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

[Colleen27]

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.

I'm curious - do you feel the same way about athletics, performing arts, volunteer projects, etc?

 

[Aliceacc]

I think the kind of paper we're talking about isn't the big paper that people turn to when they want to find about Brexit or the upcoming Presidential Campaign. It's the kind that reports on things like the retirees at the local high school, the art fair at the local library, and the elections at the local fire house. I agree that making Honor Roll isn't of the caliber of the New York Times (or even the NY Post), but I do think it's the kind of "news" appropriate for those small weekly papers.

 

[mom2rtk]

I'm curious - do you feel the same way about athletics, performing arts, volunteer projects, etc?

I agree that if you are going to put those other things in the paper, it's appropriate to put academic achievements in there as well.

I view it as great progress though that kids can now letter in activities other than sports. When I was in high school, I represented our school in state and national speech and debate competitions and could not even letter. That was reserved for sports only. I love that 2 of my kids have lettered in Scholar Bowl. They also lettered in soccer and tennis, but I love that they can be recognized for both.

 

[Aliceacc]

@mom2rtk, I went to States and Nationals in Extemp!

 

[mom2rtk]

@mom2rtk, I went to States and Nationals in Extemp!

That's awesome! I went to state in debate, oratory and dramatic interpretation. I went to nationals in dramatic interpretation. Tanked after the first round, but it was so much fun, and made for some great memories!

Extemp always scared me!

 

[MIGrandma]

Our local county paper has printed school honor rolls ever since I can remember. I loved seeing my name in the paper when I was growing up, and seeing my children's names and now grandchildren's names as well. For those who think it hurts the feelings of those who don't make the honor roll, I say to them... welcome to life. Get over it. Or, work harder and see your name in the paper too.

 

[Poohforyou]

Our local county paper has printed school honor rolls ever since I can remember. I loved seeing my name in the paper when I was growing up, and seeing my children's names and now grandchildren's names as well. For those who think it hurts the feelings of those who don't make the honor roll, I say to them... welcome to life. Get over it. Or, work harder and see your name in the paper too.

I agree with you that life isn't fair and everyone needs to understand that. I don't have an issue with honor roll being published. It isn't any different than the picture of the winning sport team.

However, for some kids it isn't simply a matter of working harder to make the honor roll. There are kids who are working harder than kids who are on honor roll but they'll never achieve that academic success. My dd is fortunate in that she is a quick learn and does very well in school but she doesn't work that hard for being a high A student.

 

[RedAngie]

This is a new one for me. Publishing the names of honor roll students in a local paper wasn't done in the areas where I and my daughters went to school. But I see no problem with it. The paper does have a section about HS graduations, listing the names, photos, hometowns, etc. of valedictorians and salutatorians, plus where they intend to go to college and what they intend to major in.

 

[bsblady01]

They even put it on the school website now. Our names were always in the paper when we were growing up what's the big deal. Around here they also do all the names of the kids for graduation from each high school in the Hudson valley.

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

This is a new one for me. Publishing the names of honor roll students in a local paper wasn't done in the areas where I and my daughters went to school. But I see no problem with it. The paper does have a section about HS graduations, listing the names, photos, hometowns, etc. of valedictorians and salutatorians, plus where they intend to go to college and what they intend to major in.

If they're going to publish Mr. Football, they may as well publish Mr. or Miss Valedictorian. But just making honor roll at an elementary school? I guess I don't have a problem with it. But I really don't see that as newsworthy. I mean isn't that what you're supposed to do? Get good grades? They don't do that around here. It would take up the entirety of a Sunday Newspaper or two for all the honor roll kids in various schools to be published.

On a totally unrelated side note, I was shocked where our valedictorian ended up going to college. I would have thought Stanford or Cal or something similar on a full ride. But nope. She never even applied. She went to the local Junior College.

 

[RedAngie]

On a totally unrelated side note, I was shocked where our valedictorian ended up going to college. I would have thought Stanford or Cal or something similar on a full ride. But nope. She never even applied. She went to the local Junior College.

A few of the valedictorians I saw mentioned in the paper over the years went to Community College. Or some, how shall I say, went to less than prestigious schools, a la Southwest Pudnick State. Whatever. Hopefully they were happy with their choices.

 

[mom2rtk]

If they're going to publish Mr. Football, they may as well publish Mr. or Miss Valedictorian. But just making honor roll at an elementary school? I guess I don't have a problem with it. But I really don't see that as newsworthy. I mean isn't that what you're supposed to do? Get good grades? They don't do that around here. It would take up the entirety of a Sunday Newspaper or two for all the honor roll kids in various schools to be published.

