My Experience.
Mr Pauls,
I know I've already gone to speak to you multiple times and at length about your decision to remove the academic awards, and that I have offered many alternative options that could be easier or more inclusive so that the awards ceremony could still run. That being said, we ended this school year without the awards ceremony, and I got to see what it was like with the awards per-class method that was recently adopted. I must say, as an academically inclined student, this method hurt me. You said in your email that the awards were cancelled due to: "poor attendance by students and families, phone calls asking “What award is my child getting? If it is just Honour Roll we aren’t coming”, and parents leaving the ceremony after their child received an award without staying to the end." It is a shame that the ceremony wasn't appreciated by some people, but for those of us that did come, that did stay until the very end, it was wonderful and greatly appreciated. The awards night was a great night for me because it felt like a safe space. Everyone who was at the ceremony was also getting an award of some sort, and they were all academically or achievement inclined. When I went up on the stage to accept my awards for Earth Science 11 and Science 10, everybody clapped and smiled and I felt truly supported, loved, and recognized. It was an amazing time for everybody involved. At Bert Bowes, we didn't have academic awards, so this was a welcome experience. Throughout this school year, I know multiple people, myself included, worked doubly hard to try and get to go to the awards night again, or for the first time. I was impressed by my marks and wondered if they would be enough to win an award this year. With your decision to cancel the awards right at the end of the year, I was very disappointed. I also found it strange that I was not alerted to these changes, and that my mum had to tell me when most school updates normally come directly to my school email. I know many of my peers were not aware of the changes until I told them. One of my close friends was devastated; it had been her goal this year to get to go up on stage for Honour role. In the end, she did get the Honour Role, but she didn't get to accept a certificate on-stage as we had last year. I had hoped to get at least one of the major awards, as these are always asked for on applications. In the end, I received five classroom awards; one each for Biology 11, Physics 11, Pre-Calculus 11, Chemistry 11, and either Francais langue 11 or Sciences Humaines 11 - I am not sure. In the email, you said; "this new process will allow us to recognize the hard work of more students in a setting with their peers. We hope that this will be a better way to recognize the efforts and achievements of our students", but I must say, I did not find it so. All of my awards were given to me in a strange and secretive manner; it seemed as though I should almost be ashamed of my achievements, or that at least I should keep them a secret. They were given to me privately after classes, secretively during other classes, or very quietly while none of the other kids in my class were paying attention. Physics was the only class in which this didn't happen, wherein my teacher approached me in private and informed me that I would be receiving the award. He asked me whether I wanted him to announce it and have me come up to collect it in front of the class, or to get it privately. Had my friends not been eaves-dropping and then heckling me to get it at the front of the class, I would have chosen to do it in private. The next day, my teacher announced the award and briefly spoke of all the hard work I'd put in before calling me up to the front of the class. My five physics friends clapped and cheered loudly, but they were alone. I was very glad to have them there as the rest of the class seemed to glare at me and hate me for receiving the accolade. It did not feel like a safe space and I hurried back to my seat as quickly as possible, avoiding eye contact and hiding the award in my binder.
I don't know why it isn't 'cool' to be a high academic achiever, but it can often be very discouraging. The awards night was the one night I felt recognized and supported among all the other kids who were also receiving awards. I see that Dr. Kearney does very amazing, in-depth awards ceremonies every year, that the ELC had an awards ceremony, with awards like "grit" for kids who worked really hard, as well as citizenship awards, art awards and more. They don't all have to be academic. I also saw that there was a large banquet for the athletics, that could be another thing that would keep people at the academics ceremony - if they have to pay for their ticket and a meal. With all of the other faculties getting lots of recognition both on the website and in banquets/parties/ceremonies, it feels a lot like academics are really being singled out and excluded, which is especially hurtful since we aren't considered to be the 'cool' ones. I am leaving for the Shad program tomorrow, and I know in past years I've always taken pleasure in seeing who's going on the school website. This year, that I know of, there are five girls from North Peace who all made it into one of the 900 spots from 5,500+ applicants. It must be a record year, but I haven't heard anything about it, which also makes me kind of sad, this was my year. This also goes for the kids who worked hard to earn an award this year had there been an award ceremony; this might have been their one and only year to be recognized, and they missed it. They missed a chance to be encouraged, inspired, and to feel supported. All I can hope is that we can find an alternative solution for next year.
