Teacher gave out candy and certificates...

[annegal]

[I have a problem if teacher is doing this on her own.

School assembly with a certificate is the norm.

Giving candy to the "best kids" is cruel , IMO.

 

[Allison]

Perefct attendance awards are stupid, for the reasons already stated.

Rewarding a child because they do well in school is not. We have to get out of the mentality that every child deserves every award. They don't and it teaches them to handle disappointment when they don't get an award.

I didn't always make the honor roll. So I tried harder for next time. I didn't make every sports team I tried out for. So I became the team manager/scorekeeper. I didn't get asked by every guy I liked. But I did get asked out by guys who I realized were great guys too because I gave them the chance. I didn't get the part in the school play I tried out for. So I did props and costumes. I didn't get every job I interviewed for. But I have a job I enjoy.

I am not in therapy. I am not a serial killer. I learned to handle disappointment.

There is always going to be someone who is prettier, smarter, more athletic, more talented in some way, than you. The sooner kids learn to deal with that, the better off they will be. Teach your child to love their gifts and not to be jealous about what others have.

I think you are completely correct (and I was the basketball team manager ).

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Perfect attendance is .....If my kids are sick they are staying HOME!

SIDENOTE....My 15yodd came home yesterday and said that kids WITH THE FLU are walking around her high school with 103 TEMPS!!!!

As far as awards, well, look at it this way. My 10yodd did not make into the "gifted" program but she gets grades as if she is.
She also is "nerdy" and advanced so doesn't quite fit in with the "cool" kids.
Academic rewards is how she keeps going on with school. It is VERY important to her.

While I understand your feelings for your son, you also must take the other kids into consideration. My dd WORKS VERY HARD to achieve this.

 

[MichelleVW]

Perefct attendance awards are stupid, for the reasons already stated.

Rewarding a child because they do well in school is not. We have to get out of the mentality that every child deserves every award. They don't and it teaches them to handle disappointment when they don't get an award.

I didn't always make the honor roll. So I tried harder for next time. I didn't make every sports team I tried out for. So I became the team manager/scorekeeper. I didn't get asked by every guy I liked. But I did get asked out by guys who I realized were great guys too because I gave them the chance. I didn't get the part in the school play I tried out for. So I did props and costumes. I didn't get every job I interviewed for. But I have a job I enjoy.

I am not in therapy. I am not a serial killer. I learned to handle disappointment.

There is always going to be someone who is prettier, smarter, more athletic, more talented in some way, than you. The sooner kids learn to deal with that, the better off they will be. Teach your child to love their gifts and not to be jealous about what others have.

I agree with you. They hand out candy at my kids school too. I have one kid who gets straight A's and one who gets straight B's and haven't heard any complaining from the B child about not getting the candy.

I really hate the "every child has to get something so they don't feel bad" mentality.

I hate the perfect attendance awards. When DD#2 was in 3rd grade she was very sick and missed a week of school due to strep. Well when I went to her award assembly a student in her class got perfect attendance and the teacher said, "she was here every day even though at one point she had STREP!!" OMG I was furious!!! My child was very sick for a week because this kid's parent wanted perfect attendance???!!!

 

[JunieJay]

[I have a problem if teacher is doing this on her own.

School assembly with a certificate is the norm.

Giving candy to the "best kids" is cruel , IMO.

I do agree it should be done in an assembly and a certificate rather than candy.

Although my son's Health teacher throws candy at them for every answer, right or wrong. Those kids love that teacher and that class, and strive hard to participate. This is a teacher who is making a difference for ALL kids by rewarding them for their effort.

 

[bjgrazi]

Perefct attendance awards are stupid, for the reasons already stated.

Rewarding a child because they do well in school is not. We have to get out of the mentality that every child deserves every award. They don't and it teaches them to handle disappointment when they don't get an award.