On a totally unrelated side note, I was shocked where our valedictorian ended up going to college. I would have thought Stanford or Cal or something similar on a full ride. But nope. She never even applied. She went to the local Junior College.

Not all kids, even smart ones, are ready to go away to college.

 

[bsblady01]

If they're going to publish Mr. Football, they may as well publish Mr. or Miss Valedictorian. But just making honor roll at an elementary school? I guess I don't have a problem with it. But I really don't see that as newsworthy. I mean isn't that what you're supposed to do? Get good grades? They don't do that around here. It would take up the entirety of a Sunday Newspaper or two for all the honor roll kids in various schools to be published.

On a totally unrelated side note, I was shocked where our valedictorian ended up going to college. I would have thought Stanford or Cal or something similar on a full ride. But nope. She never even applied. She went to the local Junior College.

Around here they only do middle and high school

 

[MIGrandma]

I agree with you that life isn't fair and everyone needs to understand that. I don't have an issue with honor roll being published. It isn't any different than the picture of the winning sport team.

However, for some kids it isn't simply a matter of working harder to make the honor roll. There are kids who are working harder than kids who are on honor roll but they'll never achieve that academic success. My dd is fortunate in that she is a quick learn and does very well in school but she doesn't work that hard for being a high A student.

Yes, I'm sure that's true. But for kids who try hard and don't achieve much academic success have talents in other areas and just need to discover them. I've seen/heard of so many people who didn't do well in school, didn't go to college, but excelled in the path they chose for their job/career. Many executive chefs, singers, CEOs of large corporations, the list goes on and on. Everyone has different talents, they just need to discover them. No one is good at everything.

 

[PollyannaMom]

Yes, I'm sure that's true. But for kids who try hard and don't achieve much academic success have talents in other areas and just need to discover them. I've seen/heard of so many people who didn't do well in school, didn't go to college, but excelled in the path they chose for their job/career. Many executive chefs, singers, CEOs of large corporations, the list goes on and on. Everyone has different talents, they just need to discover them. No one is good at everything.

I agree that it's important to nurture kids' talents in other areas (not in place of academics - I still think we should reward/publish that) but on top of it. Unfortunately, I think it's getting harder and harder to do with all the focus on state testing nowadays taking away from other types of classes.

One of the elementary schools I work at does an "on a roll" award each month that teachers can nominate kids for. It catches the ones who are working extremely hard but maybe not getting the top grades.

 

[Hrhpd]

I agree that if you are going to put those other things in the paper, it's appropriate to put academic achievements in there as well.

I view it as great progress though that kids can now letter in activities other than sports. When I was in high school, I represented our school in state and national speech and debate competitions and could not even letter. That was reserved for sports only. I love that 2 of my kids have lettered in Scholar Bowl. They also lettered in soccer and tennis, but I love that they can be recognized for both.

If you make the honor roll in our schools, you letter in Academics. I love that kids can letter in Academics along with sports.

 

[mom2rtk]

If you make the honor roll in our schools, you letter in Academics. I love that kids can letter in Academics along with sports.

I would love that too! I guess one slow step at a time around here.

 

[Colleen27]

If you make the honor roll in our schools, you letter in Academics. I love that kids can letter in Academics along with sports.

Ours as well, though since our school awards two letters (two-word school name; one letter is earned for academics, the other for athletics) it would be nice to see some non-athletic extracurriculars included too. As it is, some kids earn one letter, some earn both. But any kid who wants to put in the time can earn an athletic letter, since the school is so small that most teams are varsity and no-cut. Only a handful of sports even hold proper tryouts (girls' volleyball, basketball & in some years softball, boys' basketball). The rest are varsity-only, no JV, and accept anyone who wants to sign up.

 

[AppleDumpling]

If you make the honor roll in our schools, you letter in Academics. I love that kids can letter in Academics along with sports.

Excuse my ignorance, but what is the point of "lettering"? Is it just being awarded a physical cloth letter to sew on a school jacket or are there other benefits? As far as I know, schools in my area have not given out letters (for varsity athletics) in decades. I don't think I've seen a "letterman jacket" since the 70's or 80's. They seem to have gone out of style along with HS class rings.

 

[mom2rtk]

Excuse my ignorance, but what is the point of "lettering"? Is it just being awarded a physical cloth letter to sew on a school jacket or are there other benefits? As far as I know, schools in my area have not given out letters (for varsity athletics) in decades. I don't think I've seen a "letterman jacket" since the 70's or 80's. They seem to have gone out of style along with HS class rings.

Lots of kids here still wear letter jackets. We didn't buy class rings for our kids, but those are still pretty popular here as well.