<p>I think you’re right, calmom. And for outside programs requiring school nomination, sometimes there can be some confusion about the process entailed. For example, our state used to have some special, all-expenses paid residential summer programs at select universtities for academically gifted high school juniors. We had never heard of it until a friend of mine from another district mentioned that her S had attended and that it was really fabulous experience.</p>
<p>S looked it up on the internet. The program information said that interested students should ask their GC’s for more information and an application. However, when S did that, the GC got a little offended. He told S that this program was not something students could simply sign up for. S understood that, but had assumed there had to be some process in place and was merely trying to learn how it worked. The GC irritatedly explained that S had to be nominated for this by the school–it was not something he could just ask to attend or nominate himself for. Um, OK. Well, from that moment on, S knew that the GC had considered him presumptuous and he was probably not going to give him a great recommendation. We’'ll never know, but while his teachers did indeed nominate him, he was not chosen. It was just a miscommunication, but these things happen.</p>
<p>I actually am not uncomfortable with the implication that some people are “better” or “more deserving” than others of given awards and honors. I’m certainly not into giving the C student the “Smartest Student in the World” honor, or the kid who can’t conjugate avoir properly the “Best French Student Evah” award.
I am uncomfortable with the idea of assigning a lot of a kid’s personal self-esteem and power to receiving said awards and honors, esp in a public setting. There’s a difference between the two!</p>
<p>Suppose the schools were to change it such that they’d mail the awards home. Would the senior award be any less sweet if it were just known to student / family, versus the whole school?</p>
<p>I know this is from much earlier today (sorry, I wasn’t on, tied up with a client!), but I just had to comment on this. Last year, my colllege roommate and I were comparing photos from our REAL facebook (the printed kind we got as college freshmen) and today’s FB. Turns out, so many people used the SAME photo!</p>
Yes. The award is not the accomplishment. Whether kiddo receives recognition or not, we celebrate the accomplishment. I think most HS kids would readily accept the difference – although it’s natural to crave the recognition, especially at that age.</p>
<p>TheGFG–How would a student know unless they asked? Generally it doesn’t “hurt” to ask. </p>
<p>I think the whole point of awards night is <em>public</em> recognition of accomplishments. But they should be real accomplishments, not made-up awards for self-esteem.</p>
<p>That’s why a kid who gets 2400 on the SAT gets written up in the paper, and the ones who get everything else aren’t. Though their parents can brag, if asked. ;)</p>
<p>“Yes. The award is not the accomplishment. Whether kiddo receives recognition or not, we celebrate the accomplishment. I think most HS kids would readily accept the difference – although it’s natural to crave the recognition, especially at that age.”</p>
<p>^^^
Yes. This is true. There have been many posts on this thread that suggest that the parent who is hurt or upset over a perceived or actual snub of their child is counseling that child to care about what other think. It is human nature to care about what others think. To a high school kid the high school setting is a micro-society. The other students and teachers are the other members of that society. Yes, some kids care more than others about how others perceive them but I think it is unfair to label that as a character weakness or the product of inferior character education at home. Come on, most of us can admit that when we were 17 it mattered to us, too. It is only time, maturity and perspective that have given us a more philosophical view. You can’t really rush that and I don’t think it helps anyone to discount those feelings of concern or rejection because, as an adult, we think it is unimportant.</p>
<p>Am I the only one here uncomfortable with adults labeling teens as “tramps” and other derogatory labels? Why would adults gossip about what are essentially children? Unless you witnessed the behavior how would really be able to separate gossip and innuendo from fact?</p>
<p>^^^I wholly agree. To me that’s pretty inappropriate gossip, even if the parent witnessed the behavior. I’d be trying to teach my kid not to use that type of characterization.</p>
<p>I really have a problem with adults over involvement with HS gossip. I am not perfect and I have absolutely said things I later cringed at, I try very hard not to do damage though especially, to a child. Even if I saw something, I’d keep my mouth shut unless I felt the child was in a dangerous situation. I would privately talk to the parent and I hope I could make it clear that my intentions were good and my mouth was sealed. Awarding kids derogatory labels has some long term and far reaching consequences. People are going to remember who was labeled “class tramp” a lot longer then they’ll remember who won the latin award.</p>
<p>Bovertine- it’s a stop watch sport, silly. Of course it’s objective. And if my kid deserves to be named “class tramp” but gets bested by someone else who is prettier or more popular I’ll be really really mad and be sure to grind my teeth over how teacher’s and administrators need to be totally transparent about the criteria since after all- a HS award is pretty much the validating factor for my D’s self esteem going forward.</p>
<p>I’ve been following this thread for some time in preparation for my own d’s senior awards ceremony, which occurred last night. D is my older child and I hadn’t realized this was something to pay attention to until reading this thread and I am grateful for all of the opinions offered. Yes, there were some moments of nepotism and questionable choices, but I choose to focus of the moments of true inspiration. Among them were when announcing some awards to Special Ed kids, one recipient was so delighted she screamed with joy and excitement. What a great moment! Another was the presentation of $100,000 check to the winner of the Westinghouse Intel Competition. I mean, this kid really discovered something important to the cancer research community and he accepted the prize and the praise with such modesty and humility. He received a long standing ovation from a full house. Btw, this amazing young man was NOT the Val, so you can imagine the brain power in that room. There seemed to be lots of awards based on GPA but plenty of subjective awards also. So, yes, there were some kids getting multiple awards, and they deserved the recognition. But there were also plenty of “below the radar” kids who were also honored. When the principal said that this group really are the leaders of their generation, I started to believe it. Ask me tomorrow and I’ll give you a more cynical answer, but for today, I’m drinking the kool aid.</p>
<p>Hmmm. Accepting a prize with modesty and humility instead of “well, of COURSE – I was the only one deserving this award and it would have been a travesty if Timmy had gotten it because I’ve carefully noted and catalogued all of Timmy’s accomplishments compared to mine.” Sounds like this kid IS a real winner – good for him!</p>
<p>Some random remarks about S’s senior award night.</p>
<p>The vice principle needs to read over the list in advance and find out about names she doesn’t know how to pronounce. One boy got several awards, including the highest academic honor and she mispronounced his name differently each time she called it.</p>
<p>12 students graduated with (unweighted) 4.0s. 10 were girls.</p>
<p>They should give students a hint about what kind of award they would receive–some sat there for 2 hours to be recognized for having a gpa over 3.5 (and regretted bothering to go) while a couple who received major awards weren’t there.</p>
<p>Many of the girls wore really high platform shoes, which seems to me like broken ankles waiting to happen. Fortunately, they all made it through the evening without tripping on the stairs.</p>
<p>“They should give students a hint about what kind of award they would receive–some sat there for 2 hours to be recognized for having a gpa over 3.5 (and regretted bothering to go) while a couple who received major awards weren’t there.”</p>
<p>Our d had to sign an agreement promising to be present. Apparently there was embarrassment in previous years when i student isn’t there to thank the donors of the scholarship.</p>
<p>Regarding mispronunciations, clearly many presenters studied the various Asian/Indian names beforehand, but one notable exception was calling Sean to the podium and pronouncing it “Seen.”</p>
<p>Vitrac, enjoy the kool aid! I tend to drink the kool aid too! I have always believed what I have, and what we have has a family is pretty wonderful. What my neighbor or my friend or for that matter even someone I don’t particularly care for has does not lessen my pleasure in my own life.</p>
<p>Not very objective. In our school it depends on how energetically one pursues that EC and how diverse and inclusive one is in involving as many other students as possible. It’s one of those awards for which quiet kids who merely go about their business without calling a lot of attention to themselves often get overlooked.</p>