I didn't always make the honor roll. So I tried harder for next time. I didn't make every sports team I tried out for. So I became the team manager/scorekeeper. I didn't get asked by every guy I liked. But I did get asked out by guys who I realized were great guys too because I gave them the chance. I didn't get the part in the school play I tried out for. So I did props and costumes. I didn't get every job I interviewed for. But I have a job I enjoy.

I am not in therapy. I am not a serial killer. I learned to handle disappointment.

There is always going to be someone who is prettier, smarter, more athletic, more talented in some way, than you. The sooner kids learn to deal with that, the better off they will be. Teach your child to love their gifts and not to be jealous about what others have.

ITA, although my kids have gotten perfect attendence and no I didn't send them to school sick. For a couple of years they just stayed really healthy.

 

[JunieJay]

Oh and my kids do get the Perfect Attendance awards. Not because they go to school sick, but because they rarely are sick. I think they deserve to be rewarded for consistency, and like good grades, its not something they can always get. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. Some years you get sick and break your perfect attendance, some years you don't. Thems the breaks. But I see nothing wrong with sending out the message that consistency is every bit as important as good grades.

 

[daisyduck123]

Teacher here....

I think the kids who earned the grades should be rewarded, but perfect attendance has GOT TO GO.

I give out coupons for free meals from Red Robin, TGI Fridays, Chick-Fil-A, etc.....never candy.
The office gives us the coupons to distribute & I send them home in the report card envelopes.

 

[mrsg00fy]

I agree with Disney Doll. ...except for the perfect attendance part. I think perfect attendance should be rewarded because attendance and punctuality are traits that are very valuable..... If one is consistent in attendance...it is worthy of recognition.

I think we all want our children to be recognized because they all have something about them that is wonderful.....and it hurts (the parent and the child) when those qualities are not recognized.

It sounds like you are a wonderful, devoted and compassionate mother. Your child is very fortunate to have you.

 

[lesroi]

I think its alright to reward kids for stuff, however I do feel your son has a real good mom , do somthing to let him no how proud you are of him.

I agree. Whatever is so wrong about encouraging children to do better, rewards for good work? I think our society has gone WAY overboard in the "everybody gets a trophy" mentality. In real life, people who excel GET AHEAD. What is wrong with teaching this in school?

I for one, really enjoyed getting those rewards in school, and it was partially that I enjoyed being recognized in that way that I continued to excel.

I also agree that YOU, as a parent, should be letting your child know how proud you are. It isn't always the school's responsibility. Sure, your child may not be a star in school, but what about sports? Maybe your child is excellent at helping you around the house? I guarantee that there is something YOUR KID does that he/she does better than any other child. Just ENCOURAGE your child yourself!


Tracy

 

[MichelleVW]

I agree with Disney Doll. ...except for the perfect attendance part. I think perfect attendance should be rewarded because attendance and punctuality are traits that are very valuable..... If one is consistent in attendance...it is worthy of recognition.

.

I agree BUT I do have a big problem with kids that go to school sick just to get perfect attendance.

 

[mickeysgal]

I think awards are fine for perfect attendance and honor roll. Those kids should be rewarded. I also think its appropriate to give an award to most improved student. My kids often don't get grades good enough for an award, but that is life. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose.

Every school that my kids have attended (we've had to move a couple of time) have recognized those that have placed on an honor roll and equally honored those kids that have given an outstanding effort but not necessary achieved high grades. Its a good balance to honor the two types of achievement. I've yet to see a school that doesn't do this. If your school doesn't do this, perhaps you can suggest this as a positive approach to improve their achievement recognition.

Perfect attendance has been honored for ages (even way back when I was in school ) . And why not? If you don't win that award, so what? I think it teaches kids that not everyone can win everything. As in life, everything can't be doled out equally to everyone everytime. Thats a life lesson - one that will come in handy when they're an adult.

 

[mickeysgal]

I hate the perfect attendance awards. When DD#2 was in 3rd grade she was very sick and missed a week of school due to strep. Well when I went to her award assembly a student in her class got perfect attendance and the teacher said, "she was here every day even though at one point she had STREP!!" OMG I was furious!!! My child was very sick for a week because this kid's parent wanted perfect attendance???!!!

