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Good as Gold B; Beaty tradition continues despite school closure

At Beaty-Warren Middle School, B is more than the first letter of the school name.

Each year, eighth graders who have aimed high across a number of areas have the chance to earn a Gold B.

It is a prestigious award.

“The Purpose of the Gold B Award is to encourage students to participate in activities in and out of school that foster good citizenship, respectable character, self-improvement, and responsibility,” Principal Shannon Yeager said. “The Gold B Award is the highest level of recognition that a Beaty Warren Middle School student may achieve.”

And it is a years-long process.

“To receive this award, an eighth grade student must earn eight letter awards that spell out B-E-A-T-Y-W-M-S,” Yeager said. “The process toward the Gold B Award begins during the student’s sixth grade year.”

Students may earn one or two letters in sixth grade, and must earn at least one in eighth grade.

School activities from sports and music to after-hours clubs count toward letters.

Perfect attendance, honor roll, and exemplary behavior are accomplishments that are included.

There are a variety of volunteer and community service efforts that can be submitted toward letters.

For each letter, the student must submit documentation verifying their participation.

Among this year’s class, 19 earned a Gold B: Kylee Bidwell; Alexia Bowers; Lily Brooker; Miranda Estes; Kylie Fehlman; Alaina Gatto; Meredith Hanks; Izabelle Heacox; Ben Hoffman; Iris Kiehl; Kasey Kophazy; Loralei Massa; Ian Montour; Hailey Peterson; Ella Solberg; Marielle Stanz; Eden Wennberg; Macy Winicki, and; Aidan Zdarko.

The Gold B, previously the Silver B, is a long-standing honor at Beaty.

“In 1934, Mr. Francis Hetrick started the Silver B program in order to reward students for acts of good citizenship,” Yeager said. “The Silver B was awarded to ninth grade students when Beaty was still a Junior High School. In 1986, Beaty transitioned to handing out the Gold B when Beaty transitioned to a Middle School and the ninth graders were sent to Warren Area High School.”

For some, the honor in a family tradition.

Hanks has both siblings and parents with Gold B’s.

In Montour’s case, there are two Silver B’s and now two Gold B’s over three generations.

For Peterson, at least one member of her family has won a B in each of the last three generations.

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