Robert Millner- Academic Standout

Academic Standout Recognition

Date: February 18th, 2022

Student: Robert Millner

Presenter: Donna Brewster

The KMS teaching faculty is excited to recognize Robert Millner as this week’s Academic Standout! Robert is a U16 Men’s Alpine athlete, who comes to KMS from Cheshire, Connecticut. Robert’s nomination was endorsed by many of his teachers, and is being recognized for his exceptionally strong work ethic, authentic dedication to his studies, and his willingness to embrace each and every assignment and assessment given as a means to growth both personally as well as academically.

Putting forth the first nomination, as well as presenting for Robert at this week’s all-school meeting, is Winter-Term Maths and Science teacher Donna Brewster. Donna states, “Robert Millner is a winter term student. Extremely conscientious with an excellent work ethic. Always gets his work done before it’s due, even while traveling. Communicates with me if he has questions and his work is impeccable. It is evident that he does his work to own the content and doesn't just complete assignments to get them done. Very rarely do I see students who consistently get perfect scores on all assessments. Another admirable quality is carrying out his obligations without hesitation. When I was the FOD, Robert was among the students having cleanup duty. When other students left because it was "good enough," Robert stayed till the end to make sure things were left in their proper order.

Seconding Robert’s nomination is Social Studies Department Co-Chair and Middle School Humanities teacher Ian Groezinger. Ian reflects, “Robert has been nothing short of stellar this Winter Term. Since he first arrived, it was evident that he had a knack for thinking and writing analytically. In class Robert is quick to raise his hand and contribute insightful thoughts to our class discussion. In addition, Robert has turned in some incredibly high quality work this year, particularly with regards to his essays. He is always sure to include key details regarding the subject matter while being sure to give an in-depth analysis of the proverbial "so what/why does this matter?"

Also stepping forth with a nomination is English Department Co-Chair Nate Clifford. Nate comments, “I often wish students were more proactive in taking notes. Students are, after all, frequently the only measure of a teacher's success. We teachers measure our worth based on the interest and value that the students place in their work and improvement. Imagine my surprise when Mr. Milner showed up, and not only started taking diligent notes in class but also volunteered to read continuously for the daunting and emotionally unstable lead role of Othello. For those of you that aren't familiar with Shakespeare's play, Othello is convinced that his incredible, devoted wife is cheating on him, and swiftly loses his mind from jealous innuendo until he murders her. In order to prep for this, students are asked to watch, annotate and reflect on a TED talk on the risks of love. I struggle to prove that hate and love are not actually opposites, but that apathy and love are. It's a difficult pill to swallow, and a complicated lesson, brought home last week when I entered my classroom to read unexpected notes scrawled in green across the board: "If two people love each other they must also hate each other. Once these people get married they have both become slaves to each other." Robert proves with his unsolicited annotations, that not only does he embrace the exercise of reflection, but has also inhabited the emotionally unstable character of Othello so fully, it has begun to bleed into his ruminations. Thank you, Robert - for your authentic, passionate, and laudable interest. You are, to me, the gift of success. :)”

Rounding out this amazing write-up of nominations is Social Studies Department Co-Chair Courtney O’Keefe. Courtney reflects, “I do not have Robert as a student this year, which is unfortunate. I have heard wonderful things about this young man from many of his teachers, and I can say with honesty that I am a little envious of those who get to teach him. That being said, I was able to interact with Robert more than usual this past weekend when I was on dorm duty. What amazed me the most about this soft spoken young man was his dedication to following KMS expectations related to such things asking for and creating passes to leave campus, as well as showing the adults within our community respect as we navigated passing along information and coordinating needed assistance. Each time he came into the building to inquire about something, he would always wait patiently for me to get to a place to stop via my work before speaking. When he needed help with something and I needed to get in touch with another faculty member, he thanked me and waited patiently for me to track them down and pass the information along. When he needed to leave to pick up a pair of skis at Basin, he immediately got to work creating his pass in Orah and waited for me to endorse it. When he returned, he immediately ended the pass without being prompted. To me, these small things showcase not only his high level of respect and willingness to follow through on expectations, but they also showcase an individual who is proud to be a KMS student and is genuinely grateful to be able to have such an opportunity to experience in his young life. Congratulation, Robert!”

We congratulate Mr. Millner on a job well done! A recognition well-earned and well-deserved. Be proud!