Poland’s Whittier Middle School students were recognized with Semester 1 Grit Awards on Feb. 9. Each Whittier teacher selected one students who exhibited outstanding grit during the first half of the school year. As teachers presented their awards, they talked about hard work, perseverance, willingness to try and try again and growth mindset. Students honored in back from left are Bradley Gwarjanski, Trevor Robbins, Hunter Brackett, Domenic Antonelli, Ellen Marquis-Boutin, Tory Davis, Jack Tetreault and Brian Surrette; front, Olivia Gobel, Abigail Rovillard, Montana Lobb, Gabriela Soucy, Anna Brettler, Emily Ferland, Jasmine Arsenault and Lyric Levasseur; not pictured, Thomas Tarantino, LiSha Powell, Peter Letourneau and Aiden MacFawn.