week to reset and plate the fibula. During the past year, the Knights Baseball team led by Coach Schmitz and the Beloit Legion Baseball team and coaches have included Cade as a member of the team and rallied around him to encourage his recovery. It is his fervent desire to resume playing baseball and he would love nothing better than to play ball for the Knights this spring as a senior and for the Legion team this summer.

What Worked For Me

As she looks back on Cade’s years in the district community, Dana says, “My advice to other parents, take the time and make the effort to be involved in your child’s elementary school as much as possible. The relationships you develop with school staff and other parents during those formative years pay the greatest dividends.

“As our children grow and transition to middle school and high school, parental involvement changes from hands-on to being supportive on the sidelines. Your kids, other parents and school staff notice. Attend school conferences, you will learn things about your child you did not know and your child will learn the value you as a parent place on education. Don’t criticize, argue or undermine your child’s teacher in front of your child. Next to you, teachers spend the most time with your child and are their next most influential role model. The more respect our children have for these role models, the more influence we all have over our children.”

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