Getting honors at the end of the quarter seems like it was once a big deal as students worked hard day and night to get a great GPA. All that stress gets to come to an end as a quarter ends.
Currently, as many students are aware, the reward for making the honor roll is very mellow. Recipients get a chocolate bar and a certificate and are sent on their way. Certificate recipients end up losing the paper anyway and disregard the whole event.
Years ago, the wall across from the security desk that has photos of sports and other extracurriculars included a list of all students who achieved First and Second Honors. It made many people proud of themselves and feel like their accomplishments had been recognized.
Another big part of the honors celebration that has been tossed to the side is the previous assembly used to give students public recognition. Students would get the satisfaction of walking across the stage, lights shining on them.
Another thing done previously was a dress down day for anyone who got on the honor roll. Recipients would wear stickers and would walk around the halls with their heads held high, filled with the joy of being praised for their hard work. As a school that wears uniforms, a cozy day to wear sweats is a great motivation to keep up grades.
Speaking of motivation, many people don’t work as hard for honors as they know a simple candy bar is at the end of the quarter.
Some kids are not very college-based, wanting to go more into trade or sports. Often times their grades get tossed to the side and feel no need to raise them if they don’t need them for college. However, what if they see a person in the hallway out of uniform while they are in uniform? They may be more intrigued.
One thing we could do to celebrate achieving honors and motivating students would be giving students a dress down day as done previously. We could also give students a card for free lunch or even a simple pizza lunch — anything to make academic-based students feel more appreciated.
Some people may say that honors isn’t something that we should celebrate publicly because it could seem like shaming other students who didn’t meet the standards. What about all the pep rallies and functions we have for sports? A person watching those events could just as likely have been cut from the team, like someone sitting in the auditorium who got a lower GPA.
Being recognized publicly for academic achievements is extremely important. Celebrating others isn’t shaming others; it is giving them recognition and reaching out to other people showing things that are possible.
We need more recognition for students who earn their honors.