I know I've already gone to speak to you multiple times and at length about your decision to remove the academic awards, and that I have offered many alternative options that could be easier or more inclusive so that the awards ceremony could still run. That being said, we ended this school year without the awards ceremony, and I got to see what it was like with the awards per-class method that was recently adopted. I must say, as an academically inclined student, this method hurt me. You said in your email that the awards were cancelled due to: "poor attendance by students and families, phone calls asking “What award is my child getting? If it is just Honour Roll we aren’t coming”, and parents leaving the ceremony after their child received an award without staying to the end." It is a shame that the ceremony wasn't appreciated by some people, but for those of us that did come, that did stay until the very end, it was wonderful and greatly appreciated. The awards night was a great night for me because it felt like a safe space. Everyone who was at the ceremony was also getting an award of some sort, and they were all academically or achievement inclined. When I went up on the stage to accept my awards for Earth Science 11 and Science 10, everybody clapped and smiled and I felt truly supported, loved, and recognized. It was an amazing time for everybody involved. At Bert Bowes, we didn't have academic awards, so this was a welcome experience. Throughout this school year, I know multiple people, myself included, worked doubly hard to try and get to go to the awards night again, or for the first time. I was impressed by my marks and wondered if they would be enough to win an award this year. With your decision to cancel the awards right at the end of the year, I was very disappointed. I also found it strange that I was not alerted to these changes, and that my mum had to tell me when most school updates normally come directly to my school email. I know many of my peers were not aware of the changes until I told them. One of my close friends was devastated; it had been her goal this year to get to go up on stage for Honour role. In the end, she did get the Honour Role, but she didn't get to accept a certificate on-stage as we had last year. I had hoped to get at least one of the major awards, as these are always asked for on applications. In the end, I received five classroom awards; one each for Biology 11, Physics 11, Pre-Calculus 11, Chemistry 11, and either Francais langue 11 or Sciences Humaines 11 - I am not sure. In the email, you said; "this new process will allow us to recognize the hard work of more students in a setting with their peers. We hope that this will be a better way to recognize the efforts and achievements of our students", but I must say, I did not find it so. All of my awards were given to me in a strange and secretive manner; it seemed as though I should almost be ashamed of my achievements, or that at least I should keep them a secret. They were given to me privately after classes, secretively during other classes, or very quietly while none of the other kids in my class were paying attention. Physics was the only class in which this didn't happen, wherein my teacher approached me in private and informed me that I would be receiving the award. He asked me whether I wanted him to announce it and have me come up to collect it in front of the class, or to get it privately. Had my friends not been eaves-dropping and then heckling me to get it at the front of the class, I would have chosen to do it in private. The next day, my teacher announced the award and briefly spoke of all the hard work I'd put in before calling me up to the front of the class. My five physics friends clapped and cheered loudly, but they were alone. I was very glad to have them there as the rest of the class seemed to glare at me and hate me for receiving the accolade. It did not feel like a safe space and I hurried back to my seat as quickly as possible, avoiding eye contact and hiding the award in my binder.
I don't know why it isn't 'cool' to be a high academic achiever, but it can often be very discouraging. The awards night was the one night I felt recognized and supported among all the other kids who were also receiving awards. I see that Dr. Kearney does very amazing, in-depth awards ceremonies every year, that the ELC had an awards ceremony, with awards like "grit" for kids who worked really hard, as well as citizenship awards, art awards and more. They don't all have to be academic. I also saw that there was a large banquet for the athletics, that could be another thing that would keep people at the academics ceremony - if they have to pay for their ticket and a meal. With all of the other faculties getting lots of recognition both on the website and in banquets/parties/ceremonies, it feels a lot like academics are really being singled out and excluded, which is especially hurtful since we aren't considered to be the 'cool' ones. I am leaving for the Shad program tomorrow, and I know in past years I've always taken pleasure in seeing who's going on the school website. This year, that I know of, there are five girls from North Peace who all made it into one of the 900 spots from 5,500+ applicants. It must be a record year, but I haven't heard anything about it, which also makes me kind of sad, this was my year. This also goes for the kids who worked hard to earn an award this year had there been an award ceremony; this might have been their one and only year to be recognized, and they missed it. They missed a chance to be encouraged, inspired, and to feel supported. All I can hope is that we can find an alternative solution for next year.