Names of honor roll students in the newspaper-what do you think?

[Sabeking]

I think it's great...however, on the back page of the newspaper they should have a shout out to the rest of the students who participated.

 

[Hrhpd]

Disagree.

Since you are a teacher, I would really be interested in why you disagree.

I have no idea if our district publishes honor roll stats. My children went to a school that had a great rep, but grade inflation was rampant, so high GPAs were a bit of a joke. I never checked if my kids were in the paper with their 4+ GPAs.

 

[Shanti]

Since you are a teacher, I would really be interested in why you disagree.

I have no idea if our district publishes honor roll stats. My children went to a school that had a great rep, but grade inflation was rampant, so high GPAs were a bit of a joke. I never checked if my kids were in the paper with their 4+ GPAs.

I think being so honored at school should be adequate. It isn't really newsworthy, for one thing, and may exagerrate the importance of being on the honor roll for a child who's at a school with grade inflation (which is very common these days).

My other reason is that I know from experience that some of the hardest working students at school are not on the honor roll, but they're trying their darndest and learning, & they might be ashamed to be chronically left out of such a public honor (particularly at schools with grade inflation, where many of their friends might be so honored every time).

I don't wish to be flamed about how it's the same with everything in life, & kids' sports, etc. That's not the point I'm trying to make. I think it's good for honor students to be recognized and applauded at school, just like athletes are on the sports field. I just think the adulation should be tempered enough to be left at school, not posted in the paper as if it were news.

 

[FlightlessDuck]

My area has done this since at least 1990. *shrug*

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

Honor Roll is just doing what you're supposed to be doing. It really isn't newsworthy. Now if one of the kids invents a perpetual motion machine or something like that, by all means.

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

I think it's great...however, on the back page of the newspaper they should have a shout out to the rest of the students who participated.

I think to satisfy all the hyper competitive parents living vicariously through their kids the title of the list should say LOSERS!!! Because the kid doing well isn't any fun unless one can cut some other kid down low.

 

[PollyannaMom]

I'm glad my paper still does this! School doesn't come easy to my DS, but he worked really hard this year and did make honor roll. When I showed him the paper, I didn't expect much of a reaction beyond surprise that I was reading a real newspaper, but he was actually very proud to see it, looked for various friends names, etc.

I think it's a nice, tangible reminder to the kids that someone is noticing their effort.

 

[ravenclawtrekkie]

I know this is an old thread, but I'm just imagining a grade school kid being told they got in the newspaper for Honor Roll and them asking "What's a newspaper?"

 

[Aliceacc]

I'm guessing that same newspaper publishes the name of the kid who scored the winning touchdown? Who scored the winning basket or goal? Who pitched the no-hitter?

Why on earth wouldn't it be equally OK to celebrate academic success the same way we do athletic success??

 

[AppleDumpling]

I agree that academic achievement should be recognized, considering that education is the main purpose of schools.

Here, the honor roll is not printed in the hometown paper, but it is posted on the school district website and displayed on a board in the school lobby. It's a long list that is updated quarterly.

The paper does announce special accomplishments such as NMF and AP scholars, and all-county and all-state musicians (in addition to sports news of course). It also lists local students who make the Dean's List at their college as well as college graduation announcements.

 

[DisneyMommyMichelle]

I've always loved the idea and our current city actually has a commercial for the high honors with their photos as well, it's great!

 

[nugov2]

Honor Roll is just doing what you're supposed to be doing. It really isn't newsworthy. Now if one of the kids invents a perpetual motion machine or something like that, by all means.

I guess that could be said about all achievement. If you play football you should be playing well, if your playing the violin you should be playing it well and unless you are the top in the nation nobody should be recognized. Win a tournament or state in something who cares, probably teams in other states and areas better than you. It shouldn't be recognized. As we know top in the school means nothing as there are thousands of schools in the nation and there are always people better, so unless you are the best of the best no acknowledgement is necessary.

 

[Poohforyou]

Our school doesn't do this for regular marking period honor roll. We're in a high performing district so I can't imagine the nightmare something like this could create - i.e. a name left off. I also don't think the requirements to be on honor roll in our district require anything exceptional - an 85 average for regular honor roll and a 90 average for high honor roll.

Sure, there are students who really have to work hard and struggle to get to that average but those few who do that would be over shadowed by hundreds of kids that don't have to work to hit an 85. My own kid is one of them - 12 high school marking periods and I think she missed high honor roll twice.

Special academic achievements are announced - national honor society, language honor societies, national merit scholars, other significant academic awards, senior academic award recipients, etc.

 

[piccolopat]

It is important that we recognize kids that attain levels of achievement whether through academics, sports, music, art, theater, etc. We have to teach our kids to do their best and to be proud of what they do regardless of whether they win or lose. We also need them to understand that getting a trophy for just showing up is almost worthless.

 

[Lilacs4Me]

I know this is an old thread, but I'm just imagining a grade school kid being told they got in the newspaper for Honor Roll and them asking "What's a newspaper?"

Oh, don't worry! Our little village newspaper posts A and B honor rollees and they send out an electronic version

I am fine with an honor roll list. I have a kid who makes the B honor roll, one who makes the A honor roll, and one who may or may not ever be on the list at all - he's a 5th grader this fall, so its TBD, but not looking promising....and he works harder than the other two for his "average" grades.

My DD has also been in the same newspaper for winning 2nd place in the local business's design-an-ad contest every year, too. 4 area schools, about 500 kids, 3 winners to a school won and had their Ad, name, and placing published, and the rest of the kids who PARTICIPATED were listed at the end.

School sports teams have their own section in the paper every week.

 

[nugov2]

I know this is an old thread, but I'm just imagining a grade school kid being told they got in the newspaper for Honor Roll and them asking "What's a newspaper?"

Our local town paper is still delivered to our house every week. It is free...I guess it isn't common, but all towns have one so our kids still know what newspapers are.

 

[PollyannaMom]

Our local town paper is still delivered to our house every week. It is free...I guess it isn't common, but all towns have one so our kids still know what newspapers are.

Ours is free to pick up at various locations around town, or you can have it delivered for a very small fee. Once a week is just enough for me, so I love it!

 

[diznygirl]

Kids who excel in academics should be recognized just as much as those who excel in sports. Unfortunately, sports tends to be highlighted so much more and mentioning an academic achievement is seen as "bragging." I don't understand it.

 

[Aliceacc]

Honor Roll is just doing what you're supposed to be doing. It really isn't newsworthy. Now if one of the kids invents a perpetual motion machine or something like that, by all means.

As someone who has taught high school math since 1980, I've got to disagree.

In the real world, outside of the Disboards, most kids don't make Honor Roll. For some, I agree, it's a question of not applying themselves. But for the vast majority, it's a matter of not being able, for whatever reason, to pull those high grades. Some of my favorite kids, the ones who have worked the hardest, applied themselves the most, have been those who haven't made Honor Roll.

Those who manage those high grades SHOULD be recognized. It's not as easy as some here would make it seem.

 

[RedAngie]

Any kid, even an elementary school aged one, who asks "what's a newspaper?" doesn't deserve to be on the honor roll.