This editorial has 100% agreement within our staff
It was the start of the new month. The honorary yellow slips for Student of the Month had been hand-delivered to students in their morning classes, inviting them to go down to the Assistant Principal’s Office to be awarded a donut (and sometimes a copy of the submission on a certificate). As one of our staff members came back from receiving this award, her face showed something less than excitement. Rather than feeling proud of her accomplishment, she was kind of confused about how she ended up grouped with the others who were chosen.
Without coming across as judgmental, this sparked a conversation amongst us not just as newspaper reporters, but also as members of the student body. Although we were proud of our writer’s recognition for Student of the Month, some of the other picks didn’t seem to consistently align with our vision of a model student.
In theory, Student of the Month is a great way to recognize students, but the newspaper staff feels as though it may not be the best possible way because of how it is currently presented.
So, what is the current process?
- A Google Form is sent out to teachers near the end of every month
- Any teacher can nominate any students they feel deserving by stating their name, the reason for the submission, and whether or not they wish for the nomination to remain anonymous
- The form is capped at 40 students
- No students are removed from the running by Mrs. Mohr, the advisor of this award process, instead, it is fully under the discretion of the teacher who nominated them
- Students can be picked as many times as they are nominated, but a list is sent out to teachers alongside the form of those who have already received it in an attempt to reach a wider range of students
So what’s the issue?
Throughout the years, many deserving students have been appreciated for their hard work. But, sometimes it feels that students who have had a few good days are being given the spotlight rather than those who have exhibited such behavior daily. Yes, it occasionally sparks change and encourages students to do better, but what about the students who are motivated all on their own? The ones who consistently give it their all?
Some of these hard-working students have been chosen, but not as many as we feel it should be, including members of our very own staff, which is exactly what sparked our own questioning of the process. When these students realize this lack of recognition, it not only makes them feel like they aren’t doing enough, but also diminishes their motivation to continue their good habits.
Student of the Month feels so official and meaningful, but throughout the year, there are about 360 students who are being elected to this just because they had a good day, a good moment, or performed well on one test. This shies away from students who always have those good days, good moments, and perform well on every test.
So, what is the solution?
The Newspaper staff has proposed a new two-step system of rewarding the student body in a way that sends a good message to all students while also introducing a deeper meaning to Student of the Month.
1. Rebranding the current Student of the Month to “Student Monthly Shoutouts”
The process for this and the method of awarding students would remain exactly as they are now, just with a simple name change. This would still allow any teachers to submit whichever students they would like and for whatever reason, still shedding light on the little things they notice.
2. Implementing a new recognition for students known as “Student of the Semester”
- Teachers from each department participate in a discussion near the end of each semester to select an especially worthy student in any grade level
- These students, compiled from the Ag Science, Math, Physical Education, Language Arts, Science, Social Studies, World Language, At Risk/Special Education, Business, Family and Consumer Sciences, Fine Arts, Visual Arts, and Industrial Tech departments, would become the 13 Students of the Semester
- A breakfast or small award ceremony would recognize these students for their outstanding and continuous effort, and give them an honorary award or advantage within the school
This new addition would aim to enhance the meaning of the title through its more rigorous selection process, and, rather than encouraging students to get better, it creates a more competitive long-term goal to work towards as an already high-achieving student. It would do this through the possible rewards, such as a special parking spot, the ability to get ahead in the lunch line, a gift card, or even a small scholarship. And, because it presents you as a top student within the entire school of 1,438 students, it may even be special enough to put on college applications.
At the end of the day, we desire a process that all stakeholders support. If you have other suggestions or feedback on our proposal, email our Chief Editor, Arabella Fourneau.