Hey Michelle, I'm not picking on you, but you did bring up a good point. Do anyone really think that this was the real reason that a parent would send a child to school sick deliberately just to save the attendance award OR because the parents had to work and just sent them to school because they had no other choice (yes it does happen!) OR that the kid got sick at school and the parent didn't know until after school. I have a hard time believing that parents are on a quest for the attendance award. (Again, I'm not picking on you Michelle, its just your point was very interesting!)

Sometimes, kids get sick AT school or just start to feel bad during school and its not until after school that the parents realize that the kid has come down with something. (Its happened here). In this case, is what the teacher could have been referring to, KWIM?

 

[Daxx]

We have to get out of the mentality that every child deserves every award. They don't and it teaches them to handle disappointment when they don't get an award.

I did the bolding ... but I wanted to stress that point!!!! Thank you!!!!! Kids need to learn how to handle disappointment b/c life is full of disappointments. Better to learn how to deal early on in life.

There is always going to be someone who is prettier, smarter, more athletic, more talented in some way, than you. The sooner kids learn to deal with that, the better off they will be. Teach your child to love their gifts and not to be jealous about what others have.

Thank you again! You've hit the nail on the head!

 

[speedydisteen]

my mom is a first grade teacher and what she does is hand out awards to EACH child. it makes them ALL feel special. because she finds the good in them and puts it on a certificate. they love it! i told my mom and she thought that was pretty dumb. that is really sad for your ds.

 

[KarenB]

I never did like the perfect attendance idea either.

 

[Swimnoid]

Do anyone really think that this was the real reason that a parent would send a child to school sick deliberately just to save the attendance award ?

Oh yeah, I absolutely know many (not just a few) parents who do this because they want their kids to have every award and recognition out there.

 

[JoyG]

My school does honor roll, merit roll and perfect attendance awards for kids in grades 3rd to 8th. It is not done for the lower grades. I see nothing wrong with it.

I also see nothing wrong with handing out a candy bar with the award...it's not like the teacher showed a fluff movie or anything.

 

[java]

I am a hater of the attendance awards... why you may ask... well because some moron parent decided to send their "perfect attendance" child to school with the CHICKEN POX!!! As soon as he got to school they sent him home (and told her he could not come back until a doctor ok'd it) And oh yes my children(vaccinated by the way) ended up with the Pox! ARGH! So perfect attendance is a crock in my book.
Being rewarded though for honor roll is another thing. The children in our district get a certificate and if they make Principal's list(all A's) at least one marking period..they get to attend a year end picnic. Incentive! I think it is a good idea. That is in the middle school by the way. In K-4 they get a certificate. Oh but now that I think about it they give stuff away for all kinds of reasons- in fact today I am heading to Applebees with my dd to use her Free Dessert that she was awarded for a "kindness" award. KINDNESS AWARD?! Shouldn't they all be required to be kind? But I guess if they show an out of the ordinary amount of kindness they get the award. I wonder when they'll give out the sitting award for students that are really good sitters???

 

[MichelleVW]

Hey Michelle, I'm not picking on you, but you did bring up a good point. Do anyone really think that this was the real reason that a parent would send a child to school sick deliberately just to save the attendance award OR because the parents had to work and just sent them to school because they had no other choice (yes it does happen!) OR that the kid got sick at school and the parent didn't know until after school. I have a hard time believing that parents are on a quest for the attendance award. (Again, I'm not picking on you Michelle, its just your point was very interesting!)

Sometimes, kids get sick AT school or just start to feel bad during school and its not until after school that the parents realize that the kid has come down with something. (Its happened here). In this case, is what the teacher could have been referring to, KWIM?

On my example this parent KNEW the kid was sick ( I know the parent) and her and the child loved the perfect attendance award so she knowingly sent the child to school sick. That's why I was so mad...