They Ruined the Awards Ceremony

    With the end of school upon of our schedules start to fill up with concerts, play-offs and ceremonies.  Here in our school district end of year award ceremonies are a big thing.  That is until the parents ruined it.
     In elementary school we would have award ceremonies after the end of every quarter.  Included in the report cards would be an invitation announcing that your child would be receiving an award and you were encouraged to attend.  The Kindergarten and First Grade teachers were very generous and made sure that at some point during the year each child received an award.  When Second Grade arrived additional awards started being handed out based on grades.
      I really didn't notice anything the first year and was the proud mom running up to take pictures when my daughter's name was called.  Then it happened.  In third grade she received an award entitled "Most Improved".  What seemed like a move from synchronized swimming, a group of Moms turned towards me with their "Aw glad she's doing better but not as good as my child" smile.  You know the one, where they're smiling but their heads crooked to the side.  I truly didn't know how to react.  Then as the program continued her name was called along with others for Honor Roll.  This time I was given a thumbs up from a couple of the moms. A few of them even commented to my daughter how proud they were of her hard work.  Here's the reality:  The teacher had given her the "Most Improved" award for her neatness in cursive, and unlike what those Moms thought had nothing to do with grades.
    Our children along with 800 others were sent to a brand new school the following year.  With a new school comes new traditions and it seems some of the parents had a few they wanted to start.  The first year was pretty mild however I noticed that instead of just a parent showing up for these awards entire families were now attending. Siblings were being pulled out of their classes to see their brother or sister receive their award.  Now I am all for celebrating a child's achievement.  In fact my kids know that great report cards equal a family night out.  My husband has never taken off work to watch any of our kids receive a quarterly award.  We were in the minority.  It got to where there were cheering sections when a child's name was called.  Now if you haven't been to one of these ceremonies very often multiple children receive the same award and the list of names are read off with each child walking to the stage.  So while Johnny's family is woo-hooing his perfect attendance Sue's family can barely hear their child's name being called.
     At the start of the second year it was announced that siblings could no longer be pulled from classes. The awards ceremonies were also switched from the end of the day to the middle of the morning which greatly reduced the number of attendees.  It was also announced at the beginning of the ceremony that ALL APPLAUSE would be held until the end of each award.  Of course it took a few stern looks from the principal to enforce this rule but it worked.  I guess a couple families felt that this was not the right way to celebrate their students as the next ceremony would prove.
     I thought I had missed a party or something when I arrived at the next award ceremony.  There were a couple of moms sitting together who had balloons under their chairs.  Was a teacher engaged?  Was someone retiring?  Being a pretty active volunteer at school I was usually on top of those things so I was truly perplexed.  Imagine my surprise when these Moms walked to the stage and presented their child a balloon when they received an award!  These were the kids who were always on Honor Roll, receiving perfect attendance and such.  It wasn't as if they were being nominated for a Junior Version of the Nobel Peace Prize.  Not only did it interrupt the ceremony but you know it made the other kids on stage at the same time feel bad. Of course my daughter was after one of these balloon kids.  Due to the amount of time it took for the Mom to hand her daughter the balloon I was unable to get a picture of my child getting her award.
     The craziness grew from there.  From balloons it went to flowers for the girls, candy grams for the guys.  Then one Mom finally pushed it too far.  I don't know why she did it, all I can imagine is that the balloons, flowers and candy were no longer enough.  When her daughter was called for her Honor Roll Award this Mom walked up to the stage and presented her child with a teddy bear.  To be sure you have the right image think huge carnival size, the one guys win to impress their girls.  The teacher presenting the award even stopped to comment on sweet that was. SWEET~ are you kidding me??? And yes once again my daughter's name was called after Bear Girl, the teacher truly barely acknowledged her she was so taken by this bear.  That was the last Award Ceremony the principal allowed at that school.

  Tomorrow night will be the last Award Ceremony for my son.  It is Senior Award Night and just like in elementary they all want to hear their name called.  I just hope that there won't be any balloons, flowers or bears

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I Started the Year Out Green

I started the year out Green.

     Though it is a few days off the first of the year I did get to start the year off “Green”.  Thursday Fleming Island and Middleburg High Schools along with 24 other schools in the area attended a matinee showing of Wicked.    Being able to enjoy seeing this with both Patrick and Meg was a true treat.  Hearing the laughs and reactions of hundreds of other students made this one of the best shows I have ever attended.

     Arts or as most refer to it now “The Arts” are something we have tried to expose our kids to while growing up.  While they were young we would go to art museums and take advantage of their kid programs.  Touring historical sites was often a family outing.  Watching PBS offerings was a common occurrence.  Music accompanying dinner was always classical thanks to radio offerings on cable.

            When we as a nation continue to honor our artists through such accolades as the Kennedy Center Honors why is it that we continue to annihilate performing art programs in our schools???  Where do we think the next generations of award recipients are going to come from if we refuse to acknowledge the importance of arts in our schools?

            I was lucky enough to grow up on Long Island in a school district where the arts are celebrated.  All children in third grade learned to play the recorder and selected an instrument to study in fourth grade.  I had no clue what an incredible opportunity that was until I realized my children would be not afforded that same opportunity.  I can’t blame the Clay County school board completely for this as it seems to be a growing trend around the country.  Now no decent school that has a football team (and this is the south so ALL schools have one)  is ever going to NOT have a band so once students hit 7^th grade they can choose to study a Band instrument.   Those who had dreams of playing a stringed instrument are out of luck, if you can’t march with it you won’t learn it in Clay County.  Of course if you happen to be born into a family that has the resources that will allow you to study privately you can bow away.   Right over the border Duval County’s music program does offer the opportunity for students to study ANY instrument.  We are fortunate that Jacksonville has an incredible Youth Orchestra and Children's Chorus. (Emily thoroughly enjoyed singing with them)

            Developing the love of arts goes beyond simply participating.  Whether it is an Orchestra or Modern Art Museum none can survive without Patrons.  Patrons don’t just happen they develop.  Granted there are those who write checks for a number of causes simply due to being able to see their name listed among others in the community. HOWEVER Most Patrons are true lovers of arts.  They recognize and embrace the importance that arts have in a society.  Would Beethoven or Mozart been able to create musical masterpieces had it not been for their Patrons? Would Leonardo have been able to create the Vitruvian Man if he had to wait tables to support his art career?

      Why is it that an art program is the first offered up when budget cuts are necessary?  Emily and Patrick enjoyed having an art class for the first few years of school until we were redistricted when a new school was opened.  Though it had only been first grade one of Patrick’s paintings was chose for our County’s art show, he never had an art class again.  Meg, on the other hand,  did not have an art class until 5^th grade when a new elementary school was opened (yes lucky us got to open 2 Elementary schools).  She was bitten by the art bug only to have it exterminated when the school cut the program due to funding after its first year.  I am not suggesting that either was going to be the next Jackson Pollack or Georgia O’Keefe but what’s not to say someone else in their school may have been with just the introduction of art in their lives.

    Thank goodness that there are opportunities like we had last Thursday that exposes children to incredible performances like Wicked.  The Broadway in Jacksonville Artist Series offers a matinee once a year at reduced prices with the sole purpose of reaching students with shows they wouldn’t otherwise have access to. 

     It is kind of funny how this post developed.  I was originally going to write about how much I enjoy chaperoning field trips; obviously my subconscious had other plans.   My local school board knew me by name while my kids were in Elementary School and their art programs were being cut.  Granted I was only one voice.  However I truly believe that one voice can make a difference and I will continue to fight for art programs in our schools~ will you join me?