When Jacorian Neal overheard two boys at his school plotting to give some pills to other students at First Ward Elementary, he knew exactly what he should do: He reported their plan to the school’s principal.

On Tuesday, Jacorian and 13 other CMS students were recognized for various good deeds in a “Do the Right Thing” ceremony at Bank of America Stadium.

After receiving plaques and gift bags and getting to mingle with two Panthers players – defensive tackle Jeff Otah and tight end Jeff King – the students were given pizza and a stadium tour.

Tasha Gatling, Jacorian’s teacher, described the fifth-grader as “smart” and “inquisitive.” His mother, Janicia Pittman, described him as “outspoken.”

But neither woman said she was surprised by Jacorian’s actions.

Jacorian said he was in the bathroom during the second week of school when two of his fellow students pulled out a plastic bag containing various pills.

He overheard the boys say they were planning to give the pills to other students at the school, pretending they were an illegal substance. The plot was foiled when Jacorian reported it to Principal Cindy King.

Jacorian’s father, Ronald Neal, said he was proud that his son did what was right.

“You normally don’t see kids do that,” he said. “I’m very happy that he did what he did.”

The "Do the Right Thing" program is sponsored by CMS, the Charlotte Fire Department and the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department.

Other CMS students who were recognized were:

Matthew Cihil, grade 6, Albemarle Road Middle School: Last year as a fifth-grader at Shamrock Gardens Elementary, Matthew performed the Heimlich maneuver to dislodge a rubber band caught in a girl’s throat in one of his classes. His mother, a nursing assistant, said Matthew had seen her perform the maneuver.

Hudson DeCarlo, grade 2, Bain Elementary: During a fundraiser last year, students were asked to donate small amounts to a research fund for cystic fibrosis. Matthew, without his parent’s knowledge, went home and emptied out his wallet and brought in almost $20.

Jalen Ferguson, grade 5, Stoney Creek Elementary, and Demond Ferguson, grade 9, Vance High: Jalen was home in bed when he heard someone knocking at the door. He looked out the window and saw a man he didn’t know. He then heard glass breaking. He ran to his older brother and told him someone was breaking in. Demond hid his younger brother in his bedroom and called 911. He stayed on the line with a 911 operator until officers arrived. A suspect was arrested and Jalen made a positive identification.

Sydney Anthony, grade 7, James Martin Middle: Sydney helped officials at her school identify a male student who was involved in inappropriate behavior. Based on her actions, the student was charged and removed from the school.

DeQuawn Rivers, grade 4, Morgan School: On his way to school one day, DeQuawn saw a seven-year-old get off the bus and drop his book bag. The younger student was upset about something that had happened on the bus and appeared ready to leave the school grounds. DeQuawn picked up the student’s book bag, put his arm around the boy and persuaded him to enter the building.

Juan Chavez, grade 8, Alexander Middle: While at a bus stop, Juan saw two adult males attempting to talk with a female student. The girl was afraid to walk home by herself. Juan escorted her home and reported the incident to her mother.

Prince Mayela, grade 11, West Mecklenburg High: Prince is captain of the school's football team. This summer, several of his fellow players, all wearing their jerseys, went to eat at a restaurant. Two of the players left without paying. When the head coach was notified, Prince accepted his leadership role and identified the students.

Ciera Gillespie, grade 4, Cornelius Elementary: Ciera wrote and published a book though the public library to assist cancer patients with ideas on how to make their lives richer while in the hospital. Ciera’s grandfather is battling cancer. She has donated her book to a cancer hospital.

Cai Chuong, grade 12, Garinger High: Recently, a student at the school had a major chest pain. The student was from Vietnam and was Montagnard. He spoke only Jari and could not communicate with the school nurse. Cia was called to translate. When paramedics arrived, Cia translated for them, too, all the way to the hospital. The student was diagnosed with a collapsed lung. Cia continued to translate for the student’s mother as well as for doctors in the operating room as they explained the procedure and the purpose of the surgery.

William Simas, Selwyn Elementary: Three years ago, William had an idea to have a fundraiser to benefit the Harvest Center, which helps low-income and homeless residents. William stuck with his plan and recently helped raise $1,200 for the center.

Demetrius Lewis, grade 7, Ridge Road Middle: Demetrius was home alone after school when a burglar tried to break into his home. He ran upstairs, locked the door behind him and called 911. He then called his parents who responded immediately and thwarted the attempted break-in. Responding officers called Demetrius “very brave.”

Gilbert Medina, grade 12, Olympic High: Gilbert recently discovered that another student had a concealed weapon on school grounds. Gilbert reported the incident despite the fact that the other student was his friend. The student was suspended. Concerned about his friend’s studies, Gilbert collected the student’s assignments and delivered the work to him during the suspension. He said he did this hoping his friend would learn from his mistake. Gilbert also has been instrumental in helping raise money for various academic programs across CMS through the “Waiting for Superman” movie campaign.

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