Dabney fifth-grader a role model for classmates

Mar. 22—This program is made possible through the support of Mako Medical Labs, Prim Development and Residential, and the Vance County Public School Foundation.

DABNEY — If one person at Dabney Elementary School experiences success, the entire school feels it too.

So last week's Student Spotlight award presentation was of course a win for fifth-grade recipient Kindal Moss, but also an achievement her classmates, teacher and principal could be proud of too.

"I've been here for a long time and since I've been here, we've always tried to foster a family atmosphere," said Michael Putney, Dabney's principal of 25 years. "So we embrace students when they come into the school. We embrace the families. We want to connect with them every chance we get.

"So when we see students being successful, we feel a part of that because I think we play an important part in their success. So as a member of the Dabney Rockets family, I'm proud of her because we always want our students to be successful."

For Kindal, a Warren County native, there's plenty to be proud of, according to her teachers, who say she's a "natural-born leader."

Kindal aims to help her classmates correct mistakes in their work, but also serves as a role model in the classroom.

"I think she knows how to exert herself in the right places at the right time because she comes to school prepared to learn, prepared to do her work," Putney said. "She listens to her teachers. She sets a good, positive example for her classmates. The teachers look up to her. They look forward to seeing her. And she does her work."

Kindal's favorite kind of schoolwork is art and P.E., and she's also proud of her Spanish-speaking skills.

Kindal likes LeBron James, the Los Angeles Lakers and playing the NBA2K video game, in addition to Fortnite.

She plays rec basketball for Beacon Light through the Henderson-Vance Recreation and Parks Department, yet Kindal's interests clearly are not limited to the playing fields. The 11-year-old loves to draw and color, and is excited to learn more about science as she progresses in school.

"You can be creative," Kindal said of art, "and you can just express your feelings with art, and I like that."

It's never too early to plot out a career path and right now, Kindal is keen on following in an aunt's footsteps and becoming a pediatric nurse.

That would certainly make her family proud. And chances are the family she leaves behind at Dabney will still be charting her progress then, too.

If anyone exhibits that Dabney spirit, it's Kindal.

"She treats everyone with respect and dignity," Putney said, "and her classmates like her. And I do too. I'm so glad she's at Dabney."