Twice a year, grade level teams will award 4 to 5 students with the Cougar Award. The Cougar Award is given to those students who consistently demonstrate the core values of the Cougar Creed and who work to make Capitol Hill a welcoming place to all students, staff, and visitors. The award is based neither on grades nor attendance, but attitude and effort. It is for the child who goes out of their way to make a new student feel welcome, who steps up and stands up for the right thing when it may not be popular with their peers, or who helps out without needing to be asked.

The goal of this program is to focus on positive behavior. The Cougar Award recognizes those students who are good citizens of the Capitol Hill community and celebrates students' acts of compassion and respect toward others. An important component of this program is a focus on improvement. Students who demonstrate a desire to improve their skills and work towards that goal will be identified and acknowledged through the receipt of a Cougar Award.

Award winners will be presented with a Cougar Medal and their name, picture, and description of why they were recognized will be placed in display case for all students and visitors to see. The award ceremony will be treated as a celebration, with invitations sent home to award winners' families.

The core values of the Cougar Creed are: honesty, trust, integrity, gratitude, and respect. These are the values we work to instill in all Capitol Hill students, grades 1-8, and the values we hope to celebrate with the Cougar Award Program.

I am a Capitol Hill Cougar.
I am an HONEST person and deserve to be treated honestly.
I am a TRUSTING person and deserve to be trusted.
I have INTEGRITY and will stand up for what is right.
I am THANKFUL for my friends, family, and my education.
I am RESPECTFUL to others and deserve to be treated respectfully.